This is a series of photos I took during a visit to the zoo 2 years ago. The late afternoon sun was creating remarkably sharp shadows on this boulder, perfectly projecting the shadows of the kids and their friends as they playfully threw leaves at each other.
In a variation of my recurring theme of fall leaves in the rain I offer you photos of fall leaves taken through the rain. In this case, through a rainy windshield. We went apple picking today, and while it mostly did not rain, there were a few minutes at the end when the rain came down in bucketloads.
Happily for me, the rain happpened to fall most heavily while I was sitting parked in my car, facing some beautiful fall foliage. I always enjoy looking at the patterns formed by rain on the glass, and the view of the pretty fall colors did not disappoint.
In fact, the distortion of the view made the trees look like they were painted in thick, blobby brushstrokes, reminding me of an impressionist painting. But much wetter.
It would appear that I will not get tired of fall leaves or water drops, or especially fall leaves with water drops. Today’s featured leaf had subtle color variations and fascinating patterns. I also like how the leaf’s vein patterns show through the water drops to make some of the water drops look like little brains.
This has been a spectacularly spectacular fall here in Massachusetts. Every day, more stunning trees and gorgeous fallen leaves compete for my attention. Here are a few leaves I saw today that practically begged me to take their photo.
I loved the way these various leaves had arranged themselves on the driveway for a photoshoot.
This perky little guy stretched out in the shrubbery, the better to show off its striking flame colors against the dark green.
Just look at these two sweethearts, nestled together, and showing off their jagged lines and patchwork outfits. (And I can’t be the only one to see the heart shape in the top leaf.)
This elegant pair is showing off the classic New England maple style: deep red with subtle color variation.
And this one? So obviously just showing off. Can one leaf really get away with wearing so many different colors?
This withering grape leaf caught my eye yesterday for its varied coloration and interesting holes. I found the pictures I took to be even more interesting, looking to my eyes like abstract mosaic images made from torn scraps of paper.
I am feeling far from serene today, and may even have had a bit of a tantrum today. We are in the process of moving, and even though it is only a local move, it is a flood of new stresses added to our already packed lives. We are dealing with contractors and service providers, and today was one of those days that left me feeling unhinged. There are so many details to track and sort through that it makes it hard for me to think straight, especially when dealing with conflicting priority lists and contractors giving the run-around.
So, to compensate for the lack of serenity that I am feeling, I am posting photos of a relaxing walk in New Hampshire with friends from a few years ago.
Okay, the leaf is not terribly new. It’s clearly been around, and has the scars to show it. But it is a new photo of a leaf, and a new post featuring a leaf.
There are nights when I am just too tired to think of a clever post title. I’m sure that there must be something witty to say about this basket of squash I spotted at Plimoth Plantation this afternoon, but I am fresh out of wit. I did, however, quite like the look of this little white squash. So I will just say that.
This seems to have been an especially good year for caterpillars, because I’ve noticed that almost all of the leaves that fall (as well as those still up in the trees) have quite a few holes or other evidence of having been munched. In spite of these flaws, I still find the leaves to be quite beautiful. Many of the holes even add to their character. (This is not the first time I’ve made that observation.)
An orange leaf (or what’s left of it), outlined in red.
This leaf was thoroughly munched before falling to rest on the thick carpet of moss.
The bright orange and red leaves tend to steal the show, but bright green and yellow leaves can still be quite eye-catching. (It was the colors more than the holes that caught my eye with this fellow.)
I like the way the mottled surface and holes of this bright red leaf echo the patterns of the rocks in the asphalt.
This graceful oak leaf has tiny holes spread out over its surface.
The holes in this oak leaf look quite lacy.
After taking this photo a few days after the photo above, I realized that it was almost certainly the same leaf that caught my eye again. (If you mentally flip it over, you can see the same shapes in the holes.) It’s interesting to see how the color of the leaf continued to change after falling on the ground.
I am not the only one who enjoys finding interesting leaves. Also, notice the funny ring of green around a hole in this leaf.
collecting tokens 