“Sunshine in the Garden”
Heatherwood Autumn
When I need a little sunlight, all I have to do is walk out into the garden. These brilliant yellow rudbeckia stand out like a bright sun with its rays extending out giving light. Such highlights abound in our fall garden. But, as the days pass they will transition to their spent form for a winter display. Even in winter, their shapes provide interest and a wonderful resting place for beautiful frost and snow.
“Kousa Dogwood Berries”
Heaterwood Autumn
The bright berries of our dogwoods are always a sign that Autumn is here. Our kousa is just a little tree right now, but it is full of bright red berries. By the time the last berry drops, we will have a beautiful blanket of red beneath the tree.
Back in Pennsylvania, we had a row of mature Kousa dogwoods that lined the driveway. Every day from the time they started to drop their berries until the last one fell, we had to sweep our driveway to keep the cars from squishing the berries and making a big mess. In the spring we had a zillion of little seedlings. We replanted many and nursed them to a state where they could be planted back in our pin oak grove. We had a natural supply of new dogwoods. I look forward to doing the same at Heatherwood and share them with our neighbors.
“Woodland Garden”
Heatherwood Autumn
Bit by bit, the fall colors are emerging here in Heatherwood. They seem to be coming a little late this year. But, each day brings a little more color, bit by bit. In the woodland garden, the red buds and some Japanese maples are transitioning to yellow. The October Glory maples are starting to turn red. And, the skies are a brilliant blue. It is time to go out and enjoy the day!
“Amber Ghost Japanese Maple”
Heatherwood Hill of Learning
We planted this beautiful Japanese maple a couple of weeks ago. It has already started to change into its autumn glory. We now have 44 Japanese maples planted throughout Heatherwood. This Amber Ghost will accentuate the view out of my office window. Every morning when I write, I turn and gaze out over the “Hill of Learning” to get a little inspiration of what is to come during the emerging day.
“Early Morning Sunlight”
Heatherwood Japanese Garden
The color is starting to change in our Heatherwood garden. The early morning sunlight brightens up the colorful leaves. Every day brings a change in the colors. For the next several weeks I will be out in the garden continuously. Every day presents a gift of something new.
“Lonesome Alley”
Venice, Italy
In our free time, we were on constant alert for unpopulated alleys. They were few and far between, even in the back street areas away from the main tourist sites. Tourists seemed to be everywhere. We make it difficult for the hometown Venetians to live a private life. During our next trip (there will be one), I hope to spend our time searching for little out of the way places to courteously explore, eat, and enjoy the wonderful city the way a Venetian does.
“The Grand Canal, Early Morning”
Venice, Italy
It is much more enjoyable to stroll the iconic places in Venice at 6:00 AM, before the tourists wake up. Compare this view of the Grand Canal with the image in my last post that was taken mid-afternoon. Large crowds dominate Venice from about 8:30A to 10:00P. During these time periods I tried to focus my walks to the back streets.
“The Grand Canal from Rialto Bridge”
Venice, Italy
Compare the heavy traffic on Venice’s Grand Canal with the quiet peacefulness of the small back canal in my previous post. I much prefer the intimacy of the “off the beaten track” places over the grandeur of the iconic scenes. To get this image, I had to wiggle my way through a crowd to a spot on the Rialto Bridge. On my previous post, I just had to wait a minute or two for a gondola to pass.
“Pastel Canal”
Venice, Italy
It is quite a change in perspective from the rural Palouse countryside in Washington State (in my previous post) to 13th century buildings in Venice, Italy. The concept of history is so very different between the two.
We just returned from a trip to Venice, Florence, and Rome. My mind is whirling trying to put the Roman Empire, Middle Ages, and Renaissance time and cultural evolution in perspective. The trip is a catalyst for me to set aside time to study and refresh my knowledge of history.
The above image caught my attention from several unrelated view points: the soft pastel colors, the water and bridge without any boat or people traffic, the bridge connecting the two buildings (what were their relationships?), the mystery of what is around the corner.
“Steptoe View”
The Palouse, Washington
One of my favorite places to be in Washington State is on Steptoe Butte in the Palouse. It is a place where I can gaze over the rolling hills of the farm land below and dream of the past, present, and future. Time goes by, clouds skim across the sky. Little ‘ant-like’ vehicles move about. Memories flash through my mind. When I was a little tyke, Uncle Ben and I would walk out to the sagebrush ridge past our orchard. We had our special rock where we would sit and look over the Naches valley below. Farmers would be working their fields, driving their tractors back and forth. He would tell me stories both fictional and of his past experiences. I would dream.
I close my eyes, then open them up again. The farm land fades away. In its place emerges a pattern of textures, tones, and curves. The scene below becomes a flowing blanket as the shadows from the clouds traverse across.
