I almost missed it. The day was old, and I was busy. I had not been out to walk in my garden or to take photos, as I like to do. I already had plenty of fall photographs. I wasn't planning to publish another post featuring autumn colors. So I was tempted to skip my afternoon stroll.
But I never know what I will see out there, and I like to take pictures for my own use. A good shot will often point out gaps and errors in the garden. My eye sees the big sweep of things and can miss details picked up by the camera. If I look at a photo and decide I can't use it on my blog because item X is spoiling the shot, I know I need to do something about item X. So I grabbed my camera and hurried out before the sun set.
I was stunned. Overnight the fall foliage had intensified. Golden light was glittering over the leaves, and I was looking at a stained glass wonder of colors. 
Was this my garden?
I walked to the wooded area down from the patio. This year I added an arbor to the entrance of the Lady Garden, and I noticed that it was the perfect frame for the wondrous fall foliage:
I took these shots in and around the hydrangea walk, adjacent to the Lady Garden:
Some photos in the woodland garden:
More trees: The blue coloring of Deodar cedar 'Feelin' Blue' is especially vivid this time of year. The brilliant yellow tree is a Japanese maple, which once upon a time was an unnamed seedling:
And a few closer shots:
The glory of the autumn light renewed my spirit and my energy. I am humbled to think I almost let the stress of a busy day steal this gift from me.
May each day offer blessings to you, and may you find time to receive them. Deborah