Partly Shady

Spare Parts

Imagine my surpise when I turned over the errant DVD drive from the XBOX that I was repairing and this fell out!

If only all of life's problems were so simply solved, and so amusing.

Grow Where You're Planted

Retail Macros

Dogwood in Watercolor

I received this dogwood about seven years ago, for Mother's day. I wanted only this particular one, spotted at the local nursery one day as I browsed the perennials.

Between the time I fell in love and the moment that I persuaded dear husband that this was the only gift that would make me happy, I would visit the tree at the nursery and tell it that I was coming back for it. I was somewhat anxious that someone else would buy it, but convinced myself that could not happen since we were clearly meant for each other.

It was quite a planting effort, all four of us, okay mostly dear husband, digging a big hole in the ground. And here it is all these years later, a testimony to my dear family that loves a woman who falls in love with, and even talks to, trees.

Watchdog

My oft-photographed trees are Kwanzan Cherries. Took some googling perserverance to find them. Too bad I don't have any more tree-planting room in my little, suburban plot of earth!

Respect Your Elders

Check out these psychedelic dandelions.

Through the Roof

I'm having a hard time keeping myself from a constant skyward perspective. The warm, blue sky through unleafed tree branches is just too much goodness for me.

Drive By

Today's tulip shots are here: Homegrown Beauty.

I love this tree!

This is my third posting of these trees. There are a pair of them right outside the entrance to the building where my art class is held. The first was in winter (and on my main blog). The second was in snowy spring. Actually, now that I think about it, I think this bloom may be the exact spot on the tree that I photographed in the first shot.

Sun-Kissed

This is the same red tulip from yesterday, taken about one hour later than the first shot. What a difference and hour of sunshine makes.

Sunshine, Blue skies, and New Life

After such a long period of grey and rain and cold here, I thought I would splurge and use all three of these, from my photo-taking this morning, as a act of celebration of a true spring day today.

Crikey, Mate!

Check out these Crocs...

Big Sky

It's rare to see undeveloped land where I live.

Forget-Me-Not

It was a bit hard to get a shot of these little flowers in the gusting winds today. But, I prevailed. Seemed appropriate to the times.

And a friend gave me the seeds from the little flowers in her yard. I dubiously buried them in my poor, clay soil. The next spring, little clumps of leaves began to appear.

A tiny plant that faces its cold arrival and comes back year after year. It has ugly leaves but pretty, delicate flowers. Yet that does not hold it back from making its impact.

For those who are hurting today...Some I know, and some I don't.

Decadence

Sunday, 9:44 AM

A Brief Respite

myPod

Blanca

Update: My husband got a little smile on his face when I showed him this picture. I think I know why :). Perhaps this is female version of Dalissa's sausage picture?

Gluten-Free Goodness

Brownies with peanut-butter chips.

Work or Play?

Depends on your persepective.

Eye Candy

Two, to Tango

April Showers?

Lonely Forsythia

Gracie, Through the Looking Glass

These are from last night, but they are just too funny not to post.

We recently got a security mirror for our store. But we have not installed it yet.

Yesterday, I put the mirror on a table so I could sit and draw my self-portrait for art class. Believe me, that garnered many a comment from customers. When you own a store, and work there every day, the boundaries of your life get a little blurry. It often feels like customers are walking into our living room, since we eat, watch TV, study, blog, game, and converse there.

Some time later, I turned around from our counters, to see that Gracie had jumped from the floor to the chair, to the table, and was frozen in front of the mirror. Now, Gracie is not very dog friendly, so she was quite serious about the potential threat, glancing back at us and wondering why we were laughing and not taking the situation seriously, at all!

Dh and I looked at each other and said, "Camera!" The second shot is of her trying to look around the mirror to find that other dog!

She would have been there for the rest of the day had we not spared her and turned the mirror around. In fact, even when we turned the mirror around, she lingered there, still looking for her doppelganger.

Grey, Contempletive Day

I stopped on the drive home from the barn this morning to photograph these woods. I inadvertently took the first shot on the night setting (left there from the Almost Night shot). Although I *corrected* the setting for the rest of my shots, this first one has the truest, and richest, colors of this grey day. Happy accident :).

Almost Night

A late, second entry for the day. As I was just about to close the car door for the drive home from the barn, I looked at the sky over the trees. Well, I had to try. Fifteen shots, and a tired, starving child later, I headed home. I was happy to find one in the bunch that matched the late-dusk beauty that caught my eye.

Worm's Eye View

Shadow Self

I took this because I liked the pattern and contrasts. As it turns out, this image really reflects how I feel about myself today, perhaps even more than I care to admit.

Finally Got a Haircut

Of course, I just put the ballcap right back on :).

March Retrospective