Ode to the End of Fall

Bright berries

Technically, it's still fall in the Northern Hemisphere. (Winter officially commences on December 21.) The other day, I was out walking in my neighborhood for exercise. In the span of an hour and a half, I managed to snap 85 photos. It's a sickness, I know. I need help.

Dried hydrangea through a fence

Today's pictures are just four of those 85 and are my ode to the end of fall. What struck me most was, even in death and decay as we find at the end of the autumnal equinox, there is beauty. To quote John Donne, "No spring nor summer beauty hath such grace/ as I have seen in one autumnal face."

Through bare trees...

Or, as Lisa Lindsey penned in her poem, Bare Trees, "Through bare trees/ I can be winter's innocence,/ unashamed needfulness,/ the thin and reaching limbs/ of a beggar, longing to touch/ but the hem of the sun."

Lingering roses touched by fall

But none sum up autumn quite as well as the Bard himself, William Shakespeare, who wrote in Sonnet 73:

That time of year thou mayst in me behold
When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang
Upon those boughs which shake against the cold,
Bare ruined choirs, where late the sweet birds sang.
In me thou see'st the twilight of such day
As after sunset fadeth in the west;
Which by and by black night doth take away,
Death's second self, that seals up all in rest.
In me thou see'st the glowing of such fire,
That on the ashes of his youth doth lie,
As the deathbed whereon it must expire,
Consumed with that which it was nourished by.
This thou perceiv'st, which makes thy love more strong,
To love that well which thou must leave ere long.

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 12/08

Complementary

Orange maple leaves against a blue sky

Some more fall color from around the neighborhood. This time, a maple tree in the early stages of changing casts a vibrant orange across its leaves. Below, a mix of green and yellow in an oak.

Oak leaves turning yellow

I love the complementary qualities in both of these photos--the orange and blue and the green and yellow make me smile.

Chrysanthemums: a fall flower

Another sign of fall? Chrysanthemums. People pull up their pansies, begonias, and lantana and replace them with 'mums. I always think of 'mums as cemetery flowers. They're inexpensive and potted, you can buy them at the grocery store, and they stay in bloom longer than cut flowers. These pink ones where bordering the walkway of a home in the Takoma neighborhood.

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 10/08

Eco-Fireworks

I have no idea what these are, but they blew me away.
Check out the stamens on these flowers! How cool are they?

It was the flower in the center of this picture that first caught my eye
and persuaded me to bend closer for a picture.

Yesterday's walk in the neighborhood brought a couple of great little surprises, including a hiding cat, a rusty lock, puffy clouds, and a sunflower. You can see all of those at Standing Room Only. The best of everything I saw were these little flowers. I came across them on Underwood Street and thought they were absolutely spectacular. As I bent down for a closer look, the details on these flowers just blew me away. I have no idea what they are, but I love their little petals and geometrical stamens.

Alyssum in bokeh...

Not too far from the previous flora was a patch of purple alyssum. I see this a lot in white, but this was the first time I'd seen it in this vibrant, deep purple. I love how this picture turned out with its bokey quality.

There you have it! Friday's walk in the neighborhood. This evening, I'll be out in the Virginia suburbs, eating Indian food and watching Bollywood movies with my sister and a friend of hers. Should be fun.

Note: This entry has been modified to correct the spelling of alyssum, which was previously and incorrectly spelled elysium. The latter is a Greek word signifying the final resting place of the heroic and virtuous. Alyssum is a hardy annual that grows in dense clusters. The most common variety is white alyssum, but the flower also grows in pink and purple.

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 07/08

More Macro Fabulosity!

Mrs. Davis, in the 600 Block of Sheridan Street NW, graciously consented to let me come into her yard
and take these pictures of her beautiful hydrangeas.

Cactus?! On the East Coast?! Sort of defies comprehension, as these are generally
a desert plant, but occasionally, you find one in a yard around here.

Honestly, I shouldn't even bother with saying, "I'm going to cut down on my posts" because it's ridiculous and untrue. Yesterday evening, I went for a walk in the neighborhood with camera in hand and here are my results. I am loving my new wide angle and macro lenses! They're just too much fun.

Gladiolas in the front yard of a house in my neighborhood that's been on the market for more than six months.
(Click on images to enlarge.)

On the left, basic, miniature petunias growing in the yard of a home around the corner from my house.
On the right, I confess: I stole a page out of... someone's photo playbook... I saw a similar picture on a photo blog somewhere yesterday, but now I can't remember where. If you posted a photo similar to the one on the right,
tell me so I can give you proper credit. Your eye inspired mine and taught me a new way of looking at things.

Still with me? Well then, you're a trooper! So much to photograph, so little time, so little space.

The best part of a macro lens? Being able to take pictures like these! Now, if I could just get birds and bees
and other flying, flitting things to sit still for me, I'd really be on a roll!

Honestly, I have no clue what either of these are, but I thought they were stunning!
Who needs fireworks when you have nature right outside your front door?!
(Or, in this case, in the yard of a home on 5th and Sheridan Streets NW.)

When you live in an urban setting, you work with what you've got. One of my cardinal rules of neighborhood photography is to never trespass on people's property. Most of what I photograph is usually on the boundary of the property. If a homeowner is home and in their yard, I'll ask if I can come in and take some pictures. So far, no one's objected, which I appreciate!

Last, but not least, flower through the fence. This was the only way I could
take this picture without violating my cardinal rule of neighborhood
photography: Thou shalt not trespass!

Hope you enjoyed these! Thanks for indulging me. And my thanks to my neighbors who create little corners of beauty in the center of urban life and living!

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 6/08

Classical

Close up of a marble sculpture, National Gallery of Art

In 1937, a joint resolution of Congress accepted a magnanimous financial donation from industrial magnate and philanthropist Andrew Mellon and created the National Gallery of Art. Mellon, an avid art collector and connoisseur, promised his impressive collection to the United States and convinced many of his contemporaries to donate their collections. As a result, art from the collections of Armand Hammer, the Kress Family, Joseph Widener, Chester Dale, and many others is housed in this grand temple to classical painting and sculpture spanning many centuries.

Triptych: A Day at the Museum.
Visitor's enjoy the art of Mary Cassett and Vincent Van Gogh.
(Click on images to enlarge.)

The museum is not a part of the Smithsonian museum system, but it is, like its counterpart, a national treasure. The museum is made up of three components: the West Building, which houses classical art and was completed in 1941; the East Building, which houses modern and contemporary art and was completed in 1978; and a sculpture garden to the west of the original building, which opened in 1999. Like the Smithsonians, the NGA is free.

L: A painter recreates the work of an earlier artist.
R: My favorite painting in the entire museum: Albert Bierstadt's Lake Lucerne.

The West Building was designed by architect John Russell Pope. He was also the architect for the train station in Richmond, Virginia, the Scottish Rite 33' Supreme Council in Washington, and would later go on to design the Jefferson Memorial in the Tidal Basin. Visitors can see works from Renoir, Degas, Monet, Manet, Stuart, Cassett, Van Gogh, Rembrandt, and da Vinci, to name but a very few. The collections include 13th century Italian art all the way up to 19th century American art. If you want to see art that rivals some of Europe's finest collections, the National Gallery of Art is a must-see when you come to Washington.

The National Gallery of Art, West Building

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 6/08