Thursday evening, we hosted Michael Hathaway and two of his friends. Michael reminded me I’ve been published in the CHIRON REVIEW since 1987. It was wonderful to finally meet after all these years. Michael published the first section of my new manuscript in the current issue of his magazine.  He is a fellow cat lover and has rescued and given n most of hiem a home with him.  His friends were also lovely people. I made a good dinner and we had an enjoyable evening. the boy cats had a great time too as they were fussed over. Willow hit, as usual.

Today I am potting herbs to bring inside and try to keep alive through the winter. I have to decide what to try to save. There’s only so much space for them in the dining room.  We still have dahlias in bloom, g out front and also Japanese anemonies, big white flowers with gold centers. There are still blooms in the my pollinator beds, but I don’t tend to pick them, The humming birds have left to go south with the snowbirds

I must start potting the herbs I want to bring inside. I know I’ll pot 3 rosemary, but have to decide what else to try to bring inside. I also want to cut back the lemon verbena and dry a bunch of it in the dehydrator. Most years, I pot the lemon verbena and bring it inside, but it always dies back and then dies, so this year, I’ll skip the futility of that and just dry a lot of it today if I can get it, or tomorrow.

This has been the kind of fall we always had before global warming began to impact us. The last few falls were very warm into early December. This one has more rain and mild temperatures, from the 50’s to the 70’s. The ocean has cooled, which helps.  Less likely to be hit by hurricane.

Last night we had dinner at the Grotz house in town.  Tasha came down from Dartmouth where she teaches after picking up her sister who had business in New York. Mitch lives in L.A. where she is a doctor. Tasha is a great cook and it’s always fun to eat there. Because of her teaching schedule this year, she hasn’t been able to get to Wellfleet as often as she usually does, and she is sorely missed.  Her mother, Stephanie won’t be there as she is staying in the family home in the Berkshires. Usually she’s here in the fall, but there’s a lot going on there, various festivals, memorials, etc.

We are getting fall color already. The remaining sugar maple in front of the house is gorgeous.  All golden. I love fall next to spring. Spring is my season, as everything –plant and animal –comes slowly to life.

This weekend is oyster fest. The first three years I went and had a great time, but by the 4th year, thousands of visitors had begun to flood it. The drunks began to flourish, more every year. The last time I went, as a small, short woman, I was jostled and shoved aside in the crowds. Have never gone again. That was enough!