Sara’s Fave Photos

We’ve had sunny weather for a week. I planted pea seeds (and nicked and soaked the sweet pea seeds to plant tomorrow) and took the usual stroll to see what has come up. Crocus!

For more flowers in general, you’ll always enjoy Flowers For Today, and do visit Blooming Friday when you get the chance. What about more macros at Macro Monday?

New navigation: Now you can always get back to the latest entry here by clicking on the “Sara’s Fave Photos” title in the header, no matter where you’ve wandered in the blog. I invite you to click on the categories or tags on the left, or whatever strikes your fancy today. Hope you enjoy your visit.

It’s cleared up and the sky was showing the change the other evening. This one is SOOC, or straight out of the camera. For more skies around the world, visit Skywatch Friday.

Navigation Note: Now you can always get back to the latest entry here by clicking on the “Sara’s Fave Photos” title in the header, no matter where you’ve wandered in the blog. I invite you to look at the memes or tags on the left, or whatever appeals to you today. Hope you enjoy your visit.

This quick bit of sunshine we saw last week was the last time I did see the sun, so I’m happy to post the brief reminder here. It’s been gray and rainy, typical for this time of year, but it does get a bit gloomy sometimes. Especially when I want to go out in the garden and get things done. Sigh.

This is a SOOC, or straight-out-of-the-camera shot, like most of mine. Visit Shadow Shot Sunday for more interesting shadows. See more windows (and doors) in Window Views. Visit Blue Monday for more things of all kinds in blue.

Navigation Note: Now you can always get back to the latest entry here by clicking on the “Sara’s Fave Photos” title at the top, no matter where you’ve wandered in the blog. I invite you to look at the archives of Flowers, Cloudscapes, or Water tags on the lower left, or whatever appeals to you today. Hope you enjoy your visit. Thank you, Marsha Perry of Perry Internet Consulting!

They do smell heavenly. But be super careful about getting the pollen on your clothes, as it can stain permanently, I’ve found out, unhappily. I grew this and it bloomed in August. They are actually pretty darn easy to grow, but do put in stakes early, because they get tall and delightfully covered with flowers and then maybe a wind comes along and pfffft, it’s a mess. All you gardeners out there, stake early and stake well! You’ll be glad you did.

Visit Macro Monday, Mellow Yellow Monday and Ruby Tuesday for more great photos in blogland. And for sure, Color Carnival, too.

Here’s another saunter into the archives, this from May 12 of last year: my backyard. I planted every single one of those bulbs the previous fall and was so happy to see how they looked. This year they might even look better, but only the barest tips of the crocus leaves are showing now.

For more entrancing flowers, visit Flowers for Today. I also call this pretty darn Scenic, too! And sunshine makes taking a perfect (or at least pretty good) photo so easy, so this is SOOC as well. But do you think it’s colorful enough for Color Carnival?

Yes, it’s from the archives, but very soon flowers like this will actually be blooming. The weather here in Seattle has been in the 50s, which is a good bit above normal, and some plants are taking it seriously, I saw on my walk today. Personally, I think we’re in for some cold weather yet.

For more blissful pinkness, visit Pink Saturday.

That amaryllis ‘Red Lion’ has bloomed and I do love it. Very satisfactory. They don’t always do so well, in my experience. The south-facing window with mostly cloudy days helped, I’m sure, plus I’ve learned to put the bulb in a heavy clay pot rather than the flimsy plastic one that comes with the “kit.” Also, they really mean it about good drainage. No wet feet!

For more interesting visions of red, visit Ruby Tuesday.

That amaryllis bulb from a week or so ago is continuing to open. It’s in a south-facing window, but it’s mostly been cloudy and rainy, which is actually great if you are a plant like this one. I’ll keep you posted.

For more rubine redness, visit Ruby Tuesday. Color Carnival is always a thrill. And go check out SOOC for more straight-out-of-the-camera shots.

This is my first flower photo of the new year, and my first with the new camera. How appropriately a bud! It is an amaryllis, and should open to a big showy blossom with a bright red color (‘Red Lion’), very soon. I’ll keep you posted.

For more flowers from around the world, visit Flowers For Today.

I’ve tagged this image as Best Post of the Week.

A sunny patch in the weather made some lovely shadows the other day. Visit Shadow Shot Sunday for more interesting and entertaining shadows.

It’s also straight out of the camera, or SOOC.

And even a week later this photo still makes me pause, so I’ve tagged it Best Post of the Week.

Santa came a bit early and I got a Canon Powershot S90! Here’s a very appropriate photo of the dawn, taken yesterday morning in my backyard, as my first post with the new camera. The only benefit of the days starting so late is I get to see the actual dawn sometimes. Have you guessed I am not naturally an early riser?

It’s going to take me awhile to get comfortable with the manual control features (which were part of the reason I got it) of the new toy. And it’s very small, no bigger than the 3-yr. old Canon point-and-shoot it replaced. Another plus is it does REALLY great in low light indoor situations without a flash, which I prefer in most cases. But so much to learn! I prefer things simple but I am pledged to master this.

Can’t wait to see what it does in the garden with flowers. For that I must wait.

For more skies of happiness and inspiration around the world, visit Skywatch Friday. And have a great holiday.

This was taken at my old front yard in the Des Moines house. Glads closest, yellow and orange day lilies behind, and some Asiatic (Oriental? I always get those confused) pink lilies behind that. The glads were such a thrill, and easy, too.

Visit Flowers For Today for more floriferousness. And Scenic Sunday is a great photo browse as well.

These rhodies are from my old house in Des Moines, Washington. It was noisy, right in the SeaTac flight path, but we sure had some great flowers. The magnolia tree I’ve posted a couple of times was growing there. In front were some huge rhodies and some orange azaleas, too. I miss them, but I sure don’t miss that noise.

Winter hasn’t even begun officially and I’m already thinking of spring.

For more pleasing pinkness, visit Pink Saturday. And this one, like most of my entries, is SOOC or straight out of the camera. I rarely even crop them after I take them. Flowers are nice that way, staying still for you while you compose a pretty frame.

This sunflower, photo taken in my garden in September, is actually a volunteer plant, sown accidentally by the birds or squirrels from the black oil sunflower seeds they love to eat. It’s a good system. The birds spill a ton of seed from the feeder on a pole on the lawn, and the squirrels who cannot raid the baffled feeder are the clean-up crew on the ground. Everyone fat and happy, and the contented squirrels seem to leave the tulips and daffodill bulbs alone.

Visit Macro Monday for more close ups and Mellow Yellow Monday while you’re out and about, along with Color Carnival.

Free Photography Lighting Class starts tomorrow, Tuesday, 11am Seattle time. I’m registered and can’t wait. These classes (I’ve taken others from this group) are just super, and they are free.

The weather has been so cold that it’s discouraging to be out of doors too much, but the sunny weather is so appreciated for us sunlight-starved Seattlites. Here’s a recent photo of my early morning window view of cacti, right where I have my coffee. The rocks (mostly heart-shaped, although you can’t see that here) including the agate one, were found digging in my garden.

For more truly fascinating view of shadows around the world, visit Hey Harriet on Shadow Shot Sunday.

Visit Weekend Reflections and Window Wednesday, too. And SOOC, while you’re at it.

And just a few more days of Photoblog Awards stuff: PLEASE IGNORE IF READ BEFORE about the 2009 Photoblog Awards. If you like my photos, please vote for this photoblog before Dec. 15 and leave a comment in the link  below. You have to register (name and password only) and then click on the word Vote in the upper left. Thanks very much! Photoblog Awards 2009.

So many cheerful photos in the archives; a gray day like today is perfect to find one for us all to enjoy. This was taken at my old house, towards the end of March that year. Glorious, isn’t it?

For more flowers seen across the planet, visit Flowers for Today. And this one’s also SOOC, or straight out of the camera. And check out Scenic Sunday while you’re at it.

Flowers with colored petal edges are called picotee, I understand, and they are some of my faves. This begonia has to be taken indoors to wait out the cold weather. I repotted it in the spring and it did take a good while to get going again, but then it did very well. They like a good amount of fertilizer, that’s for sure.

For more cheerful yellow, visit Mellow Yellow Monday, and for more close ups, visit Macro Monday.

Only two months ago, but such a difference. Outside the rain continues, but I can marvel at the perfection of a dahlia that was. Didn’t my garden look good? This was a great gardening year in Seattle, and I salute it.

For more flowers around the world, visit Flowers for Today. And visit Color Carnival for more brilliant colors. Try Macro Monday for more intriguing close ups, and Mellow Yellow Monday for more, well, yellow.

And I’ve chosen this post for my Best Post of the Week (BPOTW). If you’d like to see more self-selected posts of an incredible variety, check it out.

PLEASE IGNORE IF READ BEFORE about the 2009 Photoblog Awards. If you like my photos, please vote for this photoblog and leave a comment in the link  below. You have to register (name and password only) and then click on the word Vote in the upper left. Thanks very much! Photoblog Awards 2009

Today I am posting two flowers in honor of being Guest Friend on Flowers for Today, where you can see lovely flowers of all kinds posted on blogs around the world.

Here are some snapdragons from my garden, “snapped” mid-October in a sunbreak after a rain, with my house in the background. I grew these from seed so I’m extra happy with them. If we get a mild winter they might even live over to next year.

Below the snaps is a red, red rose, taken in a Wallingford garden on the same day as the snapdragons.

This is also a post for Color Carnival, site of brilliant colors in photos.

PLEASE IGNORE IF READ BEFORE: I’m repeating this info about the 2009 Photoblog Awards. If you like my photos, please vote for this photoblog and leave a comment in the link  below. You have to register (name and password only) and then click on the word Vote in the upper left. Thanks very much! Photoblog Awards 2009

The forecast earlier today was for gusty wind and rain this evening. Just before the wind picked up, I went outside and took this of the storm clouds approaching. It was almost dark outside but I liked the look of the threatening sky.

For more skies around the world, visit Skywatch Friday.

Thought I’d post a couple of rainy rosebuds for Watery Wednesday. To me the raindrops look almost like jewels. Which one do you prefer?

PLEASE IGNORE IF READ BEFORE: Readers arrive on different days, so I’m repeating about the 2009 Photoblog Awards. If you like my photos, please vote for me and/or leave a comment in the link  below. You have to register (name and password only) and then click on the word Vote in the upper left. Thanks very much! Photoblog Awards 2009

I do still have a few dahlias that got a late start this year and are now at their peak. They are just so exuberant!

Visit Flowers for Today for the most amazing flower photos. And check out Color Carnival for more bright colors to amaze and amuse. Macro Monday has more close ups, and Mellow Yellow Monday (of course!) more yellow.

PLEASE IGNORE IF READ BEFORE: Readers arrive on different days, so I’m repeating about the 2009 Photoblog Awards. If you like my photos, please vote for me and/or leave a comment in the link  below. You have to register (name and password only) and then click on the word Vote in the upper left. Thanks very much!

Photoblog Awards 2009

Here in Seattle we have a special kind of weather called a sunbreak. It’s so cloudy so often, that when the sun peeks through briefly, we rejoice and grab our cameras. At least I do. Here’s the view from my bedroom window, catching the very last leaves of the dogwood tree.

For more shadows scenes, visit Shadow Shot Sunday. And this photo, like most of the ones in this blog, is SOOC, or straight out of the camera. Also check out Scenic Sunday for little slices of heaven, sometimes in a backyard, like this one.

PLEASE IGNORE IF READ BEFORE: Readers arrive on different days, so I’m repeating about the 2009 Photoblog Awards. If you like my photos, please vote for me and/or leave a comment in the link  below. You have to register (name and password only) and then click on the word Vote in the upper left. Thanks very much!

Photoblog Awards 2009

There are a few dahlias left, not  many, and as we move to winter, they are so appreciated. I like the bamboo reflected in the window here, in back of my house. Doesn’t the new paint color look good? It was a dark brown before.

For more pink visions, visit Pink Saturday. And check out Weekend Reflections, too. Try Window Wednesday, too, even though it’s not the right day.

PLEASE IGNORE IF READ BEFORE: Readers arrive on different days, so I’m repeating about the 2009 Photoblog Awards. If you like my photos, please vote for me and/or leave a comment in the link  below. You have to register (name and password only) and then click on the word Vote in the upper left. Thanks very much!

Photoblog Awards 2009

Took these a couple of days ago after the first storms in the rainy series we’ve been having. It rained four inches in two days! Now we’ve given up hope of patio living and have taken the patio furniture inside, but this is how it looked. Be sure to scroll to view second photo.

For more watery visions, visit Watery Wednesday.

PLEASE IGNORE IF READ BEFORE: Readers arrive on different days, so I’m repeating about the 2009 Photoblog Awards. If you like my photos, please vote for me and/or leave a comment in the link  below. You have to register (name and password only) and then click on the word Vote in the upper left. Thanks very much!

Photoblog Awards 2009