Linger Awhile Longer

The leaves are collecting in doorways and under abandoned cars; piles of raked leaves create "forts" for kids to jump into; rusty leaves snap and crinkle wherever you walk; single leaves dangle on bare branches like bats in the night....the last vestiges of autumn.

In Singapore there are no seasons like many of us experience.

But that is no excuse for the people of this charmed city to not experience the ambience of autumn.

A trip to Gardens by the Bay, a botanical garden of many delights, celebrate the seasons and holidays of many countries and cultures.

Who says you can't have autumn in 90 degree weather?

The last two photos are from home in Charlotte, NC.

The evidence is on her face: she raced from her picnic lunch when she spied this shiny red tractor. JUST HER SIZE.
It brought back memories of riding my grandfather's green tractor as a child....only it was full size.
Enjoy the "last moments" of autumn...maybe even ride a  RED tractor.

Posting to Kim Klassen, Tuesday Textures

The Fine Art of Engineering Part 1

When I was in college, it seemed that the brainiest, most "admired" degree was engineering. Engineering, engineers, dreamers in chrome, steel and glass come back to mind each time I visit our family in Singapore.

The amount of construction is mind boggling... it is a small island after all.  Each new building over shadows the complexities of the last....case in point is Gardens by the Bay with its dome shaped glass pods that send shards of mercurial light upon the carpet of plants, trees, shrubs and ponds.

Visiting Gardens by the Bay is a bit like Alice tumbling into Wonderland. From the sky high windows, suspended bridges to the floor covered with lush vegetation. There is so much to share about this magical place that this is the first part...the engineering phase. 

When I took these photos, I had in mind the beautiful architectural compositions that Brenda shares on her blog. I felt that they translated best in black and white, with a few touches of color to delineated the living from the man-made. 

This is the very loft of the structure. Vertigo is not welcome. I couldn't help but think about the men and women who dreamed and designed with lofty thoughts and the builders who climbed these heights to create this amazing structure.  It is all quite breathtaking. 

In a few days we will be closer to ground level. Amazing as the glass and steel structure is, the living plants, trees, blossoms, ferns, palms are truly breathtaking.....Alice never had it so good.  

Thanks Brenda, for reminding me that those structures that surround, hold, touch and support us are incredibly beautiful and inspirational. Brenda hosts Third Thursday Challenge stop by her blog and see her amazing work and the photography of others on this challenge.