Jack's Autumn Diary

21 May '07 8:19 am

So the loons are loony - I had wondered about that! But what gorgeous finery, dressed for My Fair Lady's Ascot scene!

Here I had a sad walk, with my camera batteries being sadder still than autumn. In fact, had the batteries lasted, I would have had some lovely shots to rival my fourth one...

21 May '07 4:51 pm

Wow, Jack, I LOVED that first picture! What a soft, thoughtful mood it has! And even the few leaves in the foreground are in focus! Ooh - I'm jealous; I wish I had taken that!

It felt like fall here today again (could my wishes after viewing your great pictures be affecting the weather??). Now the wind is up again but the sky has cleared and a sickle moon is high in the darkening sky. It has a ring around it, so I guess the wet weather is not over yet. My bamboo scratches at the window as I type as if to plead, "Let me in!!" and the computer is once again playing South American music. I think I'm winding down after my day at work. It will soon be time for bed, so I better sign off for now.

DO keep on posting your wonderful pictures, Jack, and have a great day tomorrow!

Cheers!

gordonf

22 May '07 5:15 am

This afternoon I got home a little early in order to take a few pics, for the opportunities will grow fewer - after two windy days and a cold-front which moved in today, we can expect to see much faster leaf-drop. So I've stocked up on images to share. These are specially for Gordon...

Oh. I was met by Barbara as I came in, so after a romp I went to inspect her pups and give her a little of the milk I'd bought. That dog is loved by at least 10 people, and treats us all as though we are special. With two such wonderful parents, surely I should buy at least one of the pups for myself. Perhaps Mother Moosey, not one for excess animals, should advise...

I'll add a pic to the "Barbara's pups" post.

I think I'll now share the last pic of the day... As I headed (rather coldly) for home, the heron rose up to roost in the top of the pine next to my house. Tomorrow I shall show you the 'middle pics'!

22 May '07 2:55 pm

Jack, your pictures are great. And hey - there's no law against flashing one's maples. Is there? Oops. I love your fancy shots, reflections and autumn leaves - there is subtle mathematices going on in there.

22 May '07 5:39 pm

These latest pictures are challenging to read. The 'what-the-hell' shot in particular makes me stop to wonder if the leaves are in the air above or floating on the surface of the pond. All this reflected light from below you get with your lake is very desirable. That is, I've got to get some.

On the day before our big garden/studio bash I squandered a few precious hours blasting away at the would-be pond, as if I could just squeeze such a project in around all the shopping and sprucing up. Didn't happen, but I now have a fairly well defined hole and a couple of stacks of edging stones which may yet in my lifetime hold some water!

All of these latest pictures make me think of veils. The filligree of the leaves obscures but also frames as it reveals the water behind. There is definitely patterning going on in the arrangement of those leaves, but no too simple geometric rule is at work here. Like Moosey said, there is some pretty subtle mathematics afoot. I think we may be about as close to understanding what the rule behind the pattern may be as Fletcher and Barbara are to fathoming the syntax of human speech.

As the leaves disappear, the bare white branches beginning to show feel like a balm for the eyes after such an intensely colorful display. I loved the color and its layering in your garden, but what I covet for myself is the reflected light from below. "New hole in the ground: Your days are numbered! You may not be a pond today or tomorrow, but surely as tomorrow is another day you will be one soon and for the rest of your life... and you will never go thirsty again!"

22 May '07 7:08 pm

Hi, Jack;

Thanks again for the wonderful images! Like Mark, I really like the veil, scrimlike effect of the now-thinning leaves against their background. Seeing the individual leaves up close like this, I'm wondering if they are red, but a different shade, all summer. We have a type of Japanese maple here that has leaves that look very much like those in the pictures, and they are a deep red all summer and turn brighter red in fall. I have one as a bonsai as I didn't have a big enough garden for a full-sized one.

I also loved the picture of the heron. I'm always amazed when I see them in the trees with their long, long legs! It's a wonder that they don't lose their balance up there! When I lived on the boat, there was a heron that used to walk up and down the dock early in the morning. It resembled an old man, slowly taking in the morning view of the boats with his head slowly sweeping from side to side! We have a lot of great blue herons here, as I mentioned once before, but it is extremely hard to locate their nests - I've never seen one yet!

By the way, Jack, in case you don't get a reminder about my new post to "What Plant Is This", I identified my latest mystery plant. Take a look!

Cheers!

gordonf

23 May '07 5:56 am

This morning there was an icy wind and I just had to photograph the bleakness of the cold morning. Result? surprise, surprise: beauty!

Twelve hours later I returned - to find three chameleons sheltering in the Clematis montana and Ficus pumila (tickey creeper) under the roof near the front door. The area is hopelessly overgrown, but the chameleons love the spot in winter, and so I don't cut it back. I hardly ever see them in summer, but come winter I usually have three spending the night there - and one icy night last year there were five! Last night for the first time there were three despite the evening being quite balmy. Somehow they knew what I'd just learnt on the radio: that the cold would move in before dawn... So tonight I checked, and there they were - posing for a group portrait!

23 May '07 6:10 am

Jack! You just did it again! To work on me your Autumn-colour-magic!

But I will start from your previous post ,that ....adorable "diminuendo", which does not lessen at all the magical impact of this dreamy scenery on me...Not ...diminuendo at all, but.... augmendo! This photo is a dream capture!! It is perfect on the level of lighting ,perspective, colour, details!! I just LOVE these fantastic colourful contrasts!! The shiny surface of the pond, the red leaves appearing on the left! The magical colourful reflections in the water! Yes!! The water works magic when capturing a photo! Either it is the sea, a river, a serene pond, or the waterdrops on the flower close-ups and macros!! Jack, this is one of your best ever photos!!

Now, about this last post : different models, different magic! And , always, the water magic...Yes, the Maple leaves taken with flash on, are bright and artistic, the photo looks like more as a painting... But the other one, "less is more", is adorable! Not only reflecting reality details, but also adding to the atmosphere of the moment; I almost smell the wet leaves, the wet land, this adorable Autumn scent...I feel like opening the colourful veil with my hands,....to reach the pond behind! This is the unbelievable power of a photo! Which means, Jack, that your photo , again, is globally gorgeous!

The "against the water" one is also gorgeous as a capture , with the lighting behind, the leaves'colourful details...

Well, YOUR Autumn, Jack is an essential inspiration for you and us -- through you! Thank you , Jack!

23 May '07 7:06 am

Last night, naming my photos, I thought I might be getting a bit carried away... but Mark and Gordon and Liza, you're a state more analytic and poetic than I am. Here are the names as given - before YOU spoke of layering, Mark!

Several of my Japanese Maples are of the dark-leaved kind, Gordon. They range from the softest of pinky red new leaves that turn green within three weeks, to ones that are reddish green growing gradually greener, wine red and even one that is deep claret. They've featured over the year, and I will look to putting together a maples-only post come the winter lull.

OK, both of you: what did/do you teach? I suspect both are in the humanities, possible language or art teachers...

23 May '07 11:38 am

Well Jack, there is nothing left to say since reading Mark, Gordon and Liza's posts. I love these new pictures of fall winding down into winter. Your picture of the heron in the pine tree is wonderful as well. We have a post with water level markings in the middle of our larger pond. It has a bird house on the top, but has lost the roof over time. Our resident heron likes to roost on top of the roofless birdhouse in winter. It is usually too dark or foggy when I go out to get a clear shot, but I enjoy seeing him perched there. I can't imagine that it is comfortable for him, yet her persists.