Wet and Aggressive Corella challenges Magpie

Wet and Aggressive Corella challenges Magpie

Sunday, 30 April 2017

Sunday Selections #325

Sunday Selections was originally brought to us by Kim, of Frogpondsrock, as an ongoing meme where participants could post previously unused photos languishing in their files.
 
The meme is now continued by River at Drifting through life.  The rules are so simple as to be almost non-existent.  Post some photos under the title Sunday Selections and link back to River.  Clicking on any of the photos will make them embiggen.
 
Like River I usually run with a theme.  Some of my blogging friends are intrepid and committed exercisers.  They hike (yes DJan I am thinking of you).  I wander, amble, meander.  And today I am taking you on yet another slow peregrination.


We had some rain one day last week.  It was rarely heavy, but it was consistent.  And the skies were grey and sodden.  Looking out the window I noticed that the autumnal colour really 'popped' against the grey.  So I headed out, camera in hand.  We both got wet.

We are definitely in autumn now, and our overnight temperatures are in the single digits (celcius).  Just the same, as I walked  I noticed that the seasons are still flirting with us.  I saw autumn, I saw summer - and I saw spring.

Starting with the predominant autumn.



Definitely grey and sodden skies. 














Then to the remnants of summer.



The wet remnants of summer.





And to something which surprised me.  Spring blossom.




This worried me.  I don't know what happens to a tree which puts out tender new leaves just before winter starts, but suspect it isn't good.  I will be watching.  And hoping.

And to finish on more positive note - I did see a smidgeon of blue sky - in a puddle at my feet.





134 comments:

  1. Love the blue sky reflection in the puddle and the spring blossoms superimposed on the fall leaves. I want it to stay just spring here.

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    1. Sue in Italia/In the Land Of Cancer: I will welcome Spring when it arrives - but not yet. It is way too early.

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  2. Nice puddle shot!!

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    1. fishducky: Thank you. Needless to say I took several puddle shots.

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  3. The puddle shot is so creative.
    You really have a lot of seasons going there. We're supposed to be spring but racing into summer already.

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    1. Alex J. Cavanaugh: Welcome back. I hope you enjoyed your holiday. Racing into summer? That does not sound good to me.

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  4. Your puddle shot is one of the coolest photos I have seen. I love it! Wow!

    Amazing to see 3 out of 4 seasons when you look around. Each season has such beauty to it. I hope the spring blossoms aren't going to be a problem for the tree- but they sure are pretty. :)

    Have a lovely week!
    ~Jess

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    1. DMS ~ Jess: Thank you. I was in two minds about including the puddle, and am glad that I did.
      I hope the blossoms aren't a problem for the tree too. It is definitely too early. We haven't even had our first frost of autumn yet. Not quite.

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  5. Awh the colours of Autumn are just divine. Wonderful collection of photos.

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    1. CountryMum: It is a lovely time of year isn't it? Really lovely.

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  6. Love the puddle shot!
    I don't hike, I wander. Will gladly wander and meander along with you. :) Beautiful colors and such a mix, too! What is the third shot, the lovely red on the trellis? It looks like bougainvillea? Whatever it is, it's gorgeous.

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    1. River Fairchild: I am pretty certain that the red on the trellis is a grape vine. It was a bit of a cheeky shot into someone's back yard, but the colour just sang to me.

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    2. Hey. When the color sings, you gotta listen. ;)

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    3. River Fairchild: I did. I answered the siren's call and have no regrets.

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    4. River: It might be, but I think it is a grape. Glorious colour, whichever it is.

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  7. Love your wee bit of blue sky. And that first photo. My gosh, I love it.

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    1. The Happy Whisk: I had a lovely time wandering in the rain - so much beauty.

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    2. The Happy Whisk: Lucky, lucky, lucky.

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  8. We have a Magnolia in our yard that kept blooming in early autumn instead of spring. It kept doing it. Winter was very cold this year and it seems to have righted things and it is getting ready to bloom now.

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    1. Birdie: I hope these trees can get with the more normal program too. I envy you your magnolia. I love them, and have planted a few which the birds destroyed.

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  9. I love fall colours but those polka dot flowers captured my heart.

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    1. only slightly confused: They are really, really pretty aren't they? Such a simple thing. Such a lovely thing.

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  10. Everything....well, almost everything...is coming up roses this morning between you and River!

    You've captured an abundance of lovely autumn colours.

    I'm loving the cooler weather. It's still not jumper weather here, but the lower temps are most welcome...to me, anyway. No rain...but some would be nice...very nice.

    Have a great week, EC...cuddles to Jazz. :)

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    1. Lee: I saw River's roses. Beautiful things. We are having much cooler days and some would say it is definitely jumper weather. Not me. And the rain was very, very welcome. I would like more. I hope you and your furry friends have a wonderful week.

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    2. Definitely jumper weather, scarves and beanies too and fluffy socks with winter pyjamas.

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    3. River: Not yet. Or not for me. The dread disease has some advantages.

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  11. love that first yellow tree, and what are the white spotted flowers and the bark of the tree on the left in a photo in about the middle? what a great capture in that puddle.

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    1. Linda Starr: The white spotted flowers are prunus blossom. And it is gum tree bark. I do love bark. And leaves. And flowers.

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  12. Such glorious colour, EC, in any season. Great photos! I am glad it is cooling off for you from all that intense heat you get in summer.

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    1. Marie Smith: I am loving the cooler weather. Others (including the cat) are complaining, but not me.

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  13. Awesome final shot you set up! There is something so marvelous that you and I dance a counterpoint of seasons between us - While holding hands over global distances! :)

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    1. Cloudia: I have been revelling in getting extra exposure to the seasons since I discovered the blogosphere. And the hands which are extended across the miles.
      The puddle shot was luck. I was looking down, and loved it.

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  14. Lovely closeups of the flowers. I like the autumn colours on the trees, but not so much winter. . .too grey. We, in the Northern hemisphere, west coast of Canada are just beginning to see more colour in flowers and blooming trees. I'm going to be planting deck flowers soon - I like getting my hands into dirt and seeing what grows. . .or endures.

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    1. D.G.Hudson: Our winters are rarely grey. Crisp, clear, and beautiful. And chilly. I too like to get my hands into dirt. I have been planting, and when the next lot of bulbs arrive will be grovelling in the ground again.

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  15. So much beauty everywhere, so pleased you were able to catch it on camera.
    That blue sky reflection in the puddle photograph is just amazing!

    All the best Jan

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    1. Lowcarb team member ~Jan: Thank you. I was damp and a bit chilly and it was lovely to see that splash of blue.

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  16. I so love your photos. The sky in the puddle is a great idea.

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    1. Glenda Council Beall: Thank you. It was lovely to see. And I was surprised at just how vivid the blue was.

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  17. The blue reflection in the puddle! Outstanding!
    Though it technically has not begun, summer is here so it is wonderful to see your beautiful fall pictures. However, as quickly as time is passing now that I am just a tad older(?) it will feel like only a few weeks have passed and I will be seeing fall at my house.

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    1. Anne in the kitchen: The year is rocketing past isn't it? I suspect that Christmas (and summer) will be here before I blink.

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  18. Wonderful shots and such colours!! The wet roses are lovely, especially the dark red one. And the puddle! I am always telling myself to 'look up', but you looked down and got a great picture.

    I was planning to take my camera on today's walk, but at the moment it is raining quite heavily, so I don't know when I will get outside. I did notice on the weather map a few days ago that the next day's forecast high for Canberra was only 12 degrees! We are still getting up to 20 most days.

    I hope you have a good week, EC.

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    1. Alexia: It is cool here today - but bright and sunny. No frosts yet, but it won't be long. I am hoping the frost holds off long enough for the tree dahlias to bloom (they are heavily in bud) but may be disappointed.
      I was pleased to see the sky in the puddle too - I looked down just before crossing the road and got lucky. And didn't get wet feet either.

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  19. Add me to the list singing the praises of that sky puddle shot - there's just something about it that sings!

    What is the name of the tree bearing the red star shaped leaf (your ninth shot)?

    I also love the carpet of gold and red in the sixth photo. These are all beautiful shots, every one, but the ones I've mentioned are my favourites.

    And yes, what will we do if nature becomes so messed up from climate change that plants are blooming at the wrong time to the extent that they die out? A rhetorical question only, as I know YOU know; it's the people in positions of power that need to figure it out.

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    1. jenny_o: I am endlessly grateful that my small mind latches onto things like the sky puddle.
      The brilliant red leaf comes from a (neighbours) liquid amber. Ours are still predominantly green.
      Yes, I am worried about that prunus in blossom. It was lovely to see, but I would be happier to wait a few months. And how I wish that those in power would stop and consider the devastating potential of climate change and stop focussing on dollars in the here and now.

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  20. I've just taken my Canon out for some exercise.(evidence for the Council inspector when and if...)
    More rain overnight allowed me to easily pull some over-enthusiastic stuff off the driveway.And then I came in and had a lovely wallow. :-)

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    1. dinahmow: I am v jealous of your regular rain. And hope that your Canon's exercise is useful when the if and when arrives.

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  21. Looks like your world exploded in lavishness. Thanks for sharing some of it. Enjoy.

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    1. Martin Kloess: It did explode in colour and beauty - and I did enjoy it.

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  22. You have the sky at your feet! I love the golden ash in the first picture. I once thought about planting my whole front yard with golden and claret ash trees, but we sold that house before I could. We're too warm here for them to colour successfully anyway. Your tree colours are so much stronger than what we get here, simply gorgeous :)

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    1. River: The golden and claret ashes are incredible aren't they? The colour is still coming on too. Bliss.

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  23. Is your camera waterproof? I'm afraid to take mine out when it's raining more than an occasional spit.

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    1. River: It isn't waterproof. I had hoped that the rain had stopped. I was wrong. So I took photos quickly and put the camera back in my pocket. It didn't come to any harm - which was lucky, though some shots there is clearly water on the lens.

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  24. Wonderful photos that really took me for a walk through the seasons. You have a colorful autumn ahead of you. Due to our weather still not behaving and being on the cool side with gray rainy skies I am glad to know that spring will eventually take over.

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    1. Rasma Raisters: We have bright sunshine today. It is cool, but sunny. And yes, your spring will come.

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  25. wonderful autumn colours - I would be concerned about that flowering tree too... hope it recovers in the real spring.

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    1. Anna: Fingers and toes crossed. There is an avenue of three of them on a near neighbours front lawn, and they are all blooming.

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  26. Dear EC
    Beautiful photos again - the puddle shot is particularly lovely and of something we don't always look at. The flowering tree could be an autumn flowering cherry,(Prunus × subhirtella 'Autumnalis') which should flower at that time of year (in the UK, October to April)- let's hope that is what it is and not that it's flowering prematurely...
    You have some wonderful trees in your neighbourhood.
    Best wishes
    Ellie

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    1. Ellie Foster: The tree is indeed a prunus, but I have never seen it bloom this early before. As a rule it flowers in about August/September. Fingers crossed.

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  27. Hi EC - the photos are lovely to see - the different seasons in one go. We have a cold day today - the sea is whipped up and it's blowing a lot ... cold air! We seem to be in a state of flux ... the sun gets higher and we get warmer - I hope. Gorgeous photos though ... love the puddle - cheers Hilary

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    1. Hilary Melton-Butcher: Thank you. No sea here, but it is cool. Sunny though. And I am revelling in the cooler weather. Worried about the return of spring though.

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  28. It was beautiful here, and definitely getting hotter...Your puddle contains a bit of blue sky is my favorite today...Wishing you a good week!

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    1. e: The next day was completely blue. Cool, but definitely blue. I hope you and Jacob have a lovely week too.

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  29. You captured such beauty all around you. The photos are amazing. Love all the seasons.

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    1. Mason Canyon: Thank you. We live in a beautiful world.

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  30. Autumn is still a time of amazing color and I think you have captured some of the beauty. My fav is the reflection in the puddle. Beauty truly can be found in the most unusual places. I am getting caught up in flowering tree and new blooms of spring. Unfortunately, allergies are causing me some major problems this season.

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    1. Truedessa: Until I had a course of desensitising injections Spring was a misery for me. Beautiful, but a misery just the same. I hope you get some relief.

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  31. Oh my, EC. You've truly outdone yourself. The pictures are wondrous. I'd love to roam in your garden. The botanicals have nothing on you.
    The leaves scattered on the ground look like a bounty of gems.

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    1. Sandra Cox: Only a few of the images this week are from our garden. Most are from a wander around the street. I like your bounty of gems analogy. Truth.

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  32. I love autumn but it's so nice that you can still enjoy a diversity of seasons in the flowers and the colors. So beautiful. I really like that last picture of the sky in the puddle. Hum. Sounds like a good title for a poem.

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    1. Myrna R.: I would like to see the poem you create from that title...

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  33. Holy wow! Those roses stopped me cold. They're beautiful!!!

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  34. We might have a day over 70 F this week, maybe even two, so warmth may be coming here. You are in transition, so are we. I hope! I saw a sign at the grocer of explanation. Vegetable prices are extremely high currently. The sign explained it is because of our extremely wet spring here and in California, where crops have not been planted or they have rotted from wet. They said the volume of fresh vegetables available is dismally low, creating high prices.

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    1. Strayer: Cyclone Debbie has pushed up the price of our fruit and vegetables. And will for a while. I hope you find some warmth this week.

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  35. I enjoy picking my favourites out of all the photos you share with us, and I was about to say the roses were it...until I saw your puddle. It reminds me of a portal to another world, only at your feet instead of upright. Yeah, I know, spec fic again, but I gotta be me!

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    1. Carolyn McBride: I wouldn't have you any other way. And you have me thinking about where that portal would take us...

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  36. Tremendous puddle/sky picture! Try your hand at capturing this again in a poem! Autumn is definitely its own kind of beauty and your pictures are capturing it. Since our own spring is so dark and rainy and had some cold too, it is hard to appreciate autumn as much at this very moment since it reminds us of the winter we are having trouble shaking.

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    1. Bookie: I would love to see the poem you create from this image. Both you and Myrna always write poems which delight me.

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  37. Beautiful blooms EC, lovely variety in color :)

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    1. Denise inVA: Thank you. It is a vivid time of year.

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    1. Author R. Mac Wheeler: I am glad. Slower than your hikes, but still nice.

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  39. I love every one, the trees are beautiful EC.

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    1. Bob Bushell: They are. Trees are right up there with my list of favourite things.

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  40. Autumn is my absolute favourite season. In a just world I would be able to enjoy it both in the Northern and Southern hemisphere...but...sigh

    Those leaf/tree photos make the heart soar, really beyond magnificent! and so is that puddle picture with the sky on water. So lovely.

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    1. Nilanjana Bose: Autumn is glorious isn't it? I am so grateful that since finding the blogosphere I have been able to enjoy it twice each year.

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  41. The pictures are lovely as always but the last one of the reflections ina puddle look like abstract art...stunning.

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    1. Rick Watson: Mother Nature is the very best artist isn't she?

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  42. Oh, my, so beautiful. As always I get calm going through your post. Thank you :)

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    1. Nas: Thank you. What a lovely thing to say. I always find comfort and solace in nature.

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  43. Good Lord, EC, it seems like everybody in the world commented on here. Again I gave up reading and scrolled to the end. I love your pretty fall colors, and the summer flowers are scrumptious. And I too wonder about spring showing up out of season. Hope it all turns out okay. :-)

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    1. DJan: The early signs of spring are still worrying me. I am quite happy with Autumn, look forward to winter, and don't want the trees to suffer.

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  44. Your seasons are all over the place! And the flora around you - so beautiful. We have that, too - things start budding out at inappropriate times. This year it has affected our peach crop.

    Love that peek of blue sky in the puddle!

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    1. Lynn: Global weather weirding. I hope that the seasons settle down soon. Wasn't the tiny bit of blue in the puddle lovely?

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  45. I wander, amble and meander too, but from now on I’m going to tell everyone I’m off on another peregrination Love that word! These are all such beautiful photographs, and the red rose covered in rain is just gorgeous. I want to believe it smells as good as it looks (don’t try smelling it while it’s so wet – I did that once and ended up getting soaked). Our seasons (In England) are all muddled up to. The tending plants are racing ahead, but we are still getting frosts overnight so it’s a case of covering things up before going to bed and uncovering them in the morning. Have a lovely week. x

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    1. Barbara Fisher: I am so glad to hear that someone else spends some time in klutzville. I have often sniffed a flower and got either wet - or covered in pollen. I hope you too have a wonderful week.

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  46. Happy Monday (here), EC.
    That one leaf almost looks like passion fruit doesn't it?

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    1. Sandra Cox: Thank you. Tuesday here. A busy one. Followed by a busy Wednesday. Have a great week.

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  47. Seeing the world from the other side is always so interesting. Here we're getting our seeds into the ground for spring to bring them to life and you're tucking up for fall. What an amazing planet we live on.

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    1. cleemckenzie: It is. And I am so grateful to the blogosphere which shrank the world for me. I have been planting bulbs for a spring display. And thinking about next years seeds.

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  48. I sometimes forget how our seasons are different, until I see them, and these are beautiful autumn captures (although I'm happy it's your turn for it) I am really missing long days and warmth, bright sunshine and flowers! Your rose is still graceful and the Snap Dragons one of my favorites are wonderful to see! Enjoy your cooler weather too.

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    1. Karen S.: I was surprised to see the snapdragon - and loved it. I haven't grown them for a few years because they are water hungry. I hope your spring and summer bring you everything you could hope for.

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  49. It's very interesting... you are waiting autumn, and you have very beautiful color in fall now. And we are waiting the spring, which has been very cold and a little bit late.
    I love these colors, especially the red one. And the roses and other flowers are so wonderful.
    The "hole" in the street is very nice.
    Wish you happy the first of May.

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    1. orvokki: Thank you so much. Our autumn is pretty much here now, and I hope your spring has settled down.

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  50. I'm intrigued by the last shot - very artistic. I can almost smell the remnants of summer. Ahh, so nice.
    Thank you, EC.
    Keep a smile.

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    1. Rawknrobyn: I was glad to see summer leave, but can understand that others don't agree. I am smiling - and hope you are too.

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  51. Strange that you have spring blossom on your side of the equator at this time. It poured with rain all day today so any spring blossom here would be drowned and probably knocked to the ground. So nice to see your remnants of summer, I am looking forward to some sun.
    Your puddle has enough blue sky to make a sailor a pair of trousers, as my mum would say.

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    1. Shammickite: My mother said that the weather would clear if there was enough blue to patch a sailor's britches. And there was. And it did.
      I am still v uncomfortable with Spring blossom before winter. I suspect the predicted frosts next week will kill it. And hope the tree survives and puts out leaf at the right time later in the year.

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  52. What fabulous autumn colours!

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  53. I've never seen the sky reflected that sharply in a puddle in all my life. When I see such thing in television, I always assume contrivance. How did you get such a brilliant shot?

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    1. John Wiswell: Thank you. Despite the rain, there was no wind. Which helped. And luck. Which also helped.

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  54. Oh how nice to see fall colors right now- thanks for sharing. I imagine those blooms are confused! Have a great day!

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    1. Terri @ Coloring Outside the Lines: The blooms are not the only confused thing around here. Have a wonderful week.

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  55. LOVE!!! All are so beautiful.

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    1. Carol Kilgore: Thank you. It was a lovely meander - despite the damp.

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  56. That last photo reminds of the famous image of a puddle by MC Escher.

    Oh yes I could feel the autumnal feel to all your photos with the colours and the dampness. Reminded me of the UK!

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    1. LL Cool Joe: I don't think I know that Escher. And I love his work. Thank you so much for the compliment.

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  57. Sorry I'm late here, I saw the post but I'm a bit all over the place!

    The autumn colours are beautiful and the crisp mornings are lovely.
    You might have answered this already but is that a grape vine in the third photo? and is it over your car port?

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    1. kylie: You are welcome whenever you arrive. I think it is a grape vine - but it is over someone else's carport.

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  58. Love your trees and flowers! Just gorgeous!
    Your header is beutiful too.

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  59. What bright beautiful colors for fall! They are pretty then a sign of Spring?? Fantastic photo of the puddle

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    1. Kim@stuffcould...: The autumnal colours are very welcome. The signs of spring worry me.

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  60. Antirrhinums! I haven't thought of them for years. We used to squeeze the sides of the flowers to make them look like rabbits (although I think some people thought dragons). When I was very little my aunt told me that she'd squeezed one as a child and been stung by the bee that was hidden inside. I always checked before squeezing after hearing that. Don't we remember some ridiculously useless things

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    1. Kim: I am sensitive to bee stings (blow up in a spectacular fashion) so I would remember that too. Like the rabbit analogy. And need to plant some antirrhinums next year (if we have enough rain).

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  61. That last picture is magical. It kinda provides a "universe in a grain of sand" perspective.

    The seasons are all mixed up here, and so are the plants. We have spring blossoms in the middle of winter, and now that we're midway through spring, some parts of our country are battling snowstorms. Let's hope Mother Nature helps all of her plants and animals adapt to the changing weather patterns.

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    1. Susan: Global weather weirding. And while worrying is one of my skills, this pushes it hard.

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  62. Replies
    1. Andrew Maclaren-Scott: It was lucky I included it. I liked it, but nearly didn't put it up with the post.

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  63. As a huge fan of photography, I have to say...you rock!!!!

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