As it was originally described by photographer and admired TP regular aleth11, "Sadly, the last zinnia photo of the year. As the frost melted, so did their color, and then they were gone ... "

Simple, unpretentious, and universal. I also like to say the photographer's e-name, Grundlepuck. Grundlepuck. Grundlepuck.

With any luck, photographer bear.bonnell will swing by the blog and tell us where he/she took this. I do recommend checking out the bear's other pix.

If you're a TP regular, you'll know the gent who took this pix, Andy Carvin. He's a gift to both NPR and TP, plus one hot flower photographer (what, me, prejudice?). The featured plant is my longtime late fall favorite, Leonotis leonurus. Let me know if you want me to blog about it sometime.

I've saved my favorite for last. I am crazy, crazy, crazy for this photograph. It speaks to me; hell, it screams to me. Childhood, the Berkshires, Russian writers, the associations are endless. This is a photographer you must meet (and a pix you've got to see larger), so follow the links. Thank you, Jen!