I can see, hear, smell and feel the changes that signal the end of summer. Mostly it's in the changing landscape. Purple and yellow wildflowers abound while the pink, blue and white petals recede.
I love summer more than any other season, but I'm beginning to appreciate even the coldest days more. Photography has a lot to do with that. It helps to see the world through new eyes.
Here are a few images from what's left of summer. I'll have some cottage shots for you in a few days.. as we step into autumn. Please remember to click on each image to enlarge.
"Art is the unceasing effort to
compete with the beauty of flowers -
and never succeeding."
~ Marc Chagall
"Say not, "I have found the truth," but rather, ”I have found a truth.”
Say not, "I have found the path of the soul." Say rather, "I have met the soul walking upon my path."
For the soul walks upon all paths...
The soul unfolds itself, like a lotus of countless petals."
~ Kahlil Gibran
"By all these lovely tokens
September days are here,
With summer’s best of weather
And autumn’s best of cheer."
~ Helen Hunt Jackson
"September days have the warmth of summer in their briefer hours, but in their lengthening evenings a prophetic breath of autumn. The cricket chirps in the noontide, making the most of what remains of his brief life. The bumblebee is busy among the clover blossoms of the aftermath, and their shrill and dreamy hum hold the outdoor world above the voices of the song birds, now silent or departed."
~ Rowland E. Robinson
"September: it was the most beautiful of words, he’d always felt, evoking orange-flowers, swallows, and regret."
~ Alexander Theroux
"Flowers always make people better,
happier and more helpful; they are sunshine,
food and medicine to the soul."
~ Luther Burbank
"September leaf
Blushing...
Remembering...
The torrid kisses
...Of July
September leaf
Sensing winter
....And oblivion
Shivers...
And whispers
"July, my only love" "Say you remember."
~ LaRetha Adams
"Earth laughs in flowers."
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
"When the goldenrod is yellow,
And leaves are turning brown -
Reluctantly the summer goes
In a cloud of thistledown.
When squirrels are harvesting
And birds in flight appear -
By these autumn signs we know
September days are here."
~ Beverly Ashour
"I've always thought my flowers had souls."
Myrtle Reed
"I love to smell flowers in the dark," she said. "You get hold of their soul then."
~ Lucy Maud Montgomery
"If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change." ~ Buddha
"I will be the gladdest thing
Under the sun!
I will touch a hundred flowers
And not pick one."
~ Edna St. Vincent Millay
62 comments:
I love the cornflowers and the photo of the late afternoon shadows on the tree truck. That tree picture invokes the very essence of late summer's shorter days.
Images are simply stunning!! Love the pairings you made with the quotes. Super post.
Absolutely beautiful photography and very apt quotes.
I Love the Spring and Summer too.
Big Sigh.
These are really beautiful images. My favorite season is summer also. Photography has definitely opened my eyes to see things on a much different level, with appreciation.
Gorgeous shots and you've twinned them nicely with equally lovely words. Beauty eh. :)
I love them all, but the last one .. all those happy yellow heads ... made me smile, thanks.
Coneflowers are one of my faves. have them in my garden. They appear hearty and clorful at once. reat quotes to match the picts!
Ooops I am in an Explorer browser (usually stick to Mozilla), hence all the typos! My impatience + speedy typing = bad spelling!
oh how marvelous. you are so right about hwo the colors of what blooms is shifting. i always liked how the sunlight became more golden. gorgeous shots as always. i especially like the coneflowers at the b eginning and end.
Gorgeous! September and October are my favorite months. But then, I was born in late September,
Beautiful. You have such a talent with the camera--and the words.
As ever, your chosed words match their illustrations as if the'd waited for them all their lives!
Ah, great pictures, so many colours and such a diversity in shapes...
I love the details of the flowers, I notice that too at all times and it makes me marvel at the natural beauty. Therefore, as you can imagine, the "Buddha" quote appeals to me the most.
Hope you are having a lovely Sunday.;)
xo
I just love Fall time... I really wish it would push just a wee bit faster though. It's still really warm out this way during the days but super cold in the mornings!
Your quotes with the photos are beautiful and not to mention the pictures are terrific... I love clicking on them to get the full effect... flowers DO make me happy!
These are all very beautiful. I enjoyed your photography and the works of these other writers among your words. Very nice.
The Gibran quote is one of my favorites.
Wow. Some beautiful photos here and the flowers are especially nice. My purple cone flowers are all in seed now.
I spent one day restoring Patty's computer. She clicked on an email she had sent that could not be delivered and was returned. She was curious as to why it wasn't delivered and clicked on the notice. Well, it was a "worm" that locked her computer and wouldn't let her do anything. When I got up the next day, she came out in her PJs and said, "My computer won't come on."
I had to reformat the hard drive and return it to the factory, new, condition. She lost everything on the computer. I feel sorry for her as it takes a lot of time to put her things back on the computer that she had saved on an external hard drive. Beware folks. If you send an email and it comes back, you should not open it.
I have not been able to get around much of late.
Thanks H! Its true--Septembe has summer's warmth in briefer hours---dang, totally cold this morning but warm expected later, which has nothing to do with your gorgeous pics :)
amdist all this color I love the deep rich green of the weed against the tree most of all
maybe because I just came from Frank's post about the wonder of trees
What beautiful images. You are becoming one with your camera, Hilary.
Love your flowers, love your quotes! Oh, how I wish I had torrid kisses in July . . .
Gorgeous, Hilary, simply gorgeous! And the prose is so appropriate.
• Thank you, Steviewren. The long shadows with that touch of gold. It just insists on ending the season, doesn't it? Thanks so much for stopping by. :)
• Welcome, Bonnie and thanks very much for the kind words. I'm glad you enjoyed the post. :)
• Thanks kindly, Maggie May. Autumn is a close third for me. Thanks for the visit. :)
• Thanks for stopping by to sigh, MPM. :)
• Thanks, JarieLyn. Photography has a way of making you take notice of things that might otherwise escape even a passing glance. I'm glad you share the same enjoyment. Thanks for your kind words. :)
• Thanks eh, Frank. ;) As you know, most of these shots were from around your place. I'm glad you like how they turned out. :)
• Thanks, Daryl. I'm happy to know the photo made you smile as yours so often do for me. Thanks for the visit. :)
• MT, I agree with how you describe coneflowers. They a vibrant looking flower. They'd be great in a garden.. hmmm. Thanks always for stopping by. :)
• Thank you, Lime. That change in sunlight is much like dawn and dusk throughout the summer. My favourite golden hours. It's one of the better aspects of autumn along with colourful leaves, of course. Thanks so much for the kind words. Much appreciated. :)
• Thanks, Steph. It sounds like you have a birthday coming up soon. Happy day! :)
• Thank you, DS. Your kind words are always very much appreciated. Thanks always for stopping by. :)
• Thanks very kindly, Jinsky. What a sweet thing to say. :)
• Thank you so much, Protege. I'm so glad that you enjoyed the photos and quotes. Your warm words always mean a lot to me. Thanks for your loyal visits, my friend. :)
• Thanks so much, Michele. I'm so glad that the photos evoke a smile. I'm less anxious than you to give up my summer, and we're still enjoying warm days.. but cool nights like you said. I have no choice in the matter, so I might as well enjoy it. And I do. I'm glad you do too. :)
• Thanks very much, Sandy. Your warm comments always give me a lift. You never fail to say something kind and supportive. Thank you for that. :)
• Thanks for the kind words, Abe. These coneflowers are in seed by now too. The photo was taken close to a month ago, now. Sorry to hear about your computer woes. I hope they resolve soon. Thanks for stopping by. :)
• Thank you, Gary. Being on opposite shores of Lake Ontario, we're getting just about the same weather. So expect rain all next week.. sigh! Thanks for stopping by with your kind words. :)
• Thanks, Dianne. I appreciate the kind words, and I'm glad you went to visit Frank, the "tree whisperer." We both appreciate your visits very much. Thanks for stopping by. :)
* Thank you so much, Leah. Now there's a "focus" to which I can aspire. Thanks for your always kind words. :)
• Thanks, Kate. Your "torrid kisses" comment made me laugh. You so often do. Thanks for that. :)
• Many thanks, Baggie. Much appreciated. :)
Beautiful post Hilary!!!!! Oh gosh, you chose the right words for those lovely photos! I got especially giggly at the mention of Lucy Maud Montgomery, lol, yeah, I'm still quite giggly...I love that water lily...I have to send a friend of mine over here to take a look, he loves water lilies and I was unable to capture any this summer because they never bloomed with the cold weather!
...oh, and it's funny, just this year I started to appreciate the cold weather more too...I guess it was all those black flies and skeeters swarming me!
Beautiful words with beautiful pictures.
Wonder post (as usual)! Personally I'm glad to see autumn come in, I love cooler temperatures and the clear crisp views of all that is around us. The warm days, short as they may be, and the cool nights make for great days!
The coming of autumn is refreshing after the hot humid days of summer. The southwestern triangle portion of Ontario is fortunate to have a longer fall period than the remainder of the country.
Your images are wonderful, Hilary, and the narrative exceptional.
Gorgeous.
I like the idea that photography allows you to perceive the world in a different way.
And like that you share that world with us.
I wanted to choose one. Just one as a favourite, and I can't.
The words match the images which are as always, stunning. Thanks for sharing.
I look forward to the cabin pictures.
Isn't autumn amazing? For me it's Poe-Reading Season. Your post makes me want to go out and search for wild flowers. I think that's a good plan for today.
September is a beautiful month in Canada. Some years ago, in 2005, I was on your east coast in September - and that trip was the inspiration for a novel that will be out shortly.
Ahhh! What gorgeous flowers! it's sad to think summers almost over and the end to all those fabulous colours! Love the quotes that you have used with them.
Congrats on the POTD mention :)!!
Stunning pictures and lovely words.
POTD mention Yayeeeee!
Stunning photos illustrating such a peaceful post-- you nailed it again. Congrats on your POTD mention!
Wow! Those images and that poetry were so beautifully and expertly mingled. Thank you. In Florida, our change of seasons is very subtle, so that shock of autumn leaves among the green really made me nostalgic for upstate New York. This time of year, I miss living in a northern climate (but I get over it quickly).
Congratulations on your POTD mention at authorblog.
First of all congrats on Post of the Day nomination, but then you'd be on the list every time were it me...love the blend of photos (you're the best) and poetry...very restful for a Monday morning as I fight the flu...
Sandi
These photos are so beautiful that my puny brain cannot imagine that much talent to capture the images. Honestly, they are awesome. Each one is different. This post must have taken you a couple weeks to put together. I am in awe of your blog.
So beautiful and uplifting!! Congrats on the Post of the Day Award!! Hugs!!
Gorgeous photos. Came over from POTD.
This is truely lovely...and the poems go so well with the pics.
I think we all need to stop and smell the flowers from time to time...even if it is only through your blog! ;)
September is my favorite month. Here in Vancouver, the temperatures are still heading towards 80 degrees Fahrenheit. The endless summer...
That photograph of the water lily is one of the most beautiful photos I have ever seen!
Wow! The colors of the flowers are all different, the quotes fit perfectly. Your sensitivity never ceases to amaze me.
Heh! Somehow I missed this post! It's Monday already and you already have about 238 comments!! Well, okay, not QUITE that many but a lot!
My favorite wildflower is the one you pictured twice - the purple coneflower.
I was in a health food store once (just asking directions not shopping!) and saw a bottle of Echinacea juice. I said to the clerk "Isn't that purple coneflower?"
He said to me "Well, yea, but it's real Echinacea and a lot healthier for you." He was serious. I was baffled.
I'll take my Purple Coneflower straight up with a twist of lime! Heh!!
Lovely photos. I think I'm ready for the change of seasons.
So very, very beautiful!
I am always blessed when I come to your blog, Hilary.
The pink & orange together is incredibly stunning in macro.
All the images are terrific, but that first pink one is calling my name. What a fabulous angle!
Thanks for sharing.
xo
• Thanks so much, Rain. I'm glad you got a kick out of the LMM quote. I did in fact think of you over in PEI when I decided to use it. I'm glad you noticed. :) Thanks so much for the always kind words. They mean so much to me. :)
• Thanks kindly, NJ. :)
• Thanks, Maggie Gem. You're right about how lovely it is to have warm days and cooler nights.. and the colours.. and smells. OK, fine! I'll have to just enjoy the season, then. ;)
• Thank you so much for the very kind words, Barbara. They're very much appreciated. Yes, I can't deny that our autumn is a very lovely time. I wish it could last until spring. ;) Thanks for stopping by. :)
• Thanks very much, Clowncar. I'm very glad that you come around and enjoy it. Much appreciated. :)
• Thank you, Thumbelina. You always have the kindest things to say. Thanks so much for that. :)
• Thanks, Terrie. I hope you found a field full of them. Maybe some of them are even sitting in a vase right now. Thanks for the visit. :)
• David, thank you kindly for the POTD mention on your blog today. As always, it's very much appreciated. It's cool to think that our east coast inspired your next novel. I'll have to check that out when it's out. Thanks for stopping by. :)
• Thank you, Redbrush. I hate to see the season end too. It seemed so late in starting this year, and so early to end... sigh! Ah well, there's always next year. Thanks for the visit. :)
• Thank you, Amy (MT). :)
• Thanks kindly, Moannie. Much appreciated. :)
• Thanks so much, IBHH. You kind comment is much appreciated. :)
• Welcome, Alix and thanks so much for your very kind words. I have little doubt that you quickly get over your longing for northern weather. There are times I envy the Florida weather. Many times. Many, many time. ;) Thanks so much for stopping by. :)
• Thank you so much, Sandi. Your kind comment really made my day. :) So sorry you've not been feeling well. I sure hope you're on the mend by now. Thanks so much for stopping by in spite of this. :)
• Thank you for those very kind words, Technobabe. I'm so glad you enjoyed the post. Thanks so much for dropping by and sharing such a nice comment. :)
• Thanks kindly, Cheffie. And hugs right back at you. :)
• Welcome, Terri and thanks very much for the visit and kind words. :)
• Thank you, Lulda. That's a sweet thing to say. It's good to see you drop by. Thanks for that. :)
• Thanks very much, Jo. I'm glad you enjoyed the photo. Our summer finally warmed up in August and is at this point still going strong too. I'm in no rush for the cold. That will come soon enough. I guess you folks are gearing up for the Olympics, eh? Thanks for the visit. :)
• Thanks so much, Nancy. Much appreciated. :)
• Thanks, Russell. It's a good thing you're not prone to exaggeration. ;) Funny story about the Echinacea. I used to take it (along with Goldenseal) at the first sign of a virus. It worked for a while and then seemed to lose its potency. Now I'm onto garlic and Vitamin C. Somebody (looks at Frank) pushed that on me a few years back. ;) Thanks always for stopping by, my friend. :)
• Thanks very much, Debbie. I'll let you know when I am. ;)
• Thank you so much, KC. You always know what to say to make me feel like what I've posted is special. Thanks so very much for that. :)
• Thanks very much, Joanna. I'm glad it called to you. It's always a pleasure to see you drop by. :)
It's quite my favourite month, September. Lovely photos. And many congrats on the POTD mention!
Oh Quilly, this post is simply magnificent! I adore how you have paired these beautiful photographs with those wonderful quotes. Yes, Autumn is definitely creeping in, isn't it?
Arghhhhhhh!!!! Of course I know you are Hilary, (blushing to my roots, here) what was I thinking? I am SO sorry - eeeeeeeeek, I'll just go slink off and hope no one noticed..
Stunning tribute to the change of seasons. I'm envious of your ability to capture the moment, (speaking as an individual who has no photography skills what-so-ever). I wish I had half your skills, and your camara!
Great eye. Congrats on being mentioned in POTD.
Wow, lovely, lovely pics Hilary! I find autumn kind of exciting and romantic - let's just skip through to spring afterwards though eh?!
My favorite season is summer. Very nice pictures.
oh wow. your pictures are amazing and you completed them well with the quotes...fall is my fav so i am glad she is arriving and hoping her cold sister winter takes a good long nap.
Oh yes, yes these are beautiful.
And I love the quotes after each photo.
Wouldn't it be fun to throw a flower party this Fall?
Fall is my favorite!
Congratulations on potd mention.
• Many thanks, Gaelikka. Enjoy what's left of Septmeber! Thanks for stopping by. :)
• Thanks, Shrinky and don't worry about the name error. Half of the time I don't know who I am either. Thanks for the visit. :)
• Thanks very much for the kind words, Jewels. I wasn't so sure I had photography skills before a couple of years ago either, but I just started having fun with the camera anyway. Thanks for the visit and comment. Much appreciated. :)
• Thank you, 123. I like the way you design the calendar! Thanks so much for stopping by. :)
• Mine too, Marysia. Thanks for the kind words. :)
• Thanks very kindly, Brian. A long autumn season sounds fine with me - particularly if it's mild like September. Thanks for the visit. :)
• Thanks very much, Cherry Blossom. I'm glad you enjoyed the photos and quotes. A flower party sounds quite nice. Be sure to send me an invitation if you throw one. Thanks for stopping by. :)
Ahhhhhhh.
Perfect. Thank you. :)
Thank YOU, Anne. :)
Beautiful captures. I've got a huge thing for water lilies, and yours is spectacular.
Thank you, Louise. Much appreciated. :)
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