Mid-season Bloomers

Last week's heat wave has come and gone, culminating in a miserably gloomy weekend during which I experienced one of the most awkward encounters in my life. The weather is no less miserable this week as rain clouds loom overhead for most half of the week. (I love teh Intarw3b..."most" in the previous sentence has a strike through because the weather forecast has changed. The next two days will be only slightly cloudy.)

Today's entry contains 22 photos and we'll start off with the remnants of flowers that once graced us with their splendor and in their passing, continue to do so. The two photos below are of peonies that still retain a colorful elegance despite having withered away.

With the passing of the peonies comes the arrival of the hydrangea, which are as abundant in my yards as the peonies. We have several types and colors (actually depends on soil acidity/alkalinity) and here's the early bloomers:

The last post ended with a variety of roses, which are still going strong. Today we have even more photos of roses, some of which were taken under quite favorable lighting conditions.

Once numerous, nearly all of the clematis have retired except for a few late-bloomers. I don't think I've seen this coloration before until this year so it was a pleasant surprise to find the first flower in full bloom. The second photo below shows the seed head of a clematis that bloomed earlier in the season.

I'm not sure what the magenta flowers in the first photo below are but they are aplenty in the backyard, appearing in large clusters. It was particularly challenging to photograph them since they are perched atop long stalks that sway with the slightest breeze. The second photo is of honeysuckles.

I try to identify the flowers I've photographed and have had great luck with Wikipedia, to which I often link to; however, these flowers below escape identification. The purplish/bluish ones in the first three photos below open up during the day and close up in the evening while the white ones in the fourth photo are about a quarter-inch in diameter. If anyone knows what they are, do tell!

Here is a testament to the dedication that I've given to my hobby. This hungry mosquito was just one of dozens that have bitten me while I've been walking around the garden taking photographs. Luckily for it, I saw an opportunity for a photograph and allowed it to continue feeding off of me. I actually took an HD video of this mosquito and it's noticeable how its abdomen expands and grows reddish in color as its belly fills with my blood.

Finally, we have a couple of photos of what is either a butterfly or moth. Apparently it is quite difficult to differentiate between butterflies and moths. This little fella kindly landed several times onto a clay frog that happened to share its coloration. Perhaps it was not a coincidence and he thought it might offer good camouflage!

I'm asking myself the same thing, little fella...just what is it that lies o'er yonder?

Lately, I've been contemplating much about what I want in life and work. Like the butterfly/moth in the photo above, what lies in front of me is quite blurry at the moment. While I enjoy bokeh, the blurriness of uncertainty makes me uncomfortable and simply doesn't sit well with me. Hopefully, some more time thinking may enlighten me but along the way, I'll continue to capture these snapshots as I escape into the calm that photography and nature brings to me.