Looking upwards (or downwards) can sometimes really perk up a photo. This one is hot off the memory card, taken just this afternoon. The day started off beautifully sunny after a week of rain, and I was hot to photograph some of those incredible leaves before another rain system removed them forever. But when I could get outside, it was starting to be overcast—not the best sky for photographs of glorious fall color. But looking upwards yielded some blue, a perfect complement for the flaming orange leaves.

Visit Skywatch Friday for more skies seen around the world. Color Carnival has more bright colors, and SOOC has more straight-out-of-the-camera shots.

If there is only one photo on this page, do click on Sara’s Fave Photos for the full blog. And while you are here, you might try a tag or category to see some others you might like.

Here’s another photo from that walk in the Wallingford, WA neighborhood I took a few days ago. A little sunshine, some pretty leaves, my trusty S90 Canon in my pocket, and a few minutes to stroll equals happiness in my book.

Visit Thursday Challenge for more photos with the theme of Gold. This is also a good one for Scenic Sunday, Color Carnival and SOOC or straight-out-of-the-camera photos. Cropping is OK for that meme, but I mostly don’t. That’s what viewfinders are for.

Be sure to check out some other tags or categories here. How about “autumn”? If you’ve arrived by a link, the latest photos are always at Sara’s Fave Photos.

There’s nothing like a walk on a sunny day in autumn. I happened to look up and saw these leaves glittering in the sunlight. Some even seem to be heart-shaped!

Visit Macro Monday and Mellow Yellow Monday for more close ups and more yellow.

You can search here for whatever you’d like to find, or just a click on a tag or category can yield lots of fun. But to find the very latest post, click on Sara’s Fave Photos.

It’s amazing how euphoric a sunny day with blue skies can make me feel. I believe the trees revel in it, also. This fall scene in Wallingford, a neighborhood in Seattle, just makes me happy when I look at it. I hope it makes you feel good, too.

Visit Skywatch Friday for more skies around the world. Scenic Sunday has more great scenery. Blue Monday has more photos with blue in them. Color Carnival has more bright colors. And SOOC has more straight-out-of-the-camera shots.

Browse around here first, if you have time. You might try the “autumn” tag, for starters. And to get to the latest post (if you’ve arrived via a link) do click on Sara’s Fave Photos.

These potted blueberry bushes in a friend’s healthy garden are just the cat’s meow when it comes to fall color. Aren’t they incredibly brilliant? Hard to believe that a plant with so fabulous a fruit pleases the eye so much, too.

Visit Ruby Tuesday for more red and Color Carnival for more color of all kinds. And check out SOOC (straight out of the camera) shots for more unedited photos.

While you are here already, you might try a new tag or search term, just to see what’s around. And if you’d like to get to the latest post, just click Sara’s Fave Photos, here or above.

I took this old-fashioned rose photo at Highline Botanical Garden not too long ago. It’s a little garden (a few acres) right north of SeaTac Airport that’s just a delight, rain or shine. And the plants don’t mind the low-flying planes.

Visit Ruby Tuesday for more red wonderfulness. And you might click on the tag “red” or the category of “Ruby Tuesday” while you’re here, hmm? Visit Watery Wednesday for more cyberwetness. You might also try Color Carnival, or Scenic Sunday. To reach the latest posts do click on Sara’s Fave Photos, here or above.

I know I posted one of these croton plants not too long ago, but this photo is even cuter than the last one, I think. I love the new growth and its improbable green color. This one, like the last one, lives in Seattle’s Volunteer Park Conservatory, an amazing and inspiring place.

Check out a few new tags or categories here (you can always find your way back to the latest post by clicking Sara’s Fave Photos above), then visit Color Carnival and Ruby Tuesday for more interesting color shots, and try SOOC for more straight-out-of-the-camera shots. I don’t crop, either, by the way, or hardly at all. Digital photography is such a blessing in that you can take as many photos as your heart desires, for free, so it’s just easier for me to take enough images to get a good one without too much fussing. Or any, like in this case.

My mom used to grow a big hedge of these croton plants in Southern Florida. I’ve tried to grow them as houseplants, without too much success. But this healthy specimen in the Volunteer Park Conservatory was just waiting to show off for the camera. Almost looks like a flower, doesn’t it?

Visit Macro Monday, Color Carnival and Mellow Yellow Monday after browsing around here. Click on a new tag or category! And you can always find the latest post by clicking on Sara’s Fave Photos above.

The bags of tulip bulbs we planted around the front roses in the fall are up, and the first one has opened! See Macro Monday and Mellow Yellow Monday for versions of the theme.

And the delightful grape hyacinths (muscari) in the back yard are coming up so well. This is their second year and they are quite respectable looking. I love how easy they are, that they spread nicely, and that they are practically evergreen and leaf up super early. Visit Blue Monday for more blue things.

And check out Color Carnival for more brilliant colors! And I like this post so much I’ve tagged it Best Post of the Week.

Click on blog header above, Sara’s Fave Photos, to return to full blog with latest post on top.

When I was a kid in New York City, we called them fireplugs. I think that now they are fire hydrants? In any case, I loved the bright colors seen while driving by on a wet, fall day in Portland.

Today is Thursday Challenge, and the theme this week is “Red.” This photo is also a good entry for Color Carnival.

A sunny patch in the weather made some lovely shadows the other day. Visit Shadow Shot Sunday for more interesting and entertaining shadows.

It’s also straight out of the camera, or SOOC.

And even a week later this photo still makes me pause, so I’ve tagged it Best Post of the Week.

I’ve been saving these photos since I took them in September at a local garden because I knew I wanted to show them at Christmastime. The common name is Doll’s Eyes, and the real name is Actaea pachypoda plant. I just think they are so cool. Of course, any white berry is probably poisonous, so don’t plant them around kids, but I just love them, and especially their highly descriptive name. Happy Holiday to you, and happy Ruby Tuesday also.

Tomorrow is the last day: PLEASE IGNORE IF READ BEFORE about the 2009 Photoblog Awards. If you like my photos, please vote for this photoblog before Dec. 15 and leave a comment in the link  below. You have to register (name and password only) and then click on the word Vote in the upper left. Thanks very much! Photoblog Awards 2009.