Summer Is Almost Over

Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.  

~Albert Camus

Tomorrow is the first day of autumn.  I sure wish it would show its face around here.  We have cooled off a bit - down to the low to mid 90's.  It will be awhile before the leaves start changing color and dotting our landscape with reds, oranges and yellows.  Autumn is my favorite time of year even though we don't go through the major color changes like you do in the east.  It usually means cooler weather (finally!) and I can start using the oven more and preparing slow cooker meals.  Which season is your favorite?

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LITTLE FACT OF THE DAY

Autumn Leaves

Autumn!  A bit of coolness in the air.  Colorful leaves.  Thoughts of Halloween and Thanksgiving.  Shorter days.  What comes to mind when you think of autumn?  Here are a few interesting facts:

* The first day of fall is also the second equinox of the year, when the Earth's axis is not pointed toward or away from the Sun. There will be approximately equal amounts of day and night today.

* Until December 22, days will be getting shorter and nights will get longer. Trees will stop performing photosynthesis, which is what causes the leaves to lose their green color.

* Modern Halloween has its origins in the Celtic holiday at the end of the annual harvest, similar to an ancient Thanksgiving. Carving pumpkins didn't become a part of the holiday until the 19th century.

* Evergreen trees like pines, cedars, spruces, and firs, stay green all winter because their leaves are covered with a thick wax, and their insides hold materials that help them not to freeze

* In order to know which way to go when they fly south, birds use a variety of techniques such as the position of the sun or the stars, and big landmarks like lakes, rivers, or mountains

* Squirrels rely on a storage of nuts to eat during winter, so they collect and bury nuts all fall. Plus, the nuts they bury but don’t retrieve sprout into new trees

* There are only two days of the year when you can stand an egg on end. One of these days falls on the first day of autumn.

* The leave colors red, yellow & brown are in the leaves all year long & only become exposed when the green chlorophyll disappears in the fall.

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BEE BLOCK

The Bee block for September ended up being two blocks.

Robyn was the hostess this month for Let's Bee Together.  She sent some beautiful fabrics to work with.  These blocks weren't difficult to make as long as you follow the instructions.  And there were no Y seams!  Robyn asked us not to trim down the blocks so this is what she received from me.  I'm looking forward to seeing what she will be creating.

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CUTE!

I received my September swap block from Nancy.

Isn't it adorable?  My request for my Block Swap Adventure swap partner is to 'think kids' and 'think happy'.  Nancy did a wonderful job of meeting both of those goals.  I just love the way Nancy fussy cut the Berenstain Bears and used them in this block.  Thank you, Nancy!!

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FINAL THOUGHT