I took my coffee out on the back deck this morning. I stood in the sunshine in bare feet and sweatpants. The railing and chairs were wet with heavy dew, so I tried not to lean on anything. I didn’t climb up on to the table to sit on my normal perch.

I watched steam rise from my coffee cup into the cool air, and I looked out over the back garden. The green grass of the lawn sparkled in the morning light, covered in dew drops that rainbowed in the sun.

I love the ruby color of the sedums this time of year, especially alongside the crimson mums I put in last weekend. I want more of those colors. In every season I think, “I need to plant more stuff that peaks right now.” But for real, I want to do that for autumn. I’ve got gaping holes in the back left bed, next to the purple lollipop vervain. I’d love to put Mexican feather grass there. Mexican feather grass is my favorite, especially in the fall when it has turned golden and wispy and it waves like ponies’ tails.

The light is gorgeous in October. It’s almost noon now, and instead of the light being harsh and white like it is midday in summer, the world has that golden October glow. I sit by the window now and listen to the wind shush through the dogwood leaves. The back door and all of our windows are open wide, and fresh air blows through the house. A cat purrs on my arms, and I watch the bronze tassles of miscanthus grass shimmer and wave.