DRIVING HOME THE OTHER DAY...

these are trees that I pass all the time. I have watched a few turn color and these were particularly beautiful. I missed the most glorious part with the sun shining directly on them.  But I am happy that I got these photos before they lost all their leaves.

"Love the trees until their leaves fall off, then encourage them to try again next year."

~Chad Sugg~

"Two sounds of autumn are unmistakable...the hurrying rustle of crisp leaves blown along the street...by a gusty wind, and the gabble of a flock of migrating geese."

~Hal Borland~

"There is something incredibly nostalgic and significant about the annual cascade of autumn leaves."

~Joe L. Wheeler~

I made the above into a painting on my ArtCard App.  I haven't done one in a while.

Next are scenes from Halloween.  Some families are starting to put up a few decorations.  These very tall scary looking figures have started appearing this year.  I have seen them in other areas.

Another painting on ArtCard...

and in monochrome.

There was this one also.  I am hoping to drive around to take photos at night before the spooky season is over.  Decorations look even more effective when lit up in the dark.

I found the cartoon and decided to end my post with it, not exactly anything to do with Halloween.  I winced for the poor dog and smiled at the same time, followed by an "awwww".  I haven't seen any porcupines around here, so the dogs appear to be safe from them at least.  I wonder if the cartoonist is taking something out of his own dog's life experience?  A little humor but with a point, no pun intended.

That's all for today.  

I always appreciate your visit.  

Thanks you and whatever your plans are, I hope you enjoy them.

A NEW ADDITION TO MY COLLECTION

 I haven't begun my Christmas decorating yet, but thanks to three things that arrived today, they gave me a little push…starting with a Christmas Angel that I have temporarily put on the mantle with my other collection of dogs.  The dogs were a gift from son many years ago (you may remember this story as I have mentioned it before).  He bought them while away on school trips (two different ones) to England when in high school.  We both love dogs and these are dressed in costume.  I added the King Arthur dog on the right, and the Guardsman on the left, and that was the end of my collection, unless I see something that really jumps out at me when I am looking around.  Angel is in good company at the moment.  

She is holding a sign that says, "Peace on Earth", which is why I wanted to have her on the top of our tree.  I forgot to mention she is a tree topper.   We need her message for everyone's sake, and for our children and for our children's children.  Time to sow some love into the air and spread it wide.

Of course, I had a little playtime.  The country scene background is actually the village I lived in when I met Gregg (also mentioned before).  The church you see is the one where we were married.  I found a lady online who lived in that village.  She painted the most wonderful scenes from my area, and I contacted her and bought a print.  She sent it to me in one of those heavy-duty packaging rolls, I had it framed and it has been over our mantle ever since.

I used my ArtCard app next but not too much of a change.

I have a painting in another room, also showing the English countryside, and a small village, but have no idea where this particular one is located.  I also bought it many years ago, from a shop that sold British items in a nearby town, long since closed.  There's a bit of a story to it.  A couple of years after I had bought it, I was offered a job in a small British tearoom in yet another town several miles away, and a wonderful lady we all thought the world of, was the owner.  

One day she and I were talking art and I told her about the painting I had bought a couple of years previously.  She laughed when I described where the shop was located, as she and her brother were co-owners.  It was miles away from this place.  She also remembered my painting.  Talk about a small world story.  She passed on a few years ago but I remember her fondly and I think of her when I look at the painting in the front room.  My little Angel shows some of that particular painting in the photo below.

The next photos show two new Christmas Tree ornaments.  The first one portrays Clara holding the toy Nutcracker that comes to life in her dream.  I would dearly love to see that ballet live, but content myself with watching it online these days.

Next is a ballerina from The Nutcracker's Walz of the Flowers.

I haven't started a new collection in a long time, but I will be buying another couple of Nutcracker ornaments next year.   

I will be sure to take photos of these when the tree gets decorated properly.  Gregg will be bringing it up from the basement tomorrow.