Monday, October 6th — Freeze Alert & Flower Frenzy
- Debra Flaming
- Oct 6, 2025
- 2 min read
It was one of those slow, golden afternoons that felt more like summer than fall. Ashley came over with the girls, and we set out to pick flowers—leisurely, as if we had all the time in the world. The plan was simple: gather some of the prettiest blooms for Ashley to photograph in handheld bouquets.
Simple, of course, until you add two little girls, their flower-loving grandma, and a whole lot of petal temptation into the mix. Let’s just say, the girls and I were of absolutely no help to Ashley. While she was arranging stems and setting up her stand, we were busily deadheading… and not-so-deadheading. Petals were flying like confetti in a flower parade.
Ashley finally gave up on recruiting us and resorted to taking selfies—tripod, timer, and all.
When our attention span for posing had completely vanished, the girls and I made our way to the jumbo jumper (our farm’s giant trampoline), and that’s where Dion found us—laughing, bouncing, and completely unaware of what he was about to say next.
In his usual calm, matter-of-fact tone, he said, “We may have a freeze tonight.”
My heart froze right then and there.
Suddenly, the lazy afternoon turned into a race against time. I still had several dahlias that needed new photos and videos—some varieties I had missed, others that just hadn’t captured well on the first try. Now, with the possibility of frost looming, I could almost hear them whispering, “It’s now or never.”
I quickly helped Ashley load up the girls for their drive home, grabbed a glass of water for dinner, and dashed back outside—camera in hand. I worked until the very last rays of the sun wrapped the field in soft amber light.
When I finally collapsed into my chair tonight to write this post, I started scrolling through the photos Ashley had taken—just her, my phone camera, and a handful of dahlias she’d managed to capture before the chaos began. Friends, they are stunning. Somehow, in the middle of it all, she caught the spirit of the season—blooms at their peak, colors glowing, joy overflowing.
I’ll be sharing some of her photos below so you can see what I mean.
As I type this, the wind has quieted, the temperature is dropping, and I’m whispering a little prayer that the freeze holds off just a bit longer. Usually, our first frost doesn’t arrive until the end of October—but weather has its own mind out here in Idaho.
So, if you’re reading this, say a quick prayer with me:Lord, let it be light—just a brush of chill, not a full freeze. Let the dahlias dance a little longer.
Until tomorrow,
Debra Flaming 🌸
