Today was supposed to be the sunny day of the week, and I was planning to go to Nisqually since I haven’t been there for two weeks. It was clear when I woke up, though, that the sky was anything but clear, with dark, threatening clouds hanging barely above our rooftop.

So I decided to stay home, nursing my bronchitis and try to get caught up on some projects I promised to do but had to put off after yesterday’s web site problems. I managed to get quite a lot done and still take Skye for his morning walk. All in all, it was turning into a rather productive day.

Then at 1:30, too late to go to Nisqually, it turned beautifully sunny. So I did the only thing I could, head to Pt Defiance Rose Garden to take pictures of the Dahlias.

The first thing I saw when I arrived was the sun shining through this yellow and orange dahlia, glowing with translucence.

Then I walked around to the other side and was equally struck by the brilliant gold, yellow, and red colors, solid and steadfast.

When I got home, I couldn’t decide which shot best captured the brief but brilliant fall sunshine.

So I spent an hour or two with Photoshop, trying to discover a fresh way of conveying the joy I always feel here in the Pacific Northwest when sunshine bursts through days of clouds, and everything seems cleaner, brighter, and fresher than before the rain descended.