You have to love nice weather after a rain. Nothing makes a walk better than to come across a scene like this one, wandering around the neighborhood. This was over a week ago and by now those leaves are history, I am sure, but, like a flower in bloom, they were good while they lasted.

Visit Watery Wednesday, Mellow Yellow Monday, Scenic Sunday, Outdoor Wednesday, Shadow Shot Sunday, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera) and Weekend Reflections for some fascinating photographic fun. If you have a moment to poke around here, I think you’ll enjoy it. Click on Sara’s Fave Photos for the complete blog. Thanks for visiting!

A visit to a friend’s garden yielded some actual flowers blooming. These little pretties look as good from the back as the front, I think.

Visit Ruby Tuesday, Outdoor Wednesday, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera), Shadow Shot Sunday, Today’s Flowers, Weekend Flowers, Macro Friday, Macro Monday, and Macro Flowers Saturday for lots of photo fun. Of course, you are invited to look around here. Clicking on Sara’s Fave Photos will give you the complete blog.

Don’t you wish someone gave you this bunch of roses? I know I do. Let’s pretend you have them right now. “For me?” “Yes, for you!” “Why thank you!” “You are so welcome. You deserve them.” There, doesn’t that make your day?

Visit Ruby Tuesday, Shadow Shot Sunday, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera), Today’s Flowers, Weekend Flowers, Macro Friday, Macro Monday, and Macro Flowers Saturday, when you get a moment. While you’re here, try a new tag or category. And always find the latest post here by clicking on Sara’s Fave Photos above.

One way to take a break after a long car trip is to lie flat on your back on the carpet in the sunshine, like a cat. Naturally, the shadows really sing to me in this one. And the toenails. I’m calling it my Best Post of the Week.

Visit Shadow Shot Sunday, if you like shadows, and SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera) for well seen shots around the blogosphere. Don’t forget that if there’s only one photo below, click on Sara’s Fave Photos for the rest of them.

We were in Kennewick, WA, at the edge of the Columbia River, not too long ago. There was a smoky fire in the area which I must admit made the sunset even more beautiful.

Visit Scenic Sunday, Outdoor Wednesday, Skywatch Friday, Watery Wednesday, Weekend Reflections, Pink Saturday, and Shadow Shot Sunday for adventures in blogland, the entire planet participating. But first, see the complete and up-to-date blog here by clicking on Sara’s Fave Photos, here or on the banner above.

What can you say except wow? I think this neighbor’s Japanese laceleaf maple tree has green leaves in the summer, but I don’t really know for sure. Some late afternoon sun lighting up its glory now is just the ultimate in autumn leaves, for me. Hope you enjoy it.

This one is SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera). Also visit Ruby Tuesday, Scenic Sunday, Shadow Shot Sunday and Outdoor Wednesday for more photo frolics. If there’s only one photo below, it means there are tons more for you if you click on Sara’s Fave Photos here or above.

Oh, I love the Volunteer Park Conservatory. Is it any wonder I made a book about it? A recent visit to their unendingly beautiful and changing displays yielded this photo of orchids in a stray beam of sunlight. And just for fun, there’s a bonus photo below showing one of the unusual and creative plant combinations that delight me so. That one is SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera), but I have tweaked the orchids slightly.

Visit Pink Saturday, Today’s Flowers, Weekend Flowers, Macro Friday, Macro Monday, Macro Flowers Saturday and Shadow Shot Sunday when you get a chance. And if you’ve arrived via a link, be sure to click on Sara’s Fave Photos to see the entire blog.

We have two columnar apple trees, about six feet (two meters) tall and two feet wide at most. They bear full-size apples! With apples, you must have another tree for pollination, so you need two trees, or a neighbor with an apple tree. The trees never get much bigger, so you can have them in pots. We used to have them in big pots on our deck, but when we moved to this house we put them in the ground, and they are happy. This year my hand-pollination efforts, and the plastic sandwich bags against pests, paid off well, and we have a bumper crop. Time for apple sauce!

Take a look at Macro Friday, Macro Monday, Ruby Tuesday, Scenic Sunday, Outdoor Wednesday, and Shadow Shot Sunday if you have a minute or two. Browse around here with a new category or tag (“My Garden”?) and click on the banner above, Sara’s Fave Photos, to see all the posts here.

Some of you may remember a similar image from last year. Up at Anacortes, WA, our friends took us out on their boat in September, crabbing among the San Juan islands. The weather was changing, but here was a spot of calm weather, and how scenic can you get?

Visit Outdoor Wednesday, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera), Shadow Shot Sunday, Scenic Sunday, Skywatch Friday, Watery Wednesday, Weekend Reflections and Wordless Wednesday and Blue Monday. Fun! Remember, you can always click on Sara’s Fave Photos above to return to the full blog with my latest post on top.

Hope you don’t mind a visit to my rose garden in July. This lovely is called Front Page, and it’s very fragrant. As a rose should be! After all, with so many flowers to grow, why deal with thorns and black spot if not for the fragrance?

Try checking out these cool meme sites when you have a chance: SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera), Shadow Shot Sunday, Scenic Sunday, Pink Saturday, Today’s Flowers, Weekend Flowers, Macro Friday, Color Carnival, Macro Monday, Macro Flowers Saturday, Ruby Tuesday and Outdoor Wednesday. Whew! Don’t forget that if there’s only one photo below, click on Sara’s Fave Photos for the rest of them.