We came across this ceramic drum bank while cleaning out my folks' closets. I remember it from when I was a child, when we used it to store away the pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters that made up our life savings. I had assumed it had been tossed away at some point, never realizing that my parents had kept it all these years. It was one of the few pleasant finds in an otherwise somber task.

I was in Orlando last weekend to cheer on the WDW Marathoners. My trip was unfortunately timed with some record cold weather that was hitting the Southeast. They do what they can to protect the tropical vegetation from frost, but it is often a very undignified look.

I finally got to see the newly-installed plaque on my Mom's grave. It has been 6 months already, but seeing her name there etched in cold metal is a harsh reminder.

My kind-hearted sister and her family spotted a pair of feral kittens whose mother had abandoned them near her house, and decided to take them in. It took a few days, but they seem to have adjusted to indoor life. Diablo is definitely the more serious of the two, and he had no idea what to make of my camera.

Today was our last chance to do any sort of leaf peeping, since the trees in the Mid-Hudson Valley are nearing their peak colors. Our wanderings took us down to Garrison (although $15/person to wander around Boscobel was a bit too much for our tastes), Cold Spring (where we enjoyed walking up and down the main street and exploring the various shops), and Beacon (where we wandered around the waterfront until the next train arrived). I spotted this vine growing on the side of a brick building in Cold Spring, and liked the variety of leaf colors as well as the contrasting berries.

I haven't had much chance to use a camera over the last week, so I took one with me to a department picnic on Wednesday. I was looking for signs that my favorite time of the year was on its way. There certainly were a few signs around, with touches of Fall color here and there among the green. We still have a way to go before the colors peak; hopefully when that happens, I'll have time to capture them photographically!