Happy Halloween!

This cold crisp evening -- the first of winter -- I walked under the stars, crunched the dry freezing leaves underfoot, and photographed the red maple reaching for the night.

winter

The end of October is here, and suddenly the forcefully warm fall has broken into winter. Tonight I expect the first frost.

fireweed seeds from the meadow

oyster mushrooms

giant horsetail

winter meadow

bracket fungus

horse chestnut leaves

autumn colours

Left to right: horse chestnut, walnut (above and behind the chestnut), poplar, and hazel.

alder leaves

wisteria leaves

Mycena mushrooms in the porch

magnolia seedpod

It's unfortunate the tree doesn't make more of these; the red seeds inside are faceted and jewel-like, like pomegranate. When dried they're almost black, like lightweight pebbles.

larch cone

hydrangea

hazel leaf

echinacea's last effort

echinacea

Funny time for rosemary to blossom

lodgepole pine