Just Messing Around...

I spotted sunflowers coming on out the back door and had to get my camera. I wanted to share the stages that I saw with you all. You know I'm stupid about growing things and that each stage is fascinating to me. You also know I haven't been inspired to do much of anything lately so I took this urge as a good sign...


Aleta, I know they are hard to see so I managed to get a close up on one of those shy little cucumbers so maybe if you see what you are looking for it will make it easier to find...

The little ones spring from the base of the flower and as they get bigger the flower part gets smaller and falls off, kinda like a baby's umbilical cord except no blood or labor pains for the flower, at least as far as we know.

I'm practicing with my focusing thanks to a friend in England that is encouraging me.



This is a sunflower bud... I was so excited, Caroline, to get those tiny hairs on the leaves covering the bud and peeling back to begin the reveal.














This bud is further along and you can start to see the swirls that are unfolding. Again, I was so happy to get the little hairs and the veins in the parts that are peeling back to free the sunflower inside. I don't think they are called leaves but I don't know what to call them so leaves it is until someone enlightens me.


And speaking of enlightenment...













This sunflower is seeking the light! Kind of like some of us trying to turn our face to the sun. I caught this flower coming out of it's shell in a manner of speaking.















This is a little more of a 'face on' photo. It is fascinating to me how the petals are peeling back a little at a time, kind of like peeking out at the world to check and make sure that it wants to come on out and share it's beauty with us mere mortals...

Caroline thank you for encouraging me over my focusing frustrations. Dar, thank you for posting your beautiful flower photos and making me want to share also.

God I love being alive to see these wonders... even with all the problems and fears I'm slogging through now I would not have wanted to miss this little series, tiny little moments of beauty that remind me to cherish life.

Spring’s Promise…

 

As winter wanes and the days start getting longer I seek out images of past springs to lift me up and lighten the dark of depression.  Just thought I’d share a few with you all.

Happy Sunday!

We Feed The Birds...

And they feed our souls.


I've posted pictures of the birds before but today I wanted to share some of what the birds gave us back on this post today.


Lots of sunflowers.




I love watching them grow. Sunflowers are beautiful to watch grow no matter whether I plant them or the birds gift them back to me.

Each little step that these wonderful flowers go through to show off their glory is so artistic to my eye.

I don't know if I ever told you all that the reason I take photos is that I wanted to have my own pictures to work from when I paint.





I want to be able to see it through my eyes and try to create a picture that shows what I see and take it a step further...










To what I think it could be and perhaps even more.


And, it seems the underline poltergeist jumped into this computer, too...maybe to keep me humble? God does have a sense of humor He shares with me when I seem to be getting too full of myself.



One of these days I'll learn how to do the underline on purpose. Or how to turn it off. Oh well...
Back to the drawing board.