One of my favorite shots of my younger son playing soccer - 2011
About to strike the ball. He loves the “beautiful game!” So I love taking photos of him playing it 🙂
Playing Soccer!
Tag Archives: 2011
Black-Eyed Susans
This afternoon flashback shows some of my favorite flowers, the cheerily nodding black-eyed Susans.
Gold Dust
Powdered with gold dust, she glows in the sunlight.
Velvety Golden All Over - Summer 2011
Doesn’t she look soft? Don’t touch her, though, or you’re liable to rub that dust right off and leave her damaged and unable to fly as well as before.
Silvery Secrets
Multitudes of small, silvery butterflies flutter around these flowers on warm summer days.
Silvery Flutters - Summer 2011
Until looking at the still images, I was unaware of their secret beauties. The delicate, black and white striped antennae tipped in golden yellow is the most striking hidden feature. I also love their furry little faces and the false eye and face at the other end that might serve to trick predators into attacking a less vulnerable part of their anatomy, hopefully giving them a chance to escape.
I have always loved being out in nature, but the camera both gives me “permission” to spend more time outdoors and also reveals so many lovely little secrets that I couldn’t (or didn’t) spot with my own, “normal” vision. I hope I am becoming more observant and also winning my lifelong fight to grant value to the artistic side of my personality, rather than dismissing it as unuseful or not worthwhile.
Grass & Wee Bug
Zooming in on the gold, sunset-lit filaments of this grass seed head, I saw an anomaly.
Wee, Small Fellow Hiding in the Seeds - Summer 2011
A fat filament? No, it moved. Although it was well camouflaged, it definitely had legs and eyes. I don’t know what it is, but several of the same variety of grass sported similar denizens. Do you know what it is?
Just a Fuzzy Muzzle!
Still bedewed with water droplets from his frigid early morning drink, Blaze’s fuzzy little muzzle is silhouetted against the sunrise.
Refreshing! - Winter 2011
This adorable post: http://h2obyjoanna.wordpress.com/2012/02/10/41365-snowy-nose-of-a-shetlander/ – from h2o by Joanna, a fellow photography blogger, is what reminded me of my shot of Blaze.
Beaded Grass
Fashion and nature: beaded and fringed dress, spiraling around the body. 
It was actually this morning, when attempting to photograph frost crystals, that I started to think about nature and fashion. I will post one of this morning’s photos later, I hope, after my battery has recharged (and my camera’s battery, lol) and I have examined the photos.
Still, turn this upside down and I can imagine a flapper’s dress, can’t you?
Blue and Green Summer Afternoon
Today is bright and sunny, triggering today’s afternoon flashback. It is quite a cheerful looking day. But step outside and your mood may change; it is brisk, to put a nice spin on it. Cold, frigid compared to recent days in the 60s.
Does this summer sight help you smell and hear echoes of summer? 2011
Looking out the window, feeling the heat through the windows, called to mind this summer afternoon in Harlan, Iowa, 2011. Warm in the sun, slightly less warm in the shade. Humming insects, gentle lapping of waves, soft susurating breeze…
Arctic Cartoon Mosquito?
This is another flashback to warmer, sunnier days. Last spring I set out to photograph the wild plum blossoms – and revel in their heady scent.
Happily for me, it is more interested in nectar than in my blood - Spring 2011
As I moved around to find blossoms highlighted by sunlight, I was not the only one interested in the sunny, sweet smelling blooms. In fact, there were numerous visitors of many sizes and shapes, but the most astounding to me was this odd creature. I realize it sort of resembles a bumblebee, but I do not think it is a bee at all. What it most looks like to me is those cartoon mosquitoes with pointy proboscii (is that a plural for proboscis?). Only this one is dressed for cold weather, rather like an Eskimo, and his/her face is all whiskery like a Schnauzer. Of course, now I have exited the realms of science and, rather, entered cartoon-landia, but none-the-less, I wanted to share this marvelous little creature. 🙂 And I loved the light sparkling off the fur on his back!
Higgledy, Piggledy, My Black Hen
Actually, this is one of Bridger’s black hens. He really likes his Black Giant hens; they are good layers, very friendly, and forage for themselves. Or, they are willing to follow him around hoping for handouts! Bridger is known to share muffins, sandwiches, apples, cantaloupe… pretty much anything he is eating he will share with a nearby hungry hen 🙂
She Lays Eggs for Gentlemen - 2011
Hawken, however, gets a little unnerved by those chickens following him around, especially one large Welsummer rooster who runs up behind him (sounding like a person, as he is two-legged and runs kind of heavily), then stops and pretends he is not really following if Hawken looks around at him. Yes, we are amused by the little things in our lives 🙂
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