Rambling with Russ: Seasons

Seasons

Some of my previous posts have stretched a bit the travel focus of this blog. I’ll do the same here with selected seasonal photos. But these have themselves often involved travel, so their inclusion should not count against my thematic efforts. My selections here include fall, spring, and winter. Somehow summer doesn’t seem as distinctive, and interested visitors to my blog can find lots of summer photos throughout other posts.

Fall

I’ll start with fall, whose colors and lighting seem to offer special photo ops. This can be seen close to home, with some berries and other views in our yard

local mums & pumpkins (Schoharie Mum Festival to the left & right)

and signs of approaching winter!

There are plenty of opportunities for foliage views in the mountains: here the Adirondacks

and Lake George,

the Canadian Rockies: Jasper NP

Mohonk Mountain House

in the Catskills

Mabry Mill on the Blue Ridge Parkway

the Smokies

and Lake Bled, Slovenia

or out in the countryside: Thacher Park near Albany,

driving along the Thruway & Northway,

more around the Caoutal District

Finger Lakes wineries,

Manitoba from the train,

more NYS views

and even golf in the fall

lots of pretty fields & decorated farm stands

along lakes & streams

New England offers some iconic fall tableaus

other foliage views along roads & into the woods

But cemeteries are perhaps my favorite place for fall photos, offering such atmospheric settings for the colors.

Spring

Spring, of course, also offers plenty of photo ops with unfolding colors as plants and flowers emerge from winter. Valentine's Day isn't technically spring, but it does signal that it's coming.

Sometimes winter lingers: "Spring Break" in Iceland

and snow in Bavaria in June!

And winter merging with spring in our yard.

But eventually the trees start to bud & maple tree sap can be tapped for syrup,

crocus are a sure sign of spring

buds & blooms emerge on flowering trees

Bunnies wait for the garden "salad bar" to appear.

And more colors in the yard.

My Red Cross driving has offered plenty of photo ops.

Flowers proliferate in fields & garden stores.

Tulips are highlighted: in Albany's Tulip Festival

and Keukenhof Gardens in the Netherlands.

and early blooms in Kew Botanical Gardens outside London.

We've enjoyed spring views on the UAlbany campus

in NYC's Central Park

Washington DC

Virginia

South Carolina, Longwood Gardens, and Gettysburg

and the Arizona dessert.

Like fall, cemeteries offer evocative spring views.

Winter

I don’t as much to share for winter. We haven’t traveled so much in winter, and our winter traveling has more to do with family gatherings and holidays. You can catch selected photos for the latter in a separate “Holidays” post. But living in the Northeast means some pretty views around the yard & neighborhood.