bzzzzz...

on a spring day...

bees are buzzing!

happy day.....

orange embers...

...burning within

the tulip... 

making it come alive - with bold color... flashing in the sunlight - a mere strip borrowed from the princess diva gracie - to shine upon the little blossom - makes it glorious in beauty... as though flames are licking up the sides - wanting to explode into the air - up into the universe - uncontained - unbidden...

sometimes we need a touch of bold - a bit of explosion in our lives - to keep them exciting...  i'm not necessarily speaking of anything huge, needing to break the bank or life changing exactly - no, at times - it can simply be the burning embers showing up in a lone tulip... causing you to gasp and appreciate nature - wonder how it was done - leaving you wanting for more.

finally - spring seems to be catching up and warmer temperatures are headed this way for the weekend...  my tootsies are ecstatic for the freedom this means - my senses are heightened for adventure of what might be found while exploring - i'll be looking for bold, expecting extraordinary...

happy day.....

pink paradise...

...of a store bought flower

on a decidedly winter day - when it's supposed to be springtime...

but no - temperatures have plummeted to 12 degrees - lest i remind anyone, it's april - boo! and my tootsies have gone into full revolt at this sudden turn of events - because not only have the temps turned toward the north - snowflakes are flying as well!  sigh... nature is most clearly confused.

so i had to pull out a reminder - one of a bright pink subject - since no one can miss such a clear signal as that, right? it's a bright - bold - perky color - one which has left my eyes glazed over - dreaming of tropical lands - fruity drinks - sand strewn paths under my feet... where tootsie freedom abounds, with laziness in the sunshine of warmth - and there is a readiness for a...

happy day.....

golden...

...daffodils

the time changed today - i wasn't necessarily prepared for it, however am prepared for the changing of seasons - the beginning of new life that springtime brings with it... buds that will be bursting forth soon on trees, bushes and flowers - grasses turning from ugly brown to lush greens - butterflies fluttering about - and, of course, wildlife showing off their newborns...

to hasten spring just a bit - stores are flooded with early buds of a variety of flowers... among them daffodils.  not being able to contain myself - i indulged and have been rewarded with beautiful golden color - reminding me of this...

daffodils (also known as: i wandered lonely as a cloud)

i wandered lonely as a cloud
that floats on high o'er vales and hills,
when all at once i saw a crowd,
a host, of golden daffodils;
beside the lake, beneath the trees,
fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

continuous as the stars that shine
and twinkle on the milky way,
they stretched in never-ending line
along the margin of a bay:
ten thousand saw i at a glance,
tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

the waves beside them danced; but they
out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
a poet could not but be gay,
in such a jocund company:
i gazed--and gazed--but little thought
what wealth the show to me had brought:

for oft, when on my couch i lie
in vacant or in pensive mood,
they flash upon that inward eye
which is the bliss of solitude;
and then my heart with pleasure fills,
and dances with the daffodils.

by william wordsworth


there's something about those words - wordsworth and his magical ability to manipulate the english language - along with poems in general - that leaves me feeling rather artsy. add in daffodils, mixing with natural sunshine - making them golden... and one must simply go with where the mood takes you -

hope others will then come along for the ride - and on that ride will find a

happy day.....

natural resources...

...or using what's at hand -

to create illusions - artistic impressions...  to have fun - play - experiment...  in order to achieve the end result you want in a photograph.  it's about having a plan - a goal - then choosing the path to help you get there...

i don't have any fancy-dancy equipment to help me enhance my photographs - make them appear to have more depth, better lighting or whatever...  sometimes you don't need to have anything either - other than what's at hand - natural resources - available to us every day.  lately, i've been learning to take advantage of those resources - following the example of my princess diva gracie, who has regularly found the wonderful properties of sunbeams - using them on a consistent basis herself...  she is one smart kitty!

so i've borrowed her sunbeams - using them to compliment some tulips i recently purchased.  i think tulips are the epitome of springtime - so to play with them in various ways - with natural light - and adding in other resources, has been a lot of fun right now...

 

happy day.....

creating 2nd chances...

...for the christmas cactus plant - and us

this is a 2-fold, 2nd chance thingy... because of one of those oops kind of incidents caused by me - boo!

i knew that soon - the cactus was going to be giving up its 2nd round of life - it always does this time of year after the holiday season - so i was looking at this particular plant - searching for new buds - the new life it would be bringing forth...

well, in my exuberance - can you just about sense what's coming? - i got a wee bit careless, turned the tiniest amount to the left and the planter went flying - so did the plant - into the air - onto the floor... scattered everywhere - i yelped, yes i did - not that it solved anything, so i'm not sure why i did it - but i felt so bad for the cactus - all splayed out, roots dangling - branches broken off - i was nearly in tears - for this is a plant i've had about 5 years - it's always done very well in terms of blooming for me -

so my dismay regarding my own clumsiness was overwhelming - i mean really? but i scurried around quickly to gather up all the bits and pieces - carefully tucking - replanting and potting them, saying soothing words about how this wasn't a big thing at all for it - in fact, sometimes a little amount of pruning can be a wonderful thing for a plant - can make it more hardy - how this mishap would have it coming back stronger than ever... though i was whispering those words to it - i was wondering if it would be so... i suspect christmas cactus plants are pretty hardy - so don't believe this is the end of the world for it - not really...

because sure enough - i've been forgiven... as it appears from this lovely blossom...  as i was gently tending to the plant - i noticed, there underneath some branches - was this small bloom - glorious of sight - newly opened... seems as though the cactus is more resilent than i'd originally imagined - not that i'd ever recommend tossing it to and fro on a regular basis by any means - or doing anything else to uproot it - however, knowing it's hardy - can handle my clumsiness - is good news...  has even produced a couple more wonderful blossoms to enjoy -

it made me ponder - which is the 2-fold thingy today - about the many 2nd chances we all are given in life... the do-overs we get - some we might realize right off - others maybe we don't recognize at all, yet they're there - and aren't we glad for them - those opportunities - the moments we have to do it again - to take it over - try one more time - because someone believed in us - had faith in who we are - stood up for us - perhaps broke or stretched a rule for us... 2nd chances are a good thing in life - they help us to stand strong - to have courage - to reach out when we might have given up... can you think of any 2nd chances you've had or been given - times that have made a difference? because those are moments which have made for...

a

happy day.....

pristine white...

...is a flower

which i've noticed are very hard to capture - white flowers that is.  i don't know why - white is simply a difficult color to get exactly right once you're trying to process it... it appears very different as you're looking at it through the lens - there are many shades and variant layers to it - so it got me to wondering why you see the myriad names at paint stores for white...

there is no "just white"... you've got your antique white - off white - linen white - vanilla - white ice... so on and so forth  - not to mention all the various slightly off whites and ivories you could possibly dream of - it's endless.  wouldn't you love to be the person who gets paid to come up with all those names?  be able to daydream the hours away - thinking up the latest and greatest which will win over the general population of the paint world?

it's like ice cream flavors... or the plethora of yogurts that have suddenly hit the shelves - have you noticed them of late?  it's totally gotten out of hand... who eats all this stuff?  but there are people sitting around the table - getting paid good money in a think tank - coming up with fun names...

happy day.....

playing with water...

isn't water fun?  splashing around in it... watching it rain - watering the earth... taking a bath... jumping in puddles... dipping your toes in a rushing stream?  all that and more... water is clean and pure and clear and fascinating to me - and since i've become enamoured with my camera, water has become a challenge as well.  i never really gave it a second thought - seeing water on grass, or trees, or bushes... the little water droplets that form on flowers after a good rain has fallen - or once the sprinklers have quit... or the dew is fresh in the morning sun. 

but next time you encounter one of these scenarios... take a moment to consider - to look - wonder at how it is those drops can hang, suspended on a leaf or branch without falling...

balance on a blade of grass... yet not slip...

remain on the petals of a flower... as perfect little bubbles - and not pop...

it's one of natures remarkable mysteries... a god thing - created for our viewing pleasure and one i've begun to capture now with my little black box...

happy day.....

peach fuzz...

sometimes we get peaches... sometimes not...

this year the tree produced flowers -

which the bees frequented on a very regular basis...  in the past, though, that never really mattered.  the old tree would appear to do all the right things - yet not produce any fruit at all...leaving us to ponder what had happened.  did it get lazy... decide that was a year it didn't feel like putting forth the effort - boy can i relate to that one - or the weather conditions weren't exactly right?  whatever the case, nature always rules when it comes to fruit trees - there is no second guessing.  either there's either, or not.

well... lo and behold - all systems are a go for this year.  the weather did what it needed to do... the bees were busy for a good cause - the flower petals dropped - and soon thereafter...

little peach pits appeared on the tree - in the leaves - on the branches... and i thought... "whoo-hoo... we're having a peach crop this year!"  then the other day, i saw this -

will you just look at the size of those?  in a mere matter of a week - they've grown about twice their size!  holy moley people... we're going to have record sized peaches this year!  already, the tree limbs are hanging low due to the sheer weight - as the tree is simply loaded with peaches - the crop is going to be huge...

i see many a night of harvesting coming up the end of summer - possibly some canning... yup, the making of peach jams, butter, salsa, cobblers... while also having the luxury of picking a peach, biting into it - with juices dripping down my arms.  of course, there's the wonderful enjoyment of inviting friends, neighbors and others to come take delight in the harvest, too  - for there will be plenty to share - which brings the greatest joy of all...

happy day.....

the first rose...

...of the season

is red!

for some reason... while all the bushes have buds looking like this:

obviously, getting there... but not quite ready to open yet...

on the front bush i saw a flash of red... looked - did a double take - and sure enough...

a beautiful blossom - wide open - full and glorious... having survived a recent heavy, wet snow fall too... standing alone amidst the branches and buds.  why it's opened when all the other buds are yet to blossom - is a mystery to me.  sometimes i guess there are simply those that can't wait... nature is like that - providing small surprises - little packages of joy... special treats...

happy day.....

sketching...

...flowers

on big pieces of parchment paper... with all different kinds of colored chalks... wouldn't that be the life? when i was younger, i often thought about sitting on a hillside - in grasses - viewing landscapes - having a sketchbook - drawing to my hearts content.  but alas - i have no skill in the arena of drawing... none, nada, nope... i wasn't even left at the end of the line to gather up a teeny-tiny bit of skill! my stick figures turn out crooked... circles are misshapen... relying on a ruler is totally useless since i can never quite get the ruler straight either! what's the point?  it's truly sad.  sigh... drawing is a gift i believe you're born with: you have it or you don't.  as much as i desire it, i don't have it - even though i'd love to just sit down and draw... yet, let's be honest here:  it's not going to happen for me...

which is why i've played with these images... some people may not agree with post processing - the idea of messing around with what comes out of the camera... at times, i will enhance my photos a bit - adding some light if necessary or cropping... i might sharpen an edge here or there, as well.  additionally, i enjoy seeing what others do with their shots.  creativity is important to me - in life - in art - in all aspects of what we're about... we're given a lot of tools in the photographic world that allow us to push the boundaries - to play outside the sandbox... i think that's okay. 
 
as i was editing my photos today, i clicked on a little box mentioning something about sketching - boo! well, how do you pass that up? after all my rambling up there - i ask you... what was i to do? i couldn't ignore it: the box, the click, the word - all beckoned to me... you know what happens when i'm beckoned... i respond - i play - this is what happened...
 
 

 
i sketched today!  okay... maybe it was fake - from a photo - post processing, mumbo jumbo... whatever!  but it felt good and... if i stretch it, i can almost say i had a piece of chalk in my hand with a sketch book in my lap...
 
happy day.....

snap shots...

...for fun

remember old polaroids?  you'd take the picture, peel off the front - then have to wait for the shot to appear?  and wait... still waiting... finally, to see whether you took a decent photo or not.  i found a cool processing feature in my editing toolbox... that makes your finished photo look like a polaroid... how cool is that?  of course, i needed to play around with it - just because...  not like i don't have better things to do with my time... but you all know how that goes!  the to-do list grows longer while i play. sigh... and so it goes...

go have some fun... play... harken back to the old days - like mama said "it'll come back around again..."  seems like mama is usually more right - than she is wrong...

happy day.....