Fall Pajamas

Don’t you just love it when the weather turns cool and you snuggle up with fuzzy socks to watch TV or read a good book? It’s a favorite time of year for me for several reasons but one of the short-term experiences is the pajamas of fall.

Not these types of fall pajamas but nature’s fall pajamas, a beauty that makes us smile. As the sun gets fewer hours to shine, and the temps begin to drop, fall puts on her favorite pajamas as she gets ready for winter’s nap.

The colors range from various shades of red, yellow, and gold and even the brown had a sheen to it.

As I came home today from Bible study, I took a meandering trip through the neighborhoods and thought I would share what I saw with you. These are with my phone camera but still, I think you can enjoy the color. Many of the trees in North Carolina did not get to wear their color this year due to the hurricane that devasted the area. So, I share some of the colors of the Midwest with you. Hope they bring a smile.

God gives us gifts in nature for each season to remind us that he is always there and that he wants to share the beauty he enjoys. So enjoy the fall pajamas in your area and always be kind.

Still Fall

We have been blessed with a true fall this year. Coming back from vacation last week I expected all the leaves to be gone. But some of the bright reds and yellows are still with us.

Compared to years past, we usually have no leaves left by this time, and even though we had that spit of snow and 30-degree temps, we got visited by a beautiful Indian Summer.

But this yellow…I just had to pull over and look at it.

The picture is not as beautiful as the real tree but still amazing. If we don’t look around our world during all of its seasons, this is what we can miss. The trees sharing their final gift of beauty before going to sleep for the winter.

Let’s learn a lesson from nature around us. Regardless of the season we are currently living in with our lives, we can still share the beauty in us by sharing a smile or a kind word. There is always kindness that can be given, so give it freely.

Nature Photo Challenge #31: The Switch

Yes indeed, the switch finally got hit and all of a sudden, it is Autumn in the Midwest. The reds and the yellows are shining their best giving us a show of the beauty of the season, making all of us smile all the way to church and back..

Our cemetery had beautiful hardwoods. These two monuments frame in the beauty of this maple.

Autumn is a time where trees wish us goodnight with a brilliant show of color before taking their winter’s nap. It is a reminder to not give up even though things may be very hard…spring will come again filled with beauty and love for all to see and feel. So feel the kind beauty they are sharing and reflect that kindness on to others for we all needs hugs of kindness.

FOTD, October 19, The Bat Cave

Well, it’s not really a bat cave but this section of road, my daughter and I call the Bat Cave because it reminds us of the road to the Bat Cave in the Batman movies. And now that the leaves are just starting to change color, it’s beauty is really beginning to shine. Cee reminds us that leaves are acceptable for Flower of the Day as well.

This road cuts through the edge of Black Hawk Forest and you can see the entrance to where the trees fully overlap the road which we call the Bat cave.

When the colors get full and it is a pretty day. I will shoot out further pictures. For now enjoy the beauty of fall as it surrounds your area.

And remember to be kind as the season of plants prepares for winter naps, and we as people, prepare for the holidays or in my case, more football games.

FOTD, October 10, Many Faces

Cee’s Flower of the Day is always inspiring regardless of the season. I still have flowers that refuse to give up, even though the weather has cooled way down. So, I am honoring them today with all their many faces.

This is a flower planted by the birds in my area. I started to mow it down but decided to wait and see what it would be…and it’s quite lovely. I think it is in the Coreopsis family of flowers. The plant is in various levels of blooming, so I shall share the different faces of this plant.

While the fall flowers are still trying to smile at us, it’s a reminder for us to smile as well. Smiling is a great and easy way to share kindness.

CFFC, Autumn Colors

We are still in the last throws of summer so we are not seeing much color change yet. But I love the colors of Fall, so I am sharing some colors from last year. My neighborhood has a lot of yellow.

But the reds, ah, they are my favorite. They usually start first and we are just beginning to see a tiny bit of change. Here is a beauty from last year.

Each season has its life purpose and its remarkable beauty. They remind us of our own seasons of life and how we should embrace each season with its unique beauty, sharing that beauty with others…and to always be kind.

The Colors Begin

There seems to be a peacefulness to fall when the leaves begin to turn. Another year of plant life now getting ready for sleep. I am enclosing the beginnings of the beautiful color I am seeing and hope you enjoy.

This tree was centered in a daycare playground. At first they were upset I was taking pictures but then they saw I only wanted the tree and the sky. the children were cute but not for this. So from there to the post office where the front and the back were full of color.

Then we head for home on a photo journey.

Since we opened with red, we will close with a huge red tree.

Fall is a good lesson taught by the trees to let go and let God. As they drop their beauty for a season of rest, we too should show how lovely it can be to let bygones be gone.

As as always, remember when we are kind, it helps others to be kind. It creates a wonderful effect proving that kindness can be contagious.

FOTD, October 4, Coreopsis

Cee’s challenge of Flower of the Day always keeps me looking for the floral beauty around me. This beauty is in one of the raised flower beds at the church. We put in 4 raised beds by the community garden for people who have trouble bending over but still want to play in the dirt. Then we put two more between two parking lots for those on walkers who still want to plant or just enjoy flowers with easy access. These coreopsis are large and beautiful.

This one bloom evidently got some extra fertilizer as he was a good 4-5 inches across and shows who is boss of the flower box.

Flowers have a personality too as they share their beauty with us. They seem to smile at us as they sway in the breeze. Take a note from their beauty and smile at others. It shows amazing kindness when you do.

And So It Begins…

The change of the season is upon us. The cool evenings have seeped into the leaves of the red maples making them the first to change and my favorite fall trees.

Unfortunately some of the best trees with the widest spreads are in our cemetery. So that is usually my first stop for pictures.

Once the reds are done, the yellows follow making a bright contrast from the reds. Enjoy the season, our last colorful season of the year. While the whites of winter are beautiful in their own way, I do miss the colors of the other three seasons. And in closing I remind you that Kindness never has a season. It should always be spread where ever you can to all kinds of living creatures.

FOTD, November 29

I generally don’t have beautiful flower pictures this time of year, and these are in a vase, but they are filled with the color of fall and make my office look happy. Flowers make everything look better and happier.

I first thought the peach colored carnations clashed but the more I looked at them, they seemed to add a different look to the bouquet.

While the yellow mums up front are always a favorite, the multi-colored mums are bold and striking drawing you in to the full beauty of the mix.

The the golden Alyssum drooping from the sides ties them all together with fall colors of warmth and beauty.

Come join in with Cee’s Flower of the Day challenge and share the beauty you are seeing. Share the beauty of kindness where ever you go and its beauty will make you shine.