I am immensely grateful to our friend who sowed sunflower seeds on an empty spot on our property in Indiana, because the dry sunflowers now make great models for my tinkering with close-ups.
Inside the forest
On the forest floor
This is one of those large trees that came down when a derecho hit our property in early July; now we have to saw it into chunks to even be able to move it.
My nephew’s assessment: This is enough wood to last for two years of heating! (There’s another pile just as big behind this one. These are all good trees that were uprooted by the storm.)
When I shot this picture, I was initially interested in the grasses against the glassy surface of the pond, until I saw the reflection of the trees in the water.
Prickly Pear Cacti grow in the driest spot on the land.
I love, love, love this burning bush. We inherited it from the previous owners, and for much of the year it looks perfectly harmless, but come fall it turns into this deep bluish red. Every year I am fascinated by its transformation into a giant ball of burgundy.
Red maple – I’m glad I took this photo because just a few days later the tree was completely bare.
Indiana country road – I’m beginning to annoy my family when I stop the car to take pictures like this one.
Ruby made me stop at your photo of a red maple leaf among the grey. She loved it. She also loved the photo of stacked wood and the prickly pear cactus. She says there is an animal that survives by eating that cactus for the water. It's some kind of warthog that has a tough snout – a "Juanita"? or something? Wait…we just looked it up and its called a "Javelina."
Steph – that is so sweet that you looked at my photos with Ruby. I love it that you guys had this whole discussion and looked up the animal that eats prickly pear. Thanks for educating me!