This heliotrope caught my eye when I was choosing annuals this year, because it was so intensely purple. It was also rather tall, which appealed to me.
Unfortunately, there was a period of time where it evidently didn't get enough water and kinda died off. You can see that some in the photo.
But I was really pleased when I went to take close-up photos and realized it had such beautifully star-shaped blossoms.
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I've always liked lantana. I particularly enjoy the multi-colored blossoms that cluster together on a stalk. In fact, last year I posted photos of the lantana that grew in containers on our deck.
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That is all for now. I keep meaning to post more about my TX trip, but I never quite put aside the time to do it. I will soon, though.
In other news, I got my ticket for So You Think You Can Dance (touring show) today. We had a password to get tickets by presale. I'm actually farther back than I was last year when I didn't have the presale option. So, it must be getting more popular. I'm in row 11 (last year, I was in row 3). Maybe being a little farther back will be better for seeing more of their feet when they are half-way back on the stage. However, I probably won't be able to get the kinds of pictures that I took last year. (Note that I've had 193 views on that set!) I guess I'll just have to see.
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The flowers on my deck have really been healthy this year. I am slowly starting to figure out from year to year what grows best in this climate and spot around the house.
As time goes on, I will probably post this photo again and describe/give you the names of the other flowers.
I really like how the purple centers of these daisies were complimented by the other purple flowers nearby. It looks more impressive in person.
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I finally realized that I should use both of my black bedsheets to create a circle of black area. This allowed me to get this shot.
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Well, that is it until I get to TX. Most of those pictures will end up private on Flickr, unless I take some from behind. Maybe I should specifically do a few of those. Anyway, I fly out tomorrow. I expect to be around here and there, because doing things on the internet is enjoyable for me, so I will include it in my vacation. :-)
See you later and have a good weekend!
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This tree/bu$h was blooming over Memorial Day weekend.
This is what I saw out the kitchen window that inspired me to cut some branches off and put them in a vase so that we could enjoy them inside.
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and of course, the girlie had to help out.
Yes, she is large. ;-) But her face is so pretty to us. And the fur on her chest looks so soft; it just makes you want to pet it....
.... but of course, the white areas are the venus fly-trap areas.
And one last thing, did anyone else realize tomorrow is 6/7/08 - 6, 7, 8 :-)
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These are from the bouquet of congratulatory flowers I received from my family. I think this is the last of the flowers from that photo session. However, I do have more photos of some of the flowering trees and bushes near the house. So, I will have some photos for future weeks to tide us over until the outside annuals get into full bloom.
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Posted by danielle at 10:42 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
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These shots are some of my favorites from this set. I'm not sure if it is the shape of the lily, or the contrast of it against the black background. But I just love them.
I'm sure Squirl will like them too, since they is yellow. ;-)
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That one, I'm particularly fond of, since you can see the grains of pollen.
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Have a great Memorial Day weekend everyone! If it doesn't rain, I'll be singing at a church service that is outside amidst the trees. My mother in-law is going to come and hear me sing. She, my father in-law and brother in-law are visiting this holiday weekend. It should be a lot of fun to have them here!
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As you can probably tell, this rose was part of the bouquet that I received from my family as congratulations on my new job.
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I got these flowers from my family as congratulations for my new job! They were delivered to my work-place! That is 2 deliveries in one year. :-D
I couldn't believe how beautiful they were. And the funny thing is that on the day that they arrived, I had just been thinking about how I wanted to buy flowers for the weekend to celebrate and for taking photos.
There are a lot of photos here, but it is because I couldn't eliminate any of them. I am just too pleased with how they turned out.
AND, if you want to see more, you can go to my photostream on flickr. Of course, flickr is being dreadfully slow today. I'm not sure what is going on there.
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The one just above, and the first one, are probably the ones I'll have blown up into 5x7's in order to have some to decorate my new office.
I love the curls on the center of this reddish gerbera daisy. (in large)
I think the large one on that photo is really fascinating - the curls, the straight parts, the pollen grains...
Have a good weekend everyone!
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I had never seen a double hibiscus like this one before. I thought it was very unusual.
As for my snorkeling trip on Saturday, it was fantastic! The waves were a lot smaller, so it was easier in general. The reefs had a lot more places with a bunch of fish. We went to 2 separate reefs for 1 hour each. The second reef was one where only 2 dive groups go to, so it was flourishing and is actually considered the healthiest reef in Key Largo. There were really a ton of fish.
I ended up being about an hour late to the conference and missed a talk about migraines, but it was worth it. I also ended up getting part of my back a little bit burnt, but a few days of aloe cleared that up.
All in all, it was a really terrific trip. I had a lot of good beach and pool time. Went in the hot tub a couple of times in the late evening and had some excellent fish and crab - not to mention that key lime pie. The talks were really interesting and informative. One session was particularly pertinent to what we do in the lab.
And now, I'm preparing for my interview. It is on Tuesday.
I gave my talk to a member of the lab on Thursday and I'm adjusting it from the things that we discussed. I'll give it to the whole lab at lab meeting on Monday. Hopefully, there won't be very many changes at that point, since it will be the day before I give my talk. But luckily, with powerpoint, you can make changes up until the last minute.
ugh. My heart is starting to race just thinking about it. Need to take deep breaths and think about flowers and Key Largo....
;-)
I'll be sure to post how it goes. I have to meet with the Dean, so think happy thoughts for me. Clarity and confidence, that is what I need to convey.
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So, those were all of the flower photos I took today while at my conference in Key Largo, FL. I took time out from hanging around the beach and pool in order to get those shots (wipes brow with the thought of the effort it took to stop laying around). ;-)
I specifically made sure I got this "sun" picture for Amber.
This next one is the conference building where we had our meetings.
Pretty nice, eh? Of course, like most conference rooms, we actually sit in an enclosed walled-off room. But at least during breakfast, we got to look out at the ocean.
Every time I walk out of the room, I sigh and just thank my lucky stars that I am fortunate enough to get to attend a conference here. It is just absolutely fantastic and gorgeous. The weather has been about 82 all week with a breeze that is just enough to keep you from getting over-heated.
The conference is set up so that we start early (7:30) and end late (7 pm), but we have a big chunk of time in the middle of the day that is free. The first day, I spent it on the beach and in the pool. The second day, we went snorkeling. And today it was back to the pool/beach.
As for the snorkeling, there are coral reefs a few miles off shore that basically extend up and down the entire Florida keys. The one we went to was really a good depth for me. I saw a lot of really beautiful fish - one eel - and one shark. The sharks always weird me out a little bit. Although I know they are nurse sharks and totally harmless, it still makes me nervours. I took a bunch of photos with an underwater disposable camera. Of course, they never turn out as beautifully as it is in person, but it is enough to spark my memory of the trip.
I actually decided that I'm going to go out snorkeling with a different group tomorrow. This trip will go to 2 sites and will get back later in the day - which means that I'll be a tiny bit late for the afternoon session. But I think that will be okay, considering the number of people who are missing/present at any one time. I just heard tonight from a guy who went out with them today that he thought it was really awesome. So, I'm cautiously looking forward to it.
And I had a couple of things happen tonight that really made my evening. The people from my lab that are here at the conference didn't want to eat at 7 pm when we got out for the night and wanted to drink instead. Well, seeing as how I don't drink, and am really tuned to having meals at regular times, I decided to go out to supper on my own. I started to go to the hotel restaurant and then decided, at the last minute, to walk to the restaurant we'd been to the night before. I'd gotten one type of fish there last night and decided that I wanted to get a different type of fish tonight. They seated me at a table and I got to watch a lovely sunset while eating my salad. And the 2 things of note are that 1) I saw a dolphin that was just off of the dock breaching itself about 6 times. It was really incredible. I've only ever seen dolphins and whales breach at aquariums/Sea World. It was amazing to see it in person, in the wild. and 2) Because I was a returning customer (it came up in the course of chatting to the waiter), I got to have a complimentary slice of key lime pie. Which was A.W.E.S.O.M.E.!
The tuna that I had blackened was amazing too. Just incredible.
And here I am, winding down my evening by looking at my photos and blogging. What a great way to end the day. :-)
I have one more full day here (Saturday) and then we fly back to the cold hinterland on Sunday.
- more later -
Posted by danielle at 09:12 PM | Comments (8) | TrackBack
As per my usual photo-taking when I don't use my lightbox, I set the flowers on the floor to get a wide shot.
And guess who came over to investigate?
Yes, the Girlie-girl had to get right in the center of things.
I actually had to herd her away to get that first shot, because she kept wanting to lie down in the sun. This made her tail, or some part of her, in the photo.
Finally, I shoo-ed her away and got a shot. But just one, because she was quickly back.
Close-ups will be here when I take the ones with my 70-210 mm lens with the Kenko extension tubes.
But here is a hint of some photos taken in the late afternoon sun with the lens that came with my camera.
Posted by danielle at 10:11 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
A special delivery arrived today at the lab!
I've always wanted to have flowers delivered to my work-place. After all, it is the place where I spend the majority of my time everyday.
As you can see from the title, these are orchids. I had to go to several labs to find one with a digital camera and the zoom function for close-ups really didn't work. But you'll be seeing close-ups sometime after this weekend. :-)
The small orchids are yellow with reddish flourishes near the center. The large orchids are pinkish-orange with yellow centers. I love orchids that change from one color to the other within the same flower. They are just gorgeous and are really making me grin from ear to ear!
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I had trouble yesterday getting the stars to align to allow me to post, so these are a day late.
That one reminds me of an onion.
I kept twisting the rose around to get the best angle for lighting. Since I like a bunch of them, I'm posting them all.
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In the large view, the petal to the lower left has a lot of neat texture.
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As you can see from the lighting, the sun was setting when I took these photos. The rose just happened to be on the right spot on the table to catch the light, and I just happened to get up to get a drink of water at the right time.
This rose lasted for 2 weeks. It was the only one in the bunch that made it past the one week mark (at which point I threw the others out). It looked really nice as a single solitary rose in a small vase. I'm glad it lasted so long.
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I got these roses from HB for Valentine's Day! :-D
Aren't they beautiful?
And of course, the Girlie-girl had to get in on the action and investigate.
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These are the carnations that were part of the Thanksgiving bouquet. I'm just now getting around to posting the photos.
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Posted by danielle at 10:35 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
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These are the roses that were in the Thanksgiving bouquet.
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In that large one, I like how you can see the lighter veins and the fuz that is on the edge of the leaf (albeit a bit blurry).
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I had a lot of trouble getting that shot. I needed to get the flowers angled more so that I could get my tripod to look down at the center of the flower. I think that sometime, I'm going to need to invest in (or make?) some kind of stand that is adjustable in height and has some sort of frame to brace or rubber-band vases in place so that it can be tilted more. My lens is so heavy on my camera that I can't utilize the full tilt of the tripod head, or it just falls to a pointed down position. It is hard to describe and not worth taking a photo of. But suffice to say that sometimes it is quite difficult to get the shot that I want.
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I think that last one is my favorite. That and the first one. Well, actually I like all of them for different reasons. But the variations in color really show up well on the first and last one.
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Usually, I look at the little plastic tag that comes with the flowers and tell you what the flower type is. (great grammar - please ignore). However, I forgot to look this morning and I'm now posting this on my lunch hour at work. So, I'll have to fill you in later.
I really like these flowers. They cascaded down the pot really nicely and were really full.
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That one is one of my favorites.
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I really like that one too. Especially the deep color.
Poopie, yes it is cold here now. I've been walking to and from the garage I park in at work with mittens and the outer layer of my winter coat (I'll be putting the down liner into it soon, I'm sure). We've had frost for 2-3 mornings and we've turned the heat on today; for some reason, our house had stayed remarkably warm. Finally, the gerbera daisies are just LOVING the chilly weather. Who would've thought? They were terrible during the summer - wilting, never blooming. But the minute it went into the 60's, they perked right up. I should probably try to get some pics this weekend.
Take care all!
D
Posted by danielle at 02:30 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
Today is the fourth or fifth dreary/rainy day we've had here. I chose these flowers, because they seemed to brighten up the day a little bit.
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I don't know what they are called. They are one of the perennials that was here at the house when we arrived.
I hope you have a good weekend. :-)
Posted by danielle at 08:41 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
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This flower is 'Perky Pink' Gaura lindheimeri hybrid.
Evidently, it is not common enough to have a "common name".
I did pick it out because it was tall and unusual. It kind of reminded me of an Asian plant - like the starkness of an orchid maybe.
Or maybe it is because the center reminds me of a type of sprout that you find in Asian cuisine.
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I haven't posted many photos on Fridays lately, because I'm taking a Friday morning class about how to teach in higher education. Consequently, my Friday mornings are more rushed than usual. But I hope you enjoy these today.
Oh, and as an aside, this plant didn't do really well this summer on the deck. I think it was getting too much heat and sun, because now that it is cooler (high 50's) it is doing so much better! I'd thought everything would be done by now, but some of them are doing better than ever.
Posted by danielle at 01:42 PM | Comments (6) | TrackBack
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This is the verbena that is in the same pot as the lantana. If you want to see how it looks when the shot isn't all zoomed in, you can see it in the lantana post.
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These flowers have done particularly well with the amount of sun and water that they've been getting while on the deck. It has been a joy to see them go from a 4 inch pot to a huge amount of space in the big pot.
I hope you have a good weekend!
Posted by danielle at 08:54 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
Here are the flowers at their home, or as I like to think of them - in situ.
Closer....
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Closer...
And another bunch of flowers...
And closer....
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UPDATED: I've exchanged the previous - slightly underexposed - photo with one where I've altered the light in photoshop.
This insect is a fast little bugger. I ended up giving up on trying to get rid of him and just decided to take photos of him instead.
I love the look of that leaf. It isn't as artistic as one with light shining through it, but I like it for the ridges. They remind me of lizards/dinosaurs for some reason.
Just in case you missed it, the 100 Things 11-20 is below.
Happy Friday and have a good Labor Day weekend!
Posted by danielle at 11:14 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
This is my favorite fushia photo out of the whole group. I like the way the upper petals curve with the points on the end. It is very fairy-like to me.
Here it is in large.
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I'd all but given up this fuschia for dead.
You can actually see some of the dead parts in there. Basically, it was getting older, and I guess fuschias are notoriously short-lived and fussy. Nothing like having a fussy plant, eh?
Well, when I was at my friend's wedding and HB was in charge of watering, it kind of croaked. But I kept watering it when I came back, because there were the tiniest little green leaves at the base of the dead branches, and I just didn't have the heart to dump it in the trash.
And after about, lets see, has it been a month now? Yes. So, after about a month of watering it, it came back into bloom.
And now, I don't have to regret not taking photos of it before the false alarm of death. Which, believe me, I was having some major bouts of regret.
But no more!
Because I went and took the time to bring it into the house and get photos with good lighting (not shown yet), I'm going to space out the photos over the course of several days.
If you feel like you can't wait, they are all on Flickr already. But since I haven't been posting much lately, I thought a burst of posts might be kind of nice.
I like that one, because it looks like an alien to me.
Do you see it?
Posted by danielle at 07:58 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
This is it! The long anticipated final book in the Harry Potter series comes out tonight at midnight.
I'll be picking up my copy in the morning from Target. I will be under a media black-out until I finish reading it, because I don't want to accidentally hear any plot details. So, if I seem like I'm hiding in a cave for a while, that is because I will be. ;-)
I've been debating about reading it particularly slow in order to stretch it out and make it last longer, but I imagine I'll be reading at a medium to slow pace instead. I just want to be sure that I'm not reading so fast that I lose the magic of it. And after waiting all of this time, I want it to last for more than just a couple days.
And if you haven't guessed by now. I still haven't taken close up pictures of the flowers on my deck.
I do have a far away shot that I took when I was testing out some camera settings and then when I was testing the flickr uploader software.
If you look at the large view, you can see it better.
Unfortunately, at this moment the hibiscus wasn't blooming. But it has just been a wealth of blooms lately. Its been really really gorgeous.
Well, I'll be seeing you later. For those of you who read Harry Potter - enjoy the magic!
Posted by danielle at 09:47 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
This was one of the centerpieces for my friend's wedding. I was really excited at the use of hydrangeas in the centerpieces, since I love them so much.
And speaking of weddings, today is HB's and my 11th anniversary! We have plans to do some fun things this weekend. Hopefully, the weather will stay nice.
Have a good weekend all. :-)
Posted by danielle at 02:57 PM | Comments (8) | TrackBack
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This hibiscus bush is one that I bought for $25 at Home Depot this Spring and have housed on my deck. It gets an incredible amount of sun, and is ideal for such a tropical plant.
And here is a slightly different angle that shows off the flower a bit differently.
and in large (highly recommended that you click that link)
And finally, the one that may be my favorite, just because it gives you an unexpected view of the flower and it highlights other aspects of its beauty.
Hope you enjoy the flower and have a good weekend!
I'll be at a wedding next Friday and may not be able to post. We'll have to see what the internet connection is like at the hotel.
Posted by danielle at 10:13 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
When we were in Texas, I was disappointed that the bluebonnets weren't in bloom, because I've heard how beautiful they make the roadsides and the fields at Wildseed Farms. I've also seen photos that are just spectacular and I was hoping to experience that beauty in person.
Luckily, there were a row or two that were just beginning to bloom when we were visiting. By the way, I was leaning over a rope to get these shots, so unfortunately they aren't super close-up like I'd wanted.
And then there were a few that weren't exactly blue. I wonder if they are still called bluebonnets?
I'd almost forgotten that I had these photos. But I was getting kind of desperate for a Friday photo.
Also, I keep getting random requests for photos of the Girlie on Friday. I hope to share something with you next week. I'll keep my eye out this weekend for a good shot of her. She can be tricky to photograph.
In the meantime, have a good weekend. :-)
Posted by danielle at 09:40 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
While we were at Wildseed Farms in Texas, the hibiscus for sale were blooming. This pink one is probably the best photo of the group that I was able to shoot. Unfortunately, I didn't feel like it was acceptable to wheel them around for photographic purposes into better lighting. So, I was faced a situation of less than perfect lighting.
But the flowers are still pretty and worth admiring.
And I'm getting this posted so late, because I ended up with a migraine this morning and am staying home for the day. This, of course, means that I'll have to go in all day tomorrow, but I'd rather do that than go in now and be there until 8 or 9 pm tonight. That is just way too close to bedtime and plays havoc with me.
So, I hope all of you have an excellent Memorial Day weekend. I know that I'll be enjoying the bliss that is a Monday off of work.
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This might be a Gay Feather (Liatris). I was looking around at different types of Liatris and it seemed like the Gay Feather was the main one I kept finding that looks like this flower.
This flower was tricky to photograph because it kept swaying in the wind. But when the wind died down for a few seconds, I got this shot. I also like this photo because of the fence. There are all kinds of neat fences and structures at Wildseed Farms in Texas. It really is a fun place.
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These bloomed out in our front flower bed. They have been blooming every year since we moved here with no effort from me to plant bulbs or anything in the fall. Clearly, the bulbs are much hardier than everyone says.
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I hope you enjoy the yellow tulips. And may you have a good weekend. :-)
Posted by danielle at 10:40 AM | Comments (8) | TrackBack
Like last week, I don't know the name of these either. But I do like them. A few years ago, we saw them in purple and they are on a collage that I made of flowers that hangs on the fridge. Since then, whenever we have visited Wildseed Farms, I've seen them in yellow. This is the first that I've seen both yellow and red.
I like the chubby leaves of the plant. That is how I know it is a succulent of some type. I also like the pom-pom frillyness of the flowers.
I hope you have a good weekend. HB and I are slated to go out to the best fish and chips restaurant in the Twin Cities (at least we think it is the best). It is a British pub that has outdoor seating and lawn bowling on a rooftop, grassy deck. I'm not sure if the lawn bowling will be started at this time of year or if it will be warm enough to sit outside, but it is nice to know that the possibility exists.
Posted by danielle at 10:18 AM | Comments (12) | TrackBack
This photo feels like Spring and Easter to me for several reasons. One is that there are strips of fresh green amidst the dry brown dirt which is a sure sign of Spring. The other is the colors of the poppies look very spring-like to me. It reminds me of Easter for the same reason - new life amidst the three. Three being an element of the trinity/triune, of course. The stripes of green with the flowers also reminds me of the rays of sun coming down from above. It has that same shape of being wide in the foreground and skinnny in the background that you see for artistic representations of the light of Christ or the light of heaven shining down. That may be stretching the symbolism surrounding Easter a bit for some of you, but now that I see it, I can't ignore it and thought someone else might find it interesting.
As today is Good Friday, it seems premature to wish everyone a Happy Easter. But know that I'll be thinking those thoughts for you on Sunday.
Posted by danielle at 10:35 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
These are more beauties that I saw blooming in Texas. They are African Daisies. I loved the yellow appearance and that slight ring of blue around the center when I first saw them. I'm still in love with something about the lighting/shading colors of the daisies. I can't put my finger on it, but I know they are beautiful.
May it bring you a moment of joy today.
Happy Friday!
Posted by danielle at 09:46 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
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When I was visiting Texas, there were many flowering trees blooming. I like this one for its puffy look and the Mickey Mouse that I see in the center in the branches, if I squint hard enough. ;-)
Some of the prettiest flowering trees were not the one in this photo, but had very tiny purple flowers. This made the branches look like the normal, skinny, distinct shapes, but they were highlighted in purple now. It was all very gorgeous and made me so happy to get to be a part of Spring somewhere. It may be a month until we see that kind of progress. It is hard to know, since I don't remember last year's Spring very well (except I do remember that it took forever to get here).
But in the meantime, I'm stocked up on flower photos. Some better than otherss, so I'll get to share those with you on Fridays again. :-)
Happy Friday!
P.S. HB leaves for India today, so keep him in your thoughts for safe travel. He'll be back on Tuesday.
Posted by danielle at 09:13 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
These are the flowers that I fell in love with at Home Dee-pot the other weekend and they have just been a joy to have around.
I like how they look very ruffly in this next photo.
I of course, had to do my share of close-ups, because I just loved the star shape in the center.
and in large - be sure to check this one out! Especially take note of the pollen in the center.
This next one is just a slightly different angle, but I really like it too and couldn't decide between this and the one before. So, you get to see both!
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This is what my little camera studio looked like.
Yes, they are sitting on top of a tissue box. And note how the Girlie is close by. She was actually sniffing around the tripod at one point. But even though I had my camera detached from the tripod at the time, I had my macro lens on the camera at the time and wouldn't have been able to get a good shot of her.
Well, I hope you enjoy these photos. I know I enjoyed taking them and looking at them. :-D
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Guess what I've been doing!
I've been taking photos with my extension tubes.
You know what that means, right?
tee-hee!
Posted by danielle at 01:11 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
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I saw these orchids at the MN state fair too. I like how sharp and crisp the one blossom on the right is.
Unfortunately, I don't have much more to say about this photo other than that it was the closest I could get to Christmas colors right now.
i have a poinsettia, but haven't found the time to take photos of it yet. Soon, I hope. Of course, I'm also this weekend trying to get lights put on our tree, decorations put on it, Christmas cards sent out, and HB and I are planning to go on a date to see Casino Royale. Lots to do! All good stuff, but stuff that I want to do NOW and not have wait any longer, so it all feels more pressing than I'd maybe prefer. I just want to have time to enjoy the Christmas decorations and because our address changed last year and I never sent out cards or notices, I'm concerned that people don't have our address.
Hope you have a happy Friday and a good weekend. :-)
Posted by danielle at 10:08 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
Doesn't the title Hairy Mums make you think of old British ladies with hairs sprouting off of their chins?
No? Well, just a thought.
Anyway, it doesn't seem like Friday, does it? Kinda nice that we have 2 more days off in addition to this one to laze around. Pretty dang cool actually. I realized that our last vacation was in May when I went through the commencement ceremonies back in Boston, and that was long enough ago that I was feeling overdue for a few days off.
This photo was from the MN State Fair and was the closest thing I had to Thanksgiving colors. I've always had a fondness for what I call hairy mums. I'm not really sure if they are called that officially, and there is a part of me that doesn't want to know, so doesn't look it up to check. They remind me of fireworks or starbursts. The lilies are really something else too. Aren't they?
Happy Friday!
Posted by danielle at 01:05 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
This is the first of the orchid pictures from the exhibit at the Minnesota State Fair. Several are very good, but this one might be the best one. I thought I'd start off with a bang. Hope you get some enjoyment out of it.
Posted by danielle at 10:12 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
I have a few flower pictures left from Como Park. And while none of them is so outstanding to warrant its own post, I thought that posting them together might be a nice way to end this series.
These remind me of begonias, but I'm not really sure if that is what they are or not. Mainly, I liked the two-toned petals.
I have a feeling I will always see purple and white flowers and think of them as being my school colors (college).
And finally, the gerbera daisies. I had taken quiet a few photos of these in hopes that one would come out well, but it appears that the light was too harsh for most of them. Also, they were farther away than I prefer, and the photos don't have the punch that a close-up would have. But, they are still rather pretty in this collection of flowers.
I hope you have enjoyed this walk through the Como Park Conservatory. Next up, orchids from the state fair.
Posted by danielle at 07:32 AM | Comments (9) | TrackBack
I spotted this flower at the Como Park Conservatory. I have never seen anything like it before.
It reminded me of a poinsettia in that the petals of the flower are almost like leaves with coloring. But it is different from a poinsettia in that the leaves of the flower are an entirely different shape and style than the petals. So, it is clearly not just composed of pigmented leaves.
I was particularly intrigued by how ruffly and disorganized the flower appeared. I couldn't really find a center to the flower; it was just one mass of ruffles.
But then as we moved along through the conservatory, I spotted this grouping that did have a bit more organization.
While the organized one looks very different from the first two photos, I still like it. I like it for its rounded, yet pointed petals and its 5-pointed shape.
I still don't know what the name of the flower could possibly be. If anyone has any ideas, be sure to speak up in the comments.
Posted by danielle at 09:10 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
and in large
These were a couple of the amazing water lilies we saw in the ponds outside of Como Park Conservatory. There were some huge water lily plants with lily pads of over 1 foot in diameter and growing 6-8 feet (or more) in diameter. They looked like you'd be able to walk on them, they were so large.
But of course it was the flowers that really drew my eye. So many pretty flowers. The day was cloudy, so the lighting in this photo is subdued due to the clouds. Although you know what happened? The sun came out, so I rushed over and took a photo or two of the same two flowers. And...
... and I don't like those pictures as well. The light seems glaring. The shadows seem harsh. It is amazing what a little diffused light can do.
So my photography lesson for the day? Just keep taking pictures. In various light conditions, if possible. Because you never know which combination is going to turn out to be just right.
Posted by danielle at 09:14 AM | Comments (6) | TrackBack
and in large
This is another type of daylily that was living at the Como Park Conservatory. I decided that putting the two types of daylilies on sequential weeks might be nice.
I like the delicate pink color of this one and the way the spots stick out so much. The funny thing about this photo (or at least funny to me) is that I didn't remember taking it. When I got home and saw the flower photo, I was surprised - pleasantly, of course.
Posted by danielle at 09:19 AM | Comments (7) | TrackBack
This was one of the hot pink daylilies that made the Sunken Garden at the Como Park Conservatory smell so good.
In the large view. you can see some small white flowers nearby. You can also see that the spots of the daylily look like physical bumps (as opposed to painted-on looking spots) which is interesting, I think.
Hope you have a lovely Labor Day weekend. I know I'm looking forward to the three days off.
Posted by danielle at 09:03 AM | Comments (6) | TrackBack
On Saturday, Amber came up with the bright idea of going to the Como Park Conservatory to walk around and photograph flowers.
It was an impressive set of greenhouses.
There were a lot of green plants, and fewer flowering plants than we expected, but we still enjoyed it.
This was a water feature (pond) with St. Francis of Assisi beside it.
The very last greenhouse we went into had the majority of the flowers. The minute we walked in, I could smell the flowers very strongly. I couldn't quite place the scent until I saw all of the lilies. And then I realized it was the lilies that were filling the air with their perfume.
In the coming weeks, I'll be showing you more flower photos from that trip - including the lilies.
But for now, I wanted to share with you one of the photos that unexpectedly turned out better than the rest.
I really like the contrast with the stones.
Hope this finds you doing well and ready to enjoy your weekend. :-)
Posted by danielle at 09:06 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
This is one of the close-up shots of a zinnia that is blooming currently in a pot on my porch. I brought it inside for the photos. Isn't that nice about a container garden? You can move them anywhere. Even inside - temporarily, of course.
I didn't know that they were zinnias until Poopie and Squirl pointed it out on my last flower post. You see, I had received these seed balls labeled "Seedz of Hope" from a dear friend who shipped them to me special. This particular packet was a fundraiser for breast cancer research and all of the seeds in the clay ball were supposed to be for pink flowers. Pink flowers of unknown types - at least to me. But sure enough, the zinnias bloomed different shades of pink. The other day when I was looking at my more zoomed out photos of the zinnias (the ones I posted) I realized that the centers of the flowers were quite interesting looking.
I didn't know they'd be even more interesting as I photographed them.
I love how in this one, the yellow parts are star-shaped stalks stretching up so high. And there are curly double candy canes too that show up from this bugs-eye view.
In large.
I know the three shots are rather similar. But each one is just different enough, that I thought it was worth putting them all three on here. Hope you don't mind indulging me on this one.
Enjoy your weekend!
Posted by danielle at 07:59 PM | Comments (10) | TrackBack
If you read my 'post-poned' note, you'll know that when I looked at these photos, I decided that I wanted some additional close-ups. I had hoped to take those photos today. However, I'm not feeling all that well. So, I thought it might be best to just go ahead and post these, and then I can take the close-ups at my leisure and post them next Friday.
See you later.
Posted by danielle at 04:18 PM | Comments (7) | TrackBack
This flower is portulaca, also known as a moss rose. Every summer when I plant annuals, I get some moss roses. They are one of the few flowers that can tolerate a lot of heat and not much water. So back in MA, I planted them by the mailbox where they were exposed to heat from the driveway and the road.
Here in MN, I've planted them in pots and put them on the deck where I can see them daily.
They can be a variety of colors, such as red, hot pink, peachy orange, orangey yellow, yellow, and white. Well, I guess technically white isn't a color, but you get the idea. Part of what I like about them is how a variety of colors can bloom in the same pot. In these examples, the plants happened to be blooming mostly the same color, which was kind of unique and photo worthy, but that isn't necessarily typical.
Not many people have heard of moss roses, but we had them when I was growing up, and they were always one of my favorite flowers. I think I liked them for their color, their small size, and their ruffly-ness. As an adult, I still love them for all of those things, but in addition I love their drought tolerance. I'm really terrible at remembering to water plants. I wouldn't say that I have a brown thumb, but sometimes it comes close. Maybe tan.
What are some of the flowers you always plant? Do you have any standards?
Posted by danielle at 08:47 AM | Comments (6) | TrackBack
This daylily bloomed in the flower bed in our front yard. It is one of those pictures that turned out far better than I'd ever imagined. I'm not sure what it is exactly that strikes me so much when I look at it, other than that the central flower parts look so pretty with the way they are projecting from the flower (no snickering, please, yes, I know how that sounds). When I saw it in person, I was more struck by the symmetrical wheel of stems that the flower is coming out of, but you barely notice that in this shot.
The daylilies have been really abundant in our yard this year. They must've been a favorite of someone who did the planting in the past. I can tell you that they certainly seem to be a good choice in that they have been hardy enough to withstand the heat and the lack of rain. We've been watering the grass some, but that water doesn't always make it into the flower bed, so the flowers are living off of whatever rain water comes their way. And they are doing really well. I'm becoming more fond of them too. Especially with their long blooming periods. I had been under the misimpression they kind of bloomed and died, but I'm discovering that once they bloom, they stay blooming for quite a while. And that makes for a really nice garden.
Posted by danielle at 08:58 AM | Comments (6) | TrackBack
These echinacea, or purple coneflowers, are blooming in two different spots in our front yard. I'm so glad that the previous owners put in so many perennials. It has been fun to see what will bloom next.
I tried my hand at some close-up photography again. But this time I tried it outside while the wind was blowing. That was quite tricky and led to many blurred photos. However, the photo above was taken outside and turned out okay.
The one I took inside has an interesting lighting effect. But overall, I liked the outside shots and angle better.
I love the pattern in this last one.
Hope you like them too! Happy Friday.
Posted by danielle at 08:56 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
One night, HB and I needed to stop at the grocery store to pick up a couple of items for breakfast. When we went past the flowers, I couldn't help but linger over them. He jokingly told me it was either flowers or butter (one of the items). Now, I knew we had plenty of butter at home; I was just planning to get more as a back-up. So, I quickly decided that Flowers! won.
I debated about picking out some Gebera daisies, but I saw these orchids and they were so cheap and they said "long-lasting" on the tag. And they have lived up to their promise! They've lasted for at least a couple of weeks and the buds just keep growing and blooming. They have been a joy.
This one reminds me of an alien mouth - it's coming to get you - ahhhhhh!
I like this one a lot. I'm not sure why exactly. I think it has to do with the way the petals are all coming together in the background or how they look like Dumbo ears and the way the purple petal is flipped up which seems cheerier than the ones flipped down.
I spent forever trying to get a good photograph of those little spiky things on the petals. None of them turned out quite how I'd planned. But I liked this one. It reminded me of an iris or a ruffly skirt.
And this last one reminds me of a flower petal draping something so gracefully. I like the glistening/wrinkly look of it.
Hope you enjoy them too! Have a good weekend. :-)
Posted by danielle at 09:01 AM | Comments (7) | TrackBack
These are another type of weed/wildflower that I have been seeing on my exercise walks. They only grow in the shade in one very isolated spot as far as I can tell.
The first time I saw them, I stopped and stared at them, because I liked their appearance so much. After all, they are 1) purple and 2) grow like a string of little bells and 3) some of the greenery has curly stems coming off of it. The flowers are so tiny, it was hard to get a decent photograph of them. I really needed my zoom lens and probably should've laid down on the ground, but I didn't feel like getting down on the ground or walking my zoom lens all of the way out there. These flowers are located 1/3 of the way into my (45 min) walk. So, this photo will have to suffice to remind me of them.
I'd never seen a weed/wildflower like this before. I've been noticing that there are different flowers growing here in MN than I've seen before in Indiana or other places we've lived. Neat, huh?
Happy Friday everyone!
Posted by danielle at 08:57 AM | Comments (11) | TrackBack
(and in large)
I've been seeing this crazy-looking flower whenver I go for my exercise walks.
It is quite thorny and prickly looking.
And as I discovered as I was trying to take photos, not only is it thorny-Looking but it really is thorny! It was windy and I was trying to find a spot to hold onto it to hold it still and it was worse than trying to get ahold of a rose bush.
Last weekend, Amber came over and we went for our exercise walk together. When we saw the weed/flower, it had not yet reached the blooming stage in the photo directly above this. Instead, it still looked like the first photo.
So, you can imagine my surprise when I saw it in full bloom yesterday.
It reminded me of a thistle.
Interestingly, I ran into a couple who were also out walking who spotted my camera and asked if I'd captured anything good. I told them about the crazy plant and the woman told me it is indeed a thistle and is actually a globe thistle.
Sounded reasonable to me. So now we have an I.D. on the crazy plant. A globe thistle.
Oh and one last photo. This plant is really quite large. I know that without a person or something for reference it is hard to tell from the photo, but I went ahead and took one anyway. At least it will remind me how big it was, if nothing else.
I took all photos with Dee-Dee yesterday.
Posted by danielle at 08:50 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
While we were vacationing in Boston, we made a trip up to Cambridge to go to the Harvard Museum of Natural History. The exhibit that lured us there was that they have the Ware collection of glass flowers. Yes, those flowers in the above photo are made out of glass.
We walked around, somewhat stunned that the flowers in front of us were really made out of glass.
It was difficult to fathom the amount of work and patience it would take to make these models.
Evidently, it took 50 years for Leopold Blaschka and his son to make the collection of 3000 models (830 flower species).
How many failed attempts until they got a petal or a leaf right?
And then we saw the tools that they'd used!
They seemed so bulky and large compared to the kinds of tools you'd imagine would be used today for such delicate work.
Just amazing.
Tea anyone? That plant is Camillia sinensis, the tea plant.
It is really quite a collection. And the rest of the museum is really very nice too.
Posted by danielle at 07:29 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
I had the nicest surprise on Wednesday night; the neighbor boy brought over a freshly-cut bouquet of lilacs!
It turns out that they have a few bushes on the other side of their house, but cannot cut them and have them in the house because the neighbor lady is allergic to them. Instead of letting them go to waste, the neighbor guy was cutting them into bouquets and sending them with his son over to the various neighbors. Wasn't that sweet?!
I was inspired to pull out my Vivitar lens and the extension tubes for these shots in order to capture the tiny star-like blossoms.
And to capture the fireworks burst of buds.
I hope you get the chance (or got the chance, for those of you living in warmer regions) to smell some lilacs this spring.
All pictures were taken with my Vivitar 70-210 mm lens and Kenko extension tubes (all 3 stacked together).
Posted by danielle at 08:56 AM | Comments (7) | TrackBack
This is the flowering bush that is behind our house. I can see it when I look out of the kitchen window. I had no idea that it would produce flowers. So you can imagine my surprise and Joy! when it produced a flurry of pink blooms.
In other news, we are headed to Boston tomorrow for my graduation! The ceremony is on Sunday, and HB, my parents, Texas Seestor, and HB's parents are all flying into town for it too! We are going to stay for a couple days to do some sight-seeing as well. It is bound to be an enjoyable time.
Posted by danielle at 09:00 AM | Comments (8) | TrackBack
This photo is very similar to the one that I took of the red tulips. I am showing you this one, even though it is similar, because the pink tulips deserve their chance to shine as well. I also like the appearance of the daffodils in the photo.
Have a happy Friday and a good weekend. I'm really looking forward to this weekend. I'm finally going to read the new(ish) Diana Gabaldon book that came out around Christmastime. I hadn't wanted to start it while I was working on my thesis, because I was afraid I'd want to do nothing but read her book. So for the past couple weeks, I've been re-reading the two previous books in the series. I just finished the one before it last night and am all set to start the new one now. Yippee!
Posted by danielle at 09:01 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
All week long I have been seeing and enjoying this flowering tree in our front yard.
I had no idea that it was going to flower, so you can imagine my surprise when I saw the buds and the first flowers coming out.
I was hoping to photograph it on a sunny day, but I didn't do it on Wednesday like I should've and it has been cloudy since then. Consequently, I am showing you pictures I took a couple hours ago. I kept hoping that the sun would come out to create some shadows and contrast, but not today. Probably tomorrow.
and in large
Tomorrow, it is supposed to be nice and sunny and 69 degrees. I think it will be a perfect day to go to the zoo! I had wanted to go to the zoo last Saturday with HB as a premature celebration of having everything turned in, but it was rainy both days last weekend. Not exactly weather for traipsing around the zoo.
Tomorrow though, ought to be perfect! Have a good weekend everyone!
Posted by danielle at 01:20 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
I really like this photo against the white background. Some flowers, like yellow or light colored ones, seem to look best against a dark background, but these red tulips look sharper against white, I think.
And you know I could resist some close-ups.
I was fascinated by all of the pollen falling down.
That one reminds me of a crown of points, for some reason. I guess it just looks royal to me.
These were all part of the Watch 'em Grow basket that I mentioned to you earlier and showed a picture of on Easter. It really had a lot of beautiful flowers in it.
I took all photos with Dee-Dee, the last one used my Vivitar 70-210mm lens and some Kenko extension tubes.
Posted by danielle at 10:31 AM | Comments (6) | TrackBack
I was taking photos from the other direction when I had to walk around and grab something from the other side of the room. I realized how pretty the flowers look with the sun coming through them.
Even when viewed from the 'back' side of the flowers, I thought they were pretty and reminded me of stained glass.
I was in the mood for some extra light today. I went to church last night for Maundy Thursday and the service was emotional and dark (as it should be). But that meant that I need a little extra lightness today.
This picture makes me smile because the Girlie-girl just Had to have a drink of water right then. So, she is in the photo too. You know SHE who, as I type this, is laying in the sun and is snoring really loudly. She knows her SHE name very well. She knows that when HB and I talk about SHE too much, it must mean her.
Hope you enjoyed the flowers. Have a Good Friday and if I don't see you around on Sunday, a Happy Easter.
Posted by danielle at 10:26 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
I'd never seen a daffodil like this before. One that had a creamy yellow center with a lot of white around it and with a center part where the ruffles were more splayed out. I also really liked how each petal had a little point in the center of it. That is part of what I like about that photo, the little points.
I was also really drawn to the ruffles.
This one reminds me of coral.
This next one reminds me of old sheets or bedding for some reason.
It can be hard to see if you are at a monitor near the sun, but hopefully you can appreciate the squishyness of it. It almost looks spongey to me, like I want to curl up and lay my head on that spongey softeness. I guess that is why I think of blankets and bedding material when I see it. It just looks cozy to me.
I took a bunch of other photos too, but they just didn't satisfy me. Honestly, when I was taking these, I lost my patience. I couldn't seem to capture what I wanted to capture and I couldn't figure out why. I guess the one that looks like coral is the sort of thing I was envisioning, so at least I got that shot. I was also wary of leaving the flowers in the sun for too long, because it shortens their blooming period, so I was kind of racing against the clock. Not exactly an easy way to be taking photos that is conducive to keeping one's patience, eh? Such is the trade-off between having the flowers for enjoyment and taking photos. I'm just grateful that I've had the flowers at all. They've brought me such joy!
They arrived in a basket with only a couple shoots sticking up.
But within 4 days they'd grown a surprising amount! I could literally watch them grow. Some of them were growing an inch per day!
Isn't that neat? It was so fun to see the daily progress. I love stuff like that. I once had an amaryllis around Christmastime that was fun to watch like that. Just amazing the way it started out as a bulb and then a green shoot popped up and that shoot grew and grew and grew and then finally bloomed this gorgeous red flower. Flowers are such fun. Hopefully, you think so too. :-)
Posted by danielle at 10:34 AM | Comments (8) | TrackBack
Here is a crocus budding.
I love the dark purple of the bud and the tight unfurledness of it.
When I saw this, I actually thought that was as far as the flower was going to bloom.
So, you can imagine my surprise when I saw this:
See how that one on the right ended up all rounded and pretty? I was happy to see that.
So, then you can imagine how thrilled I was when it opened up even more.
I was really shocked to see the bright orange center. It looked so sharp against the purple. In this photo, I was trying to capture the streaks going into the center of the flower, but it ended up a little over-exposed. But I still like the overall symmetry of the petal (multiples of 3 again).
That one is my favorite (in large). I spent quite a while getting that photo.
And now I really appreciate crocuses. They are quite pretty once you stop and look at them carefully. Happy Friday everyone!
Posted by danielle at 11:03 AM | Comments (10) | TrackBack
More tulip pictures this week, remember?
In that picture up above, I want you to look really closely at something. Look at the tulip at 6 o'clock (or well, 5:30, to be precise).
Notice anything different about that tulip?
Well, it has multiples of 4 for everything, while the rest of the tulips have multiples of 3. Inside the tulip, you can see 8 black/brown stamens. Then in the center, the stigma has 4 parts to it. And the petals are in multiples of 4, while every other flower has multiples of 3.
It is like the 4-leaf clover of tulips!
And really pretty too, isn't it?
And here is one with multiples of 3.
Also really lovely with the way the light is shining through the petals, I thought.
If you haven't figured it out yet, I broke up these pictures (mostly) so that last week was all of the photos of the outer petals and this week is the inner parts of the flowers.
Here are my favorites.
and the large version
and the large version
I think that for those last 2, I'm going to have to get them enlarged and framed. They turned out better than I'd dreamed they could.
I hope you enjoyed them too. And enjoyed the little lesson about the tulips with multiples of 3 and 4.
Posted by danielle at 10:53 AM | Comments (7) | TrackBack
These are the tulips that Texas Seestor and Trainwreck gave me for my birthday.
They had fascinating curls in their petals.
But the best part of all is how the petals change from red to orange to yellow with yellow streaks.
In certain lights, they almost looked like they were on fire.
I love getting the position just right to really make them glow.
And you know that I had to take some really close up shots right?
Just a reminder of what we are looking at (roughly)
And close up
That one is my favorite close-up shot. Here is the link to the large version.
There will be more next week. I've taken so many shots of these tulips that I really love, that I'm breaking them into 2 posts. But most of my favorites are in this one. shhhhh don't tell the others. ;-)
All photos were taken with Dee-Dee, my Nikon D70. The very close-up shots (i.e. macro shots) were taken with Kenko Extension Tubes and a Vivitar 70-210 mm lens. All photos were taken with a tripod and the self-timer.
Posted by danielle at 10:46 AM | Comments (8) | TrackBack
details that were only observant in the previous post if you looked at the original photos on flickr.
*GRIN*
Posted by danielle at 10:26 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
As the pollen slowly opens...
I recommend the large on that one.
When the pollen is open it waves hello.
best in large
This next one is dark and mysterious, but I still really like it for the way the pollen glows.
in large
All photos were taken with my brand new Kenko extension tubes and Vivitar 70-210 mm macro zoom from Dad. The extension tubes are a birthday/graduation gift from Mom and Dad, amongst other things that they have given me. The zoom lens is the one I introduced to you in that squirrel post, remember?
The tubes and the lens bring me closer than I could've gotten with my kit lens.
Here is an example of the closest that I can get with my normal (kit) lens.
I'm excited to have the extension tubes. I know these aren't perfect, but they are my first attempt, so I wanted to share them with you.
Plus, it's Friday! And is there a better day to share pics of flowers? Not hardly! Friday is BEST.
or BESTest, if you are feeling goofy-woofy like I am.
Hope you all have a great Friday and weekend. My birthday is on Sunday, so I know that _I'll_ be having a great weekend.
Posted by danielle at 08:48 AM | Comments (11) | TrackBack
This was one of the red tulips in the bouquet of tulips that I told you about previously.
The large version is quite impressive too.
One of the striking things about these red tulips is the ring of blazing yellow.
I hope that these photos bring some brightness into your day and that you are having a good day today.
I send a hug out across the internet to each and every one of you.
Posted by danielle at 09:32 AM | Comments (6) | TrackBack
Special delivery from some very special friends. They are like a second family to me; Therese is my second mom and Denise is an honorary sister. One of these days, I'll blog more about my childhood and growing up with Denise and her family. But for now, I want to just share these flowers with you.
I love looking at the tulips and the hydrangea that HB gave to me.
And the tulips are just stunning.
They are such a joy to me. Not only because the flowers themselves are beautiful, but because when I look at them, I think of the friends who sent them. And that makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside.
Posted by danielle at 07:46 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
Today is Texas Seestor's birthday! Yep, she's a fishie, just like HB (March 5th) and me (March 12th).
That would be a piesces, if you weren't sure what I was referring to.
For her birthday, I'm posting a few of the gorgeous photos she took from her honeymoon.
Surprise, Texas Seestor! Hope you don't mind that I'm posting them! I thought maybe you'd enjoy seeing them online.
My favorite is this one with the lizard and the flowers and the cool leaves.
And the hibiscus ones are just fantastic too!
This photo really makes me smile too.
Happy Birthday! I'll get to see you soon! :-)
Love,
Danielle-eeeee
Posted by danielle at 11:33 AM | Comments (8) | TrackBack
After a day or two, the yellow roses that I showed you previously opened up and were simply breathtaking.
Posted by danielle at 09:22 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
These were one of the types of flowers that were in the bouquet I received from Mom and Dad. They were just tiny and perfect and so pretty.
Every morning, I'd see them after not having seen them through the night, and would be delighted all over again. I had a really hard time getting photos to do them justice. But once again we Hail the digital camera and the ability to
A) take tons of photos
B) quickly examine the shots and determine what needs to be altered
Can you tell yet that I'm going to get a good string of Friday posts out of that bouquet?
*grin*
Happy Friday everyone. Don't forget to stop and smell the roses. Even if it is just as you trek past the flower section of the grocery on your way to pick up produce.
Posted by danielle at 09:25 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
It took me many tries to get a photo that I liked of the daffodils in my bouquet. Finally, I realized that if I wanted to use a small depth of focus, I needed to get the flower angled so that the ruffly part was the same distance from the camera as part of the petals. This is where I smack my forehead and say "Well, duh!", of course you can't shoot it straight on and get both parts in focus! Thank goodness for digital cameras where I can take some shots, look at them, then take more, if need be. I may be a slow learner about some of these kinds of things, but I am learning.
And now, the Girlie-girl reminds us that it is important to stop and smell the flowers.
mmmmmm smells good, doesn't it?
And as I was taking shots one day, she just had to come over and plop herself down nearby so that she could be in the photos. And you know how I love to show her off...
And look how good her face looks! After 4 solid days of wearing the cone back in um, December, I think it was, we finally got her to stop fussing with her eye and nose. I think it just had to get a chance to get past a certain stage of healing. Now, if she starts to rub at it, I stop her from catching it with her claws and then clean it for her with a warm washcloth. That seems to get rid of the little scabs that must be what is making her want to scratch. Her white fur is growing back too. Pretty soon, she may be back to normal completely, and that would be terrific.
I've found a couple groups on Flickr for that picture. One is for cats that have a black mask. Girlie-girl's mask isn't perfectly black, so we'll see if it stays on there or if someone removes it. The other is for pictures of cats that are staring. Well, this pic is about as intense as she gets, eyeball-wise. In the process of looking for those groups, I found a heck of a lot of cat groups. My goodness! Who knew? I've got all kinds of photos that would fit into some of the groups... close-ups of whiskers, eyes, cats on computers, cats with their human family members, and stuff on the cats, amongst others. One could spend hours looking for groups and looking at photos! Because I am trying to limit how much time I spend doing stuff like that, I really haven't delved into it much, but I may slowly keep my eyes out for stuff like that.
Posted by danielle at 01:01 AM | Comments (6) | TrackBack
Special Delivery!
I received these about 2 hours ago from Mom and Dad!
Aren't they just gorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgeous!?
*GRIN*
I've spent part of the last 2 hours on the phone with Mom and Dad, but for the majority of it, I've been taking pictures in the afternoon sunlight.
I'll be posting more. I kinda want to spread them out for longer lasting enjoyment.
Posted by danielle at 04:30 PM | Comments (6) | TrackBack
This is the Indian blanket wildflower that I fell in love with while we were visiting Texas.
If you haven't noticed by now, I'm particularly fond of flowers that change their coloring or shading within a petal or within the center of the flower.
I thought those pictures might be a nice cheer-me-up to all of us today. Particularly those of us *ahem* who are beginning to be tired of snow and/or being cooped up inside. But you know what makes being cooped up inside just a wee bit more bearable?
That's right! chooooooooooooooooocolate.
Now, you may look at that collection and say to yourself "OH MY GOSH, Danielle!? Are you planning to OD on chocolate? REALLY, calm down, honey, you are almost done. No need to be drastic!"
Or you may say "Wow! HB bought all of that for you at the grocery yesterday? A truer sign of love has ne'er been found."
(but only if you say things like ne'er. And who says words like that today? Not I! said the bear, I ne'er say ne'er.)
*ahem* Don't mind me, I'm feeling loopy for some reason. Maybe it is the lightheadedness from yearning for chocolate. All of the blood has left my brain and gone to my stomach.
Anyway, where was I?
Oh yes! OR you may say to yourself, "geeeeee, I wish I could get a better look at those chocolates, because I Swear one of them wants to be eaten!"
Do you seeeeeeee that?! That one has a spotlight on it!
It clearly needs to be eaten.
Ope! It just fell out of the wrapper.
Well, we can't leave a mess around the house, now can we?
yummmmmmmmmmmm
Flower pictures were taken with our Sony Cybershot DSC-P71 and chocolate pics were taken this morning with Dee-Dee.
Posted by danielle at 10:07 AM | Comments (10) | TrackBack
I took this photo a while back when we were visiting Texas. I skimmed all of my flower entries to see if I'd posted this one yet, and I don't think I have, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed on that, because I feel like we've covered the "looks like fairies" a few times already.
This one, reminds me of fairies.
Actually it is columbine. I was surprised and saddened to see that on the plant tag.
I can see why a school would have that as a name, because it is a remarkably beautiful flower. But the word columbine will always have an association with tragedy and sadness for me, so it is odd to see this beautiful flower and know it is columbine.
Now I posted this in an attempt to bring something bright and pretty into my blog of snow and work, and here I am being all depressing about this flower. ugh.
Here, maybe we need another flower.
That one is an Engelman Daisy. I like the name Engelman. It sounds nice to me for some reason. Maybe because it resembles the name of Laura Ingalls Wilder? Or maybe because it sounds like the name of an optometrist that my dad once worked for.
Which reminds me of another picture that I really like that I never posted of my Dad adjusting NEW! glasses for me. He and my mom brought these for me when we all converged upon Texas for Texas Seestor's wedding. And you can't have new glasses and not have them fit right! Right? right.
I was really glad to get this pic, because for me, its a picture of love. Almost every time I see my parents I ask my dad to adjust my glasses for me, and even when he is probably exasperated that I've bent them once again, he does it patiently.
Now, in theory, once they are adjusted once, you don't need them adjusted again, and usually they are fine. But then there are those accidents when you bonk your head into something and your glasses get bonked in the process, and a wee bit bent. Consequently, he has to adjust them quite a bit, and I have these very warm memories of my dad adjusting my glasses for me, and of mom, behind the scenes, prompting him to make me new ones.
The flower pics were taken with my Sony Cybershot DSC-P71, the pic of my dad adjusting my glasses was taken with Dee-Dee, my Nikon D70.
Posted by danielle at 02:51 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
I took these pics while I was in Texas. They were on a table in the entry-way at Texas Seestor's house. So, one morning, I carried them outside into the sun for a photoshoot.
I like the petals in this photo.
And the anthers on top of the stamens remind me of little fuzzy fairy slippers. Especially the one at 12 o'clock.
Tiny green fairy leg, pointed up toward the sky, ending in a little brown fuzzy slipper.
In this one, I like the white glistening fuzz and the green base of the pistil.
Here is the original photo from which that one is cropped.
I think that lowest petal (at 6 o'clock) looks like it could be a spoon.
Morning dew anyone?
I took all pics with Dee-Dee, my Nikon D-70.
Posted by danielle at 08:38 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
When I flew in last week, HB took me out to dinner at Don Pablo's (yum!). Then, because we needed breakfast food, we stopped at the grocery store near our house.
It is sooooo completely gorgeous. I walked around saying "I can't believe it! This is so amazing!"
Sometime, I'll take Dee-Dee with me, and show you what I mean.
Actually, when I stopped there the other day, I was in the vegetable aisle, and I was itching to take photos of the produce. The displays were that pretty.
Anyway, back to the night I flew in, I saw some beautiful mums when I first walked in and stopped in my tracks. HB, being the observant hubby, told me that I could get some flowers. This statement, of course, led to my hemming and hawing between the cut flowers and the potted mums.
"Do I get cut flowers, which include some beautiful gerbera daisies in lovely autumn shades, but which will only last for a week?"
"Or do I get the potted mum which will last for quite a long time and are pretty in their own right but aren't the same as the gerbera daisies?"
HB, probably wanting to keep our trip as short as possible *wink wink*, suggested that we get both.
BOTH!
Yay!
So, on Thursday of last week, I set up a little photoshoot of the flowers in the late afternoon light.
Yes! That is our new home!
But back to the flowers, I was struck by how the view of the daisy from the side reminded me of a feather duster.
And when I stepped back a little bit, the shadow on the grass was actually very pretty too.
At the time, the light was changing minute by minute and I was working kind of fast to get the photos I had in mind before the light changed too much. And I didn't think to find the tripod ahead of time. So, I still haven't done any photos with a tripod and the timer on Dee-Dee yet. I want to try taking photos that way though, because I read on the Flickr Nikon D70 group that it is one way to get really clear close-up shots (no jiggling while you hold the camera and while you press the button).
For now, though, I'm happy with how this turned out.
It felt really good to spend some time with Dee-Dee. I hadn't realized how much I've missed getting to spend time on photography.
I took all photos with Dee-Dee, my Nikon D70, last Thursday in the late afternoon light of our new home.
Posted by danielle at 12:10 PM | Comments (9) | TrackBack
I wasn't going to post any Flowers for Friday this week. I basically came home tonight drained of creative thought.
I haven't quite figured it out but certain blogs, like Honestyrain's lead me to come up with outrageous (for me) comments. For some reason, I feel funnier when I make comments on her blog. Of course, the disadvantage of this whole blog-thing is that it is hard to know if anyone is laughing with you (or at you, for that matter). So, maybe I just feel funnier to myself. But that's okay. At least I make ME smile with my comments!
Where was I? Oh yes. Sidetracked again. Sorry, I think I'm secretely avoiding having to get up and prep the house one more time for yet another showing tomorrow. *sigh*
Occasionally, Ladybug's &/or Squirl's blogs inspire me to make outrageous comments too. I don't know why. Haven't quite figured out what it is about Honestyrain's in particular that does this to me.
odd.
So, after reading Honestyrain's latest post and coming up with yet another long complicated comment, I thought that surely
"Did you just call me Shirley?"
I was saying,
SURELY I could post SOMEthing today.
So, I looked through my Texas Flowers folder of pics, which at this point, is kind of like my ol' standby for flower pics when I haven't taken any lately, and lo and behold! I found this.
It seemed particularly appropriate this week, with the stuff that Ladybug is dealing with and all.
I think of it as light in the darkness.
It may look familiar, in that it is very similar to the one I posted on the Saturday before Easter. But if you click on that link, you can see the difference between that one and this one.
This One is pink with yellow and not white with yellow.
Proof! that my eyes still function very nicely this late at night, really they do.
I just have to prop them open with toothpicks is all.
;-)
So, Ladybug, dearie, this one is for you.
This pic was taken in the Spring of 2003 with Tweedle-Dum (the Sony Cybershot DSC-P71). I haven't adjusted anything in photoshop, except to crop the pic. Oh and to burn a leaf that was yellow so that it wouldn't be distracting.
Posted by danielle at 01:01 AM | Comments (7) | TrackBack
I've been waiting for the right time to post this pic ever since I took it during my trip to Indiana 6 weeks ago.
And By Golly THIS is the TIME!
I am SUPER excited, because I just got some of the absolute B.E.S.T. and MOST FANTABULOUS data that I've collected the entire SIX years I've been working on my Ph.D.!!!!!!
I can't use enough caps, exclamation marks or words of excitement to convey Just How Thrilled I was today. (which was yesterday if you read this on Friday)
!!! EEEK !!!
I sat and stared in shock.
I did the happy dance.
I clapped.
I jumped up and down. Perhaps that is redundant, because my 'work' version of the happy dance is not the same as my 'home' version and mostly involves just a bit of very light jumping/bouncing on my feet.
I smiled really really big.
And I altered my experiment plans for tomorrow so that I can repeat this T-riffic result.
When I got home, I hugged HB and squealed
"Good data! Good data! Good data!"
(of course, he'd already heard the semi-complete version on the phone earlier)
Then I told him that we needed to break out the champagne!
(not really, cause I don't drink, and he knows that)
Wait! Ice cream! A perfect way to celebrate!
Um, rain check on the ice cream though, it is getting kinda late in the evening to be eating ice cream.
This weekend, I will DEFINITELY be partaking of either Cold Stone Creamery's chocolate ice cream with peanut butter sauce or Peaceful Meadows' chocolate ice cream with homemade peanut butter sauce.
Cause This Moment can only be adequately celebrated by partaking of chocolatey goodness combined with peanut butter heaven.
THESE are the moments, my friends, that can be
so
very
few
and
far
betweeen,
that get me out of bed at 3:15 a.m. or keep me working for 14 hours straight.
THIS is what makes it alllllllllllllllll worth it.
YAY!
Oh, flowers, right?
Don't mind me, I was just distracted. Residual shock, you know.
Here is the big size of the one above. It will take forever and a day to load, but I think it may be the best photo I've taken yet.
These flowers belong on this plant.
It is a yucca.
I did once see a really really big version of this plant when we were in Texas. Lesseee if I can find that photo.
Well, the only copy I seem to have is the one with my mom next to it, so, here is the one with her cropped out of it.
Oh, wait, here's the huge one!
It just wasn't blooming, but you can actually see the leaves on it, instead of just the flowering stalk at the top. We did talk amongst ourselves about how impressive it would be when it finally bloomed.
Those were all taken with Tweedle Dum, even the really good one at the top. Not too shabby for the lil' ol' Sony Cybershot DSC-P71, eh?
Posted by danielle at 01:01 AM | Comments (13) | TrackBack
This was one of the petunias growing at my aunt and uncle's house back in Indiana.
I like how the veins are purple and really stand out in the flower.
I also like that it is purple and white, which is reminiscent of the colors of my (and Texas Sister's) undergraduate University.
These were growing at my cousin's house across and down the road from my aunt and uncle's place. I really like how the flowers change from orange to pink to yellow, even within the same flower.
You can see it even better in this close up view.
I'm usually not a fan of petunias. I'm not sure why, they just never used to look like much to me. But I really like these varieties.
Last year, I had some that were a raspberry color and actually looked more velvety/glistening... in the same way that pansies can glisten. I had planted them by our mailbox last year, but didn't plant any this year.
But just last weekend, I discovered that it must have seeded itself a little bit, because one is growing in that spot.
I'll try to photograph it at some point if I'm ever home when the sun is still out. I'm not a big fan of going outside to take pictures when the mosquitoes will eat me alive.
;-)
Happy Friday!
BTW, the server was down all day yesterday, and while it is now up and running, I've been warned that there might be a little kookiness (my word) for 12-24 hours. Hopefully it will treat you right!
(reminds me of a version of a song by the Commmitments)
All photos were taken with Dweedle Dum.
Posted by danielle at 09:00 AM | Comments (6) | TrackBack
In case you didn't notice, there is a new entry below this one. Um, I guess you'll have to skim past the pics if you want to get to it.
Bummer.
Well, go look at it. I'll still be here when you get back. (I put those links there so that you won't have to look at the pics prematurely)
Okay, so now that we are alllll up to speed, the other (kind of minor) reason that I haven't written lately is because I've been READING. Yes, BOOKS, not blogs, last weekend and this week during the evenings.
What, would drive me to reading and not posting for all of you, my dear friends?
Well, I wanted to re-read Harry Potter book 5 (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix) before starting book 6!
And I JUST finished book 5 over supper.
And did I start reading book 6 RIGHT AWAY like I'd thought I might?
Oh no, I came here, to put up a proper Friday post, like a nice dependable muggle.
Now, don't get your panties in a twist, I know that a Proper Friday post means Flowers and Not pictures of books.
So, I give you a flower that I think is worthy of the cover of book 6.
See, it is purple, like the lettering on the cover (not quite the right shade, but close enough, right?). AND the flower has lots of green around it. It even has that weird lime green center that looks like a sea anemone!
The center is even, kinda wavy, magical looking too, if you stretch your imagination a bit.
And here's where it gets a little funny. You see, I only had Tweedledum at the time, 'cause these are more flowers from my aunt and uncle's garden (recall, that it was when I got home from that trip that HB surprised me with Dee Dee). Now, Tweedledum has a flower focus button, but he is still autofocus. And the item for focus, must be fairly solid, unfortunately. Usually, I can look at a picture after I've taken it and decide whether or not the pic is blurry or not, but well, this time I couldn't tell, or didn't realize it.
So, here were my mistakes, and I'll show you what I think is neat about them.
First, trying to get a shot at an angle that would've been cool if I'd had Dee Dee. But poor Tweedledum just didn't know what to do with it.
But isn't the texture on that leaf on the left kinda neat? It is probably one of the better leaf shots I've got.
Here is another mistake.
Doesn't look like much, I know.
But wait! There's a spider web in the corner, in focus!
And if that isn't appropriate for the cover of book 6 of the Harry Potter series, then I don't know what is!
And with that, I'm more than ready to dive into book 6, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
All photos taken with Tweedledum, the Cyber-shot DSC-P71, except for the photo of the Harry Potter books, which was taken with Dee Dee, my Nikon D70.
Posted by danielle at 01:01 AM | Comments (17) | TrackBack
I saw these orange daylilies nestled among the blue hydranageas as we were walking from SeaQueen's house to the neighborhood beach, on the Sunday of July 4th weekend. I hadn't brought Dee Dee with me, because well, we were going to the beach, and I was afraid to expose her to the sand. I was also afraid that we might all get in the ocean at the same time, and then she'd be vulnerable to theft while we cavorted in the water.
But as it got to be later in the afternoon, and everyone was just about tired of being at the beach. I decided that with the way the light was changing, I had better walk back NOW, pick her up and take a bunch of photos with her, before the light changed any more.
So I did.
Remember that this was the first weekend I really worked with Dee Dee extensively, and the photos were not taken in Fine mode, as I had intended to do (and as Kristine kindly encouraged me to do). But I still like them.
A lot.
or click here for the really big close-up view.
From another angle
and the big size
You know, I think I like that one the best. The BIG one. You really should click that link to see it.
Are you tired of them yet?
Well, not me.
Cause I love orange and blue together.
And well, you know about me and hydrangeas, right?
The BIG version.
I took all of these photos yada yada yada Dee Dee blah blah Nikon D70.
(that was for Sheryl, did you spew water on the cats this time?)
Posted by danielle at 01:01 AM | Comments (11) | TrackBack
When I was back in Indiana for my cousin's wedding (recall that last week I posted wedding flowers), I took a whole ton of photos. A bunch of them were flowers, another bunch of them were farm related, and a third bunch of them were an attempt to archive &/or at least get copies of older black and white family photos.
My uncle showed me his flower garden, which included a bunch of different types of sunflowers.
Only three types (all yellowish) were currently in bloom.
I was also fascinated by the one that he told me would end up being a purple sunflower when it bloomed. Sure enough, when I looked really closely, I could see a tinge of purple in the greenery surrounding the closed bud.
Last year, I remember being at a flower store or a grocery, and seeing sunflowers that were orangey-red. I remember wondering if they were real (or if they had been made by putting them in water that had red food coloring in it).
Tangent
Did you ever do that as a kid? You know, take a celery stalk that still had the leaves on it, or a white carnation, and put it in water that had food coloring in it? I did. I preferred to use blue food coloring... and if you wait (days?) for the celery or the carnation to soak up the colored water, the veins will turn blue and can make a very pretty contrast against the rest of the cells that haven't changed color yet.
End tangent
Anyway, come to find out, I guess those red sunflowers must've been real. Because my uncle was telling me that he has seeds that will make purple ones, red ones, and the more traditional yellow ones.
And even the yellow ones are different from one another.
This one, for example, is all yellow, but the ends of the petals are pointed.
I particularly like this photo for the unopened buds in the top half of the photo... but also for the light that highlights the hairs on the stalks, the edges of the edges of the leaves, and the shadows that are cast on the larger leaves.
It also makes me feel a bit like I'm walking through a shadowed wood, or a jungle... or somewhere a bit secret....
... or that I'm just really short.
Notice how this yellow sunflower has petals that are curved on the tips.
I guess I had never really noticed before how many different varieties exist.
It was a fun time. Can you tell I was happy, amidst the flowers?
I (and my uncle) took these photos with Tweedledum, my Cyber-shot DSC-P71.
Posted by danielle at 01:01 AM | Comments (16) | TrackBack
This is for poopie who said last Friday "I wanna see me some wedding flowers."
This was my cousin's wedding bouquet. Although it may not seem that unusual, I really have never seen a bouquet that was all roses. And I liked the effect.
Here it a close-up from the same pic.
And then, there was the bouquet used in the bouquet toss.
Doesn't she look happy? The unblurred picture is actually really nice, but I try to refrain from posting pics of the faces of my friends and family without first asking for permission, and well, she is off on her honeymoon. So, blurred and burned it is.
There were also flowers on the cake.
Sure the cake Looked Nice, but isn't it more important for it to Taste Wonderful?
Well, it was terrific!
I actually liked the white layer better than the chocolate (hard to believe, I know).
And I got to try a layer that was white and raspberry, at the brunch the next day; it was also really yummy.
Here is one more picture of wedding flowers that I'm kinda partial to.
This is from the wedding of (one set of) my great-grandparents. It had a 95 stamped in the bottom corner, and after asking my mom and dad about it, they said it would make sense if it was from 1895 timing-wise and all.
I always love old photos, don't you?
I'll be sharing more of them in the future, because there are a bunch of neat pics from my grandma and grandpa's farm when my mom and aunt were little kids.
Oh, and we will be installing Tweedle Dee's software (Nikon D70) on my computer over the weekend. So, I hope to share some of those pics with you soon.
Remember, patience is a virtue.
Updated to add: I always suspected that Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee were male, but I was going to ignore that. However, I was curious about the spelling/hyphenation of it and realized that those names are the characters' last names! i.e. they are Ned Tweedledum and Fred Tweedledee.
poop.
So, I am back to Niki or Dee Dee, I guess....
thank goodness I hadn't filled out a birth certificate...
Posted by danielle at 01:01 AM | Comments (13) | TrackBack
I couldn't get to my server this morning, so this post is going to be a bit rushed.
This is the 'Moonshine' Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
that we have in our perennial garden at the front of the house. It is next to the Lady's Mantle and the rhododendron.
On Sunday, when I took these pics, there were some parts in full bloom and others that were not. Which created an interesting effect in the pictures, I think.
When I got home on Wednesday or so, I noticed that it appeared to be in peak bloom. And the sun was out just enough at 7:00ish last night, that I was able to get a few extra shots.
I have always liked that late afternoon glow. And on these, I particularly like the shadows that are created too.
Needless to say, the Moonshine yarrow creates quite a bright spot in front of our house right now.
Posted by danielle at 12:04 PM | Comments (7) | TrackBack
On Sunday, I was surprised to see that our rosebush had two mature buds. Here is one of them.
I noticed yesterday that the two buds were starting to open, so I set my alarm early this morning to give myself time to take a few pictures of the first blooms of the season.
Of course, it felt much nicer to snooze in bed a couple of times than get up. Fortunately, I guess (?), today was trash day, which meant I was forced to go around the side of the house where the rose bush is located.
And this is what I saw.
ooooo! grab the camera!
Due to my extra snoozing and the need to hurry and deal with the trash, I ended up being a little rushed taking pictures and I forgot to set the focal length on the flower setting. But they seem to have come out okay anyway.
I am usually not a pink kind of girl, but this hot pink rose bush blooms so many blossoms throughout the summer, that I can't help but feel affectionate toward it.
um... maybe affectionate isn't quite the right word.
*pauses while searching for right word*
Um, yeah, creative juices are all dried up. Well, this is what happens when I try to blog in the middle of the week, when I'm tired, right?
Anyway, even with it being pink and all (the previous owners planted this bush) it was a thrill to see it bloom that first summer. It has also been a thrill to see it bloom all of the subsequent summers.
All season long, it will bloom flower after gorgeous flower and I'll get to cut them and take them into school with me to brighten up my work space.
I took a few more pics when I got home tonight, but the roses were pretty battered from our afternoon rain storm, so I'm glad that I got these this morning.
Oh, and I may regret it later if I run out of "Flowers for Friday" pics, but I thought I'd go ahead and post these today for the following two reasons:
1) Since the first bloom of the season for this bush is so special, it seemed appropriate to go ahead and post them on the actual day it bloomed.
2) This is my gift to all of you, for all of your kind thoughts and well wishes yesterday.
Here is another one from this morning. Can you tell it rained last night too?
And a close-up of the water droplets, which is a bit pixelated, but still interesting and pretty in its own way.
I took all pictures with a Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P71.
Posted by danielle at 09:15 PM | Comments (10) | TrackBack
Last weekend, our rhododendron bush bloomed.
When I look at this photo and I see the fanciful curve of the pistil and stamens and the curved shadows that they cast, I see a fairytale decoration. Perhaps the chandelier in the ballroom made of delicately blown glass. Or the crown for the princess.
I tried taking pictures from different angles.
I find it interesting that the flowers can look so different from one angle...
... or from a different angle.
I really like this radial view.
While I was outside, I noticed a whole bunch of buzzing insects. If I could've captured the sound and the movement for you, I would've.
This little bee is determined that the lady with the camera is not going to deter him from Getting That Flower.
(He's in the lower, middle portion of the pic)
And see, he did Get That Flower.
But why go for one that is barely opened?
Perhaps no other bees had gotten to it yet?
Did I mention that I'm still a bit afraid of stinging insects? Yeah, so although I might've been able to go in for a real close up shot. I was a bit timid.
They were fun to watch though, busy little bees, crawling all over the stamens and pistils...
... "pollinating the beauty," as La Pixiatrix once said.
All pictures were taken with my Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P71.
Posted by danielle at 07:35 AM | Comments (10) | TrackBack
When we did our massive landscaping project of perennials a few years ago, I needed some sort of short plant to put around a petite bush that we were getting.
Well, this stuff caught my eye because it was called ajuga "chocolate chip."
I mean, how can you resist a plant that has chocolate chip in the name?
It blooms these purple flowers for a little while, and then the rest of the time is just a basic ground cover.
While I got pretty frickin frustrated taking these pics on Saturday (I was having trouble with my camera and the lighting and the focal length, etc.), I do think it is funny that in this picture, the shape of the petals remind me of moose for some reason.
I am including this next pic, because I like the blooming alchemilla erythropoda that is next to it.
Oh, and BTW, you might think I'm color blind because I'm referring to these flowers as purple, but they really are purple. This is just one more example of my camera irritating the hell out of me, because in the process of trying to "help" me with its automatic settings, it is throwing off the color.
Okay, I'll be done being angry now. If you really want to see gorgeous photos of flowers, go see La Pixiatrix's post today with the ones she took with a (DSLR) Canon Digital Rebel.
yes, I have DSLR envy. Does it show?
;-)
Posted by danielle at 09:17 AM | Comments (14) | TrackBack
Yes, the tree that I was convinced was going to bloom while I didn't have the camera, did indeed bloom while I didn't have the camera. HOWEVER, HB was right (yeah... You Were Riiiight) that it still looked nice last weekend.
When I was sitting at our dining room breakfast table and looking out through the enclosed sun porch, the tree just seemed to glow in the sunlight.
I saw some big, fat bumblebees buzzing around the tree and I started thinking how cool would it be to try to get a shot of a bumblebee on a blossom. Then I kind of chickened out of hanging out with the bees to get a photo. Ever since I was stung by a wasp as a kid, stinging insects have kind of scared me.
Mind you, with all of the perennials (and soon annuals) in the front of the house, I see plenty o' bees. And I usually do okay with just walking past with the attitude of "if I don't bother them, they won't bother me." But I decided not to push my luck with the tree out back.
When I actually did go out back to take some pics, I couldn't believe how many blossoms were there.
Inspired by La Pix's afternoon light series, I decided to take one photo that caught a bit more sunlight.
This one reminds me of weddings.
I also really like the parallel branches.
Now, lest you think I never take pictures except at my own house anymore, I give you a couple shots from the neighborhood.
This spot, next to our lot, makes me smile. I see mushroom bushes marching up a hill when I look at these.
When I see them, the fanciful side of me wants to lightly
bounce . on . top . of them .
up . the . hill .
from bush . to bush
as if they were stepstones or lily pads.
bounce . bounce . bounce .
*crash*
as reality sets in
The woman who owns the mushroom bushes had these flowers out in front of her house near the street. I really like the light and shadows in this photo. And I will close with it. :-)
Posted by danielle at 08:31 AM | Comments (8) | TrackBack
Last weekend, if you will recall, I mentioned that it was cloudy and rainy on both Saturday and Sunday.
This was, of course, the only time that 'our' camera was at home with me these past two weeks. Yes, once again, I was without a camera all week.
You can imagine my frustration at Sunday lunch when HB said to me "You know, I'm taking the camera with me again this week."
And I replied with something along the lines of
"Dam* it! Have you LOOKED at the TREE out back lately?! It is ready to BURST into bloom. We're supposed to have NICE weather, FINALLY, on Wednesday or so. Then it is going to BLOOM and I won't get to take ANY PICtures of it!
AND the Waldstenia out front looks GORGEOUS right now!
You DO realize that this is our LAST spring in this house, RIGHT? How am I going to get PICTURES of the perennials before we MOVE?!"
(yes, I really do speak with that kind of emphasis when I'm riled up)
HB says soothingly, "It'll be okay... I'm sure it will still look nice next weekend."
To which I say "NO. Cause by then the flowers will be fading already." "Dam* it! I just need a little bit of sun today. What time do you leave"
HB "um, at 3:00"
*glancing at clock and seeing that it is 1:30*
HB "how about we pray for some sun, really fast?"
---
Yeah, so the sun didn't really come out. It was doing that "Oh, here I come, out from behind the cloud. oops! changed my mind! ha ha ha!"
But the rain stopped long enough for me to run out and take some pics, and I didn't get ALL that dirty crouching and laying on the ground to get these shots...
... just a little bit.
;-)
Waldstenia ternata (Barren strawberry)
This would be the aforementioned 'gorgeous' Waldstenia.
Yes, that is a gnat crawling around on the one in the center.
Especially when I'm coming home, the flowers are all angled toward me as I walk up the path, and really look amazing. (no, they aren't turned to greet me, although the fanciful side of me likes to think of it that way, that would be the direction where they get the most sun during the day)
As you can see in this photo, they really are very small little flowers. But something about them really appeals to me. Maybe it is because they look so bright against the green background. Or maybe it IS because they face me when I walk up the sidewalk. ;-)
The funny thing about the Waldstenia is that it is probably THE hardiest perennial we own. It can have snow dumped on top of it for 3 months, and when the snow melts, it is the only 'evergreen' perennial that really does stay nice and green. The rest of them kind of turn to mush green.
Mush green, yeah, not so appealing, eh?
These epimediums were supposed to be the big filler of our mostly shady perennial garden.
We bought them not for the flowers, but for the leaves. Of course, the flowers are a nice bonus.
Epimedium x versicolor 'sulphureum' (yellow epimedium)
The thing is, they really haven't spread all that much like I'd hoped. So much for the idea of epimediums as filler. Ah well, at least they look pretty.
Most of our hostas are past the early shoot stage, but this one is lagging behind a bit.
This is the first year I noticed that when the shoots are only an inch or two tall that they are actually purple. I noticed that on almost all of our hostas. I know they will eventually bloom purple flowers, but I don't remember ever noticing that the shoots themselves were purple.
And in the back of the house, behind the porch, we have the tree that was causing me such angst, and that did indeed bloom this week.
I decided I like having some pics of it in this pre-blooming stage too. Something about the shape of the buds and the way the budding flowers stick out.
HB comes home tonight, and he promised me that he made GOOD USE of the camera while he was gone. Of course, it wasn't like I had all that many chances for photography this week. But there were a couple moments when I would've pulled over (on my drive home) and taken some pics.
It is interesting that I find myself looking at the world a bit differently now that I am in a sort of photography-mode.
I know Sheryl (La Pixiatrix) has written about this some... but I hadn't noticed it in myself until just this week.
And this week also hammered home the point that I'm really itching to have a camera where I can control the aperture, exposure time, and focal length (among other things).
Not too much longer...
;-)
Posted by danielle at 08:28 AM | Comments (9) | TrackBack
HB has taken the camera with him to New York, so while there are flowers bursting open ALL OVER THE PLACE, can I take pictures of them?
hmmMMMM?
no.
hurmpf.
Well, I guess he did buy the camera for work purposes originally. So, he gets first dibs on it for work.
I just grumble, because I've gotten rather attached to the idea of being able to take digital pictures whenever the creative bug strikes. And Tuesday, when I was home with the girlie, it was sooooooooooooo sunny and it would've been purrrrrrrrfect to go outside for just a wee little bit and take some pics.
He did mention a little while back (the day I was taking the sock pictures) that we should get a nicer camera for me for Christmas.
!!
Did I already tell you this? hmmmm... I know I told Victoria, but I can't remember if I've posted about this, and I'm feeling too lazy to look. Isn't that awful?
Ah, when the mind starts to fade that is the first sign...
Where was I? Oh yes. Getting a nicer camera! JOY!
Of course there is a very important opportunity for gift buying before Christmas, honey bunny. And I'm not talking about our 9 year anniversary. no sirree bob.
It starts with a P, ends in a D and has an h in the middle.
But he knows this, because he is a smart man.
So, were you expecting me to actually talk about the flowers?
Let's just gaze at them instead, shall we?
(scroll, scroll)
I know I say this about a lot of pics, but this is one of my favorites. What I like most, well, in addition to the crazy flowers, is the sundial in the background. I like how it gives the picture some depth of perspective.
Someday, I'm going to grow those crazy pink things. As the title suggests, they remind me of the plants in books by Dr. Seuss.
The Lorax by Dr. Seuss, Theodor Seuss Geisel
"At the far end of town
where the Grickle-grass grows
and the wind smells slow-and-sour when it blows
and no birds ever sing excepting old crows...
is the Street of the Lifted Lorax."
I took that picture at the gardens of the Moffat-Ladd House in Portsmouth, NH at a beautiful reception for a friend's wedding.
It was a gorgeous, perfect day. The flowers smelled fabulous.
Here is another cluster that were particularly striking that day.
I like the sunlight and shadows on this one. Actually, now that I think about it, I wish that picture up at the top had a neat shaft of sunlight coming across some of the flowers. Oh well, I'll just have to go back and visit and take more pics, right?
I am putting this here, because Mother's Day is on Sunday, and the card I gave my mom has a daylily (don't worry, I asked her to open it early, so it isn't like I'm giving it away). So, this is my little pre-tribute to Mom... who might get to leave work early today, since the city kind of shuts down early for the Derby. Yay Mom!
Hope you all have lovely weekends. I'll be visiting your blogs on Saturday and Sunday, I'm sure. I hear we might be getting a nasty Nor'easter (a storm) this weekend. blecky. more rain on the weekend. Oh well, I'll just snuggle up and read a good book.
Posted by danielle at 08:55 AM | Comments (6) | TrackBack
Because of the warm days we've had the last week or so, all of the flowering trees and bushes have burst into flower in near perfect synchrony.
I had the best of intentions about going out and collecting photos of them, but well, it has been raining since Monday. Also, I ended up with the beginnings of a migraine yesterday. These two factors put a bit of a crook in my plans for close-up shots.
Consequently, I present you with A View of New England Spring, As Seen From My Moving Vehicle On The Way To The Train On A Rainy Thursday Morning.
Yes, these were taken out my driver's side window using my camera that had just enough battery power for 4 pictures (gotta remember to change those batteries promptly. erg.).
I've been driving past this blooming tree (we always called them tulip trees) for the past couple of weeks. The blossoms have faded really fast, but still look pretty from a distance.
I love the way the petals are scattered on the ground.
Yesterday, I actually drove past it, thinking that the power lines were too much in the way. But as I drove a bit further, I saw at least one shot. So, I backed up (I was still in my subdivision) and rolled down my window and took a couple of pictures.
Then I turned off the camera to conserve the little bit of power I had left and hoped that the batteries would hold out for the next shot.
I've seen this yellow forsythia all week. Usually, I'm in a line of 10 or so cars to turn left at a stop sign of a relatively busy intersection. The funny thing about this shot yesterday is that I was actually HOPING that there would be a line of cars (definitely a first for me).
You can see a few tulips near it too. And the hostas are coming up. And the trees in the distance have those little baby leaves that are more yellow-green than green. You can also see the side of one of the prettiest old homes I drive past everyday. From this angle, I'm thinking it must have a carriage house. I see a bit of an arch at the back.
This next one, was a bit dicey, because I see it as I approach a rotary (also called a traffic circle or round-about). Consequently, the traffic isn't usually exactly stopped at that point, more just moving slowly.
I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out, considering that I was driving at the time. The reflection in the puddle was an added bonus.
I've always liked this library; it is clearly a new building, but they still kept with that New England feel in the design of it.
There are also a lot of fruit trees with white blossoms and pink blossoms (potentially cherry blossom trees) that are all over the place right now. And I'm starting to see some purple bushes. It seems too early for Azaleas, but I suppose the purple ones could be azaleas.
If I end up taking pictures of them, I'll be sure to share them in the future.
As for the rain, it has stopped. Today is finally bright and sunny.
And my head? all better now.
:-)
Posted by danielle at 09:09 AM | Comments (6) | TrackBack
On Monday, when I was off for Patriot's Day, I ventured off to Target to buy flower seeds and fertilizer (along with the aforementioned nail polish).
You see, last spring, when I bought and planted annuals, I realized that I wasn't able to buy little baby annuals of some of the flowers that I'd hoped to have in my yard and pots. You know, the ones that look so pretty in the home &/or gardening magazines when you peruse the magazines in the checkout aisles and start dreaming of days without snow and cold? And last year, when I realized that I couldn't buy those flowers as annuals, I went to the store to buy seed for those flowers. When I was reading the seed directions, they pretty much all said to start the seeds indoors 5-7 weeks before the last frost. And since I wasn't planting my annuals until after the last frost, I'd clearly missed my chance.
poop.
So, last year, after I gave up on the idea of having those flowers in my yard, and after I popped all of the annuals out of the surprisingly sturdy little pots, I decided to keep those little pots just in case the urge to grow flowers from seed struck me again. Except I forgot about the needing to start them in little pots. I just remembered that I was supposed to be growing them earlier than the last frost.
Well, the first warm weekend this year, I had my usual "Gee, it sure would be nice to have foxglove this year or some really hot flowers. Hey! I think we are still 4 weeks away from the last frost. I think I'm supposed to be growing seeds right now. Better go get some seeds and get those puppies in the ground outside."
On my shopping excursion, I looked at all of the seed packets and dang if they didn't all say to start them indoors.
"Surely one of these packets will say that I can plant the seeds in the ground before the last frost. Well, this one wildflower mix doesn't say either way. Maybe since they are wild they can withstand the frost."
"Oh, and I guess I could perhaps try to grow one type from seed on our sunporch. Maybe something that looks kind of hardy."
"These look striking. Great hot pink color. Good for sunny areas."
When I got home, I re-discovered those surprisingly sturdy little pots that I dumped in a corner. Of course, I had to clean them out. But hey, HB was out of town and didn't need his bathtub anytime soon. ;-)
After the painting of the toes and the frustrating flat tire experience, I calmed down by setting out all of the little pots and planting the seeds. 5-6 per pot, with the idea that I'll split them at some future point.
Water. Clear plastic shower curtain.
"On the table? or on the floor? hmmmm.... well, they probably won't grow right in either place and this is all a totally futile effort. Might as well put them on the table."
The package said 7-10 days to germination. So, I really didn't expect much when I went to uncover them this morning and return the shower curtain to HB's bathtub.
HA! fooled you.
I didn't really steal his shower curtain.
It was an old one from my bathtub.
Anyway, I uncovered the pots and...
LOOKEEEEEEEEEEE!
And those 2 aren't the only ones!
It's only been 5 days! I was so excited!
I know they don't look like much. But well, I really started thinking it had been too cold this week and that they were doomed. We had a couple of really hard frosts and while they were covered with plastic, they aren't exactly indoors like the package says. They are kind of more in between doors.
But hey, I must've done SOMEthing right.
Cause they germinated!
And did you notice that the tree/bush out the window behind our sun porch has little baby green leaves on it? (scroll, scroll, "Oh yeah, Danielle, sure. Are you really excited about that too?" you are probably wondering.)
Well, yeah, 'cause pretty soon, it will have full leaves and flowers too.
And that's when it will be warm enough that we can start having breakfast, lunch, and supper out on the porch on the weekends.
And by then, my zinnia's will be taller. Maybe not blooming with hot pinkish purple flowers, but they'll be at least a bit bigger.
All in all, a pretty good start, I'd say.
Posted by danielle at 09:00 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
Last Saturday, I headed off to the grocery. Hmmm... does this sound familiar? Well, it is because this is the same grocery trip before which I was all excited to see the frosted Lady's Mantle, where I ran back inside to grab the camera etc. etc.
After my wee photo shoot, I drove to the grocery. As I was approaching the building I said to myself "You know, this being a 3-day weekend and with HB out of town, I really ought to buy myself some flowers." So, I entered the store and bought all the food items to tide me over for the week. As I was approaching the checkout I did one of those "oops! almost forgot the flowers" things.
As I happily wheeled toward the flowers, I decided that I really ought to try to get a potted flowering plant, because the cut ones don't last very long. It really saddens me when they wilt, and I never quite have the heart to throw them out at the first sign of wilting. So, then I end up with this depressing bouquet of dying flowers for a couple of days.
Yes, potted is better. Usually not as flamboyant, but well, they can be quite nice, don't you think?
"Maybe they'll have some Gebera daisies," I start thinking.
As I approach the flowers I see a bunch of blooming sunrise cacti. Which leads me to think, "Oh crap. We have one of those at the lab, and I see it every day. Plus, it will just remind me of work. I hope they've got something else."
And then I wheel around the bend and TAH-DAH it is like the ceiling opened up for a ray of sunlight to shine down and the choirs of angels sang Hallelujah! There, yes Right There, is one PERFECT blue and purple hydrangea! Just for ME. Ready and waiting to go home with me.
And you probably don't know this but they are my absolute FAVORITE flower. And did I say that it was blue?! and purple!
Hooray!
Home you go.
How can you not love a flower that has such beautiful gradients? Such great shading?
So, I plopped it on the table where HB usually sits with his laptop on the weekend. And when I'd look up and expect to see him sitting over there, I'd smile, because well, there was my beautiful hydrangea. And even if he wasn't home at the moment, he would be next weekend (which is tonight, of course) and I could always email him or call him. And it made my weekend a little brighter.
All pictures were taken with my usual Sony Cyber-shot outside, on our lawn of still hibernating grass.
Posted by danielle at 08:24 AM | Comments (7) | TrackBack
I walked outside this morning to go to the grocery, and saw the frost on the premature leaves of the Lady's Mantle. I decided that I had to run back inside for my camera in an attempt to catch these newly born leaves covered with frost.
You know, last year, these plants were my favorite ones to look at early in the morning. And not just in the spring, but in the summer too. There was something about the shape of the round, pleated leaves and the way the morning dew would catch on the edges that just seemed to sparkle and wink hello to me.
Right now, the edges are covered with crystals of frost in the early mornings.
At this point, the leaves are so small, less than an inch across and buried in the dead stems from last year's bloom. I barely notice them as I walk by.
I really have to pause in my rush and hurry out the door and lean waaaaaaaaay down to look at them.
This morning, when I took that time and looked closely at them, I was awestruck at their beauty. I don't know if the pictures will do them justice, but hopefully if nothing else, it will remind me that spring really is here.
Note: the top 2 pics are of the larger variety Alchemilla Mollis "thriller" and the bottom 2 pics are of the tiny variety Alchemilla erythropoda.
Posted by danielle at 02:52 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
The conversation Ladybug and I had in the comments of last week's Flowers for Friday picture (poppies) inspired me to post pictures I took of the bluebonnets.
I particularly like the variety that is shown in the picture above because of the purple highlights.
These, while in shadow, also happen to naturally be a darker shade of blue.
As I mentioned to Ladybug, by the time we visited, the bluebonnets out in the fields and on the sides of the roads had faded. However, the ones in flower beds were still quite healthy.
I love the mix of bluebonnets with the red indian paintbrush and the yellow wildflowers.
Posted by danielle at 08:36 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
These are poppies that were growing at Wildseed Farms in Texas.
I had the great fortune of getting to visit in late spring/early summer when the flowers were in bloom. It was a couple of years ago in 2003.
As the name implies, this is a farm that grows flowers in order to harvest the flower seed, specifically wildflowers. You know how in the spring, you might go to your local garden center or discount store and pick up a packet of seeds for flowers or vegetables. Ever wonder where the seeds come from? Well, they come from places like this.
Here is another view of the fields of poppies.
And here is a view of multiple fields.
In the foreground, you can see the bluebonnets (they are at the end of their flowering stage), the windmill and barn/entrance are at the top right of the picture, and that red stripe? THAT is the field of poppies.
Pretty amazing, I thought.
Posted by danielle at 09:00 AM | Comments (7) | TrackBack
I took this picture 5-6 years ago of the Girlie-girl with some tulips (with my Nikon automatic). It was a funny little photoshoot, because I was really just trying to take pictures of the tulips, so I set them on the floor in the sunlight. Being the little camera hog, the Girlie-girl came over and stared up at me with that adorable "don't you want a picture of me?" look.
And voila! One of my favorite pictures was captured. I keep a framed copy on my desk.
Note: I re-cropped this picture with a feathered edge and re-posted it Saturday morning because the chunky pixelated edges were bugging me.
Posted by danielle at 08:14 AM | Comments (6) | TrackBack
Tulips at home on the sun porch - morning light
Have to pull out the fancy socks for holidays, you know.
Posted by danielle at 02:15 PM | Comments (7) | TrackBack
Posted by danielle at 07:37 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
Isn't this one unusual?
I don't think I ever mentioned it before, but last year at about this time of year (i.e. when everyone is sick and tired of snow and winter) there was an orchid show on Cape Cod.
There were an incredible number of sizes, shapes, and colors of orchids (which, of course, provided great fodder for photographs).
enjoy!
Posted by danielle at 09:26 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
A little Girlie-girl story for the day
Ever since I came back from my trip to Minneapolis, the Girlie-girl has started a new little morning routine. Somewhere around 6:00 a.m. she comes up to lie by my pillow. Now, this is unusual for her, because normally she is strictly a foot-of-the-bed or between-your-legs kind of cat.
pause
um, does that sound bad? hmmm... well, I'll leave it there for Friday laughs, that sort of thing.
Anyway, my alarm goes off (most days) at 6:25, I do one snooze, it goes off again at 6:32, and I roll out of bed at 6:33 or 6:34. (Bear with me, these times become important in a minute) So, since I've back from Minneapolis, when the alarm goes off at 6:25, she stands up and crawls up on my chest, which of course brings me full awake, because 20 lb of cat on your chest will do that, you know. And she lays with her head facing me, purring, purring, and purring.
I guess what used to be my snooze time is now officially her cuddle-time.
Which brings me to this morning, alarm clock is set for 6:25 (I think), she comes to lay up by my pillow somewhere around 6:00 (I didn't look at the clock). At 6:15, I crack my eyes open enough to look at the clock and do one of those "oh good, I don't have to get up quite yet, maybe I'll just go back to sleep" things.
And here is the fascinating part. At precisely 6:32 she meows and wakes me up! The alarm never went off at 6:25, which meant that it also didn't go off at 6:32. And if she hadn't woken me up, I would've kept sleeping, missed my train, and been 'late' to work. (It turns out it was set for 6:25 p.m. instead of a.m.)
What a good Girlie-girl, extra cuddles for you tonight!
Now, she has woken me up a couple of other times when I've overslept, back before we started this little morning snooze/cuddle-time routine, but she's been a few minutes off.
What I want to know is: can she really read the numbers on the clock? or is she just that good at judging the time with regards to sunrise?
Posted by danielle at 07:54 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
Good news!
My talk went well, and I've been offered 2 different positions (well, 4, if you are counting the other 2 that are less of a good fit).
So, I'm very relieved, and excited, at the same time. Well, and exhausted. I have one more meeting tomorrow and then I'm free to go out and have fun with HB.
Now, I'll just have to weigh the pros and cons of each, although I have a bit of a gut feeling about one already. I need to think about it a bit longer.
It is good to feel wanted.
Posted by danielle at 01:02 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
I took this photo in Texas (along with the purple iris that I showed you last week) with my usual camera, the Sony Cyber-shot.
Posted by danielle at 09:33 PM | Comments (7) | TrackBack
I have a bunch of flower pictures that I really like, and some that I'd forgotten that I'd taken. This has always been one of my favorites. I took it with my usual camera (Sony Cyber-shot) at a botanical gardens in Austin, Texas. The cool thing is that while I was looking for it on my older computer, I found a picture that I'd completely forgotten about. I can't wait to show you that one! (all in good time, patience is a virtue)
As I was walking to the train station the other day, and thinking about Flowers on Friday, I happened to think that the liturgical color for Lent is purple... I'm not sure if I have enough purple flower pictures to cover all of the Fridays of Lent, but we'll see. Or rather, you'll see, right?
---------
New topic
On my train ride home, I had a real breakthrough. I was so excited, I wanted to call HB, but I knew he was having this business dinner with some muckity-mucks. So, I instantly thought how I could tell you instead. But it is regarding work, so I'll have to be a bit vague.
Here goes.
Right now, I have a big task ahead of me at work. At times, lately, it has felt like there is this huge, scary mountain in front of me, that is so large... that I start wondering if I'm ever going to be able to climb it.
If you've seen the Return of the King in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, there is this scene where Frodo and Sam are utterly exhausted,
and worn out
and tired,
and they look across the nasty ugly, rocky land (it might've been Minas Morgul?) and it looks like they will never get to Mount Doom. When I see that scene, Mount Doom looks so far away, and the obstacles ahead of them are so great, and I think to myself that they will never reach it in time.
And I've felt that way at times lately. Big mountain. Not enough time. And even in the midst of my joy this evening, I started thinking about how I'd tell this story, and I envisioned the mountain, and I got all teary over it. I get all teary thinking about it, right now.
So, here I am, facing this mountain and feeling
tired
and burnt out,
and my Sam will not be with me the whole time for my journey...
... and something good fell in my lap today.
Was it my guardian angel looking out for me? or Providence? (as they'd say in Anne of Green Gables)
The thing that fell into my lap showed me that some things ARE possible! Something that we've tried, and couldn't get to work has now been done by someone else. And they give a decent description of how to get it to work. And if I can get it to work, I can get three times the information that I was going to be able to get if I couldn't get it to work.
This Good Thing makes the mountain looks a little less big. and maybe not so insurmountable.
And the other exciting part is that I have something that I need to be able to explain, and this thing that fell into my lap today also helps me explain some of what I am dealing with.
Which is very, very happy.
(I'm sorry this is so vague)
So, maybe I'm actually moving up that mountain a little better than I realized.
And I think that each of you, are my Sam, at different times.
Posted by danielle at 10:48 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
One time when we returned from a vacation where I had taken copious amounts of pictures (as if I ever go on a vacation where I don't take copious amounts of pictures?), I decided to select a few each day and email them to my friends and family. At one point, I began sending photos that had alliteration with the the day of the week (i.e. water for Wednesday, family for Friday).
I take so many pictures of flowers, that I recently decided I could start a new category in my blog where I put up a different photo of a flower every Friday. So, this marks the beginning of Flowers on Friday.
Here is one of the red tulips from the flowers HB sent me last Saturday.
Note, he flies home tomorrow!
One more note: I'm going to be doing slightly larger file sizes for the flower pics in order to keep the resolution higher, so let me know if you have trouble with them. (I'm only going from 25 KB to 50 KB or so, because I'm still hesitant to go much above 50. I'm secretly wondering if I could go up to 80... so let me know if you see a noticeable slowness with 50 KB.)
Posted by danielle at 09:46 PM | Comments (3)
The tulips look even nicer today, now that they have opened up more.
Posted by danielle at 09:27 PM | Comments (1)
This morning, I was pretty blue when I woke up, because my cuddle-bunny is out of town.
I dragged myself out of bed (it helped that Girlie-girl was shifting around at the foot of the bed and then meowed for her breakfast) and proceeded to do my usual Saturday morning stuff. After my first cup of tea, I was feeling better and ready to have a good weekend. I even talked to HB on the phone briefly, which also brightened my morning.
THEN FedEX drove up. hmmm... must be delivering something that HB ordered for himself. Probably from Amazon again.
You can imagine my surprise when I saw this
and this!!
Wooo-hoooo! Flowers! Grab the scissors and get that box open!
oooooooooooooooooooooooooo...
What a good, good Hubby.
sniff
He wrote that he misses me.
I miss him too.
But the flowers really brightened my morning.
See the face? (white tulips for eyes, red tulip for the nose, ribbon for the mouth)
That is how my heart feels right now.
Posted by danielle at 01:00 PM | Comments (1)