Flower Friday : : The Last of the Summer Flowers

We moved into our house on Magnolia St within a month of our next door neighbors, Phyllis and Gordon. Dana was a year old and their daughter, Susan, was just starting kindergarten.  We all grew up together sharing meals, backpacking trips, and many glasses of wine. We went to Susan's high school graduation and her wedding and subsequent move to Minneapolis where she still lives. Yesterday we had a surprise visit from her and spent a wonderful evening with her, drinking wine and reminiscing. We could have gone on for several more days, but she had to leave this morning for a workshop in Corte Madera, an hour to the south. Thanks for coming all the way up here to visit, Susan. It was wonderful to see you.* 

Coffee after class this morning yielded a home grown pumpkin for our front porch from Tobi. Nobody can see our front porch from the street and no trick-or-treater in their right mind would hike up our driveway, but it looks nice with our orange chair, so we'll enjoy it as soon as I remember to go and get it out of the back seat of my car....

I went to Quarryhill for some more prayer flags and admired the pinot noir grapes still on the vine in the adjoining vineyard. The combination of the perfect grapes and the leaves which haven't begun to turn yet seemed almost flower-like.*

Blake has developed a raw spot on the top of his nose...no telling how he got that, though it's a good bet he was sticking it somewhere he shouldn't. Dana and Jim get home tonight...We have been feeding their cats who have been locked in the house for two weeks, and watering the plants. 

My bouquet is made up of the last of the flowers from our garden and some from Dana's that broke off under their own weight. Thanks, as always, to Biker Bear for keeping this most pleasant challenge going.

*extras