Scavenger Hunt Sunday

Hallelujah!

I think this is the first week in some time that I actually had all my prompts by mid week.
So I'm going to write this in my calendar, because it could be a while before THAT happens again!
  And my fingers are crossed hoping that the force prompts will be with me next week too. . .


{ clouds }

As far as clouds go this was about as exciting as it got...it was either clear or so cloudy
that it was overcast.

{sun flare}

I do love a sun flare, and this week I got so many that I actually had a hard time choosing which one to use.

{ seven }

Our weekends have been quite busy lately with my son (in the red) playing 7 on 7 touch football.

Today they played three games for region and in 2 weeks it's state. I don't think that mouth

guard is going to work very well hanging out of his mouth though.....sigh!

{ high angle }

Another bottlebrush blossom from my walk this week, although since it's with my small macro lens

it's doesn't look as high angle.

{ low angle }

 My in-laws are visiting this week and we met my husband for lunch - fresh gulf shrimp on the bay - we sat outside and as soon as we got out there this cat just showed up probably waiting for some scraps, laying
in wait under a table. Doesn't he have the most beautiful markings?

 Can't wait to see how everyone else interpreted these this week.

Having a wonderful weekend, and you?

Love, Kim

XO

Check out the other lovely scavengers here...

Foto Friday . . . why DID the photographer cross the bridge?

. . . well, to get to the other side, of course!

Okay, AND I might have been running from something, you know, the kind of something that sucks the life

right out of ya, like MOSQUITOES. Just millions of them....I swear I heard them all chanting, fill 'er up!

Disclaimer: I love nature, but yes, there were mosquitoes that were injured in the

process of photographing these pictures, and by the time I got home I looked and felt
like I had been in a battle.

And as beautiful as it is the way the light fell through the trees, this is the place I ran from.

I also followed the most heavenly scent . . . this vine had flowers that smelled as good as a rose

but the blooms were pretty spent and so I settled for buds and...some bokeh! 

And a  night heron along the way.....

I followed the yellow brick road gravel path and it led me back to the butterfly garden.

Where I spied a Buckeye butterfly, whoo hoo, something other than a Monarch!

And where things were springing from this.....

 . . . . into this! This bottlebrush just literally springs forth in its blooming.

{Photograph life - Spring has sprung}

And of course, I ran into a few friends. Mr. Green Anole was flaring his dewlap either letting me know

this was his territory or he thought I would be a good mate! lol

And this beauty . . . I have no idea what this is, I've never seen one like this before.

But I noticed that he has eyes like a praying mantis, that follow you wherever you go.

This was to date one of the trickiest bugs to photograph - he was about 3/4" long and the

flower was swaying ever so gentle, and in macro terms that's like a hurricane!!

{Shoot, Edit, Submit}

And I'm not sure what it is about this one -maybe it's the simplicity of the tiny details in his shell and the way

the shadow falls. There is nothing like the light of a setting sun.....

{project 52 - details}

And speaking of the setting sun . . . .

This week at Photo Art Friday, Bonnie gave us the challenge of any photo art or one

with a pathway....which was perfect for me this week. I added another photo over it

to obscure the path just a bit.

{Photo Art Friday}

"Exploration is really the essence of the human spirit."

- Frank Borman

I love that quote, it's so true for me.

And although I love exploring new places, I also love exploring my favorite

places with new purpose!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Love, Kim

XO

P.S. - I don't know about you, but I have not been able to comment on

anyone's blog this morning - hopefully that kink will get worked out!

 

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

Sunday . . . it always seems to creep up on me, and

I think I'm going to have to give myself a "C" this week in my hunting abilities.

Thankfully, I could find some this week that I already took that worked, the others
were last minute nellies.

{ Whimsy }

If you were here around Christmas time then you might remember that I have a little fetish with fairies...Mark Robert's fairies, and this is my one and only spring "lilac fairy", but he likes to hang out until summer.

{ Create}

I had something else in mind, but as usual I waited til the last minute, so I looked back at some pictures

from this week. And this is a trail . . .  created by a snail. Yes it's a stretch, but have you ever seen such

a nice glittery trail from a snail? 

{ Dust }

We recently went to the Houston Livestock and Rodeo and nothing kicks up a little dust like barrel racing!

{ Sprout }

Hmmm, had to find something in a field on our way home from my son's touch football today,

let's just call this a sprout times ten?

{ Swing }

Another one from the midway at the rodeo . . . and this was probably the only sun we saw that day!

This concludes our regular scheduled program . . . be sure to check out the others over at Ashley's!!

Hope the other half of your weekend is fabulous!

Love, Kim

XO



Foto Friday . . . Bestill, my red rose

Bestill the red rose,

as the beauty of it unfolds before us,

petal by petal, layer upon layer.
The illumination of it comes from within
revealing a unique personality of its own.

And there is great reward to those,

who upon their patience,

will miss nothing in its entirety.

- Kim


I think people have a lot in common with roses, a lot of layers that when fully open reveal their whole.
But sometimes the thorns keep us from investigating further when really they beg the question will you give in to a little pain to find the true beauty? I have so many more thoughts about this but need to stop here, as I'm almost finished writing about something that I want to share with you . . . soon.

{People, acceptance, and random acts of kindness}

Up until a few weeks ago, I wouldn't have been able to tell you the last time I bought cut flowers.
But oh boy, give me some six dollar flowers and my spray bottle and it's like giving cat nip to a cat.
I can literally keep myself occupied for hours . . . {smile}

These were all taken with my 40 mm macro lens and I had a little fun experimenting with larger apertures on some of these. And since my subject couldn't be focused completely on the same plane (especially with all the petals), I had to choose which part I wanted in focus which makes a big difference artistically. 

 

1/60s, f6.3

{Shoot, edit, submit}
1/80s, f6.3

1/125, f5.0

1/60s, f6.3

1/80s, f3.5

I didn't get a chance to play with the textures I won from Bonnie at Pixel Dust Photo Art  so a

quick edit in Picnik.....Thanks again Bonnie!

{Photo Art Friday, Foto Friday}
1/60s, f4.5

This is from the same bunch, but by yesterday they weren't looking as fresh,

and I love how the color changed around the edges. Well, that and they looked like they were

sprinkled with fairy dust.

1/125s, f9.0

Here's to a great weekend, and seeing beyond those first petals.

Love, Kim

XO



 

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

This week was spring break for us . . . and although we had a stay-cation

it flew by and I'm ready to get back to our normal routine. So, because I pulled weeds

today for 6 hours {the weeds have loved all our rain} I'm going to make this short as I am one sore cookie!

{Vintage}

Vintage clip on earrings for jewelry creations....My grandmother had the best collection of vintage

rhinestone jewelry, if only I had known I would like making jewelry I would have snatched hers up.

{word or quote}

One of my many muses this week, more flowers.....give me a half a dozen roses and a spray bottle and I

can entertain myself for hours....really! They have only just started to open up so I'm sure you will see more of these next week?

{Nature's own}

Water is definitely nature's own . . . and this wasn't from the spray bottle, but after a rain.

{People}

We did go to the Livestock and Rodeo on Monday, and also saw The Zak Brown Band which was

directly after the rodeo. This was taken as we first arrived....the stands were packed with people by the time it started...all 74,000 of them!

{Photographers choice}

Are you kidding me? Although I love being able to choose whatever floats my boat, it's impossible

to pick just ONE! So here is yet another bee pic from my excursion to the garden center this week.

Be sure to check out all the other great interpretations over at Ashley's

and

have a great rest of the weekend!

Love, Kim

XO

Foto Friday . . .Don't worry

. . . {honey}, bee happy!

I did give you fair warning that you would most likely see more of these....

Bees...

To others it may just be a bee;

but I see a miraculous creature, with such incredible mastery and evidence of an awesome God.

And everyday they leave the hive on a mission, for the survival of each other.

Just. imagine. that.

I found this to be fascinating (source):

A forager bees job is to find a source of nectar and go back to the hive and inform

the other bees. When she gets back to the hive she lets the others taste a bit of the nectar

for it's quality. She then dances in the direction of the source of nectar and the position is explained

according to the position of the sun. But, the sun is continually moving and every four minutes the sun

moves one degree to the west. Now this is what blows my mind....the bees are able to take into account 

the suns movement and by the amount of vibrations the forager bee makes they can determine the distance

to the source and store just enough food for the journey there! 

 

"Unique among all God's creatures, only the honey bee improves the environment

and preys not on any other species."

- Royden Brown

I don't remember what kind of plant this was . . .

{Photo Art Friday, Foto Friday}

 . . . but check out the lavender pollen!

 Don't you think they look good in pink?!

{Shoot, submit, edit}

 

The theme this week for P52 is "eyes" of March - and what says Spring in March better than

the eyes of a bee getting drunk on nectar.

{P52 project}

Theirs isn't an adventure about where it ends, but the journey of now.

A sense of direction....and a purpose for survival....theirs AND ours.

God shows me patience through nature behind my lens . . . and I'm listening with my eyes.

Wishing you a biscuit and honey filled kind of weekend!

Love, Kim

XO