Happy Halloween!

stones in the mist, originally uploaded by Lizzie~Belle.

A misty morning in the cemetery seems appropriate for All Hallow's Eve. Taken in Pine Hill Cemetery on October 6, 2007

dark angel

dark angel, originally uploaded by Lizzie~Belle.

Tomorrow is Halloween, so here's another old gravestone for your spookification. This one is from the late 18th century, and I found it in the Old Burying Ground in Westfield, MA. Boo!

disorient

disorient, originally uploaded by Lizzie~Belle.

I found this lonely leaf on the newly reopened boardwalk section of the wildlife sanctuary at Stanley Park. It was so nice to be able to walk through there again! Part of it had gotten damaged in the spring floods a couple of years ago, and a tree had fallen across it this spring. The bridge at the other end of the trail had gotten damaged as well. It's now all fixed, and it's a pleasant walk through the reeds and over the stream once again.

skulls

skulls, originally uploaded by Lizzie~Belle.

For Halloween week, here is an old gravestone from a cemetery in Canton, MA, with skulls on it. Spooky! Taken on Thanksgiving day last year.

ornament

ornament, originally uploaded by Lizzie~Belle.

There are still a few roses blooming at Stanley Park, even after the heavy frost we had the other day. It was a perfect afternoon for a walk in the park! Much nicer than yesterday's gloom.

descend

descend, originally uploaded by Lizzie~Belle.

The frost was so thick this morning, it looked like snow in places. I took this outside the office in East Longmeadow; there was still frost in the shadows at 10:00. I'm not ready for winter!

worldly

worldly, originally uploaded by Lizzie~Belle.

I didn't manage to capture this statue when the tree behind it was at its peak, but I kind of like the impressionist effect of the two trees together. Taken at Pine Hill Cemetery in Westfield, MA on October 19, 2008

hearty

hearty, originally uploaded by Lizzie~Belle.

A row of bright maple trees glow in the sun at Pine Hill Cemetery, Westfield, MA. Taken on October 19, 2008

tactile

tactile, originally uploaded by Lizzie~Belle.

The sun lights up these maple leaves, turning them into an abstract painting for my lens. Taken in Pine Hill Cemetery, Westfield, MA on October 19, 2008

heartily

heartily, originally uploaded by Lizzie~Belle.

I found this lovely tree, with the sun shining through its leaves like stained glass, in front of the Vocational High School in Westfield yesterday.

Here it is from the other side:

philosophy

philosophy, originally uploaded by Lizzie~Belle.

The weather was chilly today, but the sun was out, and the colors were brilliant at Pine Hill Cemetery in Westfield. It seems to me that the colors aren't quite as bright as last year, but they're still pretty gorgeous!

drape

drape, originally uploaded by Lizzie~Belle.

There's a patch of young sumac trees in an empty lot near the office in East Longmeadow. This week, they turned a brilliant scarlet, and I had to run out yesterday and take a bunch of pix in the lovely sunshine.

secluded

secluded, originally uploaded by Lizzie~Belle.

Here is today's scene from Heritage Park in East Longmeadow. It's pretty much at peak color right now, and the day is sunny and beautiful. It was so hard to come back to work!

romantic spot

romantic spot, originally uploaded by Lizzie~Belle.

What a lovely spot to spend with someone special! This bridge is over the frog pond at Stanley Park. I've never seen it look so colorful.

Later on when I walked by it again, there were four kids standing on it, yelling at a frog to jump off a lily pad.



Both taken in Westfield, MA on October 13, 2008

especially

especially, originally uploaded by Lizzie~Belle.

Just a taste of the glorious color abundant in Stanley Park this afternoon. Beautiful color, everywhere you look. It's the peak of the season. Get out and enjoy it before it's gone! Soon enough, everything will be grey and drab.

WaterFire

cauldron of fire, originally uploaded by Lizzie~Belle.

I went down to Providence last night for WaterFire. The last time I went was several years ago, and it's lost none of its magic. Floating cauldrons of fire line the river, and all sorts of events line its banks. You can take a ride on a gondola, listen to live music, look at art, eat freshly-popped kettle corn (which we did, in abundance), and enjoy the ambiance. The weather was perfect, and the nearly-full moon completed the scene.









All taken in Providence, RI on October 11, 2008

vibrant

vibrant, originally uploaded by Lizzie~Belle.

Some more pix of the glorious color down at Heritage Park in East Longmeadow.





This is from Tuesday:



And this is the same spot today:



Amazing what a couple of cold nights will do!

across

across, originally uploaded by Lizzie~Belle.

I've taken pictures of this bridge in all seasons, but I think this one is my new favorite. This is in the wildlife sanctuary at Stanley Park in Westfield, MA. Taken on October 4, 2008.

Here is the same spot last March:



and in April:



Here, it spans the rushing waters of Spring:



and here it is as I usually see it, covering nothing but dry rocks:



It's a lovely spot, no matter the season.

groove

groove, originally uploaded by Lizzie~Belle.

Autumn is definitely here! There's still a lot of green, but the colors are taking over little by little. I found these bright beauties at Pine Hill Cemetery in Westfield, MA. Taken on October 4, 2008, which would have been my dad's 75th birthday.

'shrooms!

'shrooms!, originally uploaded by Lizzie~Belle.

Out in the wildlife sanctuary by Stanley Park today, I found a hollowed-out tree stump that had some awesome mushrooms hiding in its depths. It looked like a little cave!









Taken in Westfield, MA on October 4, 2008

shedding

shedding, originally uploaded by Lizzie~Belle.

I sure do love Autumn. Everything is colorful and changing. A sunny Autumn day will lure me out as enticingly as a Spring one.

I work down the street from Heritage Park in East Longmeadow, and I go there often to eat my lunch, read, watch the geese & swans, and observe the changing of the seasons. This tree caught my eye, being between the worlds of life and hibernation, baring its branches as its bright leaves float down to cover the ground.

Today is grey and windy, but the circle goes on. Tomorrow it will be bright & sunny again, and there will be more color to enjoy.

center

center, originally uploaded by Lizzie~Belle.

The center of this rose is pink, dewy, and perfect. Taken in the rose garden at Stanley Park, Westfield, MA on September 28, 2008

splash

splash, originally uploaded by Lizzie~Belle.

Even in the rain, the tree across the street from the office is bright and cheery. Taken in East Longmeadow, MA on October 1, 2008