Suddenly it's Fall. After a day of gentle, steady rain on Monday the air turned clear and crisp and windy. As it's now not too hot, wet or buggy, I've spent most of my time out in the yard trying to catch up on two months of deferred yard work: pruning, grubbing up weeds, edging (driveway, sidewalk, around trees and flowerbeds).

The flagstone walk between the back door and Mr S's work shed had been almost completely obliterated by grass. Voila!

After removing buckets of grass, Creeping Charlie and oxalis I found that the Hollyhocks have reseeded themselves. Hooray! They need some thinning. As soon as I clear another spot I will try transplanting a few.

I ordered crocus and tulip bulbs yesterday, so I'm clearing out a place to put them.

There's a lot of work left to be done before the snow flies, which won't be so very long now.

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Yesterday was the blood drive. I made brownies to take up there (our Woman's Club helps supply the after-donation treats). It looked like a good turn out, I counted at least ten other donors during the time I was there, and that was just the first hour.

One of the things I like about giving blood is that I always bump into at least one person I haven't seen in a while. So the event is one of those things that helps tie a community together. And I like that it takes place in the High School cafeteria area, because the kids walk through and by and are exposed to the example of community members engaged in volunteer service as a sort of routine, expected thing. It's good role modeling. And I like that some of the kids themselves volunteer as helpers and some of the ones who are old enough donate blood. And I really, really like that Kathleen Hermanson (a rather legendary baker) always brings big trays of a variety of cookies and bars. They put my brownies to shame. I don't care. I just enjoy.