Fall in Florida

Today was the first "real" day of fall here in Florida. We awakened to 45 degree temperatures with the need to be outdoors all day. The fire bush and porter weed plants are over six feet tall and in the prime of their bloom.
Once we have our first frost, they will die back to the ground until spring. But for now, these plants provide great hiding places for the cardinals who love to hop in and out of their thick branches.
On the screen porch is the large potted fern with its newly sprouted white frond and lush, soft leaves. Cocoa darts in and under this plant while sniffing the perimeter of the porch for a glance of the gopher tortoise who lives under the edge of the house.
I took advantage of the beautiful weather to clean out the garden shed that had become way too crowded with the vestiges of summer. Now it is all orderly again until the bustle of spring planting begins anew.