POINTSETTIAS - every shade of red, pink and white that you can imagine

Homestead Gardens in Davidsonville, just outside Annapolis, MD has the most amazing collection of Pointsettias this year.  Even though for Christmas my absolute favorite is still the red, I had to marvel at the sizes, shapes, different colors and shades, curly, speckled - all spectacular.  No more need for words, these beauties speak for themselves.

AT LAST - THE FIRST SIGN OF FALL

It has been a long wait to see if the leaves were going to put on their Fall splendor, at last, with a chilly snap, they are showing signs of exquisiteness.  And being a late Fall, whilst clearing out my veg garden today, I even got a belated gift of a bowl of tomatoes, Habanero chilies and a bunch of my absolute favorite kitchen garden flowers, Nasturtiums.  

Looking out to my back yard, the view from my bathroom window into the woods, show some pretty leaf color, with lots of green for the beginning of November.  And so many leaves to rake!

This is real - no touching up - Burning Bush - this year it is such a shocking pink it burns to look at it, sometimes a bit more red.  Amazing color.

I love the yellow leaves against the black branches and blue sky.

My precious Nasturtiums, such amazing color and the most delicate and delicious scent.  Oh and a little buglet enjoying them too.

My Fall gift from the garden.  I was expecting to pull out the old tomato plants, and landed up picking a bowl of Roma and Cherry tomatoes, plus a handful of Habanero chilies - killer heat - after trying one and hyperventilating, drinking milk, eating a gallon of ice cream, crunching too much ice, I no longer touch them.  I thought I was going to die, but thankfully survived, never to bite into a Habanero again.  They head off to work with my son, a gift to the chef who loves cooking with them.  

BERNARDUS LODGE in the CARMEL VALLEY in CALIFORNIA

WHAT CAN I SAY OTHER THAN THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST EXQUISITELY GORGEOUS LODGES/SPAS/CULINARY DELIGHTFUL DESTINATIONS I HAVE EVER VISITED.  NESTLED IN THE CARMEL VALLEY, A MUST STOP-OVER IF YOU ARE IN THE AREA.  GO TO THEIR WEBSITE, BOOK A TRIP, GET TO THE CARMEL VALLEY AND VISIT BERNARDUS LODGE - YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT.