Lurid beauty
Purple Beautyberry
It rained for a good part of the afternoon, and frankly, even though I hoped for decent hiking weather, I'll take the precipitation. We really need it. But before the showers arrived, I had a little exploring time. The skies were cloudy and threatening, and it was almost-60-degrees-warm, so it felt and looked like April. The soft light was perfect for showing off the unnatural color of our Purple Beautyberry shrub, which this year has made fruit for the first time. We have a white one, too, and together, they're quite a pair. Given my red-green colorblindness, I'm sure the color here is much more lurid than I can see. Or imagine. I'm guessing the berries are beacons for birds. Soon enough, they'll visit and strip the branches.