Sometimes the simple things get our attention. Like these daisies growing alongside the road. I was on my way to my parents' place in the country Friday evening, where I was going to spend the night with my grandmother and then help my mother do yard work on Saturday. I had noticed daisies out in the fields and thought it might be good to ride back out Saturday morning withMom to get pictures. When I came to my parents' road, I pulled in and got out of my car -- with my camera. And there, on the side of the road with my backside to passersby, I knelt down and took pictures of these daisies.
Saturday morning I was awakened by a downpour. Thunder was rolling and lightning was flashing, and you could hear the rain pounding on my grandmother's roof and windows. It was only 5 a.m. and I am not an early riser, so I snuggled down under the covers and dozed until time to get up. I figured with all that rain Mom and I would have a mess working in the garden.
I told Mom about the daisies and we loaded the chuck wagon with our cameras and camera bags, and up the road we went. Mom saw thistle alongside the road and said we needed to make sure to go back and get some shots. It's amazing how you can just lose track of everything else around you when you are taking photos.
On our way back we pulled over to the side of the road and here are some of the shots I came up with. Remember I mentioned I forgot my tripod? I sure was wishing I had it! But I like to get ground level shots, so it really wouldn't have done me any good. In any case, I kept kneeling down, and once landed on thistle. I came up in a hurry! Probably just my imagination, but I itched and burned for a little while... But look at these pictures. Some of these plants had both solid purple a yellow/purple blooms on the same plant.
Across the road from the thistle was a stand of grass Mom was interested in. I was fortunate enough to be able to get this shot with the stormy sky as a backdrop. But I had to get down almost into the ditch to do it. Oh well, I had planned to get dirty in the garden later on, anyway.
Again, sometimes the simple things are what catch your eye. Like these blackberry vines growing alongside the road. Mom said she needed to have Daddy get rid of them, but first she wanted pictures! She's right, they were pretty.
Mom's azaleas are in full bloom right now. She has the reblooming kind, the kind with large blossoms. Mine bloomed a few weeks earlier than hers. Mine only bloom once, and have very small blossoms covering the plants.
Some of the irises have started to bloom. This variety is very tall (3' - 4' tall, maybe a little taller), with slender leaves that look more like grass than the traditional fan of leaves a lot of irises have. I think this is called a flag iris. The irises in my grandmother's yard should be blooming soon. I believe hers came from her sister.
Another knock out rose. I finally figured out how to get closeups with my camera. I had tried to get physically close to the subject, but all I got was blur. I couldn't seem to get the camera to focus. I finally discovered that I could back up a good distance, then zoom in 50x - 80x and get a good closeup. Now I'm excited and want to do everything closeup. Maybe I really should sit down and read the book that came with the camera...
Wigelia shrub growing in my grandmother's yard. It's almost bloomed out, and a lot of the blossoms were becoming spotted, but they still made a good subject.
At the privacy fence between my parents' yard and my grandmother's yard sits this church birdhouse. I couldn't resist the shot -- I love how the spiderwort sets off the gray of the wood. By the way, my mother planted and takes care of the extensive gardens in BOTH of these yards. I spend my Saturdays (and my sons when they are with me) helping out during the early months of the year. After the end of April everything will be pretty much finished until next year. My Mom is a big fan of perennials (they come back every year) so a lot of what we do is transplant or divide, etc. The plants do the filling in for themselves.
You know, my sister, Mom, grandmother and I were downtown after church yesterday afternoon. We went to the Greater Montgomery Home Builders Show (my Dad had a booth for his business). Once finished, we decided to tour the downstairs of the Renaissance Hotel which opens into the convention center where the GMHBA event was held. On the walls of the hotel are hung photos and paintings, and collections of fine porcelain, etc. I noticed under one nature photo this caption: "Designed by Nature". How about this caption: "Created by GOD"?
Hope you have a great week and a wonderful Easter this coming Sunday. Don't forget why we celebrate. Just like Spring brings all things new, so does a new life in the risen Christ!
Reese
You know I have been following your blog from some time now and you may not write as often but when you do you give some good stuff thanks for sharing these lovely photos...
ReplyDeleteLOL! Thanks, Desiray!!
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