leaves changing

A week into the autumnal equinox, leaves here are still predominantly green. The cooler air is working on the leaves though; autumn color is beginning to pop on some of the trees.

POW! WOW! Worcester

I found out about POW! WOW! Worcester after it was over; luckily the murals that were created for the festival remain in place.

Yesterday I wandered through the downtown area of Worcester seeking murals. I think I missed a few, but the murals I found were glorious!

I love that the artist used a vent (easily seen in the second photo) as the setting for a diamond ring.

More murals are captured in the gallery urban art :: Worcester.

a Chanticleer visit

A few days of visiting provided time to return to Chanticleer, time to wander through beautiful gardens. Some of the plants still wear bright colors, some have faded. Most of the trees still show in bright green although some leaves are now brown.

It's always a good day for a walk in a garden.

More photos are in the gallery a Chanticleer visit :: 2016.

delicate

Even as the temperature drops to autumn levels, delicate flowers continue to decorate gardens.

late season flowers

A pop of color from late season flowers creates a sense of magic.

in Jenkins Arboretum, Devon, PA

hiding in plain sight

As I walked through a garden this afternoon I saw something out of the corner of my eye. Then I didn't see it. I looked again, and found a praying mantis hiding in plain sight.

I find it amazing how much these big insects blend in with their surroundings.

autumn crocus

Clumps of pink were scattered across the grass, a show of autumn crocus. It was a delight to see these autumn-blooming flowers that resemble the crocus we see in the spring.

Colchicum autumnale, commonly known as autumn crocus, meadow saffron or naked lady, is an autumn-blooming flower that resembles the true crocuses, but is a member of the Colchicaceae plant family, unlike the true crocuses which belong to the Iridaceae family. The name "naked lady" comes from the fact that the flowers emerge from the ground long after the leaves have died back. from the Colchicum autumnale page on Wikipedia

posed

As I walked the gardens at the Stevens-Coolidge Place I followed a butterfly that was enjoying the flowers. I'd like to think this beautiful creature posed for me but it was pure luck that the butterfly stayed still long enough for me to capture a picture.

over the dunes

The dunes trail at Parker River National Wildlife Refuge is a short boardwalk loop that overlooks the ocean as you look across the dunes. The scrub and tree-covered dunes provide a sandy and green contrast to the ocean waters in the distance.

butterfly

This is a time of year when butterflies are happily wandering among flowers, challenging me to capture them with my camera.

monarch butterfly perched on a tithonia rotundifolia