Winter

Rather fun collecting little bits of dried up stuff from the ground

and my son's yard and photographing them

against an old cookie tray.

Some leaves are stubbornly hanging on to the trees.

Near Union Square Christmas lights entwine with last leaves.

A portrait of an apple

and a lemon too.

Botantical Garden/Vienna

When I go somewhere new I don't feel much  compulsion to see 'the sights', I mostly prefer to hang about and let whatever happens creep up on me. However, on my latest jaunt to Vienna I was accompanied by a more organized friend.  The Botanical Garden was the perfect outing for a June Saturday afternoon.

For one thing, the gardens are huge and not the least manicured unlike some of the public parks which are splendid but a bit heavy on the begonias. Here a magical cottage.

Here a little stream

and an old pond reflecting the trees.

I think this wheelbarrow was once part of some sort of lesson for children - with mint and chives - but now tree seedlings are part of the mix.

Can't remember the names of the leaves. (Julia Fogg, where are you?)

Water and clover and silver birch

and well-seasoned logs

a meadow run wild

then the Alpine garden much smaller and more tended - with astilbe and peony

and berengia too.

Earth Day from Philadelphia

I took a trip to Philadelphia on the Bolt Bus ($8!) where I looked at a large number of things....

here cherry blossoms on an old grave....

...fruit blossoms in Harleysville

a little creek in the same place

A glorious sunny day

so feeling 'in the pink'

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The End of February

The New york City Public Schools were closed today much to the delight of the local children.

Time to go to the park and make snowballs.

In the afternoon a slight thaw set in.

A twisted willow tree  freighted with fluffy snow on 21st Street.
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ACB Wednesday N for NATURE

I've been a bit absent from Mrs.Nesbitt's ABC Wednesday -though I've often gone to visit.
Today I saw Reader Wil's super NATURE pictures so decided to be a copy cat.
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.



Yesterday we went to Long Island.
Here the old boat house of Coindre Hall.



I would be quite happy living in the middle of the harbor.



I could have an extremely small boat and tie it under a tree.



This is the same swan from yesterday - but now he's busy cleaning himself.

Trees in Winter

Bare winter trees from the bus between Manhattan and Tappan.



these next two were taken on the beach in Morocco - the water was withdrawing through darker sand.



Exactly like a forest in winter I thought.



The bare trees in Central Park are lovely against the sky.