Wednesday, October 19, 2011

autumn colors...

the colors of autumn are astounding...  the myriad shades - the tones and variations... as though god, himself, has taken his fingertips and simply swirled through the color palette.  no matter where you live, it's a treat to see how the trees and bushes change their hues to striking oranges, reds, yellows, coppers... all blended together into magnificence and glory. 

and somehow... this year, late into the season flowers have continued to blossom - as though confused about any necessity to stop or cycle into dormancy.  bring it on, i say.  i'll enjoy it as long as it's there...





and then... once all the end-of-year pruning and hedge trimming had been done, guess what happened?  i was outside bemoaning the fact of how bare everything looked... you know how that is, right?  after the fullness of summer - with all the leaves, flowers - even weeds... you get so used to it all.  then when the inevitable happens... you know it must, yet it makes the bushes and trees appear so naked.  anyway, a little somethin' somethin' caught my eye.  "surely not," i thought... moving closer.  lo and behold - the bridal wreath, in sudden defiance, decided to sprout one tiny bud to blossom into a most perfect bouquet.  mind you... this bouquet is no larger the size than the tip of my little finger.



it's cascading in a most beautiful way... and coupled with the other autumn colors, well - it makes for a

happy day.....

Thursday, October 13, 2011

first snow

it's always a surprise when the first snowfall arrives... although it shouldn't be.  in the mountains, it can happen anytime from september on... so i guess we were a bit overdue.  once it began - it came fast and furious...

beginning as rain - then making that quick transition to little flakes and suddenly huge wet flakes coming down... in swirls - straight - sideways - backwards... not really backwards, i made that up.  it was a sight to behold.  and then the after effects were that the mountains and foothills get covered in white - pure and glorious... with clouds hanging in misty threads.



i've not done landscapes... really don't know much about them - but saw this and had to give it a try - because it spoke to the newness of the freshly fallen whiteness...  and in processing - noticed i'd captured the plane, which i hadn't seen - a cool treasure...

an extra bonus is that we continue to experience the blossoming of flowers... in spite of the snow.  how long that will carry on, who knows - for now, here are a couple that caught my eye for their sheer beauty...




happy day.....