Thorns

It's been kind of a rough day, so I took my book, my camera, and myself outside to try to wind down.  I was hoping to sight some different birds (blue jay, please!!!), but really just wanted to sit in the sun and RELAX.  Unfortunately, it was HOT.  OK, not Afghanistan hot, and I was wearing a t-shirt and capris and had gone barefoot.  But, for early May in SW Ohio, it was hot.  And I'm being a big baby today.

I kept trying to distract myself from dwelling on what was eating at me, so when I saw this little guy scamper across the patio, I had to make sure he got his 15 minutes of fame (such as it is).  I thought it was funny when he suddenly stopped and sat up to make sure it was safe to continue on; I had heard the same odd sound he had, but he was more curious than I was!

I'm trying to decide if one or more of these critters are responsible for tipping the bird feeders to get at the seed, or if it's another critter that I don't want to think about having in the back yard!  What I DO know is that it tends to happen when the seed mix is a bit heavy on the cracked corn . . . where's Nancy Drew when I need her to solve the Mystery of the Cracked Corn Caper?

After I'd read for about 10 minutes, then leaned back and tried to let the bird songs relax me, I was still plain old antsy!  So, I got up, picked up some pruning shears, and decided to cut back a couple of bushes to make it easier for my neighbor to get into her car (she's in her late 80s and parks next to "my" Japonica and Lilac).  Then, I really went to town on the invasive honeysuckle at the side of the house.  I'm guessing I'll have to cut it back about every 2 weeks just to keep it from spreading (just like those darn trumpet vines).  I spotted this plant above and came back w/ the camera after I was finished w/ the pruning.  I don't know what it is (probably another weed or invasive plant!), but thought it was delicate and pretty.  Hope I don't have to eradicate it!

I think this bud is from the only rosebush left from the original owners of the house (think 1950s).  Mom was kind of hit or miss on pruning it, and I don't know anything about roses, so this will be yet another plant to learn about and try to coax into more production.  And of course, as I was trying to "encourage" the plant to stand up straighter by using one of those wire hooky things that stick into the ground, I stuck myself pretty good with a thorn.  I didn't realize it had broken off at first, but it sure made itself known when I barely brushed it!  It wasn't deeply embedded, so I was able to pull it out with my fingernails, then washed my hands with soapy water.

Yeah, it was an "aha" moment.  I had a mental thorn that I wasn't letting go of (I was working it in deeper every time I thought about it).  It was in deeper than it should have been, and it was all my fault.  But how do you pull out a mental thorn??  For me, it's a visualization process I have to go through.  I had to visualize pulling that mental thorn out of my head, then put it in a box, wrapped it up in beautiful wrapping paper, and finished it off with a big huge beautifully crafted bow.  I have to do that first, because the next step is visualizing handing this beautifully wrapped gift to God.  I don't like taking anything back from God (although I do it all of the time, I do NOT like it), so now if that thorn starts to prick at me, I remind myself that I gave it to God and He will handle it in His time and His way.  When I remember to let go and let God, life is so much better.

Wegerzyn Gardens

I visited one of our metro parks today that I haven't been to in about 2 years.  It was nice to go back, and I'll have to make sure I go back in another month or so; it will have changed again by then.


It was really nice to have a relatively fresh perspective, as well as new material to photograph!  I was in no hurry (well, at least until the reality of drinking Diet Pepsi all afternoon hit) and just strolled along, looking for the birds I was hearing (owlthingsfirst.blogspot.com's Jenny is a good influence on me!) watching for butterflies (after I scared off 3 of them), and looking for the names of the plants I was shooting.  Alas and alack, I don't have a clue as to the name of the plants!  If you do, please comment to edjimicate me.


I'm trying to pick only the best of the photos I took today - but when taking over 200, it's really hard to pare it down quickly.  I managed to pick 80+ for facebook, then got it down to 40+ initially for this post, but you're stuck with 17 (if I counted correctly!). 

I'm not a huge fan of lavender, but I did like the contrast of the colors and how it looked waving in the breeze.

I thought this looked as if the wind was blowing the plant; it wasn't when the pic was taken.  I liked the curves and the imagery of flow and movement.

When I first saw these, I wondered who had dripped paint all over the leaves.  Upon closer inspection, I realized it wasn't paint at all, but the way the plant was naturally.

 This, I do know, is a rose.  Yellow roses are my favorite, especially when they are still in the process of blooming.

This was an experiment, and I like the outcome!  I used the trunk for balance for the camera, shot straight up, resting the camera against it.  This doesn't quite give the full impact of how tall the tree is, but it is better than the other shots I took.

 I have a thing for textures.  I like to do extreme close-ups and I like pictures that make me think I could  feel the texture of the photo subject if I touched the photo.  I liked the different textures here when I took the picture, but now, when I look in the upper left corner, all I see is an alligator or crocodile head . . . go figure! 

I don't have a clue what this is, but I loved how it seemed to be almost magically changing form.  Initially, it looked like a pinecone, but I've never seen a purple pinecone before . . . 

I liked the contrast of the dark purple bud with the light purple of the flower. 

I like small flowers.  These were VERY small, so I must like them a lot.  Plus, they are a very pretty shade of blue.

This tree was blooming like crazy!  It was absolutely beautiful, but this was as close as I could get to the blossoms.  

Loved the color, and the detail of this flower.  Initially, the color caught my eye, but as I zoomed in, I found the structure of the flower more interesting.

 Beautiful butterfly.  I'd moved too suddenly several times before I finally caught this one.  Honestly, this doesn't do it justice.

More small blue flowers.  Like, like, like!

Love the look of the plants growing out of the wall, as well as the contrast between the rigidity of the rock and the fluidity of the plant; the sharp lines and edges of the rock/wall and the curve of the plant.

I saw this and immediately thought it belonged in a Japanese garden; the bamboo helps give that flavor, but the whole scenario just about screams oriental.

The pansies looked so sunny and inviting on my way out that I almost apologized to them for leaving.  The brightness of some of the colors was astounding, and I'm always a sucker for contrast.


Just getting out and walking around is a good mood enhancer, but seeing these beautiful plants and breathtaking blossoms has me thanking God for the beauty he provides in so many ways.  It's all around us when we decide to look for it.  Amazing what happens when I keep my eyes, not just the camera lens, focused on the beauty.