Reward – A WordPress Photo Challenge!

Krista, over at WordPress has chosen “Reward” as this week’s challenge topic! She says, “Reward is filthy with possibility: it could be your third grader’s beaming smile after reading her first chapter book, a steaming mug of chicken soup after a long run in the cold, a photo of your brand-new baby — your reward for patience during nine months of construction, or your extended family gathered around the dinner table.” Here are my rewards:

A calving glacier splashes into the water after a long wait…

The splash!

A hike takes me to a point where I can view the awesome Yosemite Valley…

Yosemite Valley with Half Dome in the background

After working hard in the garden…

The garden today!

we have an abundance of plants that gave us loads of vegetables!

The entire bounty

Tomorrow’s bounty

We feed the hummingbirds here in the spring and summer months. I was rewarded, after years of feeding them, to have on actually land on my hand!

Hummer on my finger!

There is nothing better than being rewarded at the end of the day with a glorious sunset!

The sun descends in the sky

I hope that you like the photos that to me are all rewards! Thank you for dropping by today! Have a fabulous Friday and be well! ^..^

Read Full Post »

Daff’s for Valentines Day!

Happy Valentines Day to you all! ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

For today, I thought I would give you Daffodils from my garden! I hope that you enjoy these flowers! 🙂

Here is a portion of the poem

Love by Elizabeth Barrett Browning 1806-1861

When a soul, by choice and conscience, doth

Throw out her full force on another soul,

The conscience and the concentration both make

mere life, Love. For Life in perfect whole

And aim consummated, is Love in sooth,

As nature’s magnet-heat rounds pole with pole.

˜”*°•.˜”*°•.˜”*°•.♥♥♥♥♥♥.•°*”˜.•°*”˜.•°*”˜”

May you have a splendid day filled with love! Be well! ^..^

Read Full Post »

Too Soon to be Blooming!

What is too soon to be blooming? Well, it is my almond tree, which is in full bloom already. This is way too early. This is because California is still experiencing the drought. 😦

We had a lovely wet December. January, which usually has a few days of rain, was awarded a new record: The Driest January on Record. Temperatures in January were in the 60’s, and we have not had the normal freezing temperatures. We have had four days of rain this month so far, giving us a bit over 5″ of rain. The next anticipated storm is slated for February 21st, and the chance of it raining is only 40%. Not good. Because of the dry January, and because of the lack of rain this month, plants are blooming now which should not be blooming another month or two.

Anyway, I grabbed the camera, threw on my extension tube, and got these photos of the almond blossoms that I want to share with you today!

The almond blossom

All wet!

Reaching out!

Lost in the details

Whispering softly

Spread out

Aren’t they just beautiful blossoms?

Thanks for dropping by today! Send the rain our way, or do the rain dance for us! Have a terrific Thursday and be well… ^..^

Read Full Post »

Early Blooms

We had the driest January on record here in the Sierra Foothills. With the dry weather we had warmer than normal days. Temperatures ranged mostly in the 60’s with some days in the 70’s. Too warm for winter! Because of the warmer weather, plants in my yard and around the forest that surround us, are blooming way too early! I thought that for today I would share some of what is blooming in my yard!

Let’s start with my roses…Here is a blossom on my wedding rose.

An early rose

The helleborus do not usually open until March. Not this year!

Helleborus

I have a load of daffodils in the yard and of the 300 or so, many are in full bloom! Here is one getting ready to open and one that is open!

Daffodil opening up

An open daffodil

There is nothing that compares to the sweet fragrance of the Daphne. Can you smell it?

Daphne

The honeybees are happy because my rosemary is in bloom. In the morning hours, the bee activity in the rosemary sounds like I am standing in a hive! I tried capturing some bees, but was unable to. However, here is blooming rosemary!

Rosemary

Yesterday, today, and thru Monday we will be having some much needed rain. Yesterday’s rain total here was 2.86″ of rain. We have been without power too, and are currently running off our generator!

Thanks for stopping by today! I hope that you have a splendid Saturday! Be well… ^..^

Read Full Post »

Mushroom Gills

By now you might know that I love lines and patterns. The other day, again walking through the backyard, with camera in hand and fitted with my extension tube, I took some close ups of all the amazing mushrooms that littered the yard. I was focused on the gills of the mushrooms. The colors and lines are amazing! Today I share these with you!

Is this the skirt of a ballerina or is it just upside down?

Upside down

Rather than being upside down, this one is all curled up!

Curled up

Check out the varying lengths on the gills on this mushroom!

Varying lengths

I do love lines! Check the lines out on this mushroom!

Lovely lines

I certainly am a fan! So is this one!

A fan

The gently upward lifted cap on this mushroom exposes its underside!

Exposed!

Looking at all these mushrooms is uplifting!

Uplifted

One final shot, and this one I found jammed in between two logs…

Jammed in

I hope that you enjoyed this adventure into mushroom gills! Have a spectacular Saturday and remember, be well! ^..^

Read Full Post »

Just a Quickie

I wanted to do a quickie post today.  I have little time to feature much of anything as I am having another treatment this morning for SLL…

When we went to Alaska, there were berries of all kinds around us.  Today, one shot, of some of these berries that is, indeed, very colorful!

Berries

Have one heck of a great day! See you tomorrow! Be well! ^..^

Read Full Post »

Cricket Anyone?

I took some time the other day to do some work outside the house. We have pea gravel surrounding our house giving us a bit of a pathway and one that will help the house in a fire event. After having work done on the exterior of our home, the gravel needed to be put back to rights. Using a rake, I moved a lot of the rock, but moved most of it as I sat on the ground being limited due to back pain, and lack of feeling in my fingertips. As I got around one side of the house, an orange and white cat came to help. As she walked towards me, my eye was drawn to a brilliant green color. I was face to face with a cricket!

A green cricket

Just like the praying mantis, this little guy watches me. His little black pupil is pointed in my direction!

Watching me

I move to take a shot of him from another angle, and the eye is still looking at me!

Still watching me

This insect is an amazing shade of green. Most that we see here are brown. Maybe the color has to do with the surrounding areas turning green from the rain we have recently had.

Amazing shade of green

The critter shifts slightly as I move around shooting photos. His head hangs low.

Hanging his head

I continued on with my work, leaving the area where the cricket sits undisturbed. A couple of days later, I noticed it was still there and that it had died. I felt that I was very fortunate to be able to capture the photos in this post.

May you have a spectacular Saturday, and remember, be well! ^..^

Read Full Post »

Good Camouflage!

The other day when I was wandering around the backyard looking at the little world out back, I came upon another area where mushrooms were sprouting. The only reason I noticed these is because the soil was being pushed up, and resembled a gopher trail. Looking closer I discovered the mushrooms! Great camouflage if you ask me!

Check it out.

They are hard to see

Did you see them? There are three.

They really do blend right in, so I felt very lucky to capture these hidden beauties!

Blends right in

Here is the mushroom revealed!

The mushroom revealed

Here are a pair from the side. There is a lot of dirt on top, and if I had not walked around the pushed up soil, I might have missed these!

Pushing up

When they do pop the surface, they are hidden amongst the leaf litter and soil debris, as you can see by this next photo.

Hidden by debris

One last shot for you…Here are the gills in a close up.

The gills

While I tried to identify this mushroom I could not find the name. Do you know what this mushroom is? I would love to hear from you!

Thank you for stopping by today! Have a splendid Saturday! Be well! ^..^

Read Full Post »

They’re Back!

Yes, they are! The turkey tails, that is! This is an amazing fungus that grows on dead wood. It is a colorful fungus with ribbons of colors and fuzzy textures. Every year, on one particular pile of dead wood by the woodshed, they are prolific! Let’s take a look, shall we?

Here is it looking at it straight on.

Textures of wood and a turkey tail!

It has bands of color running across the surface.

Ribbons of color

Bands

One particular growth resembles a flouncy, ruffled skirt!

Ruffled skirt

They grow in layers. These are new and will be larger later on in the season!

This final shot is one that to me resembles a flower!

Looks like a flower

Isn’t this a cool looking fungus? I hope that you enjoyed these photos! Thanks for stopping by today and have a wonderful Wednesday! Be well! ^..^

Read Full Post »

The Tiny World Out Back

I have a natural curiosity that always leads me to looking in places that most would not take the time to look at. It is surprising what one can find when you look closely at the miniature world that is right outside the back door! So, with that in mind, I took a stroll out back to look at the tiny world that exists on the two acres we live on!

Here is what I spied:

Sprouting through wood

No longer in the dark

Up from the bark

Renewal

Little umbrellas

Neat little mushrooms, aren’t they?

Have a terrific Tuesday! Thanks for coming along on my stroll, and be well! ^..^

Read Full Post »