Dreamy Bubblegum Gerbera

Now that it's officially Spring, I've got the itch to go outside and see all of the changes in nature that will be taking place soon. It's still unusually cold here in Detroit, but I am optimistic that we will get warmer weather soon. Meanwhile, here is a beautiful Gerbera flower to remind me that there is much more to come, along with the warmer weather. Hope you enjoy and have a great weekend!

Beauty of Old

Recently, I had a chance to visit the oldest Conservatory in the USA, which unknown to me at the time was right in my backyard. Ok, not literally in my backyard, but about 10 miles away in Downtown Detroit. I was looking for something to do with my Mom on yet another unbelievably cold day, so I decided to take her for a ride around Belle Isle. Belle Isle is an island park which is connected to the city, by way of a 19 arch bridge that spans across the Detroit River. We were driving around the vast island park, and came upon the Conservatory. I was happy to find somewhere warm and indoors to take my Mom. We went inside, and it was absolutely beautiful! The Conservatory contains exotic plants and flowers from all over the world. There were not as many flowers because of the time of year, but what we did see was beautiful! Here is a photo of the outside of the Conservatory, and I will post more of the inside soon. Enjoy!

I'll Follow The Sun

Celebrating the fact that we are having a heat wave here in Michigan. The temperature has been 25 degrees for two straight days now! I'm being optimistic that the record-breaking cold is gone for the season, maybe just wishful thinking....Here is a photo that I took last Summer, where the flowers are growing towards, and basking in full sunlight. It warms me inside just thinking that Spring is right around the corner! So, TGIF, Happy Valentine's Day, and enjoy your weekend everyone!

Pink Pearl

I have two yellow bushes in my front yard that produce tiny little pink buds twice during the year. These buds are so tiny, most people would not even notice them. They have been in my yard for 3 years now, and this is really the first time that I actually took a good look at them. They are about the size of a dime. When they started to bloom, I saw that they were absolutely gorgeous pink colors with pearly white strands around them. I have no idea of what they are, but up close you can see how beautiful they are. Enjoy!

Summer's Harvest Colors

Still going through all of my Summer photos, and I feel so blessed to be able to look back at all of the things I was able to see and do this Summer. I had the opportunity to spend a lot of time with my Mom who is suffering from Alzheimer's Disease. She recently had surgery a few weeks ago, and the anesthesia that was used on her took away her short-term memory, which looks like it is permanent. So while I am secretly mourning her memory loss, it gives me comfort to know that we had so much fun this Summer. If not for my camera, I would not have the reminders of all the new things I was able to let her experience. This photo is of a flower who's identity I do not know. The many brilliant gold and orange colors remind me of Fall. Hoping to get out with my camera soon, and have the opportunity to catch many more Fall colors! Nature's beauty never disasppoints!

Exactly As I Saw the Sunrise!

Nature and landscapes always amaze me. I went down to the Lake early one morning last month to try and catch the sunrise. I figured that maybe I was too late judging by the sky. Was I ever wrong! This is what I saw the moment I parked my car and got out to walk towards the lake. You just can't make this stuff up! A few moments later, I saw the beginning of a red ball rise from the lake. It was absolutely beautiful! Will post some photos of the big red ball rising in another post. Enjoy the day, it's going to be in the 90's here in Michigan today. Thanks for looking!

Bee Happy!

Fooling around in my yard taking photos, and found this Bee just having a great time, flying from branch to branch getting whatever food he could get from the flowers. I was surprised at the amount of detail I was able to capture in these photos, as I usually do not get too close to bees. I am hoping that I will get opportunity to take some more bee photos in the future, maybe with a closer view. Hope you enjoy them! Happy Saturday!

Blooming Hostas!

I can't believe it's Labor Day! Where did the summer go? I realized that I have done quite a lot this summer, as my camera tells all of the stories of the places I have been and the things I have done since the summer season started. On the days that I am home, I still love my flower garden in my front yard. Every year I watch as my perennial flowers grow bigger and bigger each year. It's my reminder that life keeps moving, no matter what happens. I really appreciate watching the growth of flowers, even the Hosta plants. Somehow flowers always make me smile inside. So here are a few photos to ponder. I hope someone else enjoys the beauty as much as I do!

Just Pink!

Just a photo of some of my flowers from my garden. These are really beautiful pink blossoms, and I cannot remember the name of them, but they are just one of many in my garden that put a smile on my face when they are in bloom. Enjoy, and have a great weekend!

Just A Daisy!

Getting ready to head back to my home away from home on the Lake for the 4th. Hoping to take some great photos while there, and see some more nature, flowers, etc. like this one. "Just A Daisy!" Have a great 4th everyone!

Wild & Free

For the last two years, I have been having a love affair with photography. I love everything I learn, from the simple reminders to keep back-up batteries with me, to learning depth-of-field, shutter speeds, etc. I see the world in a whole new way, not just the obvious, but sometimes even the mundane. Everything I see suddenly is a photograph in my mind. For quite awhile now, it has become an outlet for me also.
It's my outlet from grief, pain, awkward silence, raw emotion, and trying to put one foot in front of the other each and everyday. Let me explain a little...A few days after this past Christmas, my husband and I received the most dreaded phone call every parent never wants to experience. We were informed that my 26 yr. old step-son had died suddenly at his mother's home in Florida. I've been through a lot in my life, but nothing compares to the pain of losing a child. It has changed me in so many ways, I can't even describe.
I do know that now I try to cherish each day more, say "I love you" more to family and friends, worry more about my own children, and try to see the beauty in all that life has to offer. I see many things that remind me of my step-son, some happy and some sad, but this particular photo jumped out at me in regards to him.
With that in mind...there are all kinds of wild flowers growing along the roads at our summer place. Many of them are just weeds, but are really pretty in their own right with the colors, shapes, etc. The photo below is just a shot of the rows and rows of wild daisies growing along the side of the road on our street. This particular photo reminded me of my step-son, as the flowers are growing wild and free, and their simply beauty can put a smile on your face. Hope you enjoy and "Happy Friday!"

Tail Up!

One of my days up north, I had just walked in, and saw this guy at my hummingbird feeder. Of course, I grabbed my camera as fast as I could since I have never seen a bird like this. He had beautiful orange and yellow colors, and definitely bigger than a hummingbird. I was able to grab a few quick shots before he flew away. This bird was so funny to watch, as he kept looking underneath the feeder, instead of trying to get some food from it. Really, he looked like he lost something and thought it would be found on the under side of the feeder! I think he was tipping the feeder to catch the drops of food that would spill out, due to his weight. I found out from one of my twitter friends (thanks Marianne!) that this particular bird is called an Oriole. It is actually the state bird of Maryland. While I am still trying to get my hummingbird shot, this guy gave me a great laugh watching him keep dipping under the feeder every few seconds, while I got my view of "Tail Up" the whole time! Hope you enjoy!

A Visit From Jay

I was just sitting inside at our summer place, looking out the window into the woods at nothing in particular, except the rain. This little guy just flew over, and sat himself down on our deck. Of course, I grabbed my camera as fast as I could and tried to take a few photos. This is one of the best photos I was able to capture in the rain and through the window. Photographing moving animals is still something I really need to practice with, and is something I am going to pursue a lot more this summer. After I took this photo and the bird flew away, I went outside and suddenly there were dozens of these Bluejays flying around from tree to tree. I am not sure why there were so many in the area, as I have never seen so many at the same time. They continued to stay the entire week, darting around the yard and through the trees. They were fun to watch, and I was able to see a few more different birds while there. I will be posting photos of them soon. So for now here is a picture of "A Visit From Jay". Hope you like it!

Quack Me Up!

I took my Mom to one of our local parks last month to enjoy the warmth and sunshine that finally made it's way to this part of the country. There were a large number of Canadian Geese walking around looking for food. They just love it when people feed them, and some of them get pretty brave just walking right up and taking the food out of your hands. While I was there, along came this bunch of babies. There were about 7 or 8 or them just walking around exploring all that nature has to offer. It was really hard to get a good sharp photo of these little babies, as they would not stay still for any length of time at all. This is one area that I really need to practice some more, but these babies were too cute not to post a photo. I did add a vignette to accent them a little more than just the grass they were sitting on. Hope you like these cute little babies too!

Golden Honey

Just another flower in my garden, that has started to bloom! I really liked the way the sunlight was catching this bloom. It seems that all of my flowers are blooming, one at a time, but they are, oh so pretty! This yellow lily plant bloomed a few days ago, and the roses are all blooming now. I've had bronchitis for the last week, but I hope to get outside to get some photos soon. Watching the flowers grow are one of my favorite things about this time of year. I love watching them come up out of the ground from little sprouts, to eventual full grown, colorful blooms. Nature is such an amazing thing! Happy Sunday!

Is It A Flower or Weed?

Here is a photo of one of the first blooms in my yard. When I moved a few years ago, I planted all perennials in my garden in the front of my house. This particular photo is a flower I never planted. It pops up every year and it is really pretty. I am wondering if it is really a flower or just some type of pretty weed. The blooms are really small (about the size of a quarter), and I have never seen any type of flower like this. Inquiring minds want to know...is it a flower or a weed?

Standing Out in the Shadows

Finally made it back to our summer getaway on Lake Huron. Hoping to spend as much of the summer here as I can. I have been waiting for so long to get back here, where the air is clean, the sky is wide open, and of course the beautiful lake sunrises, and sunsets. Here, I am hoping that we can somehow heal a little and make some sense out of life. That is a post for later, when I feel I can actually talk about what the healing is all about. When I pulled up to our place, these flowers are first thing I saw, and it somehow reminded me of my Mom. My Mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease about 2 years ago. Many people do not know that it is a disease that takes your mind, your memory, your dignity, and eventually turns the brain into the "broken" position permanently. The daffodil here is shining brightly in the sun, but with the sunlit shadows on the back of the flower. That is why it reminds me of my Mom. She is still shining, but the shadows represent each part of her memory that has been taken forever. The other daffodil is me standing beside her for as long as I can. I know the day will come when she will be truly alone mentally, but until that time I will keep reminding myself that she is truly "Standing Out in the Shadows", and always will for me.

Catching Rays

This is a photo of yet another blossom tree. I'm not sure what kind, as there are so many different ones blooming all over right now. Some of these blossoms are so tiny, so thin, and so fragile, yet their beauty never ceases to amaze! I was with my kids for Mother's Day last weekend, and the home we were at had two different blossom trees outside. It was terribly windy out, so before I left, I snapped a branch from the two different trees and brought them home to take a few photos. Here is one of them entitled "Catching Rays". I think the title explains it all, as the beautiful blossom sitting next to my window was catching the great afternoon lighting. Since they are so thin, all of the little veins running through each bloom can be seen very well also. I just love Spring, as it never disappoints, sharing the beauty of nature all around us. Hope you enjoy this photo too!

Of Lines & Curves

I took this photo last year and it still one of my favorites. I was actually playing around with photographing water-drops, as you
can see there are a few on this photo. The different colors, the light, and the curves all came together to create this abstract photo. Have a great weekend everyone, and thanks for looking!

Here to Stay-Growing....

A few weeks ago, I posted a story about my red lily plants, and why they are special to me. At that time, I posted the first bloom of the plants which was about the size of a quarter. You can read my post from 4/24/13 for more, and the photo. A few weeks later...I cannot believe how much these plants have grown. They are now about 6"-8" tall. The first photo was from about 1 1/2 weeks ago, when the first blooms started to take shape. The 2nd photo here is taken from yesterday just to get an idea of the growth. I cannot wait until the first lilies appear on these plants! I have many other perennial flowers too, and hope to post some pictures later this spring/summer. I love flowers of all kinds, but my lily plants will always be my favorite because of how much they have traveled from address to address with me, and are now "Here to Stay".