Sara’s Fave Photos

This lovely scene is in Volunteer Park in Seattle on a recent sunny day. I love looking out at a sunshiny lawn from under a shady tree.

The Thursday Challenge this week is the theme of Outdoors. Do visit Scenic Sunday as well.

While you’re here, you might try clicking on a tag of “green” or “sky” to see what comes up. And you can always see the latest post here by clicking on Sara’s Fave Photos.

Did you know that the “hydra” in the name of hydrangeas refers to water? Meaning, don’t let these dry out! Not soggy, of course, but not dry, either. And also, cuttings are super easy to root. When you prune them back, just poke a few of the cut stems into the shaded soil near the mother plant. Keep all moist and check back later and voila! New plants!

These lovely ones were in the Matonti garden on the Federal Way Symphony garden tour, actually in Tacoma. They had some fab hydrangeas there, for sure. Catch them next year!

Visit Thursday Challenge for more photos on the theme of “blue.” And you might try clicking that tag while you’re here, always easily returning to the latest post by clicking on Sara’s Fave Photos above.

Three years ago I went to The Event in the Desert, AKA Burning Man, in Black Rock, Nevada. It was hot, believe me, and dry heat or no it was way too hot for me. But I was there, so I was determined to have as much fun as I could. The peak of it was one big fire fest, late at night, many thousands of people watching. This column of flame was well over a hundred feet tall, maybe two hundred. It was far away for safety and it was HOT.

The theme this week for Thursday Challenge is Hot. Visit SOOC Sunday for other straight-out-of-the-camera shots. And you can always browse around here and find your way back to the latest post by clicking on Sara’s Fave Photos.

The sun is finally here. This cosmos flower is just basking in it! Another perfect day tomorrow is predicted, and then showers again. Actually, it’s amazing how quickly the flower beds dry out. Our water bill will be way higher in July than up til now, that’s for sure.

Visit Thursday Challenge and view the entries for the theme Weather. Mine is sunny!

You might want to check out a tag or category here first, easily returning to the main page here by clicking on Sara’s Fave Photos.

I like this photo very much and am putting it in the Best Post of the Week category.

The peonies in my garden are finally in bloom and magnificent. These few in a vase were so long awaited and so much appreciated. They are an entry on the theme of “Soft” for Thursday Challenge and also pink for Pink Saturday.

Click on a couple of things if you have time but return to the latest post by clicking on Sara’s Fave Photos above.

This is one from the archives. I remember it was a very hot day in northern California, and the eggs just looked so beautiful before we lit into them. I am glad I preserved them for posterity. I was just learning how natural light is so superior to flash, and this soft light really proves it.

Today’s Thursday Challenge is FOOD (Meals, Restaurants, Eating, Vegetables, Unusual Foods, Cooking, BBQs…). To return to the full blog with my latest post on top, click on Sara’s Fave Photos above.

This person was one of a jillion photographers entranced, as I was, at the incredible displays of flowers. Roozengaarden is just one of the paid tulip gardens in the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. This year we paid their $4 admission, what the heck, but it was so worth it. Mind boggling.

Visit Thursday Challenge for more Green-themed photos (or Plants, Spring Growth, Gardens, Clothing, Green Things…). Color Carnival has more amazingly brilliant color.

To return to the full blog with my latest post on top, click on Sara’s Fave Photos above.

The Thursday Challenge theme is ROUND (Circle, Sphere, Curves, Moon, Clock, Coins…) and I thought this was a good one. Hope you enjoy it.

Wood heat is a renewable kind of fuel that warms you thrice: When you cut it (although perhaps not with a chainsaw!), when you carry it, and when you burn it.

This view of Mt. Rainier was taken while flying to Arizona a couple of years ago. It fits the Thursday Challenge theme this week: HIGH or LOW (Photos from a different perspective, Photos from the top or bottom of Buildings, Mountains, Towers, Underneath,…).

Do you like this one or the previous post’s photo better, I wonder?

Today I saw rainbows in three locations as I drove around and did errands. You’ve gotta be quick with rainbows; they just won’t wait for you. So while I was driving down this alley in downtown Burien, I stopped the car, leaned my head out the window, and took the shot. I actually like it, even though this type of urban shot isn’t my usual thing. Gotta love rainbows.

Visit Thursday Challenge for more Sky photos, and/or visit Skywatch Friday for even more skies around the world!

Thursday’s Challenge is “ROMANTIC” (Flowers, Chocolates, Hearts, Lace, Red, Pink, Sunset, Holding Hands,…) and so of course I have to post flowers. This bouquet also photographed at the NW Flower & Garden show in Seattle last week. It says Be Mine to me!

This also works for Color Carnival (the local gray skies make me crave color!) and is a straight-out-of-the-camera shot, or SOOC.

The Thursday Challenge is “SOMETHING DIFFERENT” (Unusual, Strange, Rare, Different, One of a Kind, Weird . . .). I didn’t think I had anything worthwhile, but then I remembered my sojourn at Burning Man in ’07 in the Black Rock, NV desert, the enormous week-long alternative arts festival. Now there’s a surreal event. Here’s only one photo. I hope you like it.

Visiting a friend I was surprised to see the amount of papers on her desk and all around her office. I’ve heard that “a clean desk is the sign of a sick mind,” but I can’t look at too much disorder without getting antsy. How do you find important things? Sometimes I’ve just got to straignten things up, or at least line up the piles. But we’re all different, aren’t we?

In any case, the theme for Thursday Challenge is “Messy.” This qualifies.

It was sunny for a little bit yesterday so I went out for a walk while it lasted. Here is our active volcano (could blow any time), Mt. Rainier, showing its winter snows. The theme for  Thursday Challenge is “Winter,” so take a look there at some other wintery ideas.

This is a good one for Scenic Sunday as well. And hello, Skywatch Friday folks!

When I was a kid in New York City, we called them fireplugs. I think that now they are fire hydrants? In any case, I loved the bright colors seen while driving by on a wet, fall day in Portland.

Today is Thursday Challenge, and the theme this week is “Red.” This photo is also a good entry for Color Carnival.