Change Is Hard

…but change is certain.

Tag Archives: Photography


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Photo challenge – saturated.

This week the photo challenge from WordPress is to provide a photo that represented the concept of saturation.  The post was talking about saturated color so here’s just a tiny piece of the color in my yard at this time of the year.  The garden is trying so hard to be spectacular, as if it knows frost could arrive at any moment.

buzzzzzzz....

buzzzzzzz….

Of course before I read the complete instructions I was thinking more along these lines:

Saturated!

Saturated!

I guess the flower is prettier.  But don’t tell Katie that, she gets her feelings hurt easily.  Don’t you know.

Light

Light


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Weekly photo challenge: From Lines to Patterns

Last Friday the latest WordPress photo challenge was issued.  I was immediately intrigued.  I had some ideas, but no time this week to execute them.  Now here it is Wednesday night and the Friday deadline is looming.

I was thinking about one particular photo I had in my archives from our trip to Washington DC last may.  As I searched for it I realized there were a lot of shots from that great city that spoke to lines and patterns.

So I followed the instructions from WordPress to create a tile filled with multiple photos.  If you know me you know how hard that technical stuff is.  So I’m thrilled to show you a photo collage of lines and patterns in Washington DC!

From top left first row:  Ceiling of Jefferson Monument; Arches inside the National Cathedral, apartment buildings.  Second row from left:  Roswell metro station; stairway in Senate building.  Third row from left:  Treasury building at night; Arlington office building reflections from our hotel room.

This was fun.  I still might head out sometime looking for more rural lines and patterns.  Or head into Detroit to see what’s there.  You’ll be the first to see whatever I come up with.  Sooner or later.


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Small town

Before this week gets away from me I wanted to share a few more photos from my adventure last Sunday.  Photos that are not barns.  Because  really there is more to life in rural Michigan.

I stopped in the small farming community of Coleman.  I think it’s a farming community because right in the center of town is a grain elevator.

The working parts

The working parts

I thought the whole thing was picturesque.  I suppose if you’re a farmer it’s just equipment.

Buy your feed here

Buy your feed here

But to an outsider it’s all color and angles.

Years of feed sold here

Years of feed sold here

Interesting.  In a dusty sort of way.

At least the driver can see

At least the driver can see

I parked near a store.  Can you guess what they sell?

You guessed it!

You guessed it!

They sell auto and bicycle parts!  Cool combination.

Along the way I also passed this garden.  I actually turned around and went back for these photos.

So pretty

So pretty

They even had a cow.

Moo!

Moo!

It was a fun adventure.  I’m glad I went.  Hopefully I can get back on the road sometime soon!

Glory

Glory


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Sunday adventure. No dog involved.

Sunday my rambling genes took over and I left the house in early morning.   I took the camera,  not knowing where I was going or what I was looking for.  It wasn’t a pretty day; the skies were grey with low hanging clouds.  Not even interesting low hanging clouds.  Rain threatened.

As usual when my heart is tugging me toward the road I headed north for awhile.  After an hour or so I knew I was in farm country and headed west on a smaller highway.  I saw the soybean fields were turning yellow and then I knew what I’d be looking for.

You guessed it.

Red barn, green roof, yellow field.

Red barn, green roof, yellow field.

Barns in fields of yellow soybeans. (Make sure you click on the photos to get all the detail.)

Along the way I also saw other stuff, some of which I even stopped to photograph.  Those will have to be displayed in future blogs.  Because this one is about barns and yellow soybean fields.

Red barn...yellow field.

Red barn…yellow field.

Of course some of the best photos I have only in my mind as there was nowhere to stop.  I was usually out on a freeway thinking “DARN!  There’s another great shot!”  But when I got off the freeway and meandered down dirt roads I found plenty of picturesque stuff.

Yep.  It’s another barn in a soybean field.  Pretty, isn’t it!

Ummm...red barn...you got the rest...

Ummm…red barn…you’ve got the rest…

Obviously I thought so.

Not red barn, but yellow field.

Not a red barn, but still pretty.


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Weekly photo challenge (inside)

For a long time now I’ve been getting daily prompts from WordPress  providing ideas for blogs.  Once a week they even provide prompts for a photo challenge.  Many of the ideas have been interesting but I never quite got to any of them.  I’d save the idea and then something always came up.

This week’s photo prompt is “inside.”  We’re to provide a photo that shows our interpretation of that word.  I’ve been thinking about it and had some ideas.  I remembered when we were kids and Dad always made a big deal about the first sighting of the inside of our Halloween pumpkin.   I thought about a photo of Katie inside her kennel in the back yard.  I thought about a photo of the inside of my closet, but that would scare you all away.

Yesterday as I was working in the yard I looked up and saw my photo. (Click on it to see the details.)

Inside art

Inside art

The dahlias I picked Friday night fearing frost were glowing in a puddle of sun inside the kitchen window, framed in reflections of outside.  The whole thing was a bit of abstract art.

I smiled and went for the camera.

Fun stuff.


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Frosty morning

Garden beauty

Garden beauty

This time of year we here in Michigan are always threatened by an early frost.  Just when late blooming dahlias are at their best the weather turns cool and those dastardly weather people start making noises about frost.  Wednesday it was in the 90’s (32.2 C) here.  Last night we were warned it could go as low as 38 (3.33C) in the city, maybe colder out here in the country.  So after supper Katie and I went out and cut a few of the beautiful blooms, bringing them in to save them from the cold.

New variety

New variety

Katie had to go out this morning at 5:30 and I could see there was frost on the roof of the car parked in the driveway but I haven’t been out now that it’s daylight to see if the frost killed any plants.  We covered the tomatoes with sheets so they should be fine.  Meanwhile I have these lovely flowers inside to enjoy.  And Katie and I saw a shooting star when we were wandering in the cold earlier.

Pretty amazing

Pretty amazing

Flowers and shooting stars.  Not a bad way to start the weekend.

Summer memories

Summer memories


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Looking for red

Katie and I were weeding on Saturday.  It was a beautiful day and Katie was in full supervisory mode.

Don't bother me Mama, I'm busy watching the neighbors.

Don’t bother me Mama, I’m busy watching the neighbors.

As I moved down the bed I was suddenly buzzed by a female hummingbird.  Then she began to work the red beebalm just down the garden from where I was working.  I thought to myself…what a great shot that would be.  But of course the camera was in the house.  So I went to get it and naturally the bird was gone when I got back.

I put the camera on the house generator, to keep it safe from dirt and weeds and began to work again.  I had my head buried in the beebalm, pulling out a massive nightshade plant when I was buzzed again by you know who.  I lifted my head and we had a stare down.  She won.  I went to get the camera and she left.

So here’s a picture of beebalm.  Pretend you see a female humming bird there, will you?

Hummer breakfast

Hummer breakfast

I continued on down the bed, pulling grass and weeds.  I began to realize there was a lot of red stuff in bloom right now.  These are particularly beautiful this year.  I can’t remember their name but I bet some of you know it!

Beautiful

Beautiful

And there are a couple of surprises too.  Buried deep in the leftover bleeding heart and behind some coneflower is a red dahlia in bloom.   I must have planted it there this spring, but had forgotten.  It’s the first dahlia to bloom this year and I might have missed it without Katie insisting I weed.

Hiding in plain sight

Hiding in plain sight

And way down at the other end of the garden is one solitary gladiola.  I planted the bulbs 3 years ago and I’m supposed to pull them up each fall and replant each spring.  Well.  That never happened…but this courageous glad just keeps coming back.

Spiky red

Spiky red

The weeding yesterday was oddly relaxing.  And I appreciated all the red, a color the camera shy Ms. Hummingbird loves as well.  In fact I bet she’s out there right now enjoying my garden.  I hope so.  I sort of had her in mind when I planted it.

Of course there were other colors and other visitors as well.  I almost stepped on this little guy.  Do you see him?

Blending in

Blending in

And there were lots of these guys in the garden too.

Resting

Resting

All in all a nice day to be outside.  Even if it was just to weed.  Katie and I will be weeding other beds today.  She’s pretty excited at the prospect; she’s napping now to gather strength for her supervisory role.  It’s a hard job but somebody has to make sure this work gets done!

We hope you all have a wonderful Sunday!  Get out and enjoy everything the summer has to offer.  I think we’ll plan a little park time today as well.  Katie will have earned it.

DId someone say PARK?!

Did somebody say PARK?!