After the Rain

after the rain

i wandered, barefoot, through the wet grass

enjoyed the sweet aroma of the chilly air

and focused for a few moments on these pink beauties

Joining Tamar

Good. Random. Fun. {weeks 22 & 23}

The heat of the day lingered into the early evening. As I pushed my cart around the garden center, I allowed myself to choose the tiny blooms that I liked the most. I hadn't done any research ~ which I probably should have. You see, I don't garden. I enjoy plants and flowers without knowing what they are called. I like the idea of having a garden full of loveliness, but haven't the first clue as to what it takes to actually grow the flowers that might fill said garden. So, while the sun began casting long shadows across the rows and rows of vivids and pastels, I simply allowed myself to choose whichever random plants happened to put a smile on my face. I did check to make sure that the colorful choices I made would enjoy basking in the sunshine of my second floor deck, and then I filled my cart with a rainbow of goodness.

I bought some herbs too. Because I like the idea of cooking with fresh herbs. I've never done this, but hope that I can actually incorporate this into my culinary routine. Once I had decided on a potting soil and picked out some cute gardening gloves, I headed to the cashier to make my purchase. When the total came up on the screen I thought, "Wow. This is more than just an idea. It's an investment! I better actually be able to keep this little guys alive?!?!!" This notion, if you know me at all, is not a given. I'm not known for keeping plants alive. And I can tend to like the idea of something much {much} more than I like the actual effort it takes to make it happen. I was one of those girls that liked buying the ski outfit more than I liked the skiing itself. But I digress.

Next came the loading and unloading. The cleaning of the fairly-old-but-never-used planters. The reading of the directions. And then, finally, the planting. My favorite part of this process was experiencing the warmth of the soil. There was energy...warm energy...generated by the soil. Digging my gloved hands into the bag of potting soil again and again was, well, new to me. And invigorating. It was one of those moments when you say to yourself, "Oh. This is why people like this!" I guess you could say a 'better late than never' moment. The fun came when all the planters were full and settled into their new home on my new deck....and I started snapping photos! It's always nice when you try something new and it turns out {almost} like you imagined that it would.

So, here I am. In a new house with so much light. And space. And land. It's a home that begs for plants and flowers. Here I am testing the waters. Dipping the proverbial big toe in to see how it feels. I will do my best to nurture the living. To pay attention, take my time and find joy in this new adventure.

Joining Tamar for some

Good, Random Fun

i went out in search of ....

RHODODENDRONS!!

And, oh boy, did I find them!

Believe it or not, these are the late bloomers ~

there were so many more that had already bloomed and faded.

But these waited for my visit,

and I happily lost myself in their beauty!

the flowers that bloom in the spring

tra la

breathe promise of merry sunshine

as we merrily dance and we sing,

tra la

we welcome the hope that they bring

tra la

of a summer of roses and wine

of a summer of roses and wine

and that's what we mean when we say that a thing

is welcome as flowers that bloom in the spring

tra la la la la

tra la la la la

the flowers that bloom in the spring

{from the Mikado}

Joining Kathy for

Song-ography

Six Word Fridays ~ Fall

It's like a fancy card trick,

or the rabbit in the hat...

Take the afternoon light, add in

a few petals and set them

all against a backdrop of green.

Point that 50mm lens...and click!

Hocus pocus ~ the spell is cast.

The camera works its magic ~ and
I'm not embarrassed to admit that

I fall for it every time!

Join the fun!

Share your story,

Six Words at a time!

Black & White Wednesdays ~ Enough

May your joys be as bright as the morning, 

and your sorrows merely be shadows that fade in the sunlight of love. 

May you have enough happiness to keep you sweet, 

enough trials to keep you strong, 

enough sorrow to keep you human, 

enough hope to keep you happy, 

enough failure to keep you humble, 

enough success to keep you eager, 

enough friends to give you comfort, 

enough faith and courage in yourself to banish sadness, 

enough wealth to meet your needs and one thing more; 

enough determination to make each day a more wonderful day than the one before

Irish Blessing

Please join me and share some

Black & White Photography!

I'm also linking to

Wednesdays Around the World

and

Good Fences

Green Thumb?

Nope.
Don't have one.
I keep a few office plants alive. Barely.
I'm very glad there are some green thumbs in this world
because I sure do love a beautiful garden.

One of my favorite things about gardens
are the different stages of growth
that share space and tell a wonderful, wonderful story!!

Call me crazy,

but I love the sight of these fading petals 

sharing their stem with a new bud.

Life is chock full of transitions, right?

And change isn't always pleasant, or easy....

especially when we're in the middle of it.

Somehow capturing the beauty of this cycle-of-life in nature

fills me with peace.

Each bud so full of promise!

Every bloom a beauty in her own right....
Drinking in the sun's light
and glowing
from deep within.

Yup.
Gardens are good.
My insights might be a bit random...
but thanks for coming along for the ride.
It sure is fun to share them with you!


Joining Tamar for
The Good. The Random. The Fun.

Six Word Fridays ~ Purple

As August gives way to September,

the back swamp at Horn Pond

treats us to some purple magic!

One at a time, each stem

sheds its summer green and dons

a royal cloak of violet blooms.

The pond is aglow ~ the blue

of the heron pales next to 

the dreamy hues of early autumn.

When the sun has its way,

petals are set on fire and

paint such a dramatic back drop.

Oh, purple. Reaching towards the sky
or reflected on the blue waters,
you've cast your spell on me!





Join me here and share your story
Six Words at a time!

Morning Glory

"The morning pouring everywhere
its golden glory on the air."
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow


Joining Kim for
LIttle Things Thursday
and Theresa for
Good Fences

Sunny Saturday

I wish that I could say

{each and every day}

that what I'm doing today

is wandering in

walking through

exploring 

and 

photographing

the world around me.

Happily for me,

I could say it yesterday because

I spent time with the flowers in the community garden behind my favorite pond.

One thing that photography has taught me about gardens,

and the flowers that bloom,

is that the inside of each bloom is an artistic wonder.

Of course the little creatures

{butterflies, birds and bees}

have always loved the insides of these colorful treats!

I caught many candid shots of this beauty enjoying her garden time.

Although,

I don't know about you,

but it looks to me like she might be posing for this shot!

The bees are, by far, the busiest and most numerous.

If I could speak "bee"

I'm sure all that buzzing would translate to

"yummy, yum, yum!"

There are few things that soothe me like

outdoor time

in beautiful spaces

flooded with natural light.

Especially when sunflowers are involved.

Heading off for another adventure in a little bit!

Happy Sunday, fellow bloggers!

Linking up with

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

Hunting Amongst the Wildflowers!

About a mile down the road from me is a town run soccer field.

This field used to sit next to an old, abandoned house

and stayed overgrown and unused for years.

About two years ago the town tore down the old house

and leveled the field...

It's fun to drive by and see the field full of children and families,

flags, nets and balls.

But I must say that, in this season of abundant wildflowers,

I prefer to wander the sidelines of the empty field

and chase scavenger hunt photos amid the blooms!

I like this silly stem ~ sticking out up above the others.

Or this silly purple bloom, taking a bow just for me!

Then there's this little guy,
out for a spin to collect some pollen.

In this shot, I see four full blooms
strutting their stuff.

The fun is in the photo-taking.
The guilty pleasure?
Photo-editing!

I could edit and edit and edit....all the live long day.

And, as for the rule of thirds....

....the opportuinities were countless!

"May your life be like a wildflower

growing freely

in the beauty and joy of each day."

Native American Proverb

Happy Sunday Friends!

Linking up with

Scavenger Hunt Sunday