Days Dwindle Down for Mantises

Egg cases are starting to appear in odd places as the Praying Mantises reach the end of their life span.

I thought the cold weather finished them off, but this brown one was enjoying the sun Tuesday and a green one was trucking across the driveway. I relocated that one to the fading garden.

Some late-blooming Cosmos defied the frost and was a pretty sight in the sunshine.

My seed collection for 2016 is burgeoning, heavy in the Four O'Clocks and Cosmos in shades of pink as well as the prolific orange and golden yellow variety.

Many of the little garden spots got decimated as workers dragged ladders around and deployed a lift with huge wheels to scrape and paint the three-story building.

I was glad it was nearly the end of the growing season, because not much was left untrampled.
So the building looks very nice, but the grounds are quite unsightly. I am hoping to repair some of it before bad weather sets in.

--Bernice