Saturday, December 5, 2009

Fall Arrangements




Yesterday the sun was out so pretty so I thought I
would take advantage of it and roam about the hills
to take some pictures.
I went to several spots that I enjoy but ended up back
at an old favorite at Conkle's Hollow.
I was there at the beginning of Fall when all of the
Autumn flowers were at their peak and the butterflies
were everywhere, the sound of the bees and birds
filled the air.




But Friday the butterflies and bees were very
much absent.





The flowers were all done with their blooms
of bright yellow on goldenrod.





All that remained were the golden brown heads
of the blooms.





The ironweed with its brilliant purple blooms
were all but blown away.






Beautiful heads of grass that remained blown about
by the cold breeze looked golden in the sun.





Even the grasses growing on a patch of ground in
middle of the stream were now dormant from the
cold freezes and frost.
Ice was even now forming along the edges of the
creek and in places there was a small coating of it
forming upon the water.



The only color than stood out was the red of the
berries from briers that grew along the stream.




Further up in the hollow that is ringed on all
sides by rock cliffs the air was much colder and there
only the mosses and ferns were green.





Even the ferns seemed almost lonely and
forlorn amongst the layer of leaves.




I was the only one visiting Friday and the quiet was
so striking as I ventured up into the hollow.
Even the birds were silent up in the cold hollow.
I finally got froze out and started back out looking
for signs of birds that were so absent in the hollow.
As I got back out across the bridge and into the
sunlight again I heard a Nuthatch but could not
seem to get a sight of it. I did spy two Chickadees
fussing and making a racked in a water birch tree.






Its peeling bark looked so pretty in the sunlight.
Then a heard a noise up above me in the sky
and there was beauty in wings spread wide against
the blue sky. It is times like this one when I covet a
better camera lens.





Frozen to the bone and shivering I started walking
to the car. I felt so refreshed and alive though to have
spent the alone time amongst all of these beautiful things.

Happy Gardening Everyone and
Have a Wonderful Weekend!




30 comments:

Tatyana@MySecretGarden said...

You had everything for yourself, lucky you! Beautiful images, Lona!

Darla said...

I bet you were refreashed after this outing!

Adrienne Zwart said...

Beauty even in late fall. I love the Queen Anne's lace and those nodding grasses. Really nice shots.

Carol said...

Lovely photos Lona! I love the grasses and the raptor is magnificent... I know what you mean about coveting a better lens!! When will the price come down? Thanks for the brisk walk... and all the beautiful images. Carol

blushing rose said...

Lona, your pics are so beautiful! You have a keen eye. I love the bird flying so freely above the earth.

TTFN~ Marydon
Join us at our new blog ~ blushingrosetoo.blogspot.com

Catherine@AGardenerinProgress said...

What beautiful pictures! It seems like it was worth the cold to get to see so much beauty. I love all the seed head pictures in the amber tones.

Stephanie said...

Lona, I like your Christmas banner! It certainly made your blog filled with the Christmas festive mood. Still like your pics though the plants are all brown and dried already. Enjoy your weekend.

Christine B. said...

Wow, that was some walk. Thanks for taking us along.

Christine

Anonymous said...

Lovely post -- I'm always amazed at the ferns this time of year...they somehow always seem to manage to hang onto that wonderful green. (Your 1st Snowfall post will be up today...promise!)

lynn'sgarden said...

'Morning Lona!
These shots are great! I was doing the same thing the other day so we have similar pics...grasses, ironweed, even down the rose hips :)
I love your header, and sure appreciate the time you take to create them!
p.s. last post with your Grandma's photos...precious!!!
Lynn

Victoria said...

Wow...what a super beautiful post...I love the series of photos you chose..wow..the soft and airy grass and the color.beautiful! The tree bark..everything..a truly wonderful post that has it all!! Gorgeous!!what a wonderful offering!!Thanks for sharing this!
Kiki~

Patsy said...

Oh! I did enjoy the walk with you. I could smell the cold ground and see all through your photo's.
Thank you
Patsy

Yan said...

Beautiful pics, particularly the grasses. I feel as if I have had a walk round Conkle's Hollow with you, a lovely peaceful feeling. Thanks Yan.

Unknown said...

Your pictures are breathtaking. I can't believe you found so much beauty this time of year.
I went looking yesterday too and found only 2 Christmas bazaars. LOL Got some pictures of Mt. Rainier but nothing else.
Guess I'd better start looking a little closer! What kind of camera do you have? I've been making a list - if you don't mind telling.

Lona said...

Tatyana: It was amazing that no one else was around. Maybe they were all afraid of the Deer hunters ;-) I never saw any nearby or I would have rethought the whole hollow walking idea ;-)

Darla: I was froze but felt so good. It did take me a while to get thawed out when I got back to the car.

Adrienne: The Queen Ann's Lace was one of those shots that surprise you when you check it in the viewfinder ;-) The green made a lovely background so I had to snap 3 or 4 of them. You know how that is.

Carol: You are quite welcome and I need all the exercise I can muster. Glad you dropped by.

Marydon: Thank you and I will be by to check out the new digs.

Catherine: It is hard to find beauty in the cold weather we are having but with the sun they all took on a new dimension.

Stephanie: Thank you. It is pretty much a country Christmas around these parts.

Hi Christine and thank you for dropping by.

Nancy: No hurry they are not pretty but the first snow we had here.

Lynn: Hey girl I will be dropping by to see your shots too.I am in the Christmas spirit this year. I think it is all of you bloggers faults ;-)

Kiki: Why thank you sweetie. Coming from you it is a great complement. I always love your postings.

Patsy: Could I have got you to warm my piggies and nose I may have held it outdoors longer ;-)

Yan: I enjoy taking everyone on a tourist adventure in the area every once in a while. I live in some beautiful country in my eyes at least.

RG: You say only Mt. Rainer?? Wow I loved your pictures of the snow on it. A beautiful sight from a distance ;-) Just say no to snow ;-)
I use a Canon Rebel xti. I wish though I could afford better lenses and with stabilizers on them. I am shaky anymore and I end up deleting many because I blur them. Maybe one day ;-)
Just snap everything at every angle. You will be surprised sometimes at what the light and backdrop makes beautiful and like with mine there is always the delete button ;-)

Balisha said...

Isn't it amazing how beautiful a simple dried (what some would call weed) looks in a photograph? We gardeners look at things differently. My husband, for example, looks at dried things along the road and thinks that they should be mown down...while I look at the simple beauty.
Balisha

Pat said...

Don't you love the 4 seasons ?
There should be a meme or something on our winter gardens, like what you did.
Super post !
Awesome pics !

Chloe m said...

There's nothing like a numb body to help you appreciate the splendor of nature. I love the photo os the peeling bark. Very cool.

Rosey

Phoenix C. said...

What a wonderful walk! It is so peaceful to wander around taking photos and imbibing the atmosphere and beauty of a place. Really enjoyed this. Your photos are lovely.

Meems said...

Lona,
What a gorgeous review of your walk among the beauty in the hollow. I love the moss and fern and the seed heads of goldenrod and the grasses you've captured. It is so invigorating to get out among nature alone and notice all the pretty details. Thanks for taking us along.
Meems@HoeandShovel

Rebecca @ In The Garden said...

Lovely fall pictures, thanks for the tour. With all the snow here, these pictures exude a feeling of warmth. :)

Janet, The Queen of Seaford said...

Morning Lona, what great photos. I love the monochromatic nature of the grasses. You have a really great eye. Nice to see what camera you are using... I am getting the xsi for Christmas. It is going to be a big learning curve!!

Lona said...

Balisha: LOL, I know. My son sees me looking through seed catalogs and says' Mom its winter no more flowers' I just tell him the more I plant the less yard he has to mow. ;-)

Patsi: You can find beauty in all the seasons but I am not partial to winter at all.

Rosey; I thought the peeling bark looked so pretty too.

PC: Thank you and I am so glad you dropped by.

Meems: It was a cold and lovely day and I was so glad I made the walk.

Rebecca; yuk, snow. ;-) We had just some flurries sticking Saturday morning and again this morning. Not enough to even look pretty on the ground.

Janet: I will be learning mine until the thing wears out probably ;-) Would love to have some better lenses though. Good luck with your new Christmas present and I will be looking for those pictures.

Kylee Baumle said...

Lona, your images are so lovely. We were in Conkle's Hollow last year. I love Hocking Hills!

D said...

Lona, nice walk! I luv the sepia-like quality of many of your photos. Diana

Lona said...

Kylee: I did not saves any seeds from the hollyhocks but I will save some for you next summer.

Kylee Baumle said...

Thanks, Lona! :-)

Corner Gardener Sue said...

Lovely!

Kate/High Altitude Gardening said...

Lona your photos are just lovely. I especially liked the close ups of the grasses. Such pretty texture!

Anonymous said...

You have captured the stark beauty so well, Lona! They tell of blooms long gone and the promise of new baby plants to come with the seeds. Wonderful!
Frances