Water: waterfall season

A friend has a good-sized stream on her property, and in the early spring/late fall, when it is full from snowmelt and rain, it has these gorgeous stepped falls. I went over to her place today and played around with shutter speed to get some creamy water action. Plus, it's back in the woods, secluded, quiet, peaceful, relaxing...perfect. Even the light rain didn't deter me.

Water: drops and globes

Macros, macros, everywhere.... These are almost verging on abstract.


This is really the color of the leaf. It's a new variety of columbine with really cool variegated leaves.

Water:

Went hiking Saturday afternoon at a lake near us. This time of year it is VERY low, so low that you can walk the shoreline all the way around the lake. In the summer the water goes right up to the trees, and there isn't a way around the lake on foot. I couldn't get over the color of the water in the shadow of the mountain--this incredible jade aqua blue-green. The stumps in the foreground are usually submerged.
Another view of the water color, un-tweaked.
This is part of the old forest at the far end of the lake, and this area is usually about 10' under water. Everything on this trunk and root system is submerged except for the green growth at the top.
I was standing underneath the roots in the above photo, shooting down the lake. All the stumps that are visible are under water in the summer, and the place I am standing is at least 10' under.
Once the snow in the mountains starts melting off, the lake will fill up.

Water: bubbles

Bubbles from where you least expect them:
Condensation inside a water bottle in the car on a warm-ish day
A bottle of water sitting on the windowsill
Bubbles in Gatorade, on the sill, with the deck railing behind
condensation on the saran wrap of some leftovers...
...look at these cool designs and patterns they make!!

Children: The Kite Flyer

A few more from my trip to Iowa... We had some glorious kite weather, so we were all outdoors, flying our kites. SIL helps Miss E get her kite up in the air.
She gets the hang of it really quickly and wants to do it "all by myself! I am a BIG girl!"
Carefully watching the kite to be sure it doesn't run into any trees or wires (thank goodness for telephoto lenses. She would've crashed her kite rather than have had her picture taken!)
And, little sister couldn't resist the chance to try on Miss E's bike helmet. I LOVE the colors in this, dirty hands and face aside...

Children (borrowed)

Saw this little dobber in Hawaii. He was so busy going back and forth and building his sand city--a telephoto lens was really helpful. Doesn't he look like he's having fun?

Skagit tulips, up close

Yesterday was the grand view of the Skagit tulips. After becoming saturated with the unbelievable masses of color, I started looking at more detailed views, at the subtler colors and textures and patterns in the individual blooms.

I always look for the rebel bulbs; the ones that got overlooked in the harvest and end up standing out in a bed of completely different blooms. This one was shouting for attention!

Sakgit Valley in bloom

Yesterday ML and I did a spur-of-the-moment trip up to the Skagit Valley, north of Seattle. It was a GLORIOUS day up there--clear skies, light clouds, sunshine, 60 degrees (!!!)...just perfect. The tulip fields are finally opening up after the long wet cold spring we've been having. The bands and swaths of colors go on and on and blend into each other in such beautiful ways.
As we were glorying in the sunshine, we were also grousing because it made photos so much trickier...but I love the way the sun illuminated the tulips and made them glow. The shadows of the petals were so cool.
The borders at Roozengaard are incredible. They stagger the plantings, so when the early-blooming tulips are done, the mid-season start. There isn't a time when there aren't beautiful tulips in the beds and borders. It is so fun to stroll around and get ideas for your yard (that is, if the deer and elk didn't eat the tulips as soon as they came up!!)


Tomorrow I will post some detail shots of tulips, but I wanted to get some larger overviews up. The sheer amount of color is amazing!

Children

JMDGD--I usually have to sneak photos, like this...
BUT!!! She actually LOOKED at the camera, and SMILED!!! Crummy crop; I just noticed part of SIL's face in the corner.

Today ML (periwinkle eye) and I went up to the Skagit Valley to see the tulips in bloom. The sun was out!! It was 60 degrees!! It was a perfect day--we beat the crowds and had a great time. Driving along one of the back roads we passed this sign, and I had to turn around a get a shot of it. I laughed myself silly...this is going to be one of my all-time favorite signs!

Children

Ok, this week's subject is going to be hard for me. #1, I don't have any kids around; #2, I'd rather take photos of almost ANYTHING else than people...
That being said, below are my 2 kids. These are only snaps, not good shots, but good enough for me. This is my DD, who made me a gramma... (best thing EVER!)
and this is my DS. I know the hat is blown out, but there ya go. At least it isn't on backwards!
I'll try to stay on theme this week with some older photos, but I am sure I won't last the entire week.

Embellished

AmyM's wonderful macros inspired me to get these edited. Taken a couple of weeks ago during a brief dry spell... I am SOOOO ready for some dry weather and even sun! I'd settle for dry, though. But don't you love the way raindrops can embellish anything and make the most commonplace thing look beaded?