A Grape Hyacinth study

Every winter, I like to force bulbs.... it seems to make the spring come sooner.

This year I started a bunch of grape hyacinths in small pots.

They are small, non-descript flowers with next to no scent, but I still love them.

To me they look like little blue hoop-skirts with frilly lace peaking out.....  see it?

I shot all of these with my Nikkor 105mm macro lens.

The aperture ranging from f/8.0 on up to f/57.....yep, had to break out the tripod!

Shutter speeds ranged from 1/100 sec to 0.8 seconds.

Luckily for me, I was inside with no wind to contend with, 

but even the stomping of a little girl was enough to set the long graceful stems to waving back and forth.  ;)

I don't know why, but I never feel like a flower study is complete without a black and white image.

I think taking the color out makes your eye notice the form better, without the distraction of color.

Most of the photos did not look good with this treatment, but this one lent itself well to B&W.

Love this one.... reminds me of elegantly crossed ankles on a well dressed woman.... what do you think?

See the tiny hearts?

Happy Valentines Day!

(I know.... I always have to be different.... but that's just me ;)

{joining up with Mary at Mosaic Monday and Lisa at Macro Monday}

{click on over to see beautiful blooms, books, and hearts}

A bouquet for Mom

...a little bouquet for my Mom....

Although I cannot be with her..... 

and she will not be able to see these for a few days, 

my heart is with her anyway.

Rest well, Mom.

Get your strength back so you can chase kindergartners again.

If you wouldn't mind sending up a prayer for my Mom... she is in the hospital with pneumonia.  

She is pretty weak and tired, but should be on the mend soon.  

Thank you.

Just dandy....

(the quotes in the photo attri. to Henry Ward Beecher)

He survived the long cold winter.... pushing up from the ground.... in search of his love, the sun...

(why are dandelions "he"?  i don't know... go ask the bee...)

(oh wait, the bee has yet to see, the dandelion we call "he")

(where is the bee, you're asking me?)

(hiding in the bark of a tree)

(waiting for the warm, warm sun to shine her face on everyone)

(and that is why we call him "he", because "he" loves "her" devotedly)

And that is my rhyme about the first dandy of the year.

Have you found your first dandy yet?

Have a beautiful weekend!

Doctor's orders....

 Lest you think winter will never end..... the snow will not cease.... and the cold will not snap....

behold..... six months ago....

 Mmmmmm...... aren't you feeling better already?

The sun is warming your face, the birds are singing, and soft breezes rustling...

 ...the flowers are unfurling...

 ...and beds need watering...

(i think i'm getting thirsty myself)

 ...butterflies stop for a sip of nectar...

...to gain strength for the coming days.

I don't know about you.... but that's just what the doctor ordered....

Come, spring, come.

Salmon Clivia Blooms

A few weeks ago, my poor abused and neglected clivia started blooming.

I say abused and neglected because it sits in a corner, behind the couch ... and occasionally gets watered.

But this seems to be what it likes because it had just bloomed a few months before.

When it is not blooming, it is a pretty mundane plant with simple strap-like leaves...

but when it blooms, it is gorgeous....

...and the light filtering in the north facing window made for wonderful photography.

A black and white conversion.... I honestly don't know whether the color of black and white is better.

What do you think?

My mother-in-law gave me this plant.... it was from a neighbor lady of hers that had many of them.

If you have a chance to get your hands on a clivia...snap it up.  I love mine.....

....so delicate yet easy to care for.

Black and white or color..... black and white or color..... hmmmm......

Linking up to Mary's Mosaics and Lisa's Macros today.

Have a beautiful day!

Crimson Amaryllis

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas with family and friends.

We had a restful weekend...... much needed.

I have many photos to share of Christmas gifts and a wonderful family shoot from earlier in December....

but first I wanted to share these of my blooming amaryllis before it's gone.

This isn't one of the biggest amaryllis blooms that I've had, but it is one of the longest lasting..... and a pretty crimson.

Pistol and stamens

You can see the back bloom is spent, but until they really start to look bad, I hate to cut them off.

{Linking up to Macro Monday today.}

Christmas Cactus

Funny things..... they bloomed in October.... they are Christmas cacti afterall...

But every fall, right after they've spent all summer outside on the front porch .... they begin to bloom.

I'm not really sure what triggers them to bloom... either the cooler nights or the decreased sunlight hours... or both.

But bloom they do, and so I bring them inside just as the buds are beginning to show.

And their delicate blooms last a mere week, before curling up and falling off.... not hardly enough time to enjoy them.

I have two different plants.... this one has a more upright growth.  When it was given to me 10+ years ago, it was labeled as an Easter cactus... but it blooms in the fall right along with the other cactus.

And this cascading form I bought at a plant exchange.... I love plant sales....especially sales that come from neighborly cuttings and the proceeds go to a charitable cause.

So incredibly delicate.

{linking up to Macro Monday and Mosaic Monday today}

Sunflowers

Seems kind of odd posting photos of sunflowers right now....
but I've had these photos for a month.... and am just now getting to them.
Why? Because our garden is officially gone... lost to the white frost.
And what signifies summer more than a sunflower?

Well, maybe a sunflower with a foraging bumblebee.

So.... here's to warm summer days.... buzzing bumblebees.... and glowing sunflowers.
Until next summer.

{joining up with Mary and Lisa today}
{please visit them for more lovely mosaics and macros}

Fall Crocus

A taste of spring...in the fall

Lavender and honey...

a tantalizing mix of sweet and savory...

...arms lifted in praise to the One..

..the Maker of beauty...

Fall crocuses are...

new life in the midst of detritus...

a lesson in patience and rebirth...

a precious gift.

Dahlias

Some of my dahlias are blooming.... finally.

Well, I should say, there were some earlier dahlias,
but the grasshoppers finished the buds off before they even got close to showing color.
Now the grasshoppers are gone.... where? I don't know.
But I am happy to not share anymore.

My dahlias usually fall prey to earwigs..... ugh... how I abhor those bugs..... yech!
I think the earwigs are too busy feasting on the cabbages to bother with the dahlias.

Luscious layers

Taking away the color emphasizes the unfolding layers.

I took the dahlias pictures the morning before our big wind/dust storm last week.
The plants always get so beat up during a dust storm and I figured the dahlias would suffer.
and knowing the storm was coming....I spent some time with my dahlias...

This is what it looked like mid-storm.

Just lacking a skate board.....



Linking up to the fun....
Mosaic Monday at Mary's Little Red House
and
Macro Monday at Lisa's Chaos

Purple Coneflower

I am COMPLETELY enamored with purple coneflowers..... I can't stop taking photos of them....
....I think I need an intervention!

I feel a little like Dr. Suess because I love them with lady bugs....

.... and I love them in bunches.....

....I love them in the sun.....

.... I love them with bumblebees....

.....and I love them in mosaics.....

....yes, I love them in a boat and on a train and with a goat and in the rain....
....Oh how I love them Sam I Am....
(and Sam.... I am just a *tiny bit* addled by their beauty!!!!)

{Linking up to Mosaic Mondays at the Little Red House}

and

{Macro Monday at Lisa's Chaos}