I do too. They’re really a flamboyant plant this time of year.

Ha! I’ve never heard that one.

Another good pinch and sniff.

I always enjoy seeing their intricate and bright color patterns that don't fade quickly as other leaves after falling. I kinda like to pinch and sniff too.

Old Scout memory trick... Indians (red men) have pointed arrows and white men have rounded bullets. Red oaks have pointed lobes and white oaks have rounded. I see few white oaks, but today, I hooked a white oak leaf while fishing. Only 3 fish in 2 hours, and all were too small.

Yup... Looked much like that here in Dayton, OH last week. Not so much now.

Interesting to read that it is extinct in the wild, and all known specimens are cultivated from Bartram's efforts to propagate.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franklinia

Nice tree photos!

But your zoom is the zoomiest zoom I've ever seen and it's great for your bird photos, among other things.

It sure has. For shots like this the phone is probably better than the camera I carry around for its zoom.

It sounds like an interesting play.

A totally obnoxious plant. it can overtake and kill a 60 foot fir tree. The Kudzu of the NW!

And camera/image quality has certainly improved in the last few years.

I love your photos. You can take a seemingly uninteresting scene and make it sparkle. Whichever photo makes the cut.

I couldn't have had a happier way to begin my birthday than eating breakfast with you, Scott, looking happy, quite relieved and healthy. A memorable breakfast at a haunt I've been going to periodically for 40 years. Stepping Stone's motto has always been: "You eat here because we let you." I like the attitude. The only thing that has changed in 40 years is the artwork, a change for the better too.