Slowly evolving autumn

Reflections and leaves on the pond

This is such a beautiful time of year by the pond here at Breezy Acres.  Even dark, chilly, gray days like today can’t dampen the colors of autumn.

At the back of the pond near the woods.

Leaves from the trees are letting go as the wind tugs at them.  They float and twirl until they reach the ground or the surface of the pond.  I could stand outside all day and watch the leaves fall.  It is captivating.

There are still so many leaves left on the trees that it will take weeks for them all to change color and fall.  All day, every day, I could stand out there and watch as the bones of the trees are gradually exposed.

Today's view of the pond.

But there is that little matter of the tomatoes that will not last unless I do something to preserve them.  It was late in the day before I started canning the tomatoes yesterday.  I managed to get several quarts of them put up.  I hope to finish the rest today.

Tomatoes floating in water, cooling and waiting to be peeled.

It’s day 5 of my yoga and food commitment.  All is going well.  Week 3 of The Artist’s Way is almost over.  That is going well, too.

In the basement kitchen yesterday, as I was just getting started on the tomatoes.

I’ve been following the evolution of The Mushroom by going out to have a look at it twice daily.  It is fascinating to watch.  I wish I had a camera capable of time lapse video or photography.  I could have left it out there to watch The Mushroom grow.

You might think taking photos of a stationary creature such as a mushroom would be easy.  Not so, unless you happen to be a contortionist.  I’ve been having a devil of a time getting shots from under the mushroom.  I have to take them blind, so to speak, most of the time.

Processed in Photoshop to match my Jazz Feet Gravatar. (That would be the purple feet Gravatar I was using just before putting my socks back on.)

The good thing about some of the bad photos is that they present me with opportunities to play, and to look at things in a different way.

Cross processing done in Picnik.

Focal zoom done in Picnik.

Sometimes it’s like creating a whole new world where the light and colors are brighter or the background is soft and misty.

For my artist’s date this week I had planned an outing in an herb garden, but that didn’t work out for a variety of reasons.  Instead, I spent some time at what my oldest granddaughter refers to as The Art Desk (I named it Creativity Corner, but relinquished the name when Emma started calling it The Art Desk).  I found the big pack of Crayolas and colored for a while.  I thoroughly enjoyed it.  The act of coloring reminded me that I’ve had the book Coloring Mandalas 1 on my wish list for a few years.  I think it’s time I bought it.

I is also time for me to get back to those tomatoes.  The household preservation elves seem to have taken the day off and left all the work to me.

You just can’t get good help these days.  😉

Thanks for dropping by and joining me in a little playtime.  Wishing you a wonder-filled weekend!

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