Yes the close up was from a shadier spot on the same plant. We had two weeks of 95 F temps and the tips got a little burnt so I looked for a spot that wasn't . This one is tough to site in my climate. Here's a close up from a previous year of same plant.

mobius122: FILM?!?!? Ouch . . . that's gotta' get expensive! I've got an Olympus E-10 and my wife's Canon PowerShot S50. Most of the time I set one of them up on a tripod set to take a shot every 60 seconds, and may get one or two, (Or NONE!), good shots out of a 100. I do take some hand-held, but with all the action around my feeders the tripod auto method seems to work pretty good and I don't have to stand around and wait! Frank

Christie, the colors of the nandina are beautiful and I love the berries! Your burning bush is much farther along than mine. The deep red of the dogwood is wonderful. Thats a shame when trees are damaged by storms. The neighbor behind us lost both the trees in their backyard last year and it sure makes things look stark. I'd feel very bad if I lost the maple. Its the only large tree in our backyard. A few years ago I planted a redbud, a tulip tree and a purple ash. They are all doing well but are still fairly small...maybe 10-15 ft each. Helen, I love that you pulled the tiny tree and now get to watch it grow :) Somehow it seems more rewarding than buying from a nursery. As for the maple in my back yard...I dont know what type it is. I've never researched the different types so I dont know how you would figure it out. Glenda, I'm sorry your October Glory maple struggled this year. It was a difficult summer for alot of my plants also. I watered what I could but the water bill was rediculous so I left some areas wanting. Our pepper garden sits just outside the drip edge of the maple. I watered the peppers deeply and frequently so I imagine the tree benefited as well. A different type of fall color: Tomatoes ripening (not a very good picture quality) Hot peppers ripening indoors (my mother says they look like christmas ornaments)

I have heard them called 'face flies' here in N. Ca. They drive cattle and horses crazy and that's why some lucky ones are given screen-masks to wear over their eyes. SO... this sounds, and probably looks really weird but it works for me. I got some black tulle net from the fabric store, cut a face-wide, 3 foot long strip and I tie it around from my chin to my eyes like a bandit would wear. Don't tell where you got this idea. (: Min