These are what caught my imagination on a recent trip to the New York Botanical Garden. I have no idea what the leaf (above) was, except that it was huge (~24" long by 18" wide) and the sun was back-lighting it beautifully. The Bronx, New York. 4 October 2013.

 Though the butterfly bushes were fading, there were still lots of butterflies. The Bronx, New York. 4 October 2013.

 It was a Members-only preview of Japanese chrysanthemum. They weren't all that spectacular, but a trip to the NYBG is never a disappointment. The Bronx, New York. 4 October 2013.

 So what is it? Just water. In the pool of a fountain. There was something about the texture that caught my imagination. The Bronx, New York. 4 October 2013.

 It seemed a little late for water lilies, but I loved the juxtaposition of the fallen leaf on the still-vibrant lily-pad. The Bronx, New York. 4 October 2013.

A cat bird that was quite tame. I was shooting with a 24-70, and it let me get quite close. (Did I mention I have a new Canon 6D? Bought it and 2 lenses for a trip to Greenland/Iceland this summer after my old stand-by Olympus E-3 bit the dust on my last day in Turkey in May-- I know, I know, I travel to all of these interesting places but only manage to post photos of things taken 25 miles from home!) The Bronx, New York. 4 October 2013.