Watercolor Magic

Here's another-----just for fun. (click here for the tutorial) Okay, this is kind of addictive. Here's the single Morning Glory bloom in my backyard . . .. . . and here it is "watercolor style" .

Too Much Time

I obviously have way too much time on my hands. This evening, instead of cleaning house or even going to bed, this is what I did. I used this tutorial to change this photo into a watercolor painting. Fun!!

Garden Goodness

Well, that little spider was at it again last night. ( I guess I don't actually know if it was the same spider, but this one looked the same) His project last night was a good bit smaller---and even harder to photograph--but it was equally intricate and gone in a few hours.

With Shutter School well under way, I used the Rule of Thirds and experimented with a couple of angles to capture some tiny flowers in my bed. The first is a Turk's cap (a favorite among hummingbirds)---first from the side . . . . . . and then a few from the top. Don't you love the swirls!!And just for fun, here is a tiny rose bud that was only about an inch in diameter.

Spinning

This is what I saw outside in my backyard this morning. (please excuse the mess on my back deck) The silky threads were intricately woven and shimmering in the morning sun. In the very center, was a very tired spider.

When I got home from work this afternoon, the whole thing was gone. I wonder if I would work as hard as that little spider if I knew my craftsmanship would be destroyed in a matter of hours?

Shadow Shot Sunday

There are lots of people shooting great shadows as part of Harriet's Shadow Shot Sunday. Click here to see their photos.
Here are a couple of my shadows to enjoy this Sunday.
This first one is of a small statue that sits in my flowerbed . . .

and this shadow is formed by the ironwork post holding up my front porch.
Finally, here is one I took at the Alligator Farm last weekend. I love the shape of the shadows that the branches make on the ground by the peacocks.

Round Robin--WIldlife

For this challenge, the theme is "wildlife". Our instructions were: "Anything that fits." (you can check out the other Robins over here) Well, given my recent trip to the Bayou Pierre Alligator Farm, I had a few that fit this topic. Since these were taken at a farm, I'm not sure that the gators are technically considered "wild". But, once you see them lunge after a few pieces of meat, any question in that area is pretty much cleared up. Of course, the birds were wild---and kept a healthy distance away from the gators! But, this one is my favorite of all! This dragonfly looks like she is smiling as she stands on her head, high above the gators' heads! Pretty wild!

Red, White and Blue

Red, White and Blue,
Red, White and Blue,
This is our flag.
(When Callie and Jana were little, this is the patriotic song that they sang each morning in preschool. Of course, that means that they also marched around the house singing it on a regular basis. )

This morning was the annual Red, White and Blue celebration at our neighborhood elementary school. This is the only school in our city that is a "year-round" school, so this celebration also marks the end of the school year for students and teachers. Many neighbors bring their lawn chairs to the front lawn of the school to hear the fourth graders sing and recite patriotic lines. The entire school sits on the front driveway and there is usually a brief speaker---this year our new superintendent. Here are a couple of my favorite little preschoolers, decked out for the occasion in their new sunglasses.Unfortunately, the temperatures were already near triple digits in the morning when we brought the preschoolers out to find their spots on the front row. Soon, we were all drenched in sweat. But, despite the heat, once again I got goosebumps as the crowd stood to sing "I'm Proud To Be An American". Happy Birthday, America---a little early.