Autumn Leaves and Fruit

Tags

autumn leaves, Fuyu persimmon, persimmon, postaday, sugar maple

Yesterday, I drove around our area to look for beautiful autumn leaves and colors. However, before leaving our street, I saw the following scene and took my first shot of the day.

Autumn street scene.

In another town about 10 miles (17 km) away, there was a bright display of yellow leaves.

Yellow leaves.

At a park 7 miles (11 km) from home, leaf colors were more muted. A fern on the ground was a better subject.

Ferns.

Back home, I tried to take a picture of a Sugar Maple tree we have in our backyard. Planted 30 years ago, it turned out to be too big to fit in one shot. It may be as tall as 70-80 ft (25 m).

Sugar Maple.

I switched to a wide-angle lens and was finally able to show all of it.

Sugar Maple.

There was at least one tree that still has green leaves. It is a Fuyu Persimmon tree which is now bearing fruit. I tasted one fruit yesterday and it was sweet!

Fuyu Persimmons.

Autumn Leaves

Tags

autumn leaves, crape myrtle, holly, postaday

Around our area, fall colors are at their peak. Here are two shots of crape myrtle leaves on the same tree.

Crape Myrtle leaves, still green.

Crape Myrtle leaves in fall colors.

Holly Leaves and berries.

Wordless Wednesday

Tags

cosmos, double knockout, postaday, rose, wordless wednesday

Double Knockout rose.

Cosmos.

Wildflower.

Double Knockout rose.

Fall Weekend Colors

Tags

celosia cristata, Dianthus Barbatus, Giant Redhead Cockscomb, postaday, sayen Gardens, sweet william

Sayen Gardens does not have many flowers in the fall, but what it has is often very colorful and showy. Sweet William (Dianthus Barbatus) almost completely surrounds the main building where wedding receptions are usually held.

Sweet William in red and white.

Sweet William in red and white.

Sweet William in red.

Another vividly red flower is the Giant Redhead Cockscomb (Celosia Cristata) along one side of the stairs leading to the banquet room.

Giant Redhead Cockscomb.

Rainy Day

Tags

chrysanthemum, couple, postaday, sayen Gardens

Water and rain always fall on this couple gracing a courtyard at Sayen Gardens..

Couple under the rain.

Not far from there, Chrysanthemum flowers welcomed the rain.

Chrysanthemums.

Winterberries

Tags

Ilex verticillata, postaday, sayen Gardens, winterberry

Winterberries.

Winterberries.

I am tentatively identifying the above berries as Winterberries (Ilex verticillata), with one plant showing red berries, and the other orange ones. These photos were taken at Sayen Gardens in Hamilton, NJ.

Jackie, the Golden Retriever, at 6

Tags

golden retriever, jackie, postaday

Some of you may remember that I got a Golden Retriever in 2016 and named her Jackie. Here’s how Jackie looked on her first day with us.

Jackie, on June 30, 2016.

Here’s Jackie a few days later.

Jackie, the puppy on July 10, 2016.

Here she is recently at a little over six years old.

Jackie on July 31, 2022.

Scenes Near Barnegat Lighthouse

Tags

barnegat lighthouse, monarch butterfly, postaday

The main purpose of my visit was to observe and photograph Monarch butterflies at the waystation near Barnegat Lighthouse, but I could not help noticing other subjects also.

Airplane flying over beach, the Red Baron perhaps?

A sculpture reading a book right next to bushes beloved by Monarch butterflies.

There were many people fishing at the lighthouse jetty, but two of them were turning up some rocks.

Woman lifting rocks. When I asked, she said she was looking for small crabs to use as fishing bait.

Goldenrod blooming on the sand dunes.

Last but not least, many Monarchs were feeding on flower nectar for their trip to Mexico.

Male Monarch identifiable by the two dots on its wings.

Male Monarch.

Monarch on dried (milkweed?) flowers.

Monarch on Verbena flowers.