Calendar

The Bicycle Trails calendar is currently at the printer. I would have them for sale next week. You can reserve your copy by writing to: photos (at) TomWinfield (dot) com. Calendars are $15.00 plus $3.00 shipping (US Only). Iowa residents add 7% ($1.05) sales tax. PayPal accepted.
A PDF version of the calendar is available for viewing at my photography site: http://www.tomwinfieldphotography.com/sale/BicyclesTrails12.pdf
My photos are not the wide, sweeping views typical of calendars. They provide an intimate view of the trail I was riding at the time. All photos on the calendar were taken while riding one of my bicycles.

More spiny caterpillars

I had a difficult time identifying this caterpillar. It looked a lot like an American Painted Lady (Vanessa virginiensis), but not exactly the same. I couldn't find anything else that it resembled any more, though.

It's been a big year, as far as spiny/bristly caterpillars go. On the driveway today I spotted a Yellow Bear. Also a tiny, tiny shrew or vole. And me without my camera.

After the Sun Came Back

A roof and a tree and some sky? Not very exciting is it? But if I'd taken a before photo, when the branches still lounged on the roof, and no sky showed through the solid wall of greenery, you'd see a big difference. The rain stopped a week ago and the sun came out, so when we pruned back the pecan trees from the house and shed roofs, it was normal weather for August 5th - humid & 95º. The garden has responded to the sunshine. I walked around with the camera after we finished to see what was new- like these buds on the yellow Plumeria, above, and the red Plumeria, below.
Both Plumeria were in full bloom last year by July 26 . I think the same cooler, rainier weather that extended the season for plants like roses, has delayed the bloom for heat and sun lovers. My garden phlox just started to form buds this week, while they're almost done in the midwest. Another plant is making its debut here - the 'Incense' passionvine has leaves and buds for the first time in several years. The tendrils grab onto anything - even a brick wall.
The Gulf Frittilary caterpillars ate every passionflower leaf, tendril and bud in previous summers - they'll probably still show up, but the vine has finally had a chance to get established - maybe larvae, food plant and gardener can all be happy in future.
The 'Celeste' fig has tripled in size from last summer, and has a few figs forming in the junctures along the branches.
I ate two figs from this tree last month - those fruits were probably formed last autumn and somehow survived the icestorm. This set of figs is forming on new wood.
Here's a plant that's looked like a big weed for a few summers - a Brugmansia, labeled as yellow. It's finally forming buds! While I'm still hoping it will turn out to be yellow, by now I'll be thrilled with any color from this Angel's Trumpet.
Hidden behind the still-flowering white hibiscus I found the purple dahlia flowers were open. The only way I could get a photo was by threading through the weary tomato patch.
This dahlia deserves a better place and should be moved in fall.
I bought a chili pequin plant last year, which did nothing all summer - didn't grow or make peppers. Although it's usually an annual, it survived the winter ice to grow and make some fiery hot fruit. I like the way it looks with Silver pony foot and decomposed granite.
The second bulb of the oft-discussed probably 'Fred Howard' amarcrinum cross is blooming again in the shady border, and a third bulb, planted in the big pot with the passalong corkscrew willow, decided to bloom for the first time this week. They look identical to me. The plant in the border has made a flower stalk twice as long as the one last year, giving it a gawky look.
In the above photo you can't even see the stalk on the amarcrinum in the container - all you can see is one happy umbrella papyrus in a year with enough water.
Chuck thinks we should have long shots as well as closeups, so this is what the back garden looks like when one is seated at the patio table, looking past the umbrella shaft, over the herb bed to the NE. The gate is around the corner to the left. The Brugmansia is at left under the overhang. The lighter green blob over the chair back is the 'Little Gem' Magnolia.
Remember when I bought those citronella incense cones last week? They work pretty well - letting us once again sit at the table in the evening.

It's Still Autumn in Austin

Even though the Brugmansia went from still-in-bloom last Thursday afternoon

To crisped and frostbitten by Monday afternoon
Even though the Blue Butterfly Flower Clerodendrum is also crispy brown today

Even though the Loquat is no longer blooming and the hoped-for fruit may have been hit with cold and we'll have another year of no loquat fruit
Even though we're now using the big comforter instead of the light blankets, and the berries on the Burford Holly are a wintery-Christmasy red .

Even though the cannas that backed up the Julia Child rose are no longer green as in this photo from last Thursday
...it still feels like autumn to me.
After all, that Julia Child rose is still blooming and holding onto her foliage (in answer to Jean, the bloom is good, but she does get blackspot and has fewer leaves than she should)

After all, the temperatures are in the sixties and the leaves are falling and swirling around the patio, needing to be swept so we can use the barbecue,
After all, it took a long time to rake and sweep this pile, go over it with the mulching mower and empty the bag over and over into the wire leaf enclosure

After all, there seems to be an endless supply of unfallen leaves that will need raking - even if the projected cold front arrives
After all, the pomegranate tree is still glowing golden in the Secret Garden

After all, the pink rose near the Brugmansia is still blooming

And a rather dimwitted Monarch thought there was still time to raise a new generation
(Renee - as you wrote in your Statesman blog, this is not a good idea, is it!)

Oops - someone should get out the ladder and cut those pods of moonflower vine seeds to save for next spring

But the ladder is already in the living room, surrounded by ornaments and decorations boxes, placed next to the Christmas tree so I can reach the top branches.
Being organized for Christmas gets complicated where December acts like autumn.