By Vladimir Brezina
...The one red leaf, the last of its clan,That dances as often as dance it can,Hanging so light, and hanging so high,On the topmost twig that looks up at the sky.
— Coleridge, Christabel
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Sunset at the end of December 2014 in NYC’s Central Park—
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(Click on any photo to start slideshow)
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Red berries 1
Vines
Entwining
Red berries 2
Red berries 3
Red berries 4
Red berries 5
Red branch
Fluff 1
Last red leaf
Milkweed pods 1
Milkweed pods 2
Red growth
Milkweed pods 3
Fluff 2
Milkweed pods 4
Last light over the Central Park Reservoir—
Vladimir Brezina (RIP) 
Johna Till Johnson
Wind Against Current 
Beautiful studies ! Milkweed ovum and fluff make for great fire tinder if ever you have the cause to start a fire to cook or warm up :) …
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I am almost sure that there’s a law against starting fires in Central Park ;-)
Great idea, though. Maybe we’ll bring some with us on our next kayaking expedition!
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Wonderful pictures and stunning gallery. Happy New Year!
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Thanks so much, Marilyn, and a very happy New Year to you!!
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Spent milkweed husks are lovely, aren’t they? They look like fairy ears. Happy new year!
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They are very beautiful. There’s a patch of them in Central Park that we always visit at this time of the year. This year we were at first dismayed to find that it was surrounded by a 6-foot construction fence. But we found a gap to get through to them :-)
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Beautiful shots. Happy New Year!
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And a most happy New Year to you, too!!
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Lovely – especially the red berries.
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Yes, they really caught the eye—not much other color in the park these days…
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What a perfect poem. And the images are so lovely, thank you!
Prospero Ano Nuevo a tu y Johna, look forward to your photos and adventures in 2015.
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Thank you so much, and all the best in the New Year! Yes, we will have a lot more to show in 2015, hopefully :-)
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What a wonderful way to end the year! It’s nice to see what’s still there to photograph as winter settles in.
Nancy
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There’s always something to photograph! :-) But this time of the year everything is monochromatic—that’s why the red colors of the berries and remaining leaves really stood out….
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Beautiful shots! I hope your new year is filled with adventure, health, happiness and love.
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Thank you so much for those wishes, Jane! And likewise all the best to you in the New Year! :-)
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loved the photos along with the poem which is making them more beautiful !!
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I pretty much stumbled across those lines from the poem, quoted in another blog, and they seemed very appropriate. Otherwise Christabel is about something completely different :-)
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Lovely photos which reflect the season and the last few days of this year. Happy New Year. May 2015 bring on the many more beautiful subjects that nature has to offer. :)
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Thank you—we have no doubt that it will! All the best to you in the New Year!!
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Fantastic photos!
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Thank you!!
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Awesome photos! I especially love the sky in the city photos:) Have a great new year!
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And you too!! :-)
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Beautiful photos… wish you a great 2015 :-)
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Thank you—and likewise to you!!
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Excelent photos, the orange sky is awesome
wish you the best for the 2015
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Thank you, Flavio, and all the best to you in 2015, likewise!!
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Lovely presentation! Happy new year ; )
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And a very happy New Year to you!!
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Love the contrast of berries and bark! Thanks for sharing all your adventures and lovely pics & happy new year – hope 2015 is just as fun & interesting.
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Thanks so much—we expect it will be! Happy New Year!!
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A gorgeous end-of-year photo essay! Thanks, Vlad and Johna :)
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Thanks so much, Jean & Alex—hope to see you soon to celebrate the New Year while it’s still young! :-)
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beautiful pictures!!! thanks for sharing and Happy New Year to you and Johna! :)
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You are most welcome, and a very happy New Year to you!! :-)
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Thank you for your wonderful blog and photos! Happy New Year to you both!
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And the same to you!!
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Inspiring photos…I passed milkweed pods every day of my morning walk in late autumn and never stopped to photograph them! You remind us that there is beauty in every corner of the world, if we pause to notice. Thank you :)
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You are most welcome! It is all about seeing what there is… And actually, this time of the year in Central Park, the milkweed pods stand out, they and the red berries—there isn’t much else…
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Great pictures… Happy New Year to you and your family…
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And the same to you!!
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Simply lovely, especially I the light in those berry clicks. And that solitary red leaf… a striking moment. Have not bumped into that Coleridge quote before. Very cool! Thanks for sharing.
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You are most welcome! I didn’t know that Coleridge quote either—I just happened across it accidentally at the right moment :-)
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Oops – especially the light in those berry clicks. I had nothing to do with it! :)
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I quite understand… ;-)
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