I had a different post planned today, but on Monday I was working away in the garden (doing some trimming for fall) when I spotted this lovely lass napping on the front window sill.

You will recall that last year, we had several of these grey tree frogs in the yard. Mostly the front garden. I assumed it was because we cut down several trees in the backyard, and they got displaced. My theory seemed proven, because up until Monday, I’d only had one other tree frog in the yard this year. And I have been checking the front gardens around the butterfly bush (where most of them were spotted last year) on a regular basis. I’ve heard them around… but haven’t seen them.

But then there she was, hiding on the window sill behind the butterfly bush. Since it was the butterfly bush I was trimming, I left her snoozing spot completely exposed.

So I relocated her to further down the bush. She’s the biggest tree frog I’ve found – and you can see by my hand – she’s not very big.

She still put a big smile on my face for the rest of the day!

Some decent progress made this weekend on the stitching front. Though I did spent A LOT of time outside in the fresh air… so I was pretty pooped when I did come in to stitch. I suspect after this weekend I’ll be be moving the hoop up again. Onwards and upwards!

In an increasingly crazy and unpredictable world, it’s easy to feel swept up in the chaos. But as the seasons turn and Thanksgiving approaches, I’m reminded of the small, steady joys that bring light and happiness into my days.

For me, a lot of that joy comes from this little corner of the internet. A space where fellow bloggers and readers gather to share the beauty of crafting, the magic of gardening, and the comfort of creativity. Each post, comment, and shared story is a reminder that there’s still so much goodness and connection to be found.

Today, I’m thankful for all of you — this community of kind, inspiring souls who make the world feel a little less overwhelming and a lot more hopeful. Here’s to the stitches, blooms, and conversations that bind us together.

Happy Thanksgiving from Me, Lord Burton Bearbottom, Lemmy Purrmister and Baron Rupert von Scrufflebutt! And thank you for sharing in our adventures! We hope you’ll join us on many more.

Yesterday was the first day of my week-long autumn vacation. I spent the majority of the day bringing the houseplants in from the catio porch. They enjoy their summer vacation, but now it’s starting to get too cold for them in the evenings. It’s a job that takes all afternoon – not just because I have a HUGE collection of house plants, but I also inspect each plant for pests, give them a clean and trim off anything dead. Some things get repotted if needed too . Unfortunately, I have several plants infested with Mealy Bugs. So that’s on the agenda today to deal with.

While I’m doing that, here’s a look at some of the fun stuff going on with my plants.

Earlier this summer, and neighbour gave me a small cube aquarium. It was too small for fish – but just perfect as a terrarium

I planted it up with some small succulents, including a couple small cuttings I started. And if you look closely, you’ll see the plants have some wee friends!

Because Dinosaurs make everything better! It’s going to be fun to watch this grow.

My bright yellow orchid is blooming again. I bought this one last year at Colasantis. I’ve never seen one so bright, before or since.

I’ve bought and murdered multiple Dragon Fruit plants over the last couple of years. I swore off them… that is unti l saw this one in it’s sweet little planter. How could I resist.

And last… I have ALWAYS wanted a Chia Pet. But have you seen how expensive they are???? So I was tickled when I found this Chia unicorn at the thrift store for only $1.49! It wasn’t the whole kit – just the unicorn. But Chia seeds are easy enough to find at the grocery store! I’ve got this guy soaking, and later today, I’ll mix up some seeds and give him a good coating.

I’ll be sure to keep you posted on his progress!

I absolutley love the fact that my roses bloom well into October. In fact, sometimes (like this year) it’s one of the best months for them.

New Dawn

Quicksilver

Miss All American Beauty

Koko Loko

Bolero

At Last

In October, every rose bloom is precious – because it could be the last.

“Put that camera down and pet me!!!!”

I did plan to have a post on a new knitting project for you…. but work has been keeping me so busy that I haven’t actually been able to start it! I am on vacation next week (part of the reason I’m so busy) so I won’t have to wait too long to share… but in the mean time…

I have some fun pictures for you. As you know, at the start of the week, it was sweltering here. Well, Tuesday, the rain moved in (not enough rain, but that’s another story) and temps plunged. The day time temps Wednesday, were quite comfortable (about 17 C), but by dinner time, the mercury was dropping.

I’ve showed you pictures of little solitary bees sleeping on the sunflowers before…. something a little different is happening here…

These bumblebees aren’t exactly sleeping…  They are more in a state of dormancy. If a bumblebee gets caught outside when temperatures drop, it can become too cold and inactive to return to its nest or a suitable shelter, causing it to remain on a flower. 

As I walked around the garden, it seemed like every other plant had a bumblebee or two in it.

They were even on the backs of some flowers.

Even a little honeybee was having a wee rest.

The good news is, as soon as the sun warms them up in the morning – they will be off and flying again (probably by the time you read this.

These guys have been working hard all summer. They certainly deserve the rest.

You will recall that several weeks back, Dave got Squirrelington’s all set up for me. It didn’t take long for it to become the most popular spot in town.

The squirrels found it first.

It’s been fun watching them come for a snack day after day. Here are some of my favourite pics so far

Cross stitching went as planned this weekend – even if nothing else did.

I got the orange in this section done and moved my hoop up a bit. The witches are the the biggest section of these piece – with some large swathes of black to stitch. I doubt I’ll get the whole thing done by the end of the month… but I don’t mind. This probably something I’ll leave up year round anyway.

I’m afraid I don’t have much crafty stuff to show you from this weekend. Or even much garden stuff. My plan was to spend all day in the garden Saturday…but it was just too stinking hot. Like 30 C hot… IN OCTOBER. I managed to get my vines pulled (pumpkin, cucumber, gourd and melons), but that was about it. I came inside soon after and turned my attention to repotting and taking care of a bunch of my indoor plants.

On Sunday, other than filling the bird feeders, I didn’t even attempt to do anything outside. Instead, I spent most of morning in bed reading a good book… and when I finally got my butt in gear to accomplish something… I cleaned the studio (it was a disaster), and tackled a pile of clothes that needed mending. I am glad to have finally accomplished that task, but it’s certainly not very picture-worthy.

So what do I have for you…. how about a look back at some of my favourite nature pictures I took this summer…

There were several of these Ruby Meadowhawks flying around the gardens the other week. They are a small dragonfly – but beautiful!

I love this picture of a Carpenter Bee hanging from a Cosmos…. he’s just covered in pollen. Makes me laugh.

This little guy in the centre of a Morning Glory is just as good. I love how Morning Glory centres glow when you take their picture.! It looks like he’s about to entre a portal to another dimension.

I was excited to see this beautiful moth…until I learned it was an invasive species. It’s the Box Moth… and it’s caterpillars just devastate box hedges and the like. Sad.. its so pretty in it’s neutral pallet.

This pic always gives me a smile. It’s a blue jay mid-molt (they molt every summer). He just looks like he’s had a really bad day!

And last… a busy little honey bee visiting the Globe Thistle. The Globe Thistle is done for the season, but the seeds heads will still provide sustenance. They are a favourite of the finches and other small birds.

Which picture is your favourite.