My Parrotia just turned yellow this year also. Usually I get a lot more color. All in all this wasn't a good year for Fall color for me. We've had winds and cold weather preceded with a lot of rain. I suppose, you on the Oregon coast, received the same. I found that sunset picture I took from very close to where you live. I think you found us through this picture. :-) Mike

Hello Beca, The last couple of days really has gotten colder. Up until then I was surprised how mild it was, we hadn't even turned heat on in our house. Now we tried and for some reason our expensive trane heat pump only wants to air condition not heat! We ordered an EPA cert. woodstove/fireplace over a month ago - where is it? It's getting frosty in the house in the mornings. It definitely is feeling like winter is right around the corner. The chinese pistachios are beautiful red color and a few of our trees are shedding leaves.The best looks in our yard this time of year are the grasses. The pampas grass has those tall dramatic ivory plumes and the regal mist has that reddish purple haze over the top of it and even the deergrass has some action going if not as spectacular. I love how every season has its wonders to be enjoyed. Beca, about your tomatoes, you can pick them now and just put them in a box in the house and they will ripen. I did that last year and couldn't believe how good they were and they did all ripen. Our tomato plants unfortunately are not even close. We bought a greenhouse this spring and we just put it together. The plan is to plop it over the tomatoes and see if we can have tomatoes through the winter. We've never had a greenhouse before so it will be a learning experience. We have the usual suspects in the winter garden, peas, cabbage, broccoli, lettuce, spinach. We also just took a really long antique wood ladder that I was given and wrapped it in chicken wire and put it across our driveway every night now. This is to keep the rabbits away. I found myself wrapping up different plants and the vegetable patch and finaly decided it would be easier to just wrap our driveway! The rest of our yard has a block wall around it except the front walk and that's easy to block off. Bill, my husband is from Fountain valley and he has family there and we have been going over Cajon pass for Thanksgiving and Christmas for 17 years and never had it not passable. I know from time to time it gets snowed in, we lived in apple valley before we came here, but I think it's not often. Happy fall gardening, Maria

AXELSROSE - dropped your box off this morning at the PO. You have a box coming and a large envelope also. Please post when you get them! BOX DC# 0306 1070 0001 9493 7714 ENV DC# 0306 1070 0001 9493 7721 SNYDER - thank you so much for a great box! It was waiting on me when I got home from Dr. Office a few minutes ago! My Box contained: a wonderful table cloth - purple and pink! my 2 fave colors! DD said its to pretty to put it on the table! an adorable doggie picture frame. I will put Jorja's picture in it in a few minutes! and put it on my desk! a box of wildflower seed mix package of plant markers - i needed these! Thanks! a Tatty Teddy pin - I absolutely adore tatty teddy! recipe for white fudge - sounds yummy!! a cute pair of gardening gloves - i needed these too! wore out others cleaning beds back in Sept. 3 tulip bulbs - looks to be a peach color by the picture snyder attached! two pink and purple flowers with doll faces. Match tablecloth!!! two santa christmas ornaments a sunflower and butterfly pot hanger a cute salt and pepper set - little milk cans with cows on them 7 packs of seeds zinnia apricot profusion - woohoo! was on my list of wants! chinese houses, 4:00s, magenta zinnias, columbine, marigold & hibiscus! thank you so much snyder! loved it all!

Well Ladies... I never got any clearance bulb shopping done today like I said I was going to : ( Oh well I am sure someone else gave all those lonely bulbs a home.Maybe there will be some left this weekend for me to snatch up.Not that I really need any more..but like I said before..there is nothing I like better than a sale : )I shoudn't complain about today tho.I did manage to get all my swap boxes ready to go for this month : ) The electricity went out in our entire town last night and it took them all night to get it fixed!Thank goodness we are having unseasonably nice weather.Otherwise I would have had to put little sweaters and booties on all my birdies : ) It actually was kinda cool really because there was a Full moon Sunday night so it was still really bright last night so I just opened all the shades and hardly needed any candles : ) Oh Sassy,I can't wait to see what you come up with for me besides : ) and : ( LOL!!! If I don't come up with something soon I will become known around here as the smiley frowny gal : ) Oh I got so long winded here I almost forgot.... Sue/Guazon ol' buddy ol' pal for this month..I shipped your box today #0103 8555 7498 4875 5206 Hope you like what I sent : ) Also..Deb,I sent your hostess gift off for this month today also.It is in the box along with the other swap we are doing together. : ) #0103 8555 7498 9079 3010 Have a Great Evening Ladies! Nancy