Fall Colors!

Taking pictures of red berries is apparently one of the small pleasures in my life.  I have dozens!  These are the little crab apples on the tree out the kitchen windows.  It was a gift from Dad's office when G'pa died and we moved it last year from the front to the side yard.  Happily, it was a good move.  The tree has flourished and the birds love it.

I have never had fall blooming iris before, but I guess there is a first time for everything.  This plant flowered more in October than it did in May.  Hope it makes the winter and puts on a new show next spring.

 

 

Arlo out enjoying a wonderful fall day.  Maggie is out also but getting a picture of her is pretty tricky as she NEVER stops moving.  She continues to be a fun part of our family, although Arlo does not always enjoy her attentions. 

 

 

A sure sign of fall - the beach oats turn sand color.  These were transplanted last year and I didn't get very many this fall:-(

It was so dry in the late summer that I was afraid that the colors would not be as good this fall, but it has been beautiful.  This picture is a little washed out and of course, the telephone lines add so much to the view, but the year and the neighborhood really were lovely.

There's Arlo again!  The hydranga didn't bloom very well because it was so dry in the spring, but we seem to have controlled the Japanese Beetle population and the fall color show was great.

 

 

 

 

The Oak Leaf Hydranga has been gorgeous!!  I have has lots of fall flowers in the house and these leaves have been just beautiful!


This week has seen the change from fall to late fall - which is the usual schedule.  The week of Halloween seems to be the turning point.  This past week we had several lovely days in the 70's with sunshine, but  today is the weather that everyone associates (and hates) with Ohio...grey...40 degrees...cold rain.  The last of the leaves are coming down and the furnace is on.  There is supposedly some great confluence of 3 storm systems and this is the forcast for the next 10 days.  The TV weather men are in their glory!

The sad news is that Jeff Ameer lost his fight to pancreatic cancer and died at home surrounded by his family early yesterday morning.  He was 60.  It was really a sad day at school yesterday.  Not everyone thought he was a great teacher, but EVERYONE thought he was a great guy and we all loved his wit and humor.  There will be a memorial service - probably next Saturday and the stories that will be told about him will be so funny that no one will know which tears are from sadness or which ones are from laughing.  That is probably as good a testament to a life well lived as any.

I am missing all of you like crazy today.  Love you so much.  Mom

Amazing Joshua Tree National Park

Friday Adam, LeAnna and I left for a 4 day trip to Joshua Tree National Park.  The original plan had been to travel to Great Basin National Park in Nevada, but a cold front/rainstorm blew threw and put a damper on that direction.  JT turned out to be a more than adequate substitute.  It was a great time.  

 

 



 



                                                            Hidden Valley at sunset

 

 

                                                                   Cotton Thorn

 

                                                                    Cactus Wren

                                                              Merriam Chipmunk

                                                                    (well fed!)

 

                                                                  "Dynamic Duo"

 

                                                         After dark trail companion!

                                                                         After dark!

A River Runs Through It!

 

 

It began to rain in Blue Diamond a little before noon, while Adam and I were on a short hike near his house.  By the time we got back to the truck, we were soaked from head to foot.  The rain continued into the afternoon and evening, without much let-up.  These pictures are of the normally dry wash that crosses the entrance road into Blue Diamond.  LeAnna and I mosied down for a look.  A camera crew from one of TV stations was taking video also.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Valley of Fire State Park

Yesterday Adam and I went to the Valley of  Fire State Park (the first in Nevada), about an hour's drive from Blue Diamond.  It's amazing how different the topography is just a short distance away.  We drove home through the Lake Mead National Recreation Area.  Because of more rain than usual this time of year the vegetation is still very lush.  It rained on the way home and is raining as I  write this.  The last thing I removed from my luggage before I left home was my umbrella!