Autumn Marches On

We had our first real frost this week - sadly for the plucky Impatiens that finally gave up the ghost and shrivelled up. But the maple tree makes up for them.

So far it has just one patch of bright red.

With the sun shining and blue skies, it looks like a wonderful year for leaf-peeping.

We've seen the coaches on the roads. They've struck it lucky. For people who actually book leaf-peeping holidays from Britain, it can be very hit-and-miss. A bit of rain and wind and the leaves are gone before they even started and you've wasted a lot of money. Most people head for New England because they've been told it's the thing to do. They don't know how beautiful western New York is.

This one's just starting - it looks as if it will go that deep wine colour - my favourite.

Meanwhile it's Fairy Glen time again in our garden. Mummy, Daddy and two baby mushrooms all in a row..

The gold is pretty too

Especially next to the red

 And the hillside is coming along nicely.

Puzzled by the pungent scent of peppermint, I looked around and discovered some powerful mint growing wild in our jungle. We never knew it was there. It makes the most delicious tea, stronger than enything you buy in the shops.

But something's missing...

Chippy, Chipolata, Chipster and the gang have vanished. A couple of weeks ago they were scampering everywhere, one up the oak tree biting off the twigs with the acorns, the others catching them and doing relays back to the burrow, acorns stuffed in their cheeks. Have they already hunkered down for winter?