Sights and Fragrances of May!

May 2011: If I had to choose a month to be my favorite, it would be May.  Spring is in full bloom now.  Color pleases the eye and the air is heavy with lovely fragrances.  Flowering trees, lilacs, freshly mown grass!  There is nothing sweeter than the colors and smells of May!

Redbud Blossoms

 White Dogwood Blossoms

Matronalis (Dames Rocket)

The most fragrant Pansies I've ever experienced. 
I didn't even know Pansies had a scent!

Wisteria

Bearded Iris

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April 2011: The Colors of Spring

April came in rainy and raw.  But despite the unseasonable cold, the spring flowers are starting to blossom.  I spotted this hyacinth in full bloom on April 1st:

April 3rd: More blooms spotted on a walk around the neighborhood...here is a forsythia:

Hyacinth blossoms, full-frame:

 Pansy face:

More forsythia:

Creeping Speedwell, a tiny creeping plant in the grass, is blooming profusely in the park right now.  I got right down on the ground on my belly to get these closeup shots!

Another shot of the same catkins, originally posted on 3/19.  They are progressing slowly - much more slowly than normal, it seems - perhaps because of our colder than seasonal temps this spring!

First blooms of a Star Magnolia in Flushing Meadow Park:

Same catkins, closer shot in different lighting:

Every day (finally!) I am seeing more and more signs of spring - willow leaves emerging:

Glory-of-the-Snow:

 Red-Eared Sliders sunning:

Bumpy & Girlfriend!

Catkins against a blue sky!

Cherry Blossoms:

Seagull enjoying the sunshine!

Turtle Sunning:

Glory-of-the-Snow:

Mustard Flower:

Hydrangea leaf emerging:

Primrose:

Ornamental Fruit Tree:

Flowering Quince



Despite the cool, wet weather, spring has sprung in all it's glorious colors! 

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Autumn Impressions 2010: A Work in Progress!

Initially I heard reports of a possibly disappointing fall foliage season, but it has been anything but!!   In fact it has been a pretty spectacular fall foliage season!   Here are some of my best autumn 2010 shots!

10/9/10 near Binghamton, NY

10/10/10 in Allegany State Park

 10/10/10 in Allegany, NY: Teasle

10/10/10 in Allegany, NY: Bumblebee on Goldenrod

10/10/10 in Allegany, NY: Sugar Maples

10/17/10 Skyline Drive, Shenandoah Valley VA

10/19/10 Great Smoky Mountains, NC

10/25/10: Somewhere in the Cherokee National Forest,
TN/NC border

10/26/10: Brevard, NC

10/27/10: Somewhere north of Asheville, NC

To be continued . . .

A Spectacular Sunset

10/12/10:  I don't remember a sunset like this in a very long time! It started on my way home from work, and it became so intense, I had to get off the highway and take photos!  These were taken at Meadow Lake in Flushing Meadow Park.  The colors were really like this and are not retouched!

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