First frost, sorta

Last night there was a threat of frost, so I covered the peppers, herbs, and some of the tomatoes with sheets; the zucchini were on their own! This morning, my thermometer read 35, and the dew on the grass was frosted, but the zucchini came through relatively unscathed.

Not much new in the yard, except for these struggling asters.



But in my dad's yard, something happened. He captured the critter that has been eating his petunia blossoms!



He even verified it prefers blossoms over leaves. I think it is a tobacco budworm, aka geranium budworm. If the winter is sufficiently harsh, it should not live to see the spring.

Tonight I watered a few thing, so of course, now it is raining. But after a crummy day at work, puttering in the yard puts my mind right.

Re this year's construction project, i.e. converting the workshop to a laundry room, the contractor called tonight and I think we have a price. Then I dropped the bomb that I would like to get it done by the first week in November because I am having company then. He is going to talk to his crews and see if that is doable.

I'm so excited!