an orchid in pink

On this cold (before) winter day an orchid in a greenhouse shares intricate beauty.

clouds & waves

Walking by the ocean at high tide is interesting. I was very surprised that I didn't get my feet wet!

Yesterday's walk was accompanied by the sound of the ocean. The view was enhanced by patterned clouds.

by the sea

Morning rain came to an end, replaced by a sky full of interesting clouds. It was a good afternoon for a walk by the sea in the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge.

decorated

Utility boxes can be boring but when they are decorated with mini-murals I often find them to be interesting. This one stands in front of an old mill building in Lawrence, MA.

autumn warmth

What a beautiful day!

The air was cool this morning but by afternoon the thermometer hit 60 degrees. It was wonderful walking weather, no jacket needed!

mill building & reflection, Lawrence, MA

after the rain

After yesterday's all day torrential downpour the weather wizard delivered clear skies this morning.

A walk at Harold Parker State Forest provided this view of trees reflecting in Collins Pond.

in a greenhouse

Even a flower in a greenhouse wears an autumn-looking fallen leaf as decoration.

layered

Layered colors lined the road, moving from blue sky to the green of evergreens, the red of autumn-colored lowbush blueberry, and finally to the gray of granite.

late October, Acadia National Park

shades of yellow

Gray skies and rain sent me looking for color inside today. I found these orchids in the Lyman Estate Greenhouses.

remnants of color

It's another gray day today, moving from rain to drizzle. Luckily I found some fading color to brighten the day.

gray

It was a gray day, decorated by occasional flakes of white.

When I drove to Parker River this afternoon I noticed snow flurries; when I headed home there were some light patches of white on the ground.

tiny

As I wandered through the greenhouse at Smith College this plant caught my eye. Leaves of bright pink sit in the background as new growth emerges.

a warmer walk

While I'm sure some would say that today's temperature was chilly, it felt much warmer than yesterday.

It was a good day for a walk in Valley Forge National Historical Park. I chose to walk a good part of the Joseph Plumb Martin Trail, walking the loop section without adding any of the out-and-back sections.

chilly air

This morning's chilly air allowed me to practice winter layering. When I headed out to walk the temperature was hovering in the mid-20s. Luckily the right set of light layers kept me warm.

It felt like winter today.

the last of the faded roses

oak leaf

An oak leaf, fallen and captured by bare branches, wears an end-of-season shade of brown.

bright

Chrysanthemums in bright yellow present a sea of sunshine.

across Collins Pond

Trees reflect in the waters of Collins Pond, Harold Parker State Forest.

chrysanthemums

On Tuesday I visited the Fall Chrysanthemum Show in the Lyman Conservatory at Smith College. I've been to their Spring Bulb Show before but somehow I kept missing the chrysanthemums. I'm very glad I spent some time among the bright and varied flowers.

It's amazing how many different flowers wear the name chrysanthemum. According to the National Chrysanthemum Society there are 13 different classes of these flowers.

If you'd like to see more of the chrysanthemums that jumped into my camera, please visit my gallery seeking flowers at Smith College :: 2019.

rust & brown

Trees wearing leaves are few; remaining leaves wear the colors of rust and brown.

on the flip side

The beautiful design of the Cairns birdwing butterfly's wings is visible as the butterfly flits about and as it sits with wings folded. I've seen glimpses of the top side of the wings but until yesterday I never saw the full color and pattern of the top side of its wings.

As I enjoyed the butterflies flitting through Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory I saw one Cairns birdwing sitting with wings open, posing for a photo.

Cairns birdwing butterfly, wings open


Cairns birdwing butterfly, wings closed

west to wonder

This morning I drove west to wonderous beauty. First I headed to the Botanic Garden of Smith College in Northampton to visit the Fall Chrysanthemum Show in the Lyman Conservatory. Absorbing color in flowers was followed by a stop at Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory in South Deerfield for some time with the butterflies.

I welcomed the bright colors; the trees that continue to wear leaves are showing the color of rust.

early dark

Daylight shifted today on this first day back in standard time.

I was happy this morning when I woke up to find the sky lightening ahead of sunrise. I like the morning light, but early darkness will be hard.

It was 20 minutes before today's 4:35 pm sunset as I drove across the bridge over the Parker River on my way home from the refuge. The light caught my eyes, and yes, I had to stop!

(plant) transition

When I was in the garden this week I noticed that the flowers of the honeysuckle vine had been replaced by berries in red. What an interesting transition!