Another walk at Kew

I was always going to Kew today to take a final look at the Artful Autumn willow display, which ends this weekend. 

The morning was chilly but not enough for frost; though it is meant to get colder over the next few days

they've finished planting the beds in front of the Palm House

 The slightly cloudy sky was allowing enough sun through to show there would be some good reflections today...

 I decided to head for the lake first, as I forgot last week

 on the way I had a problem with my camera, no idea what happened, I thought I'd knocked a setting but everything was over exposing.  But I changed lenses and back again and it was all fine...


as you were then, panic over (really must read the instruction manual properly one day!)

but I was right about the reflections..
I got almost up to the bridge, to find that access to it from this side was closed for repair to the path, so I had to head back and go round the other way!

 but now that I had fixed the issue with my camera I could take this shot again properly!

 it was worth the walk back the other way though

 and I was right for sure about the reflections

 from halfway across the bridge

 got a bit carried away!

 and at the top of the slope, my main reason for heading this way.  The Treelings, doing their tai chi exercises. 

 last couple of reflections...

 I just love them!

 another little pond as I walked down Cedar Vista to see the benches and funghi hangings

 this one is still my favourite though

 some great sunlight shining through the leaves

shadows of the branches behind the leaf

 of the other willow shapes, this is my favourite, this time I took it with the artful autumn banner fluttering in the light breeze

 headed in to see the Life in Death exhibit again (didn't take as many pictures today as obviously it's not going to change - although a few leaves and petals have dropped off)

but I liked the shadows on the floor from the hanging strands

 from the gallery, I headed down to the Victoria Plaza cafe for breakfast  elevenses

  past the Smoke Tree, looking even more stunning...

 shooting upwards through the branches.

 after coffee and an apricot danish,  walked round the pond

 I love using big tree trunks as frames for my pictures

 grasses along the Broad Walk

 veered off to visit the Hive.. Love this angle

 it was quite busy, but I put the wide angle on for some exaggerated effects

liked the effect of the sun through the honeycomb structure


When they installed the Hive, they said it would be there till November 2017, but I haven't seen anything about it coming down next month, so I hope it's staying after all.

 walking down the path round the Hive, I was struck how the wide angle and the view point gives such different shapes to the structure

I  like the sky in this one!

 and the sun through the next couple

 views from the path as I walked down from the Hive

 tree full of fruit  (pyrus ussuriensis - a flowering pear)

 quick walk through the POW glasshouse

 and out to the Family beds - poppies still blooming

 and the Grass Garden

 the salvias along the wall of the rock garden still looking good

 Kew Palace

 gorgeous grasses with the sun shining through them

normally I've put my camera away when I come out of Kew, but the park across the road from the entrance caught my eye, so finishing with this one today!

The chill of the early morning had long gone and it ended up a really lovely day, 4 hours (more or less) of walking and picture taking (over 350 today) and almost 9k again - bit less than usual,I  must have walked a more economic route, but this excludes to and from the station today)