We had good intentions of walking this morning. The sky looked a bit threatening and we knew we'd had some rain in the night, so we grabbed a couple of umbrellas and headed out. I stopped to take a picture of some leaves along our driveway and then we headed down West Shore Road. About half way to the Randall's mailbox there was a really big roll of thunder right over our heads. We just looked at each other and immediately both turned around and headed back up the road. I really, really don't like thunder storms. I think that was the only clap of thunder there was, but as we were eating breakfast, we did get some rain.

The forecast is for frost Wednesday night, so I need to think about getting my large house plants inside. I guess it's time, but I'd really like to leave them out a bit longer. Fred isn't crazy about our big "trees," so I expect he wouldn't mind if we didn't get them inside. But each one of them has some special significance to me. One of the scheffelerias was a piece that broke off a plant I was giving as a house warming gift, so I stuck it in water, and darned if it didn't take root. I inherited another very small and scraggly scheff that had been my mother's. My dad could raise a crop of potatoes like you've never seen, and had a huge productive vegetable garden, but he didn't have a clue about that poor plant. It somehow survived the four years without my mom tending it, but it didn't grow at all. The branches were crooked and gnarled and it was really unsightly. I re-potted it and it began to revive. It's now a healthy large plant - still pretty crooked, but I use padded wire hooks to pull the branches together to keep them from getting too wild.

Then there's the rather large avocado that I started from seed. After waiting so long for that big old seed to sprout, I could never part with the tree. Trouble is it sheds lots of its leaves when I bring it in each fall. I enjoy the fragrance of avocado leaves, but Fred isn't as keen on it, especially since we used to have it in our bedroom, so this year when I bring it in it will have a new location. Today or tomorrow I'll spray my three big plants for aphids and leave them in the garage, safe from frost, and then in a few days spray them again before bringing them inside for the winter.

Last night Amanda Legare, owner of Amanda's Greenhouse in Lower Cabot was looking forward to the predicted frost. She said her customers always begin to come looking for mums after the first frost takes out their more tender decorative plantings. Amanda will be supplying mums for the Harvest Supper Thursday and our Fall Foliage Day on September 30, too. They're always beautiful.