Last week at Scott's

Shad Bush, or shadblow (Shad run when it blooms) or serviceberry - Amelanchier, this one being allegheny sp. laevis, I believe because the purplish reddish leaves are half grown as the flowers bloom.

For tree id I'm using Forest Trees of Maine these days, the 2008 centennial edition. Available for $7. http://www.maine.gov/doc/mfs/pubs/ftm/ftm.htm

















































And a new flower (for me) twin leaf (Jeffersonia diphylla). As Leslie and I hunkered into the rocks shooting different flowers the sun brightened and the petals opened. (image order a bit skewed here.)

For flower id, I'm using Newcomb's Wildflower guide.

Great Falls, VA

There are two issues I would like to correct in this picture. 1. The monument leans too much. How can I straighten it? 2. I'm not sure how to crop the image. Any suggestions?

Pat's Pix

The texture of the tree caught my attention. But I found the color of the leaves to be bland. I this case, I used the tool to highlight small groups of leaves and added saturation. I believe this technique worked better than adding saturation to the entire picture.

The sun was just getting a little bit high for me at this point. I started walking down the canal where a tree's colors on the other side of the canal had caught my eye. But, that was too backlit for me. (My poor lens would have gone crazy.) So, I turned my attention to this side of the canal.

And, YES, I did spot out that orange pylon!