Our first hard frost

Temps were in the low 30s last night coming home from class. Today is no worse. All the sensitive plants are inside. Winds in the last two days have blown a lot of leaves off the trees. It truly feels like Chicagoland weather lately. The last of the dying grasshoppers are left, at least those that Pache hasn't gotten to.

The strawberries all died and so did the rose bush on the east side of the house. I have a hard time growing anything along the eastern perimeter. The neighbor uses weedkiller along the fence that doesn't help much, either.

It wasn't much of a garden this year and it probably won't be again next year. The one plant I'd love to grow is spinach which doesn't seem to thrive here. As for the front yard, it will remain a native plant/butterfly-hummingbird garden.

November temps

01 Nov: 79/36
02 Nov: 76/46
03 Nov: 79/41
04 Nov: 76/50
05 Nov: 78/35
06 Nov: 80/34
07 Nov: 79/40
08 Nov: 76/34
09 Nov: 68/37
10 Nov: 71/28
11 Nov : 67/34
12 Nov: 64/28
13 Nov: 67/25
14 Nov: 70/26

15
OBSERVED
Hi
67°F
Lo
30°F
Precip (in)
0in. -- row 2 --

16
OBSERVED
Hi
71°F
Lo
27°F
Precip (in)
0in. -- row 2 --

17
OBSERVED
Hi
70°F
Lo
30°F
Precip (in)
0in. -- row 2 --

18
OBSERVED
Hi
74°F
Lo
29°F
Precip (in)
0in. -- row 2 --

19
OBSERVED
Hi
74°F
Lo
29°F
Precip (in)
0in. -- row 2 --

20
OBSERVED
Hi
73°F
Lo
42°F
Precip (in)
0in.

21
OBSERVED
Hi
67°F
Lo
41°F
Precip (in)
0in. -- row 2 --

22
OBSERVED
Hi
65°F
Lo
32°F
Precip (in)
0in. -- row 2 --

23
OBSERVED
Hi
67°F
Lo
21°F
Precip (in)
0in. -- row 2 --

24
OBSERVED
Hi
67°F
Lo
35°F
Precip (in)
0in. -- row 2 --

25
OBSERVED
Hi
54°F
Lo
26°F
Precip (in)
0in. -- row 2 --

26
OBSERVED
Hi
62°F
Lo
19°F
Precip (in)
0in. -- row 2 --

27
OBSERVED
Hi
67°F
Lo
19°F
Precip (in)
0in.

28
OBSERVED
Hi
59°F
Lo
36°F
Precip (in)
0in. -- row 2 --

29
OBSERVED
Hi
47°F
Lo
20°F
Precip (in)
0in. -- row 2 --

30
OBSERVED
Hi
54°F
Lo
12°F
Precip (in)
0in.

Chicagoland has its first snow this season

Sleet and snow welcomed my family back in NW Indiana. A warming trend is due back early next week. It seems rather early, even for Chicagoland, to be this cold so soon. We here in AZ are due for a warm, dry weekend. Saw my first couple from Wisconsin this afternoon as we were leaving Applebee's.

The tops of my two trees in the front yard are noticably yellower today than just a few weeks ago.

Ocotillo is gone

I finally pulled out that dead ocotillo from the front yard a few days ago. I am not going to get it replaced. The tomato plants are all dying off from exhaustion without much of a crop this year. I doubt I'll grow more toms next year.

The trees in the front yard are just now (in the last week) showing color change.