When the clouds moved off to the north, the sun came out. It was a brief visit, but Jilda and I both threw on our shoes and got some steps in.

Everything is so lush here. I could have used verdant to describe the foliage, but I didn't want to sound hoity-toity'ish...is that a word?

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a flash of crimson. When I stepped over, I saw that it was a leaf. It was the leaf from a Virginia Creeper vine. 

Here's the thing – I struggle with the names of trees, shrubs, and vines that grow all around me. In the past when I've written about them, I would always say...it's from a tree I could not name.

Today, I downloaded an app on my iPhone called Leafsnap. Within minutes of downloading it, I'd identified a tree whose name has stumped (pun) us for years. It was a red maple. 

Then tonight, I almost described the crimson leaf as being from a vine I could not name. Then, I pulled out my phone, click don the app, and pulled up the picture. In a matter of seconds, it told me that it was a Virginia creeper. I was so happy to know the name of something so beautiful.