I like the early parts of autumn, where the leaves are just starting to show their true colors and tease us with the color to come. The Capitol Hill neighborhood in Seattle has some lovely old buildings, including this one—so scenic I wish I lived here!

Browse around SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera), Outdoor Wednesday, Scenic Sunday, and Ruby Tuesday, why don’t you? and be sure to click on Sara’s Fave Photos to view the complete blog if you see only one photo below.

We have plenty of rain right now, but not the pretty, tall flowers nodding in it, yet. This macro of a mauve pink cosmos flower, grown from seed and drooping with rain in my backyard last September, will remind all of us gardeners that the season of blossoms and lushness will come again.

Visit Watery Wednesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Macro Friday, Pink Saturday, Today’s Flower and Wordless Wednesday for more photo fun. Before you run off, take a look at the newest photos “next door” at Free Photos, and maybe a tag like Flowers or Rain here (at the right). And one more thing: click on Sara’s Fave Photos if you see only one photo below.

Haven’t been to Pike Place Market in awhile. If you want to experience the flower vendors and their incredible flowers to the nth degree, the best day is probably Friday, as they pick on Thursday and on Friday ramp up for the weekend crush of a crowd. All year long, rain or shine. The greatest free show in Seattle, and the bouquets amazingly cheap.

These dahlias were photographed in September. Right now it seems as if flower season will never get here, but of course it will.

Thursday Challenge‘s theme this week is “Many.” I’m submitting this for an entry. It’s a good one for Color Carnival, Today’s Flowers and SOOC also. While you’re here, try a new tag like “dahlia” or “bouquet.” Be sure to click on Sara’s Fave Photos to view the complete blog if you see only one photo below.

Oh, the flowers of late summer! I’ve noticed that the items in my archive that are half a year away always seem to be the most compelling. Do we always want what we don’t have? I do love dahlias and especially miss them since my own were such no-shows last summer. Maybe this year I’ll get some going so I can have bouquets like this again.

Visit Ruby Tuesday for more interesting photos containing red. Color Carnival has brilliant color, Mellow Yellow Monday has yellows, and SOOC has more straight out of the camera stuff. And don’t forget to check out the latest uploads on Free Photos next door. Remember, if only one photo here, click on Sara’s Fave Photos for the complete blog.

Continue Reading »

These starry yellow mums with orange centers are just so cheerful, aren’t they? They almost look like the fall version of some daffodils. In any case, here they are for your gray weather pick-me-up. They were on display at the Volunteer Park Conservatory a couple of weeks ago.

Visit Macro Monday and Mellow Yellow Monday for more neat photos. Color Carnival has more bright colors, too.

Only one photo below? Do click on Sara’s Fave Photos for the rest of them.

Well it’s snowing hard outside, so winter is truly here, calendar notwithstanding. But here’s one more look at the glorious colors of autumn, taken just a week or two ago. Aren’t those red stems great? I like them so much I’m calling this my Best Post of the Week.

Visit Macro Monday and Mellow Yellow Monday if you’d like more close ups and more cheerful splashes of yellow, and Blue Monday for more blue shades. Ruby Tuesday has more exciting reds. Color Carnival is always a fun browse, too. Taking a look at other straight-out-of-the-camera shots is fun. And if there is only one photo here, be sure to click on Sara’s Fave Photos to see the rest of ‘em.

I know everyone likes the sunshiny skies, but since this IS Seattle, once in awhile I have to show what it truly looks like. These clouds over Volunteer Park do have a little tone variation, and you can tell I’ve lived here for a bit, because I do appreciate that the clouds aren’t just one tone of gray! Seattle doesn’t actually get any more rain than New York City, say, only about 36 inches a year on average, but it sure is cloudy, a lot. Did I mention dark and cloudy?

Anyway, be sure to visit Skywatch Friday for more skies all around the world. Outdoor Wednesday has more outdoor photos of all kind, and Scenic Sunday has more great scenery. If there’s just one photo here, click on Sara’s Fave Photos for the full blog.

I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a leaf with colors like this. Some kind of maple, for sure. I took this in the open shade, on a sunny day right after a lot of rain, so the wet road is actually reflecting the blue sky above it. Believe it or not, the color is totally accurate, or SOOC (straight out of the camera).

Do visit Ruby Tuesday for more photos with red as a key component, Mellow Yellow Monday for yellows, and Macro Monday for more close ups. Color Carnival has more bright colors.

As always, if there’s just one photo here, click on Sara’s Fave Photos for the whole blog.

The weather is gray and rainy, no surprise for Seattle, so here’s some sunflowers taken last month at the Pike Place Market to cheer us up.

Today’s Flowers has more pretty flowers all around the world, Mellow Yellow Monday has more photos with a splash of yellow, and Color Carnival has more bright colors for you. Visit and enjoy!

As usual, if you see only one photo on this page, do click on Sara’s Fave Photos for the rest of ‘em!

Last week that visit to Furney’s Nursery, south of Seattle, was such a fun browse. They had so many kinds of gourds and pumpkins, including little ones with swoopy stems, and this big pumpkin with a big stem to match.

Visit Thursday Challenge for more photos with a theme of Autumn, and Macro Friday for more macros. Color Carnival has more bright colors for you, too! And these are straight out of the camera, or SOOC.

That overlook near my house in Normandy Park, Washington didn’t disappoint in yesterday’s good weather at sunset. Mount Rainier is lookin’ picture-postcard good. Those tiny orange-leafed trees and houses seem very much like a painting that I’ve seen somewhere. And did you realize that even though it’s pronounced rah-NEER, it’s spelled like “rain-ier” (rainy-er!) which I think is a hoot. And that helps you remember to put in both i’s.

Visit Skywatch Friday for more skies around the world, and Scenic Sunday for more scenery (of course).

One post only on this page means there’s lots more to see if you click on Sara’s Fave Photos. Do try something new here, perhaps a search for “Rainier”?

Nothing like a waterfront park, is there? Seahurst Park, this little gem of a local park in Burien, Washington, looks out over Puget Sound to some islands and the Olympic Mountains in the distance. I think it’s lovely in the late afternoon, with the soft light falling on the new grass, happy with all the rain we’ve been getting. The leaves are going to sleep, but the lawns are waking up!

Visit Watery Wednesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Midweek Blues (a new meme!), Blue Monday and Scenic Sunday for more photos on the theme.

If you’d like to view the complete blog and there’s only one photo on this page, click on Sara’s Fave Photos for the whole enchilada.