I Love Fall

Fall is, without a doubt, my favorite time of the year. The days are cooler, football is back and the world comes alive with color before the winter sets in. Along the fence line between our home and our neighbors there are some sugar maple trees. Here at the lower elevation they are just starting to get their color on.

While pulling up the flowers in front of the rock wall I came across this praying mantis.

I took a second picture in an attempt to get a better shot. Mike came out to see what I was doing and picked up the critter. He flipped it over and declared that it was really a she and was ready to lay her babies so he gently put her back down among the verbena.

The front area with some of the flowers gone looks bare. Since I took these photos we had a night in the 20s so a whole lot more of these plants need to be pulled.

Next I headed around to the back of the house to pull up the last of the watermelon and cantaloupe vines. I came within 18 inches of walking into this spider and its web. YUCK!!! When I took this photo I zoomed in on the spider. It and its web were actually about 8 feet away from the back of the house.

After I had finished the yard work I did some yard play. I put fake spiderwebs on the front fence and then I added a couple of tombstones.

I found directions and then Mike made a true hangman's noose for me so I could hang our skeleton. We are thinking about adding a full size mummy next to him.