Raindrops keep fallin' on my head...

We've had several cold, rainy days, and it's caused a nice transformation outside.

Mushroom villages have been springing up all over.

Many of the golden leaves are darkening, but we still have many beautiful reds.

A few late-season gardenias are wilting in the bushes.

A hosta, which somehow escaped our roving pack of deer, bravely put up a few stalks:

Our camellias are still a month away from blooming, but some of our earlier blooming varieties are showing nicely.

Our japonica fatsia bushes are putting out their funny spiky balls now.  Soon they'll swell into berries for the birds.  Here they are in front of the house:

And closer:

 

Normally they're teeming with ants, who love the sweet nectar...

 ...but on wet days, we see only raindrops.  Still, they're really beautiful.

Not much wildlife on cold, rainy days.

Still, I surprised this wild turkey, dozing in the rain at the edge of our property.

At least the acorns love the rain.  It's just the push they need to start sprouting!

I haven't really done any baking lately.  I've been sick for almost a week.  It's a very strange thing.  Four days of intermittent hives, sore-feeling lungs (with a deep breath), a little early morning nausea, and general malaise.  No allergies and no pregnancy, just a virus, I think.  It's been just enough to keep me indoors and taking it easy.  I'm finally feeling better, and I want to get back into the kitchen soon.  I *have* been doing a lot of craft projects, but they're all for Christmas and therefore cannot be shown here in the moment.  I finished the quilt I've been working on, though, in a manner of speaking.

I laid out all the squares and gave them a critical look.  I've been hoping that the fabric would grow on me, but it hasn't.  I was hoping that I could "iron out" and/or trim off the excess fabric and everything would line up, but it didn't.  Star corners had been slashed in half.  One fourth inch seam allowances were almost an inch in some places.  The pattern didn't "pop" and I shuddered at the thought on investing the time it would take to sew sashing in between all the squares and then add the filling and backing.  I'm chalking this up to the dreaded "learning experience" and putting away the squares for now.  I will probably cut them up and use the fabric bits for something else in the future!

Have a great week!