Beacon in the night

This is the most beautiful light-wrapped tree I have ever seen!  I first noticed it last night as I was driving over the Cedar Avenue bridge.  It is so huge and shines like a beacon from the river bluffs.

I decided to try and find it, so I got off the highway and took a couple turns and there it was.  I didn't add any light to the house, that is all glow from the tree!  It is so breathtakingly beautiful  in person and so big.

I went back tonight with my camera and tripod to take some shots.  My iPhone pics from last night just didn't do it justice.  As I was taking pictures, a cop came slowly down the street and rolled down his window.  Oh oh, now what?  I'm just taking pictures.  When I got close enough to hear him, he said he was gawking too.  Too funny.

Got Snow?

We got our first "real" snow of the season today.  The trees looked very pretty when they were flocked.  Unfortunately, the snow was so wet and heavy that it was snapping tree branches off all over the neighborhood.

The first snow is always wondrous and pretty.  I'm sure by April I'll be wishing it was gone.

A beautiful day in the neighborhood

I saw this home today while out on a fall color trip with some ladies.  A pretty home on a pretty fall day.  I especially like the solarium on the back.

I looked it up on the internet when I got home and found a few more details.  The house is currently 5,927 square feet and is worth $1 million dollars.  As near as I can tell from tax records, it has been completely remodeled and redesigned.  I wonder if it looks anything like the original house that was there.  Oh well, it's still pretty.

Audrey is still blooming

Audrey is my Fireball Hibiscus plant.  Audrey, as in Little Shop of Horrors, as in "FEED ME!"  Audrey has been bred to survive Minnesota winters, unlike her tropical cousins.  I named her after the movie plant because she has been getting bigger and bigger every year and now has a whole corner of a flower bed to herself.  I'm really surprised to see her blooming into October, but very pleased too.  I still expect her to start talking one of these days.

Here is a previous post if you want to see what she looked like in years past.  She is just finishing her fourth season  in the garden.  Look below to see how she's grown this year.  I took this picture a while back using my iPhone instead of my Pentax.

Three seconds of mayhem

Kitties can do a lot in three seconds, as evidenced in the photo above.  No matter how many times she's sat in this chair before, everything has to be scrutinized all over again.