Herald of Autumn...

In Southwestern Pennsylvania, it's hard to ignore the signs that autumn is here.  The leaves on the trees are becoming a blaze of buttered golds, burnt oranges and flaming reds.  But I look for other signs too.

One of my favorite harbingers of the fall season is the toad lily.  I love the speckled flowers.  They remind me orchids or miniature stargazer lilies. They always bloom around this time of year and I welcome their arrival.

I remember showing my mom a picture of the flower, thinking that I would impress her with a beautiful flower that she wasn't familiar with. She just laughed and said, "This one comes from back home!"  Upon doing a little research, she was right!  The toad lilies are originally from Asia and can be found from the Himalayas to the Philippines.  The toad lilies and I have found each other, far from our roots on the other side of the world.