Catch Up Time!

Hello! As the title of today's post suggests, it's catch up time! It's been almost a month since the last post and I've accrued a good number of new photos. Photo opportunities are in abundance this year and I hope everyone is enjoying these photos!

We'll start off with a batch of photos of little critters. I'm really glad to have a close-up lens at my disposal as it really helps. Below, we have a fly, unknown insect, daddy longlegs, bee, and wasp perched atop hydrangea leaves, rose petals, and morning glory flowers.

Here's a good transition point away from our little critters. This particular morning, the sun illuminated this morning glory flower that was facing away from me. In the background are some pink wildflowers. There are also pink morning glories in the backyard a little ways away.

Here's a close-up view of the pink wildflowers with a plump hoverfly perched atop on of the flowers.

The clematis all bloomed in late Spring but there were a few stragglers such as the one below, which is of a different color than the ones that bloomed earlier.

Sunny and cloudless days are great for hanging out and enjoying the great outdoors but rain can also make for nice photos. Below is a hydrangea leaf with water droplets that are resting on its waterproof surface.

  

While I can match up most plants growing in my front and backyards to a name, some remain nameless, such as the one below. There's a couple of pots with this plant growing in them and if anyone know what they are, do tell!

In addition to flowers, there are edible plants growing, including cucumbers, tomatoes, gourds, and blueberries. Even before these tasty berries were ripe for picking, sneaky little birds already began making frequent trips for a feast of their own!

With nearly all of the other flowers having had their time in the spotlight, it's now the lily's turn. While other lilies have bloomed already, the most colorful of them all (that we have growing) has appeared. Below are photos of the Stargazer and Easter lilies.

Finally, we'll finish up today's entry with hydrangea flowers, which are still in bloom. As mentioned in a previous post, there are several types of hydrangea growing in my yards. The distinction can be seen not in the color of the flower petals but in the shape and arrangement of the petals. With the first photo below, I was trying to capture an "arch" of hydrangea clusters.

  

Summer's going by fast and the flowers are popping up left and right. Most of them have made their appearance but there's still a couple of them left to bloom. When they do, you'll be sure that a photo of them will be here!

Lilies, Hydrangea, Crawlers, and Fliers!

The rise of the lilies is here! So far, four types of lilies have bloomed and I'm expecting at least two more types to come out in the coming days.

While I'm outside photographing flowers, I always try to keep an eye out for the little critters that roam around. These little guys usually move too fast for me to capture but sometimes, they'll hang around for just long enough. We'll start off with flies, which are usually annoying as can; however as a photographic subject, they can be quite interesting. The first two flies were found perched on top of morning glory leaves, basking in the morning sun.

The next two flies were hanging out on some hydrangea bushes. These were smaller than the two previous flies and move quickly. Oddly enough, they seemed to repeatedly return to the same hydrangea flower or leaf that they rested on. The compound eyes of insects is mesmerizing and I hope to capture a close-up view of them this summer.

Speaking of eyes, this daddy longlegs also has two of them. If you're asking yourself "How come? isn't it a spider?", then here's the answer: no! Daddy longlegs are arachnids but not spiders. Sure they have 8 legs but they only have a single pair of eyes and two body sections (spiders have 8 eyes and three body sections).

Now that we've taken care of the insects, here are some pictures of various types of hydrangea around the yard. The first photo below has a "lacecap flower" arrangement and the fertile flowers can be seen on the right side of the photo. The other two appear to have sterile flowers only but are elegant nonetheless.

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.