A lot has died back in the yard (goodbye lemon cucumbers) but some things are actually going pretty strong. This red and white dahlia blossom with almost cup-like petals is still doing its perky, cheerful thing in my garden.

Red and white dahlia in the October garden

Connecting up with Ruby Tuesday 2, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, Outdoor Wednesday, Pink Saturday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, Macro Monday, I Heart Macro Saturday, Saturday Show Off and My Romantic Home. Download free, easy tips for better photos of any kind in the sidebar to the right. Thanks for visiting!

At the Renton (WA) Fall Harvest Festival on Saturday, I was surprised to see these bouquets of dahlias that included intensely fragrant lilies. The ones in my garden have long been finished. I bought some and the entire house is filled with their scent.

Brilliant dahlias and fragrant Oriental lilies in an early October bouquet

Please visit Ruby Tuesday 2, Unique Weekend Challenge (Colorful), Outdoor Wednesday, Mandarin Orange Monday, Orange You Glad It’s Friday, Pink Saturday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, Macro Monday, I Heart Macro Saturday, Saturday Show Off and My Romantic Home. You can click on Sara’s Fave Photos above if you see only one photo here. See you again soon!

This image of a dramatic sky over Puget Sound was taken in Des Moines, WA (south of Seattle), right near a friend’s house. She can walk across the street and see this!

Dramatic clouds over Puget Sound in Washington

You might enjoy the photos at Skywatch Friday, A Piece of Heaven, Outdoor Wednesday, Scenic Weekends, Saturday Show Off, Weekend Reflections, Nature Notes Wednesday, and Water World Wednesday. Thank you so much for visiting here and please come back soon!

This Angels Trumpet, or brugmansia, is not in my garden but I did grow one this year and I can tell you, they have a heavenly, sweet, delightful fragrance. No wonder they call them Angels Trumpets, and not just for their graceful shape!

Yellow and peach colored Angels Trumpet blooms in late summer and the fall

Participating at Monday Mellow Yellows, Our Beautiful World (Yellow), Outdoor Wednesday, Nature Notes Wednesday, Fishtail Cottage Thursday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, Garden Tuesday, Macro Monday, I Heart Macro Saturday, Saturday Show Off and My Romantic Home. I appreciate your stopping by here, and please come again soon.

Raindrops somehow make flowers even prettier, don’t you think?

Pink-edged yellow and creamy petals on this hanging begonia, drenched in rain

Joining Pink Saturday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Monday Mellow Yellows, Outdoor Wednesday, Nature Notes Wednesday, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, Fishtail Cottage Thursday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, Garden Tuesday, Macro Monday, I Heart Macro Saturday, Saturday Show Off and My Romantic Home. A reminder that there’s a free download of tips and hints for better photos, at right. You do not need fancy equipment or know a million settings to take pretty fine photos.

The first evening we got to Seaside, Oregon, the weather was windy and the beach was pretty empty. But the light over the water! I truly love this post and am calling it my Best Post of the Week.

Lifeguard station in Seaside, Oregon

Linking to Skywatch Friday, A Piece of Heaven, Outdoor Wednesday, Scenic Weekends, Saturday Show Off, Nature Notes Wednesday, and Water World Wednesday. Please come back again soon for more pretty pictures.

Fall crocus is blooming in my garden right now, a welcome sight.

Lavender-pink fall crocus blooming in Seattle in early September

Linking to Pink Saturday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Monday Mellow Yellows, Outdoor Wednesday, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, Fishtail Cottage Thursday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, Garden Tuesday, Macro Monday, I Heart Macro Saturday, Saturday Show Off and My Romantic Home. Thanks for your visit here and do return often.

The best part of our little getaway to Seaside, Oregon was watching the surfers right from our cottage on Sunset Cove. It was amazing. I realized that surfing is much, much harder than I thought, for one thing. Here’s a little video of this oh-so-scenic cove.

Linking this post to Skywatch Friday, A Piece of Heaven, Outdoor Wednesday, Scenic Weekends, Water World Wednesday, Pink Saturday and Straight out of the Camera Sunday. Thanks for visiting!

A very foggy and scenic creek, in the town of Seaside, OR.

Foggy weather and the creek at high tide in Seaside, Oregon

Linking to Skywatch Friday, A Piece of Heaven, Outdoor Wednesday, Scenic Weekends, Water World Wednesday, Weekend Reflections, Saturday Show Off, Nature Notes Wednesday, and Straight out of the Camera Sunday. Come back again soon, OK?

Taken recently at Seattle’s Volunteer Park Conservatory. The amazing irony of a cactus in bloom! The flowers are very small, perhaps a centimeter or so, or less than half an inch.

Magenta pink flowers on a barrel cactus

More themed photos at Macro Monday, I Heart Macro Saturday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, Thursday Floral Love, Ruby Tuesday 2, Pink Saturday and Straight out of the Camera Sunday. Have a great day and thanks so much for stopping by.