Did you say "frost?"

I was hoping for some good frost shots ... and the reason I didn't get any had everything to do with me and nothing to do with the availability of frost.  I clearly need to work on my technique.  And I will - I'll certainly have plenty of time this winter.  But, for today, you get an adorable yellow-rumped warbler (also known in birding circles as a butter-butt).  They are so-named because they have a bright patch of yellow feathers right at the base of their tail, on the butt.  In non-breeding plumage, like this one, they have a pale wash of yellow on both sides of the breast, too, which you can see here.  I love the soft pastel colors they show at this time of year.  We often see them well into December as they are one of the few warblers that doesn't rely soley on insects to survive, but will take suet and berries.  

Crazy weather today - starting with 27 F this morning, then moving through sun, patchy clouds, a small hail-storm and now a flurry of snow.  The frost last night was hard enough to kill all the dahlias, zinnias and cosmos.  Wish I'd had the foresight to cut a bunch for a bouquet - that was really pretty dumb of me.  Ah well.  

Hubs put up deer-fencing around the hollies and rhododendrums today, while I pulled the zinnias , annual salvia, and dahlias out and cut back the day lilies.  The phlox is still blooming - amazing.  Lots of hauling stuff off to the woods to compost, while keeping one eye out for bears.  Unplugged the fountains.  Put out the heated bird bath.  Took the bistro table and big chairs from the patio down to the shed.  Cleaned up a bunch of annual pots and moved perennial pots close to the house.  Fall chores....

Found one big queen bumble bee on some foxglove that's still blooming - poor thing was too cold to do more than wave an arm at me.  Hopefully she'll be able to fly tomorrow and get herself into a burrow for winter.  And, amazingly, that big carpenter bee that I blipped yesterday was STILL on the buddleia.  Very odd and makes me wonder if he has some sort of ailment as he really should have gone into a hole to hibernate by now.  Well, nature will take its course.  And in the meantime, I couldn't resist getting another photo of him, in mono this time

Hope you have a cozy Sunday, wherever in the world you are...