Liquidambar

Thank you so much for all your kind comments, hearts and stars for yesterday's 500th blip. It's taken a long time to get there but it's so much fun being part of this generous and creative community. I'm way behind with catching up on everyone's journals but I'll get there, probably slowly. 

I headed for Cambridge this morning for a clinic appointment, which couldn't go ahead as the company that runs the clinic had made an admin error. It was actually a relief not to have the planned test; being a private outfit working for the NHS I can rebook it all quite quickly. I almost ran round to the nearby patisserie for a celebratory croissant! And to make the most of the day I drove round to the Botanic Gardens, which was completely wonderful - the colours and scents of autumn are in full technicolor. Today's blip is Liquidambar styraciflua, or American sweetgum, a member of the witch hazel family. The name Liquidambar is delicious too: To me, the soft consonants and flowing sound taste of maple syrup. The vivid leaf colour took my breath away. Up close the deeply cut leaves vary in colour from green, through gold, to rose pink, carmine red and finally to wine red. Spectacular seems an understatement, especially on such a beautiful day when the trees and sky reflected in the lake. I sat around doing nothing but enjoy the warm sun, watch the ducks and moorhens, and gawp at the plants. All in all it was a very good day to start the week.