seasons come...

...and seasons go

... spring, summer, winter, fall... i enjoy them all, really -  i think spring and fall are my most favorite... it's just that as i grow older, they seem to come around more and more quickly now... when i was a kid, i thought i had so much time - for everything - to get tasks done, to play, to relax, for school (then), whatever the case was or i'd get to it tomorrow... now my tomorrows all run together and before i know it, weeks have passed me by...  exactly, how does that happen?  it simply mystifies me...

but all seasons signify a passing - of things that were and things that are to come... what we have to look forward to... for me that equals some excitement - a beckoning to the day...  fall provides an opportunity for reflection as colors burst forth and the earth prepares for winter - hunkering down - protecting and shielding natures creatures from the harsh cold, and brutalities which may hit... with spring bringing new life, harvest and a multitude of fresh growth and greenery that surpasses belief... each renewing a sense of wonder - a delight with awe in the surroundings in which we live... i'm not sure i could live in a place without being able to relish each individual season - i may get fussy during some, like in the midst of intense summertime heat - but i'd be hard pressed to do without...

so now - as i noticed this tree... already clearly reflecting the summer season coming to a quick end -

i'm beginning to miss the heat... okay, perhaps not... and looking forward to those wonderfully cooler temps that lead to sweater weather - yay!  you know what i'm talking about... pulling on a hoodie with a pair of shorts to go tromping around town... a little jacket over that dress... wearing layers - so much fun... of course, it has to be really cold, maybe with snow on the ground - before i'll give up wearing my flip flops... i'm just sayin'  - my toots do not look forward to being trapped in closed-toed shoes... i remain a die-hard regarding footwear... those winter months can really drag on - so i could be wearing those flips into december depending on the temps here... it's always like riding a roller coaster from one day to the next - so who knows... 

but i'm so grateful we're not static - have all the seasons to enjoy - the unending variety... each morning bringing a surprise of greeting to renew us - to refresh our spirits - give us energy...

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.....

collecting pollen...

...how bees do it

i was caught in fascination - standing in a headstrong wind... my hair blowing into my face and eyes - trying to see what the little bee was doing...  he'd attached himself to a tiny bud - it wasn't even a blossom yet, so i was surprised it even held the possibility of pollen for him... but there he was - along with several dozen other bees, too - hovering around this row of hedges...  as focused as he was, so was i in my attempt to figure out if he was spinning, gathering, sucking or merely twirling in the strong breeze. 

looking closely though - i could tell that spots of yellow were forming on his legs.  i didn't have time to screw on my macro lens - even if i had, i doubt it would have gotten much more of the story due to the windy conditions...  but it's kind of a neat progression of shots i haven't been treated to before - showing the science behind a bee on the job... focused and determined... one goal - for the good of the whole...

happy day.....

random birds

sometimes i have no idea what it is that i'm photographing... i just point my camera at something flying through the air - and click the shutter button.  mostly - it's because the sun is shining too brightly... and if i wear my sunglasses - which are prescription - then everything is magnified... appearing distorted and i really have no idea what i'm shooting. 

so on this particular day - the sun was extraordinarily shiny... i originally thought i was seeing a morning dove, then thought it was too dark... perhaps a black bird - it was flying very fast over the water - even to get it not blurred would please me. 

being able to capture birds flying is always a challenge... i realize there was a reason god created them to move quickly - but sometimes i find myself wishing they'd slow down... suspend themselves for a moment in time just for me - so i could get the most perfect picture...

then am awed at the sheer beauty - of the shiny iridescent coloring... reflecting off the water... blues - purples - golds - blacks... blended together in a splash of artistic splendor...

then when they do slow down - in fact, stop... resting in a tree as it were - sometimes they totally blend in... where you can barely make them out - is it the branch?  a leaf?  an insect?  or... maybe it's a bird...

even if you don't know for sure what kind of birds they are... they're all a part of creation - a beautiful sight in nature...

happy day.....

ducklings...

...are a rare sight around here

according to a photographer friend of mine - who also frequents the little lake i do... he hasn't seen ducklings there in almost 10 years.  really?  how exciting then when i arrived the other morning - all caught up in the goslings entering their 'tween phase already... when he stated he'd spotted ducklings the night before... "cool beans," i replied... 'cuz i've never seen baby ducks before.  well, maybe in a zoo - but certainly not in the wild - ever!  so this would be a first... but he mentioned that mama duck seemed rather hesitant to parade her babies about - unlike our geese friends have been...  off he sauntered to the other side of the lake to check things out - and within short order, i could see him giving me the high sign... sure enough as i watched - i noticed mama duck come swimming out, while behind there appeared tiny bobbing things i assumed were her babies... oh boy, oh boy... i set off on the trail for the other side of the lake.

when i got there... this is what greeted me...

a lone duckling - momentarily separated from mama and siblings... bobbing in the water - the cutest little creature ever...

the siblings then joined him - coming up from the rear... always good to know someone's got your back!

mama then corralled them together... trying to keep them in line, i'm sure... but ya know - kiddos will be kiddos... and soon they were transfixed by the lady with the black box who was trying to sweet talk them into posing for pictures...

i was fascinated by these tiny bundles... barely visible above the water, almost blending in - between the color of their downy feathers and the sun reflecting off the water...  additionally, there was no sign of papa being helpful - all the male ducks were keeping their distance out in the very middle of the lake... huddled up in a circle, acting somewhat delinquent.  unlike goose daddies who are very hands-on with fathering techniques, duck dads appear very aloof and uncaring - it's interesting behavior to observe and not one i claim to understand...

while i pondered these things... mama duck decided she'd tolerated human interaction long enough - gathering her crew together once more into an obedient line, herding them away...

perhaps i'll be able to get a 'tween duckling photo down the road... i wonder if they grow as fast as the goslings do...

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 iris...

an iris is a beautiful flower... today i was playing around with the petals and processing - with colors which are fabulous and iridescent - an abstract showed up...

then i became interested regarding irises in general... here's what i found

fun facts about the iris:

• it takes its name from the greek word for a rainbow... due to the many varieties of colors throughout the species
• there are between 260 - 300 species

• the most common garden variety is the german bearded iris
• dried rhizomes (stems) are given whole to babies to help in teething
• iris essential oil today is used as a sedative
• van gogh painted several famous pictures of irises
• iris rhizomes can contain asorbic acid
• those same rhizomes can also be toxic

i'm constantly fascinated by flowers... how they continue providing us with visual interest - artistic interest - inspiration of all sorts... as well as medicinal purposes...

don't be surprised either, that all of these interpretations were created via one shot of the same purply blue iris... it's no wonder van gogh was inspired!

happy day.....

wanna dance...

sometimes ya just gotta move... this guy does that - and then some... and then some more.  he keeps going like the energizer bunny!  soon - you'll find your toes tapping - you'll be humming along, too...  this is a video which includes great music that strolls you through a myraid of memories...





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.....

hello world...

...to the new goslings - born within the last couple of weeks... so cute - little yellow fluff balls: learning to swim... balancing on webbed feet... exploring dry ground and munching on the grasses. their tiny wings beginning to form - excitement building with the realization that flying lessons will soon take place.

they will grow quickly... entering the 'tween stage before you know it... pressing the limits with mama and papa goose - testing for independence... it will be fun to watch - observe - record... nature is so fascinating - a thrill to be a part of it...

happy day.....

butterflies are free...

...free to fly

...free to flutter around the yard - while i chase after them... like a little girl - all i needed was one of those long handled nets to catch them!  that was the day the yard was filled with monarchs - landing on all the yellow dandelions - lighting up the day, shining in the sun - glittering with bold colors... glorious.  nature is so awesome - and in all my years living in this house, i've never been privy to having so many monarchs floating around at one time... truly amazing - although i'm sure they wondered who the crazy lady was chasing after them with the black box...

with a flash of white - i noticed one lone butterfly - standing out from the rest...  not certain what kind it is - perhaps a white cabbage, although the purplish-brown markings - appearing as tiny flowers, aren't totally characteristic... so i'm not positive.  and it moved extremely quickly - making capturing it difficult but i managed to get one decent shot...

this last... i discovered playing camouflage at a local park - trying to hide in a brilliant fluorescent yellow bush... i believe it belongs to the sulfur family of butterflies - only because a friend pointed me in that direction... otherwise, i'd simply be calling it a pretty butterfly.  once it realized i wasn't going to hurt it, it almost seemed to pose for me... remaining very calm and poised...

they are amazing - butterflies are... gracing us with beauty to behold as they take wing to the air - providing entertainment aplenty, leaving childlike wonder behind...

happy day.....

lady bug times

lady bugs are the cutest ever...  they crawl - fly - do good things in the garden - don't hurt anything and don't creep me out... what more could you ask for when it comes to an insect?  they're like the perfect bug, if there is such a thing - or could be such a thing, don't ya think?  and other than them being super fast, they are relatively easy to photograph... making no fuss whatsoever at having a black box shoved into their faces... you merely have to catch them since it's like being at the races trying to keep up - probably because they have all those extra legs...

whatever the case... i adore them - how can you not?

happy day.....