Week 45 - 2015 in Photographs

Day 309
The house down the road

They built it several years ago. It is a vacation home but as near as I can tell they never take vacations any more. While it is the newest house on my little country lane it seems to be the most haunted. And I seldom noticed it until this year. For reasons I cannot explain even to myself it does seem draw me these days. As it is at the end of the road it is where I turn around with the dogs on my morning walk. But I took this walk expressly to take this photo.

Day 310
Trick or Treat

As I have mentioned before the selfie with a DSLR camera isn't easy if you do not employ a tripod. I like reflections. Took this one around Halloween.

Day 311
Frost  on the Snow Fence

We have been enjoying Indian Summer weather with a tease about the approaching El Nino winter here and there. Sometimes I wish it would stay as just teases.

Day 312
Fall chores

If you have to put a color to Indian summer it is gold or yellow. Backhoe yellow? And the frosts make the ponds perfect mirrors some days. Not sure where the backhoe operator is. Maybe taking a break basking in the autumn sun. You really have to take advantage of such days.

Day 313
How tall does the grass grow

The wet summer made the grass grow. And the years of drought before this summer made me forget all the flowers and grasses and even weeds that grow on my property. I definitely forgot this grass which is as tall and taller than the snow fence. New Mexico plants are opportunists. The El Nino forecast means this grass will be back next year.

Day 314
The leaves of the flowering plum

When I first moved into my house almost twenty years ago I planted a flowering plum. It is probably marginal for this area and it has springs when the buds get frozen off before it flowers. And I planted it too close to the then little blue spruce which is now as tall as my two story house. But the conifer shelters it from the approaching winter winds. This year it has yet to lose its leaves which have been frost burnished to a wonderful patina.

All the photos this week are close to home. There was this book we had growing up that was about an adventure in the backyard. I guess it affected me more than I knew because there are weeks I and my camera can find all the entertainment we need without getting into the truck to take a trip. But the, as a friend pointed out, I live in paradise.

Day 315
Clouds on the hill

This photo was literally taken from my front porch. I live in a valley surrounded by hills and mountains and wind currents rising over the crest of mount mountain ridges often engage in cloud formations which are astounding even if you have studied clouds.