Wow, I cannot believe it's been a month since I've posted!  October has been incredibly busy, mostly filled with family and fun - no complaining here!  It definitely feels like summer is gone for good now.  Wilted plants, freezing temps, fleeces, hats, gloves - the works:  all signs that summer has past and winter is coming.  Which is fine, like I said, I have no reason to complain considering much of October was spent like this:

The beginning of this month in central Iowa was exquisite!  The shortened days were a reminder to get out and enjoy the sunshine while we could...and we did.  This time of year the garden pretty much takes care of itself, I didn't want to start chopping it down when we still had days left to enjoy it.

A girls trip to Colorado for a wedding took up a weekend in the middle of the month.  Seven girls flew in from Iowa, Illinois and California for our friend's wedding.  We stayed in a gorgeous condo in Denver.  Here is a view from our patio overlooking the Rocky Mountains.

The wedding took place at Red Rocks National Park, an amazing background to a beautiful wedding and even more beautiful bride.  Here we are before the ceremony enjoying the 80 degree weather.

The girls took the opportunity to trek around the park and check out the amphitheater where so many music legends have rocked the house!  So cool!

October was also spent outdoors with the family.  An annual trip to the pumpkin patch and apple orchard was so fun, and again - terrific weather!  

These pumpkin patches aren't what they were in my day.  Sure they have the quintessential haystack ride and pumpkin patch, but they also offer a huge variety of activities:  slides, apple launchers, bouncy pillows, go-carts, petting zoos, and the ever popular pool of corn.  Below my son is jumping into the corn pool, one of a million times he did this.  

Needless to say, October has been good to me, and luckily the weather, for the most part, was good to my garden.  But, the times they are a changing:  the temperature is dropping and the garden is starting to look tired from the long growing season.  Time to get down to business!  

This year's fall garden chores are simple.  Because our house is on the market there are no bulbs to plant which is usually a huge time commitment.  The goal is to make it neat and tidy.  My plan is to cut it all down, bag it up or store it away and call it good.  

Finally, to give me the extra motivation here is a sound clip of my favorite band playing "Let's Get Down to Business."  It's my mantra for the weekend and it will be playing loud in my ear buds to keep me moving.