Baby, it's Cold Outside!

So much for an Indian Summer... *sigh*

We got our first hard freeze last night. I'm not sure how cold it actually got, but I remember hearing that the temperature was going to bottom out in the low 20's. I certainly believe it. (In fact, I don't think it has gotten much warmer than that so far today.) I took Gracie outside early this morning and while she was taking care of "business", I wandered around taking note of all the shriveled corpses of plants that were, until yesterday, thriving. Now that the growing season is over, I've got my work cut out for me. There are roses, Black-Eyed Susans and sedum to deadhead. Coleus, impatiens and annual sunflower that need to be dug out. Weeds to pull, leaves to rake, bushes to prune, azaleas to fuss over, planting beds to mulch and an enormous Japanese maple to transplant. And oh yeah, I have to remember to prune my so-called dwarf butterfly bush back to the ground this year. I forgot to cut it back last Fall and boy - that sucker is HUGE!

Anybody wanna come help? I pay in beads, hot cocoa and back rubs!! *grin*