Frosty around the edges: Macro Monday

These Oregon grape leaves were frosty around the edges. This picture, taken in November, shows the leaves getting their fall color.

Frosty around the edges

Macro Monday

Golden sentinels on a trail: Wordless Wednesday

golden sentinels

Golden sentinels on a trail at Pine Nursery Park, Bend, Oregon.

Wordless Wednesday

Fence of Gold: Thursday Tree Love

I saw this fence of gold near Mitchell, Oregon last week. Aspen trees, decked out in golden leaves, looked like someone planted them at regular intervals within the evergreen forest.

Fence of gold

Thursday Tree Love 137

The blur of autumn: Weekly Haiku & Sunday Stills

The blur of fall

the blur of autumn
catcher of fading colors
thoughts of winter’s chill

Autumn leaves

Weekly haiku prompt challenge – Catcher & thought

Sunday Stills – Paths & trails take you to happy places

Seeing red near Mt Jefferson: Wordless Wednesday

Seeing red vine maples
Seeing red vine maples near Mt Jefferson in Oregon
Fall color near Mt Jefferson
Fall foliage in Oregon’s Cascade Mountains

Wordless Wednesday

Crane sculpture, Portland Japanese Garden: Sculpture Saturday

I saw this beautiful crane sculpture at the Portland Japanese Garden last fall. The colors of autumn cast a warm glow on this peaceful scene.

In Japanese literature, mythology, and art, cranes are often thought to live 1,000 years. They symbolize longevity and good luck.

I wish you good luck and much happiness in the new year!

crane sculpture

Sculpture Saturday

Following fall close to home: LAPC

Sometimes you experience memorable moments by following fall close to home. I’ve made a special effort to capture glimpses of the season in photographs this year near my home in Bend. Fall is my favorite season!

Autumn weather brings cloudy skies and spectacular sunrises that take your breath away.

Following fall in Bend, Oregon

Trees don their finest fashions and marvel at their reflections.

Fall foliage

Some trees try to see how many shades of autumn they can pack onto one branch.

Following fall in Bend, Oregon

And when the leaves fall, they dazzle you like an ephemeral work of art.

Fallen leaves

If you listen closely, you’ll hear the leafless trees revealing stories layer by layer until they are clothed once again.

Paper birch

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – Follow your bliss

Streets lined with gold: Thursday Tree Love

These streets lined with gold are along the highway east of Mount Hood in Oregon. I was there a week ago and the colors were spectacular!

streets lined with gold

The golden leaves along this road are mostly on aspen and larch trees. Larch is a deciduous conifer. Yes, most conifers keep their leaves through the winter–not the larch. See my post Western larch – A beauty in gold for more about these trees.

Fall aspen and larch

We also saw pops of red from the vine maples growing along this route.

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Green leaves fluttering poem: Haiku Challenge

green leaves fluttering
ever alert for dawn’s frost
blushes of autumn

green leaves fluttering poem

Ronovan Writes Weekly Haiku Poetry Prompt Challenge – Ever & Green

Autumn cascara leaves up close: Macro Monday

Here are a couple pictures of autumn cascara leaves up close. I spotted these beautiful multi-colored leaves on shrubs near Santiam Junction in Oregon. They were growing within an inhospitable looking lava bed.

Autumn cascara

This tall shrub is attractive year round. The oblong leaves, with their distinctive parallel veins, are glossy green for most of the year. Autumn cascara leaves have spectacular colors. Cascara produce greenish-yellow flowers in the spring, and dark purple fruit in the summer.

fall leaves

One of their common names is Cascara sagrada, Spanish for “sacred bark.” The bark is well known for its laxative effects. See the Names section of Cascara, Frangula purshiana for funny Chinook names based on these qualities. 😉

Macro Monday