There are still chipmunks running in and out of the stone wall in the backyard! They’re setting a new record for staying awake. All of the impatiens are still blooming – so I’m still watering them.
I just took out yesterday and today the snake gourd vine that was covering everything in the veggie garden. It was slowly dying / losing energy – and it was also preventing the tomatoes from receiving light and ripening. I am so glad to have a compost heap, so that everything goes right back to the Mother, the Earth. The green zinnias were also done and are on the heap now.
But it’s truly amazing how much stuff is still blooming and growing. I just put a second planting of collards and kale in the garden at the end of August – they are totally happy and well started. If this winter is like the last few, they’ll grow right through the cold and into the spring.
I call all this the short term benefits of global warming. It is beautiful, wonderful – and a little sad.