Photo post- My first few days of summer vacation!

I've taken some kind of nice pictures in the last few days, so I thought I would post them for you. 

*note- I originally started this post right after school was done!  Time has passed!

Heuchera and seedpods

Purple and white iris

Everything Zen

Sunset over the Gustafson farm

Stone house from the side

Flambeau Reflections

Down it came

sunset

Stone house

Iris after the rain

Lady slipper in the wild

Diane and Holly in the loft of the cabin

Holly J. in the loft

Jac is happy!

Around the fire ring

Full moon

Great skies

Over the Gustafson farm

Stone house

Gravel pit lake

Favorite tree

So this is my latest little catch up post, hope you enjoyed!

Until next time, be a joy giver!!

Have I told you lately I am on SUMMER VACATION?????  YAY!

Trending Purple (flowers) with hints of pink and white

So the Mad-Art Teacher had a nasty-ass headache last night.  It was in my sinus and in my forehead and in my neck.  Neck rubs helped a little, Ibuprophen helped a little, laying  down in my bed for a teensy nap helped a little, too.  But what made me forget about it completely is going on a little photoshoot around my yard.  I have a surprising amount of flowers in bloom right now.  Most of them are very subtle, not too showy or flashy.  Except for my azalea bushes, they are like blinking neon signs and they smell so good!

I have detected a distinct purple trend in mid spring flower fashions!  With hints of pink and white.... 

Here is the show-girl of my garden right now- "Pink Lights" Northern Highlights Azalea

Perennial bachelor button

Purple Perennial Geranium

Lupines in the garden

Chives

First Siberian iris of the year

Tattered remains of the creeping phlox

Spiderwort

Purple/pink drumstick Primrose

Heucherella bloom

Heucherellas

Rock garden Perennial Geranium

Bleeding heart

It was great to get down and shoot these closeup, walk around outside and find some little pockets of pleasure.  I also noticed that I have a LOT of work to still do in those gardens!  Too many weeds in some of them yet.  Guess I know what I will be doing this Memorial Day weekend, in between the rain showers!
Regardless, spending time in the flowers will give me some joy!

Sunday Photos- late again!

I am losing my rhythm here!  I forgot to post my Sunday photos again!

What actually happened, is, I am discovering a slightly different way to take photos- well, mostly edit them I guess, but at any rate, I have been goofing around with my camera.  And consequently, I did a lot with not much to show for it.  But I am thrilled to say I love the results so far, and will keep you up to date.  Most of these pix are from the "usual" way!  

It was a gorgeous week for pictures! Rain, shine or whatever....

Lemon lilies

hosta flower bud

Favorite tree- misty day

Flowing fern foliage

Amazing clouds

Ooooo, strawberries!  

Flambeau River, Hines Park

Pink iris

Random round bales

 These last 3 are taken in the new format- you can't see the difference, probably, but wow it was fantastic working with these images.  I'm hooked.

Summer stone house

Missing

Summer sunset

Until next time, be a joy giver!!

Pink surprise!

I wasn't actually planning to make a blog-post today, the sun is out- kind of, the day is cool, the morning is young..... all that good stuff. So I want to do some garden stuff, work on my sculpture, go for a walk.... NOT sit at the computer for an hour!

So here I am at the computer, wanting to share a lovely surprise that I had this morning while going outside to feed the four-legged one.

The angels sang and the sunbeam burst through to shine on the

****** ................llllllaaaaaaaa.........angel chorus........... *******

pink, ruffly, stupidly expensive iris that I have been waiting for 4 summer to have bloom!  I knew it was imminent, but I was a little concerned a deer might get it, even though they don't TEND to eat iris.  But you know if I am excited to see a flower, one of  those 4 legged vermin will be over to taste and then spit it out.  I can't spray it with Deer Off, since it damages the petals, so there it was, a sitting duck at the mercy of the deer.

The first summer I planted it, I knew it would not bloom- must take root and grow!  Second summer, the, ahem, rodents ate the only bud on it- or should I say spit it out, because they don't like iris, they only like to wreck my day.  The 3rd summer, no blooms.  I say that it was traumatized, but it might have had something to do with the (since over) drought.  So, here it is in all it's ruffly glory.

And since it is one of those things that may or may not grow back next year-- Lord knows I have enough of those-- I decided to take multiple shots of it and make it into art! Bring out the fancy schmancy camera please!  It may make my photo calendar next year!!

View #2

Unusual focal points

curves and folds

As long as I had it out, I took a few more flower pix- you'll notice a recurring pink theme!  Love my pink flow-ahs!

salmon pink poppy

Not quite open

Drift of pink

Old, grand peony bush- notice the empty stem!!!  Rodents!!!

Pink lupine

And here is the gratuitous Lola shot- she was getting a little jealous of all the attention the horse has had lately.

Look for the joyous surprise in your day!  If you're lucky, your day will be rosey (pink)! :)