J. Del Col wrote:


How's fall shaping up in WV? Have you built a fire yet?


Was this intended for me?

Yes!

If so, no fires at our house. We leave
that to the drunken louts who pass as students in Morgantown, about 50
miles north of here.

You are such a professor. G I meant in your fireplace. I look forward
to when the weather is cold enough to build a fire. I like the smell of
woodsmoke and the coziness of it. It is in the 80s here now. I was
thinking it might be a bit crisper in the mountains where you are. MY idea
of heaven: anywhere in the NC/VA mountains. I like 'em green and lush,
not brown and rocky.


I was just observing a large group of Eastern Comma (Polygonia comma)
butterflies that were feeding on fallen crabapples near my office.
I'd never seen them in such numbers before--beautiful, but feisty,
little creatures.

You take me back to my butterfly collecting summers with my dad. I remember
the comma and weren't there other "punctuation" butterflies? The comma looked
something like the skippers we saw in Maryland.

The rose gardens are a sorry mess--lots of fall weeding to be done.
"The Gift" was still blooming as was an un-id'ed semi-double pink
climber in my front yard.

Mine too, but we have blooms. UNbelievable. They are on their own until
spring, I've had it with them this year.


I pay more attention to orchids cacti, and cycads these days.

About orchids: went to central FL last summer and saw them growing
wild, under trees. I had never seen that before.




J. Del Col