The stark beauty of a foggy winter’s day
For most of the last week, winter has cast a foggy, rainy spell over our part of the Arkansas Ouachitas. This is how nature makes her own monochromes.


Graceful grapes
I love the shape of grape leaves — deeply lobed, with lovely curves and points and essential to the beautiful fruit they will eventually help create. They are especially beautiful in their youth — blushing, satiny and untouched by disfiguring phylloxera or other pests.


Waiting for a windfall
The leaves are long gone, but dozens of sweet juicy persimmons hang tantalizingly in the tree’s branches. Some raccoons will climb to get the lower hanging fruit. The rest will just wait for the wind to do the work for them.

Weekly photo challenge: Saturated
This week’s challenge is saturated — colors your eyes can swim in. So many great entries today. Here’s our take on the theme:



- Some of this week’s terrific saturation entries.
- By the seaside: http://verenacave.wordpress.com/2013/09/28/weekly-photo-challenge-saturated/
- Cats n’ dogs: http://blessinganimalcompanions.wordpress.com/2013/09/28/weekly-photo-challenge-saturated-cats-and-dogs/
- Floral and fruity: http://sillarit.wordpress.com/2013/09/28/weekly-photo-challenge-saturated/
- Of reds and yellows: http://anthropologist.wordpress.com/2013/09/28/saturation-wordpress-weekly-photo-challenge/
- Chinese Opera: http://janalinesworldjourney.com/2013/09/28/weekly-photo-challenge-saturated-chinese-opera/
- Contrast: http://nwframeofmind.com/2013/09/28/weekly-photo-challenge-saturated/
And of course, the saturation point http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2013/09/27/photo-challenge-saturated/
Weekly photo challenge: Changing seasons
Fall and winter are trying to gain a foothold here in Arkansas. These shots came from one of the few frostly mornings we’ve had here in Central Arkansas — cold snaps sandwiched between days with highs in the 70s, a few thunderstorms and the occasional tornado watch.
More changing seasons:
- http://biographiadomestica.wordpress.com/2012/12/09/weekly-photo-challenge-changing-seasons/
- https://eof737.wordpress.com/2012/12/07/weekly-photo-challenge-changing-seasons/
- http://purplerosemary.com/2012/12/09/weekly-photo-challenge-changing-seasons/
- http://bebs1.wordpress.com/2012/12/09/weekly-photo-challenge-changing-seasons/
- http://mostlymonochrome.wordpress.com/2012/12/08/autumn-2/
- http://humbledpie.wordpress.com/2012/12/08/weekly-photo-challenge-signs-of-the-changing-seasons/
- http://lagottocattleya.wordpress.com/2012/12/08/weekly-photo-challenge-changing-seasons/
- http://sherylynoben.wordpress.com/2012/12/09/weekly-photo-challenge-changing-seasons/
And the home for the weekly challenge: http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2012/12/07/weekly-photo-challenge-changing-seasons/
Autumn birds
With the Ouachita’s trees rapidly becoming more bare with each autumn rainstorm, the only decoration to their branches is the feathery array provided by the local bird population.