Summer seemed to come to an abrupt end this past week as our temperatures slid into the upper 30’s at night and the 50’s during the daytime. Autumn will soon grace the Minnesota landscape with its oranges, reds, and golds. I was in our backyard this morning as the sun made its way above the trees and backlit this lovely white hollyhock. The greens and the whites reminded me of summer. The long stems of the hollyhocks were blowing in the cool breeze, yet the colors had me focused on the warmth of the summer sun. We may have some days of late summer left, but I know that all-too-soon we’ll be passing into autumn and winter, each with its own special colors and characteristics.
florals
Cosmos
I’ve always enjoyed the lightness of cosmos. Their delicateness is enhanced by the manner in which they sit atop their long stems. They blow easily in the wind, yet remain upright. Their colors are numerous, as these were, yet I chose to tone this photograph. I wanted the delicacy and beauty of the cosmos to be the central idea of the image, not their color.
Sunflowers at sunset
Our past week’s weather has been warm with winds out of the northwest. That’s usually not something to note, except that there are wildfires in Canada and in the Pacific Northwest. The smoke from these fires has been passing through our atmosphere in Minnesota, creating hazy days and amazing sunrises and sunsets. Last night we had a quick rain shower that moved through the area in the evening. Before sunset, the rain passed and I grabbed the opportunity to see what the sunset might be like. These sunflowers were backlit by the orange sky and glowing sun; they all seemed to symbolize the warmth and golden colors that we associate with the summer months.
Brightness and colors of summer
Summer is about sunshine, warmth, and color. We’re surrounded by blue skies, green grass, and the flowers that bloom profusely, sharing their colors. Our gardens are in full bloom now; the coneflowers, roses, lilies, clematis, and coleus. The coneflowers have always been one of my favorites. They start out a pale yellow, with their petals reaching upward to the sun. As they mature, the petals become a deep pink and then turn downward. It’s almost as if they were two completely different flowers. Their beauty and brightness always speaks to me of summer.
Roses through the rain
The rains have continued this past week. Unlike most years, everything remains green and lush. We haven’t had the excessive heat of a typical summer, and the rainfall has been more than adequate to keep things watered. As the rain pelted the window yesterday afternoon, it created a wonderful effect with the roses in the background. Each droplet reflected the roses – the bright colors and shapes seemed to dance in the water. How wondrous and mesmerizing to see the many “small roses” that decorated the window pane in those droplets.
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