"Orchid in Season"

This image may seem out of place among all the fall photos, but when I was at a local botanical conservatory a few days ago, they said that this is their season. All of the orchids were in majestic bloom, so full and gorgeous. The colors were amazing, and each different variety looked so healthy, and spectacular. I posted this on Google + last night in case it looks familiar to anyone! :)

"The Fall of Ginkgo"

I love the look and shape of the leaves of the Ginkgo Biloba Tree. An exotic sounding name for something very beautiful! All the leaves have fallen off of this and all the Ginkgo trees in the area. They are a fantastic shade of yellow in Autumn while still on the tree, and still retain a lot of the color for a while after they fall. Enjoy!

"Seeds In Fluff"

    I took this photo a couple of weeks ago on one of my many nature walks. Along the way I noticed a lot of  Milkweed pods were all bursting forth, and going to seed.
   Seeing this and playing with it brings back a lot of childhood memories. We used to love to open the pods,  play with the "fluff" inside, and blow it all around!
   Just looking at it you can tell how soft, and fluffy it is.

"The Blaze Before the Fall"

As Fall has wound down here I have been sorting through some of the images that I took over the weeks. This one I remember taking pretty recently. While gazing up at this maple tree all I could think of is how marvelous , and what a wonder it is that these trees year after year put on such a color show. They come to their color peak. They go out in a blaze of glory, then all the leaves come falling down. So this is the blaze of color before the fall of the leaves!

"Through the Gate"

Just imagine yourself walking through this gate, up the brick stairs, and stepping in through the lovely wooden door. What a place this must be! A wonderfully designed worn, and weathered gate surrounded by lush green plants on vines. Beautiful textures of red brick against the weathered deck leading up to the front door, and finally the reflections of the sunshine on the plants observed on the glass on each side of the front door. What a welcoming site!

"Vibrant Stones"

   I think I may have mentioned something about these beautiful and vibrant stones in a previous post, but I didn't put up an image to show you up close how lovely they are. This image was taken at Whitefish Point on Lake Superior. The same area that I did a series of images of.
   These stones are so smooth, and of such a variety of colors it's really amazing! There are literally miles and miles of them. Visitors come from all around , and are encouraged to collect them to take home. How many places do you go to that tell you to take something with you?
   While I was there I met people from all around the country. One woman said that she had come from another state just to collect some of these stones to take back home and use as a decoration in someone's wedding.
    If you're ever up at Whitefish Point make sure to walk along the shore, and enjoy the beauty of these gems, you'll be glad you did!