Sidewalk flower.

(Without a flash)

Last Sunday I pulled down all the morning glories that had grown up the sides of the porch. I also took down the Halloween lights, "cobwebs" and corn stalks. Now with everything being out in the open, the porch is totally filled with blowing leaves. The wind whips around just right, causing leaves to settle just out of the wind in front of the side door.

I mentioned that because I couldn't see the doormat when I let Cubbie out last night. It was buried under a pile of leaves. Makes me look like I never rake. Ha.

Actually if I let them go, they blow into my neighbor’s yard. His business is lawn care. He has a noisy yard vacuum that he likes running when I’m outside trying to listen to the radio. Other than the sound annoyance, it works out for both of us.

Anyway, it was mild out at about 10:00 PM. In the corner of the porch, by a wood table I usually have potted plants on, I saw a bit of color poking out of the rust shaded leaves.

(taken at 10:00 pm with a flash)

It was my sidewalk flower, (my flickr group) a wild petunia that’s been growing out of a crack in the porch concrete for the last 3 or 4 years. I forget about it every year until all the other ones have been frosted to death.

Some years the flowers are white and red, this year they are lilac. It’s a tough plant; it gets just enough shelter so it doesn’t freeze as early as the other flowers I have around the house. It’s my last link to summer. I’m always amazed it comes back every spring.

I got another picture published in the Northwest Herald. They used to display a 3 x 4 picture. Now it’s shrunk down to just fit in the header. Thinking back, I should have sent in a landscape oriented picture, not portrait. Less of it would have been cut off.

This is the picture of the weed that I don’t know the name of. If anyone does, let me know.