Tie-dyed Sky and other Autumn Images

As fall colors near their peak, there is much to enjoy about this season. Autumn tints - burnt orange, gold and bronze, maroon, purple and rose - mingle to create a landscape reminiscent of impressionistic masters. The air is cool, and working in the garden is a pleasure. There have been a lot of good "photo moments."

This unusual cloud formation caught my eye one day; I call it a 'tie-dyed sky."

Back on earth, here are some fall colors in my garden:

The fall colors of Eastern White Pine ( Pinus strobus) and a Japanese maple complement each other.

Common forsythia has wonderful fall colors

Chinese pistache tree is noted for its fall colors.

Fall fruits and berries, clockwise from top left: 'Tamopan' persimmon; Ilex cornuta 'Dwarf Burford'; Gourds and a little pumpkin, along with decorative cabbage and violas; Viburnum nudum berries.

This was an unexpected image caught late in the day, out of the blue sky:A falling rainbowI hope you are having a wonderful season, wherever you may be!   Deb

California Costal Images

While in the San Francisco Bay area of California recently, I spent a few hours admiring nearby coastlines. The beaches of California are quite different from those of the Alabama coast along the Gulf of Mexico. While we have miles of smooth shoreline and sugary white sand, the beaches of California are ruggedly beautiful with large rock formations and gray-brown sand. Our coastal areas are flat, while dramatic cliffs overlook the Pacific Ocean. Both areas are beautiful. The earth is a grand place!

Here is a scene from the Gulf of Mexico:

And here are views taken in California, about two thousand miles from more familiar beaches:

I have always dreamed of living in an area where mountains are to my back and the ocean is in front of me. That may never happen, but if so, California could be a contender!