purple time of year

its that time of year when things turn purple and yellow, before they turn orange and brown. I once took a class from a fellow teacher at an environmental educators training camp about all the wonderful things you could do with golden rod. The mind is blank now though, with no time to research, but it amazes me how much I have forgotten...I know it makes a tan dye (whoopie) but seems like there was something nutritious?

it is also the spidery time of year, wish they had posted a photo with this article on a giant, cooperative spider web in Texas. Don't have time to hunt a photo down on the web, but surely someone has posted one? I like the idea of a bunch of spiders working together, doesn't seem creepy at all.

it is also the time of year we start getting rain (sometimes) last night we got about an 1/8 of an inch (another whoopie, but lets not look a gift raindrop in the reflection, or some such)
...I am currently discovering the joys of a rain barrel! you can turn 1/8 of an inch into 100 gallons!
I still have some kinks to work out of my rainbarrel/storage tote set up with hose running into pond. Need to plug up lower hole and put overflow at top so I can keep 30 gallons up at the house to dip into the washer (the laudramat is a drag) and let the rest replenish the pond..but don't have time to work on that project.....off to the workshop, with dogs and cat in tow and mules staring into the window.