Morristown, New Jersey. 12 September 2012.

Morristown, New Jersey. 12 September 2012.

Morristown, New Jersey. 12 September 2012.

Morristown, New Jersey. 12 September 2012.

Morristown, New Jersey. 12 September 2012.

There were plenty of bees around to keep things pollinated! Bronx, New York. 5 October 2012.

A form of Milkweed from South Africa. Bronx, New York. 5 October 2012.

The Haupt Conservatory at the New York Botanical Garden. Bronx, New York. 5 October 2012.

Hyacinth beans-- the most beautiful shades of purple! Bronx, New York. 5 October 2012.

One of Monet's favorite subjects was water lilies-- they are the subject of 250 of his later works. Some are HUGE canvases, and all are spectacular. Seeing these made me want to go to Giverny all the more. Bronx, New York. 5 October 2012.

 I'd been wanting to see the Monet garden at the New York Botanical Garden before it closed, and as luck (grace, providence) would have it, got to go on a spectacularly beautiful day. It was fun learning about Monet from a variety of exhibits. These images are from the conservatory. Bronx, New York. 5 October 2012.

It wouldn't be a Canadian photo spread if it didn't include a look, right? Algonquin Park, Ontario, Canada. 16 September 2012.

The squirrels are rather diminutive. And cute. Algonquin Park, Ontario, Canada. 17 September 2012.

Each sunset is more beautiful than the last. Algonquin Park, Ontario, Canada. 16 September 2012.

This trip was the first time we saw no moose. While that was disappointing, we certainly got to see lots of other wildlife. Algonquin Park, Ontario, Canada. 16 September 2012.

We have been going to this place since 1996. One of the aspects of it that is so appealing is that there is at once lots to do and nothing to do. The 'nothing' is epitomized by these chairs. We have passed many hours reading here and watching hummingbirds during the day, and eating dessert, drinking dessert wine, watching the sunset and chatting in the evening. Algonquin Park, Ontario, Canada. 16 September 2012.

Same chilly morning. We were eating breakfast when I saw this canoe appear out of the fog-- i practically knocked over my porridge leaping up from the table to run outside to capture this. Algonquin Park, Ontario, Canada. 16 September 2012.

It was a chilly morning-- 50 deg (F), but that didn't stop someone from going for a swim. Algonquin Park, Ontario, Canada. 16 September 2012.

More from the rainy first day. Algonquin Park, Ontario, Canada. 14 September 2012.

 I can't believe how long it has been since I posted anything! A testament to how crazy work has been, if nothing else. I keep thinking it will slow down eventually, but it doesn't seem to. We were fortunate to get a few days of actual vacation at our favorite place in Algonquin Park, Ontario, Canada. The first day we were there it rained, but that didn't stop me from capturing a few images. Algonquin Park, Ontario, Canada. 14 September 2012.

I'll end this series with another bee shot. This shot marks my 500th post. When I started this blog in July of 2006 I had imagined that I would be posting more regularly than I have. But a lot of life has happened in these last 6 years. I'm incredibly grateful that I am able to take photographs (for a long time when I was recovering from a broken back I wasn't sure that I would be able to again). I'll never stop appreciating the wonders of creation. Randolph, New Jersey. 15 June 2012.

What is it about bees that is so darn fascinating? Randolph, New Jersey. 15 June 2012.

These are all the same type, under a very lovely corkscrew willow tree. Randolph, New Jersey. 15 June 2012.

Another of the teeny-weeny bees. Randolph, New Jersey. 15 June 2012.

Isn't their translucence cool? Randolph, New Jersey. 15 June 2012.

Don't you just love this little guy? Randolph, New Jersey. 15 June 2012.

Most photos I've ever taken of iris have had an overhead perspective, so I  was pretty determined to do something else with these. The fact that it was such a gorgeous day made the decision to shoot up from below rather easy. Randolph, New Jersey. 15 June 2012.

I'm not sure I did a very good job explaining how a polarizing filter works to my friend Pat, but this does help illustrate the deep blues. I should have done some "with" and "without" versions to clarify. Randolph, New Jersey. 15 June 2012.

Some folks would Photoshop out the sun flare, but I kind of like it. Randolph, New Jersey. 15 June 2012.

I have some friends who have some spectacular iris. I got to spend some time (not enough!) soaking in the colors and considering how to best capture them. These were part of an area that had several different colors-- I love the 'pureness' of this color, and especially the gentle curves at the edge of the blossoms. Randolph, New Jersey. 15 June 2012.

One last photo from the Longwood Garden collection. The variety and diversity was amazing, so it was difficult to choose which to feature, but these passion flowers were cool. Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. 26 May 2012.

Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. 26 May 2012.

I love the patterns of this. Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. 26 May 2012.

It was REALLY hard to choose which water lilies to put on this blog. The abundance was amazing! Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. 26 May 2012.

I've never seen such an amazing collection of water lilies before. The one disappointment (and it was minor) was that they all had rather large ID tags, placed very close to the blossoms. Shooting around them was a bit frustrating. Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. 26 May 2012.

Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. 26 May 2012.

I clipped an article about this 'living wall' out of a newspaper last year, unaware that I was so close to it. Seeing it in person was better than reading about it-- surprise! Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. 26 May 2012.

This little guy was hiding out by some iris. Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. 26 May 2012.

And another of the lovely fountains. Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. 26 May 2012.

Apparently the fountains get shut down during droughts, but fortunately that's not the case this summer. Or yet, anyway. Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. 26 May 2012.

The bees were very busy. Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. 26 May 2012.

Fairy Fan Flower (Scaevola aemula). Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. 26 May 2012.

These were at the beginning of our visit, and outdoors, but I have no recollection of where they were. Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. 26 May 2012.