A Rare Moment
Happy Sunday!
All posts tagged: backyard
Yin and Yang
The poetry of earth is never dead. On the Grasshopper and Cricket by John Keats After the vibrant colors in last night’s image, I woke up feeling rested and ready to tackle a black & white project. —The dark flower image was taken this morning. It’s a bloom from the geranium buds that I shared just days ago on Coming Soon. I tried very hard to keep it original, but the temptation to go dark was too strong. I caved. Honestly, I’m not a huge geranium fan (shame on me!). They’re nice, but the color photograph was boring. Once it gets bigger I’ll try again. The wind was blowing, so it was tough to get a clear close-up. Just one has bloomed, so I left one of the buds in the frame—at right—to show off it’s little hairs. You can really see the grains of pollen too. No wonder my allergies have gone haywire! Anyway, this was another shot at macro photography. The actual flower is not much larger than a quarter. —The light flower …
A California Christmas
Well, here are my feet in my favorite winter boots, standing in a very small portion of our fairly large yard, which is covered in yellow and brown leaves from the ‘giant’ Ginkgo tree. When I saw today’s word challenge, I just couldn’t resist—and it seemed like the perfect setting to experiment with Black & White. Peace & Love! Inspired by the Word of the Day Challenge: Shambles
Neighbors Part Two
It might be overkill, but I have been using the parrot shots to get in practice with more paint effects. I found some cool online tutorials, but they have no talking… just music. It’s fun to watch them but it can be hard to follow along and actually learn! Anyway, I zoom in on some of the interesting pointers, and little odds and ends here and there… so I wanted to try one more version of the noisy neighbors. Plus I liked “the parrot eating a walnut” shot. I think it came out pretty cool. Kind of like a watercolor, and I added lots of blur and smudge to it. That’s all for now…
Stealing the Spotlight
You can’t put her in a cage and expect her song to be about you. – JM Storm This is the third time I’ve posted an image of our old, vacant birdhouse. The very first time was in black and white. I did the old “make it look like a painting” editing job again, and I think I figured out why I’m so stuck on that lately. I’ve never been able to draw or paint. I guess I like to do something to my images that gives them that artsy feel because it’s something that I can’t do by hand. That being said, isn’t technology just wonderful! Anyway, I was outside and that same Japanese Maple tree (with the spider web), where the birdhouse hangs, was letting the sun shine through like a spotlight on that little, old, weathered home. So… I couldn’t resist. The quote came up when I was looking up sayings about birdhouses. I guess it’s like a cage- in a sense. 😉 I actually really like the quote. No offense to …
A Good Start
Rise up and attack the day with enthusiasm! It’s already 11:45 a.m. here in California, so this quote is a wee bit tardy… but it’s a good one nonetheless. And I had an extended coffee time, so it’s still morning in my eyes. 😉 I did some wandering around the backyard earlier and shot this bloom in our Crepe Myrtle. I was actually tracking a squirrel… but having camera in hand got my creative juices flowing and I decided to focus on the colorful flower instead. I did a little Photoshop work, to mimic a painting (again). I guess I’m kind of stuck on doing exaggerated effects at the moment. It’s so fun! I picked up another library book, called Composition: From Snapshots to Great Shots. Looking at it last night got me itching to get out and walk the streets again. I just might later this week! Anyway, I thought I would share some Wednesday enthusiasm with you all. Have a beautiful day!! (or evening for some of you!) Blessings, Peace and Love!
Simple Pleasures
Simplicity is the keynote of all true elegance. – Coco Chanel
Queen of Hearts
I shot this image earlier and was prepared to post a blue leaf version, but I did another overlay and really liked the natural and subtle tones in this one. Maybe because I am very tired today. My experience on the panel last night went well. BUT… somehow I ended up going last and had about 7 minutes to tell my tale. Needless to say, I had to skip through half the story and get to the good stuff fast! Maybe that’s a good thing! Anyway, we went out afterwards and I didn’t get home until midnight, after a couple cups of coffee. So… my sleep was a bit disturbed. I’ll tell you one thing. I found out that getting in that rut where I forget to be grateful is easily remedied by doing things like the panels. Seeing the tired and sad faces in the crowd made me both grateful for where I am today and eager to share my HOPE with them. I hit a new level of gratitude, for sure. That’s about all for …
A Healthy Brunch
I’m really liking the action around here today! This is the squirrel that chased the parrots away; munching on a loquat. I guess nature is dictating what I’ll be taking photographs of this season! I’ve added some fun color and the squirrel is a bit hidden (like his henchman) behind a leaf, so I did a zoom in below, for clarity. I was able to capture him “mid-bite”, which was pretty exciting. I guess I’ll be spending more time in the backyard today, so who knows what (or Who) else will show up. I did see a lizard earlier! And I sure wish I liked the taste of those loquats but I have to say that I don’t find them tasty, at ALL. Tonight I’ll be on that panel, at a recovery center nearby, so I’m trying to keep my day stress free. I want to be calm and at peace when I show up… so that my sharing comes with ease. I have a tendency to ramble! May God give me the words that are needed! …
The Watchdog
I watched another squirrel (or the same one!) run across the cable this morning and do a little dive into the loquat tree. Looking for breakfast I assume. A few minutes later one of my feathered friends jumped OUT of the tree. I’m guessing that they don’t share the space too well! I got a few good shots, from pretty far away. I guess he/she got spooked as I tried to get a little closer… so two MORE of my parrot friends (that were still hiding in the tree) were quietly summoned, and they all flew away… 😦 What an exciting morning… there is so much color and movement outside! That’s about all for now. Have a beautiful day everyone!!
Caught Red-Handed
Spreading Wings
This morning I heard rustling and chirping in the garden and saw a little white bird hopping from flower to flower. I must have a thing for wings because as soon I saw the wing on this shot I knew that I had to make it work. The bird was very tiny and I was too far away, so it took quite a bit of tinkering, but at least the wind stands out.
The Empty Nest
“It is not what you do for your children, but what you have taught them to do for themselves, that will make them successful human beings. Ann Landers
The ‘Other’ Side
If the grass is greener on the other side, the water bill is probably higher. Sometimes the grass appears greener on the other side because it has been fertilized with bulls*%#. I liked the top one because of the larger droplet, and the bottom one because of the silver and gold sparkles. Thoughts?
Air Dryer
We should all do what, in the long run, gives us joy, even if it is only picking grapes or sorting the laundry. E. B. White
Watchful Eyes
Relaxation
The quieter you become, the more you hear. My mood today is relaxed and I’m going to do my best to stay that way. Last night I came up with a way to address those recurring (and nagging) thoughts that I’ve been having. I’m going to write them as they pop up. Tonight… after I’ve enjoyed this relaxing day, I’ll sit down with and reflect on those thoughts. Your mind will answer most questions if you learn to relax and wait for the answer. William S. Burroughs
Tree Camouflage
Poised
For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others. For beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness. And for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone. Audrey Hepburn The mood of the day is Poised. We had our heater fixed today, so we are TOASTY too!
Squeaky Clean
—A nice little bath after last night’s rain—
The Parrots Were Out!
A bird doesn’t sing because it has an answer; it sings because it has a song! – Maya Angelou
Signs of Life
The Redbud tree in our backyard is coming to life!
Joy Incognito
Last night I started thinking… hmm… I think I’m already bored of this little JOY ornament! That’s me: easily amused, but I tire of things quickly. But I’m stepping out of the norm, and sticking with it—even though my mind is saying NO NO NOOO. I think that makes it even more interesting. I’m going to have to find ways to make it humorous or entertaining! Anyway, Joy heard the rumor that I was thinking about scrapping her and she tried to hide… I found her though, and I even captured her in black and white. I’m keeping her close because I have to hit the rake…. and I’m worried I might lose her in there!
Art is Everywhere
“Every Child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.” -Picasso
Inside Our Ginkgo
Our Ginkgo is too tall to get the whole tree into a good photograph, so I decided to get inside of it and look up. I kind of like how it came out! Below is a black and white, from another angle. I’ve always loved black and whites, but there’s so much color around lately, it’s hard not to show it. I really DO like this one! Except it’s really hard to see the details or outline of the leaves. I realized today that I lost my glasses awhile back and am so used to not wearing them that this is probably the reason I have a hard time seeing through the lens! Go figure.
My Night Life
As the sky prepares to settle its tired aching feet into the night’s velvet slippers, I settle into my armchair, soaking the teabag of my thoughts into warm liquidy stars. ― Sanober Khan
The Birdhouse
Rain in California?
I was excited to get out there and try some puddle shooting (thank you Marcus for your ideas and inspiration). This was so much fun.
Backyard Fun
Fun Things Outside
