Fall Flora and Early AM Celestial Treat

You didn't have to get up terribly early last week to enjoy seeing the last quarter of the moon playing with Mars, Venus and Jupiter. And I hope you did see it for yourself because they are not showing up here as well as I thought they would.

The sun was already tinting the eastern sky when I took this photo. Right in the middle is the moon and Venus. I could faintly see Mars but it doesn't show up here just above Venus. Above and slightly to the right is Jupiter. Very faint in this photo taken two days ago.

Even though I don't get very good photos of the moon and stars I still get a lot of enjoyment out of trying. Having the monopod Ken sent me helps take the 'shakiness' out of the photos. Before they looked like the moon had a tailing trail. (Or is that trailing tail?)




November, so far, has been unusually mild. I still have many flowers blooming under the protection of the patio roof and in the flower beds. Interesting to note also the new growth and buds on many of them.

The Autumn Joy Sedum not only has a late bloom, just look at all the new growth at the crown!

Likewise, my peach yarrow (Achillea Millefolium) still has some bloom and buds.

Speaking of Bud - these gorgeous roses are the ones he brought home for me Saturday. All twelve have opened spectacularly - one of the loveliest rose bouquets he has ever given me. And I so, so, so love, love, love the blush pink color.

Early this past summer when I bought something called a 'Polka Dot Plant' it was small and fit perfectly in my vertical Guy Wolff pot. Then it grew and grew and now it casts early morning shadows against the wall.

While the top has grown to antler-like proportions, this plant, Hypoestes Phyllostachya, too, has a lot of new growth at its base.
I would like to bring it inside for the winter just to see if I could keep it over another year.

Another one of my pots of salmon-colored geraniums has buds on it, too, and I would love to see them open, but I know my limitations with house plants.

This is the seed head of an unknown species. I took the photo near the Visitor Center at Gettysburg National Historical Park. I thought the way the blossoms had gone to seed and were just waiting for a wind to scatter them was interesting.

For the final Fall Flora picture, a little closer to home, the fruit of the Osage Orange tree - Maclura Pomifera - or what we call hedge balls or hedge apples. These trees were very common in my youth. They are getting a little harder to find in our area now. Perhaps it has something to do with that new industry using hedge balls for health and beauty care? (pomifera.com)