Fall color. It has sprung almost instantaneously. And the unexpected is the most delightful.

New growth!  This is September 28 and our tomato plants on our Tower Gardens have new growth.  You may not be as amazed as I am because maybe you don't know about how it used to be. I am not a novice gardener -- I have had a garden all my life and raised quite a bit of produce.  Fact is, however, late blight quite often has taken the tomato vines in the beginning of August and, if not, frost in mid-September here in Minnesota. Look at new growth on my tower today!

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Tower Garden harvest. We get daily produce from our Tower Garden directly into our salad, which for my former garden in the soil was very seasonal. In this picture is the harvest for a single day.

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Autumnal equinox. Sometimes everyday "things" just make beautiful pictures. For example, this picture I found on my walk this morning.

Frost! Not too early for this winter wonderland but it gives the grass a grey color this morning. Tower Gardens and flowers were covered this morning to escape its cruel edge. We just have to wait now for the other shoe to drop. Soon enough we won't be able to grow anything outside until spring.

Found object. This is my idea of the "happy accident" in art.

Eggplant!  I need to share these pictures today. We are going to enjoy eggplant from our Tower Garden.

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Peppers! They are starting to be something other than green.

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Found object. We are almost into 100 years of this "movement" if you call it a movement. Originally artists were testing the boundaries and "rules" of what "is art" and what "isn't art". Now I think we can enjoy what we like without worrying about where the boundary lies. Or tells the truth.

9/11 Eleven years later. The saying is that time heals all wounds. But a better saying is: "Those who don't learn from history are bound to repeat it."

Today is a time to remember what happened on September 11, 2001 and be grateful to those who protect our freedom and not forget that the ideology of those who were responsible for the attacks has no freedom in it.

In the words of Col. Allen West:
"We must be evermore vigilant and resolute to crush this enemy and prevent its resurgence and fulfillment of its global aspirations. Because of this enemy, America must continue to fund its military and support its Armed Forces to the fullest extent.  The lives of all Americans depend on it."

Tower to Table Contest!  Please go to Facebook "Tower Garden" (the official site) and "Tower to Table Contest" and vote for my stuffed peppers! They're guaranteed delicious.

The ingredients -- not all from the Tower Garden:

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Green Tomato Soup

2 Tbsp coconut oil

2 oz thinly sliced Black Forest ham, chopped

1 ½ cups scallions, thinly sliced

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 handful cilantro [or more]

2 lb unripe tomatoes, chopped

1 qt organic chicken stock

1 cup water

½ teaspoon sea salt

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

6 oz “better than sour cream”

Heat oil in heavy-bottomed sauce pan on high heat. Do not allow to smoke. Stir fry garlic until it starts to toast. Turn down heat and add ham. Stir fry ham 1 to 2 minutes. Add in scallions and stir fry until tender. Add in tomatoes and stir fry for a few minutes longer until tomatoes start to soften.

Meanwhile place water, “better than sour cream”, cilantro, salt, and pepper in Vita-Mix and liquefy.

Add stock to pot and simmer until tomatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.

Combine all ingredients into pot. Stir. Adjust spices and enjoy!

September 1!  For the first time in my three score and ten I planted garden seeds on September1. And my whole gardening career has been in Minnesota. Nor am I planning to be a snowbird this year either.