Signs of Spring!

Finally!

There are signs of spring in my world ...

Pussywillows usually show up here in February ...

Better late than never, right???

Late Winter Orange

It's hard this time of year to believe that nature's beauty can still be found.

I love it when I prove myself wrong!

And all it takes is a little time, and a willingness to drop to my knees in the middle of a "barren" field ...

To capture the colors and textures that are right in front of me!

Join us over at "Hood Photography" for this week's "Orange You Glad It's Friday"!

Rain and Sun ... Mostly Rain

Rain, Sun, Rain, Rain, Rain

The rains are back here in the Pacific Northwest.

I'm not complaining, mind you ... our parched earth is sucking up the water as fast as it is falling around here!

I'm just not sure I'm completely ready for the incessant rains of Autumn, Winter and Spring to return.

I do, however, love the change of the seasons.

The reds, oranges, greens, yellows and browns delight my soul!

"Orange You Glad It's Friday"?????

Autumn Leaves - For Leontien

Dear Leontien ...

You don't know me, I don't know you.

And yet we are heart sisters in Blogland.

My thoughts and prayers are with you, and your beautiful family.

Love and Peace.

"Leaves For Leontien"

"Four Leaf Clover"

"Guest Heart Thursday"

 

Autumn Is Here!

After a record dry summer here in the Pacific Northwest (I just heard this morning that we got less rain this summer than Death Valley!), we are finally expecting rain -

within the next hour or so!

All of this dry weather brought some early Autumn colors ... to link up with Hood Photo Blog's "Orange You Glad It's Friday"!

Even the weeds are sharing their final beauty before going to seed.

It's also time for Tina's PicStory's "Weekend Flowers"!

Lacy Autumn Leaf

Autumn is upon us ... the fallen leaves are proof.

I love how they are showing their lacy hearts!

To see hearts from around the world, visit "Random Hearts" - and share YOUR heart on "Guest Heart Thursday"!

Square Raindrop on Heart

After Friday's drizzly rain ... leading to yesterday's sunshine ... I just had to explore the gem-encrusted world outside.

I was amazed when I saw this shot ...

If you enlarge it, you will see ...

The raindrop in the center appears to be SQUARE!

And it is nestled in the middle of a heart shaped clover leaf!!!

To see reflections from around the world, join us for James' "Weekend Reflections"!

If YOU have found a heart, be sure to share it on Random Heart's "Guest Heart Thursday"!

If you love shadows, be sure to visit "Shadow Shot Sunday"!

Finally the Rain ...

The skies turned gray today,

And a light misty rain fell.

I listened closely; maybe I could hear the parched earth sighing in response.

There was just the sound of the rain ..

tip tip tapping

While the billowing clouds thickened

And the raindrops gathered

To share their reflections ...

To see reflections from around the world, join us for "Weekend Reflections".

And check out the delightful "Green Day" over at "Raindrops and Daisies"!

 

Summer's Nearly Over ... Sniff

I hate to say goodbye to summer - only a few of these vibrant purple thistle flowers are left.

The bright yellow petals of even the most inconspicuous "weeds" brighten the shortening days.

And the deer are starting to congregate over at "The Abandoned" - leaving behind their cute little heart-shaped footprints.

I am linking to "Weekend Flowers"

"Floral Friday Fotos"

and "Guest Heart Thursday"

At the Beach

A feather on the sand ... just above the tide line ...

Left behind by a gull like this one maybe?

On a perfect day ...

At the beach ...

Autumn Grass Heart

It's a blade of dry Autumn grass ...

It's a Heart ...

It's BOTH!!!

To see hearts from around the world, visit "Random Hearts" - and share YOUR heart on "Guest Heart Thursday"!

Thistle Seed Hints of Autumn

Life has kind of gotten out of control for me ...

So much to do; so little time.

I missed my daily walks --

time alone with my thoughts and the beauty of the world around me.

So I started walking yesterday.

And found that summer is quietly slipping away, and autumn is just around the corner. The beautiful and delicate flowers of early summer are now gone.

Yet even with most of the flowers gone to seed, I found a beauty in what was left.

Here, a thistle flower casts its seeds to be blown by the wind to a new home.

It's amazing how nature just keeps throwing beauty our way.

When we take the time to pay attention.

Stirring Up a Hornets Nest!

I had stopped to take a picture of a flower, when I heard an odd noise.

Kind of a "skritch skritch zzzzzz" ... from somewhere over my head.

I looked up, and jumped back about 3 feet.

Because directly overhead ...

Was this.

A hornet's nest!

At first there were only a few hornets coming and going.

Then ... an army!

Then I noticed the guy in the middle.

The one looking direct AT me.

I backed up even more ...

And left the area!

Urban Duck

You'd never know this lady and her reflection were just feet from a major street - traffic whizzing by at breakneck speed - I was glad to have parked my own car and walked over to the man-made pond beside the road.

I felt at peace, while the world around me rushed on by.

To see reflections from around the world, visit James' "Weekend Reflections"!

Ladybug on Queen Anne's Lace

The ladybug chose the perfect flower to rest on ... a feathery Queen Anne's Lace.

"Weekend Flowers"

and

"Floral Friday Fotos"

It wasn't until I looked closer that I noticed the reflections of the flower on the side of the ladybug!

"Weekend Reflections"