Black Eyed Susans

These gorgeous creatures quietly decorate the sides of the road, mixed in with new and old grasses. They dare you to ignore them, but only bring memories back of a charmed childhood to me.

Queen Anne's Lace

Queen Anne's Lace is gorgeous just before it opens fully, before it loses its purple hue. This gorgeous flower is everywhere right now, growing alongside day lilies and chickory. If you pull the entire plant up, you can chew on the carrot-like root.

Bug on his Back

Came home from work to find this bug on his back in the blazing sun on a cement slab. It was flailing its arms and legs wildly and never in a million years could have turned itself over to save its life. I guess it would have fried in that hot sun or it would have been a tasty meal for a bird, but this was its lucky day. After I took some pics and a video, I put a twig near its legs and it grasped the twig so tightly...and I placed it in the shade in some weeds. That was a sweet ending to a long day.

Dreamy Field With Fences

Dreamy Field

Right before they hay the field, the grass turns a golden yellow that is such a feast for the eyes.

Lucky Tree

These sunrays appeared before me on an early morning walk last week. It was a misty morning, and the tree was in the right spot at the right time, and so was I. Especially glad I had my camera, because after a few minutes, this sight was gone. I have an even better image of sunrays on a tree -- you can see it in one of my early posts by clicking here.

Fern Fun

Iris

Don't know why Mother Nature does it, but this flower is mind boggling. The shapes, colors and markings influence clothing, hairstyles, dance . . .

Paper Peony

Once a year for a brief few days, this old fashioned paper peony blossoms in my back yard. It is very delicate and worth the wait.

Sophie

Sophie is an 11-year old aspiring model, singer, dancer, actress and entertainer. She is the daughter of my good friend Lisa. She needed some photos of herself for her portfolio that were casual -- not taken in a studio -- natural poses, so I took a bunch of shots, and was happy with them. In this shot, Sophie was lying on the hood of her mom's car while we were gabbing, and I just loved how natural and relaxed she looked, so I told her not to move, and got several very nice shots. It was really fun taking these photos!

Monday

These flowers grow only in the shade and are hard to photograph because the white flower is so much brighter than the dark foliage. I am drawn into this composition by the shapes of the leaves and the many shades of green.

The Good Earth

Marsh

I love this time of year. Everything is so colorful. The patterns all seem new, like I'm seeing them for the first time.

Home Sweet Home

Shadows on the Road

I drive past these trees every day on the way home from work, admiring the shadows they cast on the road, and finally had the right timing to take pictures of it. Another image for my shadow collection.

Telephone Pole

Shadows and Grass

I remain obsessed with shadows and grass. This time of year is too good for shots like these. The shadows are not hampered by leaves on the trees, and the grass is an unbelievable shade of green. Although I rarely crop my images, I did crop off the top of this one because I only want to look at the grass. Mmmmmm grass.

Apple Blossoms

The hills are covered with blossoming orchards, too beautiful to imagine. Hard to believe each flower becomes an apple . . . right?

Action Outside My Window

What a winter we had. Large branches fell from the weight of the wet snow all around the property, and my furry and feathered friends are making up for lost time! They are very busy, and make for the best entertainment you could find anywhere. Always have my camera in hand . . .

Cracks in the Earth