New red maple leaves slowly open on a small tree. Although these red maples are a symbol of Canada, in nature, we usually associate them with the fall season, not the summer. On a warm morning in July, they stand out in bright contrast to the cool green foliage surrounding them in the forest.
Similarly, red elderberries are easy to see against the backdrop of green. There are lots of them this year for the birds to enjoy. It’s unusual to see such a deep red in the woods in the summertime. Even more unusual to see it in the salt marsh…
In the dawn’s early light, this bright red poppy stands waiting to greet the sun. Why are poppies growing on this section of the trail between the Bald Eagle and Canada Goose Bridges? Could this be a clue?
Captain Jefferson Clifford Francis memorial bench
It’s easy to forget what’s important as we go about our busy lives. Regardless of the season, Nature remembers, even if we don’t.
For more on our connection with poppies see The Earth Remembers.
Captain Jefferson Francis’ memorial page at Military Mom at Home.
Text and photographs copyright Amy-Lynn Bell 2012
Flandrum Hill 
Leaves are turning yellow and falling already here in the midwest. This morning we had our first Rain in weeks. Just a light raining but some real water nonetheless. My friend in Norway says they’ve had more rain than the fields can stand and that crops are drowning for the second year in a row. Nature remembers and knows all. We can learn much from observing the natural world around us.
Hello and thank you for another inspiring post.
Eva, it’s very dry here too. There’s now a ban on all open fires. Hopefully when the rain comes, there won’t be too much of it at once. However, we have it a lot worse than in most of the rest of North America. It’s hot but not uncomfortably so (yet).
Lovely post.
Glad you enjoyed it Sunny 🙂
What a delightful red poppy! Zen… I started thinking about nature wearing red and could only settle on the memory of my daughter with a slightly sunburned nose. Only lately have I begun to feel that we humans are “nature” as well as poppies and sunrises and elderberries.
Kathy, the poppies were still in bloom this morning with many fully opened. The ones in my yard opened much earlier this year.
Yes we are indeed ‘nature’ itself. I hope you reminded your little red cupcake about the importance of sunscreen on the nose 😉
Christmas colours in summer – so striking, so touchingly observed and beautifully recorded here. Red for passion and death. The poppy for remembrance. A moving post, Amy-Lynn
Thanks Cindy. So glad you enjoyed it:)
Lovely post Amy-Lynn. He had an 8 month old child. Sigh …
Sybil, very sad. Didn’t he sound like an amazing man? Such a loss to his family and friends.
Love that lone red poppy in the dim dawn
Younggypsyspirit, its loneness appealed to me too. it’s amazing how much a flower can say.
I love the poppy photos especially. When I visited Seattle and Washington in May I enjoyed the huge poppies in the public market. Haven’t seen huge poppies like that here in upstate NY.