Taking notice

One of the nice things about becoming a gardener is that now I notice things a lot more. I see more of the world around me -- the little spiders, the crazy toads, the tiny new blooms and all the changes. I remember two years ago when we first bought this house, I hadn't paid much attention to the red oak in the front yard. We got married in November, left on our honeymoon, and then I flew straight to LA for a commercial shoot, so I didn't get back home until December 15th. Lo, and behold, the tree had turned bright red and started strewing a carpet of gorgeousness all over the place! What an amazing surprise. Last year, I noticed the leaves changing the first time when I looked out the kitchen window, up through the tree branches, and everything was glowing red. Last weekend, I noticed that the very tips and edges of the leaves are just...starting...to turn slightly ruddy. I'm going to watch, and notice, every day until the whole tree is red. I can hardly wait. But waiting is half the fun.