Bloomin' Tuesday

Seems like everyone keeps coming up with unknown Bloomin' Tuesday plants or flowers.

I walk by this everyday on my walk home from work. It's strange looking but interesting. Any ideas? I think it takes after Charlie Brown's Christmas tree!



Photo taken by the Camera Totin' Idiot.

More Bloomin' Tuesday here.

I learned something or.........

according to the Camera Totin Idiot "She can be taught!"

The tulip's in my neighbor Helen's yard have been beautiful this week! I've been busy snapping photos of her flowers because I knew they would soon be gone. The best time to take the photos are in the morning and at lunch time to catch the morning and afternoon sun on her front yard and back yard. I'm lucky I get to come home for lunch everyday!

I've been frustrated that my photos haven't been turning out the way I want them too. I see what others take of their flowers and I just haven't been getting the close up effect I wanted. Well, leave it to HIM to get to the root of the problem. "Read the directions" is what he told me this morning! So I did! And the result is wonderful. I didn't realize I had a Macro (close-up) setting on my camera. Well I do and I'm going to use it from now on for close up shots of flowers and things. Maybe even that new grandson!

Here is the photo I took today WITHOUT the macro setting:



Here's the photo after changing to the macro setting:




Much better! Don't you think?

There are two macro settings. Macro and Super Macro. When the camera is set on Super Macro the zoom button can't be used. I guess the camera is zooming in for me.

Here are some photos taken earlier in the week in the auto setting using the zoom. They are nice but I can see where the Marco setting is going to be great for flowers!




I took these photos in the afteroon when I was home for lunch and I'm glad I did because by the time I got home from work a little after 5 pm here is what I found:





Sad isn't it? I know tulips don't have a long life and the hard rain we received today probably would have beat the petals off but it would have been nice to have enjoyed them for a few more days. Too bad the neighborhood kids didn't think so.

My neighbor Helen died in 2003. Her daughter, Joy, owns the house and isn't able to live there right now but although Helen is no longer with us, I still enjoy her flowers just like I enjoyed them with her when she was living. I was sad when I saw the flower's petals laying on the sidewalk discarded and unwanted and it made me so glad I had taken their picture earlier in the week!

So what I learned is this - Always have your camera ready and take photos, photos, photos, because what you want to photograph may soon be gone and

Always READ the Directions!

Tulip time Again

A Very Lucky Shot!

Early this month over the Labor Day weekend I took these lucky shots! We were getting ready to go somewhere (Walmart?) and I was closing the back door and saw this beautiful butterfly around the morning glories. I thought to myself where is my camera. Oh great it was in our truck. So I had to run through the house and across the street to the truck and retreive the camera and then make it back to the yard. Well I made it and the butterfly was still there. Isn't it beautiful? Paul came down the stairs and asked me what I was doing? After he saw the photos he agreed I had to get the shot!

Some Lovely Sites on our Camping Trip!

Oh what a BEAUTIFUL Saturday!

My Morning Glories have bloomed. Aren't they beautiful? I love them.



But you can see how they take over everything. It is quite a challange to keep the vines out of my flowers. So I just try to keep them for strangling anything and other then that let them grow where they want.



My chair on my deck is calling me to come and set on this beautiful Saturday. but it will have to wait a little bit. I've got some house work that needs down. Then I'm going to work on some art or scapbook pages and read my book.


I'm reading The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher. It is a wonderful book. I've read it numerous times but it never fails to fill me with joy and transport me to Cornwall and England.

My Flowers!

Pink Zinnia


Orange Zinnia


Pink Double Impatiens


White & Pink Double Impatiens


Marigold 'Inca II Gold" with Coleus


Coleus


Lady Bug Lane with a little bunny looking on!


My chair to relax in and enjoy my back deck and flowers.

Gardening Helpers

I had some help with my flower gardening the last 2 days. Here they are. The assitant and the foreman.

Nina, my assistant (in between barking at anything going by in the alley behind our house)


Buddy, the foreman. (nothing more needs to be said)

Gardening

I've been working on my flower garden and having a great time! These pictures are proof. I'll have some pictures of the flowers in the next few days.


These are my hands but they look like my Mother's hands. She wasn't a gardener so it isn't the dirt but my wedding ring is like hers, a simple gold band, and that is what draws me to this photo.



Gardening is about enjoying the smell of things growing in the soil, getting dirty without feeling guilty, and generally taking the time to soak up a little peace and serenity. ~Lindley Karstens, noproblemgarden.com

Tulips & Dandelions

More Beautiful Flowers this time Tulips!






I know some people who have lawns hate dandelions but I think they are pretty. I love the yellow flower against the green of the grass with the sunshine looking down from above. Beautiful!

Finally Spring!

Finally seems like spring may be here to stay! It is to be a nice weekend. Here are a few pictures of the flowers in my neighbor's front yard. I've been watching them grow and wishing the sun would come out so I could take a picture of them and today it did! I'm off to work and I think I'll take my camera with me just in case some catches my eye on my walk there. Have a great Friday! Ann

Goodbye to my Yellow Mum. Until next year.....

I'm sorry to see the end of this beautiful flower. I cut it back today. It was given to me by my Mother-in-Law, Marian. I planted it myself and have never had what people call "a Green Thumb". But this year was different. Everything grew and looked so beautiful. I'm so glad I kept a picture diary of the flowers. It is nice to look back on these cold days and remember the warmth of the sun and working in my flower garden and enjoying sitting on our deck. Until next spring & summer.......

Here is the same rose at 5:30 pm. It is beautiful.