Desiccated Beauty

Jul13

Between the recent triple digit heat and near drought conditions, plants have had it kind of rough this month of July, 2012.

This photo, like yesterday’s photo, has less contrast, softer colors, less intense light, than the photos I usually prefer. It has a soft, almost painterly quality. I quite like it, though not so much as my bright and sunny photos. What is your opinion?

Nikon D5100 f/5.6 1/180 ISO 100 Nikkor 55-300mm lens – Summer 2012

Just because they are dried out doesn’t mean these leaves have no beauty. The early morning sun can reveal beauty in many otherwise unnoticeable things.

Soft and Spiky?

Jul12

A thistle. A soft thistle?

Nikon D5100 f/5.6 1/180s ISO 100 Nikkor 55-300mm lens – Summer 2012

No, a thistle that has the feel of a watercolor painting, with soft focus and soft colors.

Yearning

Jul11

Yearning for the sunlight. Live-giving light beams down onto these beautiful leaves, and they convert it to energy they can use to create flowers and seeds. Simply perfect!

Nikon D5100 f16 1/250s Nikkor 55-300mm lens – Summer 2012

Profiles

Jul10

Cynthia (the cat) loves Bridger. She was taking this opportunity to get as much affection as she could rub off.

Friends in Profile – Summer 2012

Potato Cannon

Jul9

My husband and son preparing to fire the potato cannon they built:

Leaves aglow

Jul8

The red tips of this plant, reaching for the morning sun, caught my eye.

Nikon D5100 f11 1/500s 55-300mm Nikkor lens

I love the red glow from the beam of light 🙂

I am thankful that the red glow is simply the sun’s illumination and not a glow of fire such as both Colorado and Arkansas are currently suffering!

Spread

Jul7

That is what these thistles are up to, spreading their seeds far and wide. The neighbor’s ranch has many, many thistles, and they are creeping onto our little Back Forty.