August and September 2018

Hot, humid and wet pretty much sums up August and September in the Triangle area of NC where I live but we lucked out with Hurricane Florence having minimal impact in my part of the state. 



I wish the coast and eastern part of my state had done as well.



The coast and eastern part of NC has had a very hard time and rivers are still rising even as the storm moves out.



Although we've had hot weather this summer it has been so wet that in some ways leaves look more like spring than late summer.



The photographs in this post started with August and cover up to yesterday (Saturday, September 16) at the end.



I was surprised to see wild grapes during a walk on the trail that extends past Shelley Lake. 



The shot above, below and beyond were taken at the North Carolina Museum of Art (NCMA) Park walk.



I had a lot of unexpected dental appointments and after what I thought would be my last for awhile I walked at the NCMA.



I've written about the NCMA before but the collaboration between North Carolina State University and the museum to create an environmental ecosystem that is sustainable has been quite a success. 



I'm not expressing it well but through water collection and recycling the pools around the museum that are part of art gardens are self sustaining.



I think water and plumbing inside the museum is also supplied with the collection and recycling systems.



There is a mixtures of native plants including grasses as well as paths of mowed grass.



The great blue heron above did a great job of hiding.



I always enjoy seeing both the long term sculpture in the park as well as newly installed pieces. 



I didn't make it into the forest section of the walk this time but there are always new surprises with both temporary and permanent art.



The piece below is in the children's discovery garden.



There is a sign that instructs children not to climb on top of the pig. 



Don't they know if you design a piece for children to walk up and into it that the fun part is to climb on top, especially if that's not allowed.



The butterfly below was my first shot in September.



It was flapping its wings open and shot so fast, I had trouble getting clear shots.



The shot below is of what used to be mostly grasses and wetland but we've had so much rain long term that on a walk this month it was flooded.



Although we didn't take a direct hit from Florence we did get a lot more rain so I'm sure that the area is even more over taken with water



The mallards above will be replaced in the fall by cormorants who always take over those perches when they return.



The shot below was taken of my deck day before yesterday.



I took the last shot yesterday of the dogwood starting to don it's early fall colors.

Spring Fever 2016

Part of why I love early spring is I can still enjoy some naked trees which I like as well as ones beginning to flower.



I had a bad case of spring fever this week so I went for a lunch time walk at work.



When I primarily worked from home on the occasional days I had to work in the office I almost always went on photo walks.



Now that I'm working at the office every day I like to get in early and leave early to avoid the worse part of the traffic and don't usually go on lunch time walks.



I decided to bring my camera to work one day and go on a walk in honor of spring fever.



I don't take photographs all the time like I used to.



I do try to make sure not to miss captures of each season and seasonal changes.



Probably my favorite season isn't a season at all.



My favorite time is that in between point between each of the seasons.



I like the first flowers as well as the lingering bare places and waving brown grasses.



I started to say amber waves of grain and I do like the amber you sometimes get but I also like the browns and tans.



For me the dots of color here and there from early flowers are more beautiful when the winter hues and tones are also around.



I revel in each individual flower or flowering trees during early spring in ways that I don't during the peak growing season.



I'm the same way at the end of summer when the first fall leaves begin to change.



Seeing specific leaves that have changed to their fall colors and some of the late flowers that are hanging on after early frost delight me in a similar way to early spring.



I took so many shots during my lunch time walk this week that I didn't eat my sandwich until I was back at my desk working.



There are so many changes going on that I'm hoping we don't have anymore frost.



The next 10 days, if the forecast holds, will continue to be mild but we still have over three to four weeks to go until the average last frost date.



Although I only live less than 30 miles from where I work, the average last frost where I live is one week before the one where I work.



All of the shots above except for the first one were taken in Durham, NC during a walk this past week.



The previous shot and the rest of the shots were taken in Raleigh, NC where I live.



This is certainly becoming a long illustration of spring fever.



Although some of the Japanese Magnolias don't have very many blooms due to early buds getting zapped by low temperatures in winter, there are still a fair amount in my neighborhood.



The next several shots were taken at Logan Trading Center today (Saturday) in Raleigh.



Bill was picking up garlic and periwinkle and I picked up some wildflower seeds.



The painted scene in the background of the next shot is on a trailer.



I guess I'll end with one last shot I took after returning to my neighborhood.