From a few years ago at this time of the year, a local view of Puget Sound, south of Seattle WA.

Very still evening at the Cove in Normandy Park, WA

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The dark weather in Seattle does kind of get to me at this time of year. But we must keep smiling!

Collection of smiley-themed items at the Puyallup Fair in Washington, several years ago

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I’ve been taking photos out my front window this whole season. Yesterday, just before a big rain started, it looked like this.

My Seattle WA front yard right before a big rain

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Not this year’s roses, but picked exactly at this time of year. Every year I reward myself with an autumn bouquet.

Mixed roses in a glass vase, an October symphony

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The sun shining through bright yellow leaves. What could be better?

Yellow leaves on a sunny fall day in Seattle

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Soon the Kousa dogwood leaves will begin to turn. See part of the little red fruit on the left? They are edible, if nothing to write home about. But cute!

Kousa dogwood in autumn

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Before the rain there were some winds. These pretty, late-summer perennial sunflowers were loving it.

Bright yellow petals of perennial sunflowers light up the fall garden

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I hate cutting my roses since I can see the rose bed from the house and they look so lovely out there, blooming for me and any passers-by. But I had to pick them ahead of the big rain.

Garden roses in bouquets, with late lavender and smoke bush leaves

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Yesterday I picked all the open roses ahead of the big rain expected tonight. When I cut roses I always bring a clean bucket with a couple of inches of water into the rosebed. As soon as I cut a stem I put it in the water so it doesn’t dry and seal up. Then right before arranging I cut the stems again while each stem is in a bowl of water in the sink, at a deep slant. It really helps them last longer in the bouquet. I love my roses.

Full blown garden roses, ready for a bouquet

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We got maybe a tenth of an inch of rain, more than the entire summer here in Seattle! But a big rain is coming in a couple of days, thank goodness, maybe two inches over a few days. The garden is so thirsty. If you grow roses, pick them and enjoy a bouquet if a big rain is coming. No sense in letting them get ruined and go to waste.

Water droplets on the petals of a half-open Peace rose in my garden

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Rose gardeners PSA: If it’s going to rain big, go out there and cut your opened roses for bouquets. They’ll just get ruined if you leave them out there.

Rain is coming. Might as well cut roses and bring inside.

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The ‘Julia Child’ rose bush (own root!) is the star of my rose garden. Only a few years old, she is in her second full bloom this season right now. As the petals fade to cream, sometimes edged in pink, they do fall off quite easily, but are so very beautiful that I try to leave them as long as I can so as not to make a mess below.

The butter-yellow flowers fade to cream as the blossoms open fully

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