I thought about it the leaf branch but decided to leave it as it breaks up the continuity of the water.
Anyways, as for software I have both Aperture and Lightroom but prefer using Aperture. I also use onOne Perfect Photo, which plays nice with both Aperture and Lightroom. I also use Photoshop occasionally but have been weening myself off of it as the pricing is exorbitant and I'm not a fan of the whole leasing scheme they have going on. Lightroom doesn't do much for me in terms of user interface and workflow.
Now that Aperture (as well as iPhoto) has been officially discontinued, I'm waiting to see what Apple brings to the table with it's new Photos app. Whether it's more of a direct replacement for the pro Aperture app or consumer iPhoto app. Along with that, I'll be looking more closely at Phase One Capture One Pro as well as DxO Optics Pro.