The shibumi shades had been replaced by four-wheel-drive vehicles. Those seeking the sun, by those looking to fish. It was October at the coast, Emerald Isle, North Carolina, to be exact.

Walking along this rutted beach was not easy. I missed the smooth sand of summer. And it was a little lonely. Other than the fishermen/women and the flocks of seagulls, I was pretty much by myself.

One place that was crowded, however, was the Crab Shack in Salter Path. “We’re closing for the season at two p.m. today,” a happy waitress told me when I went for Sunday lunch. Evidently, quite a few folks knew this late October Sunday was their last chance to eat the $12.99 fried shrimp or flounder plate until sometime in March. Glad I sneaked in at the last minute myself!

Back home in Rocky Mount, the signs of fall are all around me. This maple tree in my front yard will never be cut down by me for two reasons: grandchildren like to climb it and it has spectacular fall foliage. Every year, I can’t resist shuffling through these fallen leaves.

The cherry tomatoes are long gone in my little garden plot behind the house, but the zinnias have been happy to take over their cages. And yes, in the left corner of the picture, that’s an okra plant that’s still producing.

But for the most part, the summer flowers and vegetables have seen their better days. I’m gradually replacing my begonias with pansies, mums, and ornamental cabbages.

Finally, what would October be without Halloween? I got this door-decorating ghoul dirt cheap in the after-Halloween sale at Target one year. Each October, he (she? it?) enjoys a few days out of a downstairs closet where he (she? it?) normally resides.

As the garden flag says, “Happy Fall, y’all.”