Exotic Flower #7

This flower was amazing!

Phriday Phun

THE GUESSING GAME - WHAT IS IT?

This really is a PHUN PHRIDAY for me.  I 'retired' from being a real estate agent a year or so ago, but still have a few clients and sales to wrap up.  One of those sales closed Tuesday.   I received my commission check Thursday, and immediately began ticking off all the photography equipment I could buy!  But after a few wonderful fantasy minutes,  I came back to reality and decided to be more sensible: 10% to my church; 70% to savings; AND, 20% ON PHOTOGRAPHY EQUIPMENT!  WOOHOO!!  In between the day's errands, appointments, work, and birthday party for my grandson, I found time to buy the macro lens I've wanted.  (Canon 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS)  After everything quieted down last night, I had to try it out even though it was late and I was tired.  I took these snaps at about 11:30 pm, inside, no flash and no tripod, so they are noisey and blurry, plus the fact that I have no idea how to use a macro lens!!!  Now about the above photos.  I did this once before on a Phun Phriday, and lots of people guessed them all, so I'm wondering if I'll trick anyone this time.  They are all common household items.  WHAT ARE THEY????

(P.S.  Still a few more exotic flowers to come!)   

Exotic Flower #6

Is it a CONE or a FLOWER??

I sure don't know, but it was unusual and beautiful.  The top part looks like a cone, but the bright red color, and the strange egg shaped white centers looked more like a flower.  I love the details, especially the petals (?) edged in white.

Exotic Flower #5

Oh, So Beautiful!

(Remember to let me know if you know the name of this flower)

June Desktop Image

Here is my June Desktop Image for you to use, share and enjoy.  Several years ago, at this time, my husband took me to Belize to celebrate my birthday.  (Nice present!)  We went with my brother-in-law and sister-in-law.  It was a beautiful, beautiful, primitive place.  We stayed in a little beach shack right on the Caribbean, and yes, the water was this green and the sky, this blue.  We had the beach all to ourselves as far as we could see.  Just click HERE to download, then right click to set at your desktop image.  It should not be pixilated or blurry.  If you have trouble, let me know.

Exotic Flower #4

These were very large & tall, and were used as a table centerpiece.  (See previous 3 posts)

Exotic Flower #3

We saw these in many places, and were popping straight up from the ground.  (See previous two posts)

Exotic Flower #2

These grew on a huge bush.  Some of the clusters were small and some large.  (See previous post)

Exotic Flower #1

Costa Rican Beauty

For a holiday weekend treat, (for me and I hope for you), I'm going to post some of the most unique and beautiful flowers I have ever seen.   Here's what they all have in common:  they were all shot in Costa Rica in natural light and without a tripod; they are just a small sample of what I saw in 2 short weeks; I've never seen any of them before; and, I haven't a clue what any of them are!!!  So, as I post a flower a day, your assignment is to enjoy a little bit of beauty that most of us don't get to see on a regular basis, and, if you know the names of any of these flowers/plants, please let me know!!

Phriday Phun

DON'T MOVE, GRANDPA!!!!!!

Onion Creek, Moab

Another Challenge

A quick trip to Moab last weekend with my daughter and her family (husband & 4 young sons).  No time for photos except for a few minutes while the boys were splashing in a stream.  This was the view from where I was sitting.  It was a bright sunny afternoon, so not the best lighting.  Thank heavens for a polarizer and a good camera!

Daniel & Kenzie

Love the frame......

Love the high key.....

Love the vintage......

Love the depth of field........

This is what they chose for their invitations.
For more engagement photos of Daniel & Kenzie, go HERE.

THE SACRED GROVE

Oh how lovely was this spring morning as we strolled slowly through the beautiful woodland.  The rebirth of vibrant new life above and all around us danced with the breeze.   In sharp contrast were the dead and decaying remains of a past life, crushed below our feet.  To us, symbols with another meaning.  We ponder the wonder of it all and whisper a simple prayer of love and thanksgiving.  

Phriday Phun

WHAT IS IT, AND WOULD YOU EAT IT????

We found these at the little fruit & vegetable stands along the roads in Costa Rica.  Jeff was brave and tasted it and said it was sweet.  I couldn't get past that it looked like a wad of mucus and I could not bring myself to taste it!

Cute, Creative, Kenzie

This was such a fun bridal shoot and so refreshing from the typical.  Kenzie and Daniel are having a 'vintage' wedding theme, so it was perfect to shoot her bridals in and around an old mill turned into an antique/junk store.  Since the popular 'look' these days is anything old, grungy, or covered with graffiti, photographers love this place.  The owner has started charging photographers who want to take pictures on his property and  I think he is probably making more money this way, than selling his antiques/junk!!  This was a perfect opportunity to use Kenzie's creativity with the props, and my creativity with the poses and the vintage editing.  Together we had a great time.   For a ton more fun photos, click HERE.  I hope you have as much fun looking at them as I did taking them! 

Simply Beautiful MacKenzie

Beautiful Light, Beautiful Bride

OUR PRECIOUS ANGEL, GAVIN

Today our grandson Gavin would have been 3 years old. It's hard to believe almost 2 years have passed since he quietly slipped out of our lives........but never out of our hearts and thoughts.  Every day we are reminded of, talk about, and laugh at the past antics of this adorable little imp who had a personality and spirit as huge and bright as his big blue eyes.  We still look at his fingerprints on the bottom half of the glass on our kitchen door and remember him 'signing' to go outside to play with rocks and sticks, and we still listen to the music of his 'chocolate bunny' and imagine him 'bustin' out his dance moves for us.  Sometimes I see him in the high chair with blueberries smeared from head to toe and a big grin on his face, or rummaging around in the receipt drawer.   We miss him so much, and yet our faith sustains us and we are not without hope and joy, because we know he lives still, and awaits for us beyond the veil.  Happy Birthday Gavin, we love and miss you and will celebrate your birthday with green rice krispie squares and green balloons!!  (I took this photo about a month before he passed away.) 

(For those of you who may not know, our grandson passed away shortly after his first birthday.  At the time, he and his parents - my son and daughter-in-law - were living with us while my son finished his last semester of college.  One Sunday Gavin had a slight fever.  Michelle called the doctor twice, being an anxious first time mother, and was reassured when the doctor said he was fine and to give him some Tylenol.  She did so and put him to bed, but when she went back to check on him 20 minutes later he was gone.  He was in the same position as when she laid him down.  The autopsy showed nothing but a healthy, normal 14 month old toddler.  We were all in shock.  This just couldn't happen, but it did.  It has been a hard 2 years.  Jaron and Michelle still live with us, trying to adjust and recover.  Jaron's career plans, and all other plans, for that matter, have been put on hold for now.  But they are doing surprisingly well.  They take care of each other and support each other and still look to the future with their strong faith.  And most importantly, Heavenly Father has filled their empty arms with a second beautiful son to love.  You have seen several pictures of Sawyer here on my blog.  He is as precious as Gavin is to all of us.  For now we don't have all the answers to our questions, but we are content to know that Heavenly Father is real.  He knows us and loves us, and most importantly, we know that all is well because He is in charge!)

Off Again!

No time to post a photo.  I'm off to Omaha for the weekend to see my son-in-law graduate from Creighton Pharmaceutical School.  Will catch up next week.  Have a great weekend everyone!

Sunday Worship

Worship in Costa Rica

(For those who've asked about HDR, I shot this without a tripod, since I was in a church.  It is extremely difficult to hand hold and bracket 3 separate shots without camera blur, so this isn't as sharp as it should be. )

Notes:  I've been on another quickie Moab trip, then lots of family things to keep me busy, and today, Mother's Day, I've had a house full of family and grandkids.  It's been a great week with little time for photography or blogging, so I'll have to play catch up next week.  Actually that's not true.....yesterday I took bridal photos for my nephew's soon-to-be wife.  We had so much fun, and I took bridals different than I've ever taken before!!  I'll post some soon, and hopefully get caught up with my blog and email correspondence.   

One quick comment about Mother's Day.  I have 2 beautiful daughters and 2 beautiful daughter-in-laws, and 1 more beautiful soon-to-be daughter-in law.  I also have 3 handsome sons, and 2 handsome son-in-laws.  My wonderful blessing is that they all love and respect me, and the icing on the cake is that they all love and respect each other.  Last night they all went out for an evening on the town together, and today at dinner told us how much fun they all had.  My heart is full, I am so blessed!!!!!!   I hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day, too! 

One Spring Morn

It is dawn and I am alone.  The worries of yesterday and the cares of today seem far away, and like the winter cold, eagerly forgotten.   My senses take over.  I hear the rustle of growing things swaying in time with the gentle breeze, and I smell the sweetness of a thousand spring blossoms and blooms as they dance with the leaves.  I see a rainbow of colors and shapes and textures that make my spirit soar.  Soon the first sunbeams appear, and buds stretch open their petals to welcome the warmth of the morning light.  I realize I'm not alone after all.  Chubby breasted robins bounce from leaf to twig to blade of grass in search of breakfast.  Not only does the early bird catch the worm, but he is also a witness, with me, to the miracle of a glorious Spring morn.  

I was dreaming!  It must be so.  Twenty short hours have passed and yet another dawn of another new day and I've been tricked, for all I now see is a bleak gray sky and a blanket of freshly fallen snow smothering and silencing all that speaks of Spring.