Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Popping around....


Just popping around the garden and Mill Creek, seeing what is pretty and taking pictures to share.
The pink poppy in the front yard has bloomed for the first time.
It is more purple mauve than this photo looks on my computer.
I find the way the light comes through the petals is just marvelous!

The brush stroke like accents on the outside...

and the inside are so perfect! 

I woke up early and there was a spooky beautiful sunrise going on outside.
I thought of the old saying:
Red sky at morning, sailor take warning.
The was high winds and some rain later on that day.

My gardener in his orange crocs....worked hard to mix up some planting soil.
The hat used to be beach wear.
Now the surfer has become landlocked and is loving gardening instead.

Nothing is ever done around here without snoopervision.

Including the bird feeder.
Or shall I say especially the bird feeder?

The backyard orange oriental poppies put on quite a show.
The light play through the petals again...begs for someone to capture on canvas.

Maybe some day that will happen.
 
 

The petals are nearly transparent in the sunlight.
I can see the shape of the  seed bearing "pepper pot" inside.
 
 
 
 

The satin smooth petal California poppies are paired so nicely with their own lacy blue green leaves.
 
 

The pinks each bloom with a unique pattern on the same plant.

I left the garden to the care of Bernie and Tate. 

And drove over to Millcreek Canyon, about four miles away.

I hadn't walked up Porter Fork in awhile.

A few wild flowers were in bloom.
 
The stream in the fork was surprisingly low for this time of year. 

Photo tip I have just learned: Avoid photographing streams in sunlight. They look much better in shade, and photographed early or late in the day.
Use a slow setting (like a night scene option) if you want te water blurred, use a sport or fast setting if you want to see the water frozen in motion.
 
 

I've posted the Porter Fork rock formation in all seasons already, but never resist taking a parting photo of the formation whenever I walk around Porter Fork.

Back home in the garden....Frenchie is looking put upon.

And no wonder.
The Magpies are everywhere.
They are nesting and attacking cats, and waking us up with their loud calls.

One nest was in our blue spruce tree out front.
A baby fell out of the nest.
The magpies went suddenly silent.

Baby 'Pie has blue eyes!
We were torn between hoping that the baby would hop back up into the safety of the tree or rooting for a neighborhood cat to have 'pie for breakfast.
They really are LOUD birds...

Japanese maple leaves shadows catch my eye.
 

Seersucker like hosta leaves catch the light beautifully too.

A nice self seeding floral treat is blooming along the fence.
 
Store bought Gerba daisies also bloom now.

I kind of like the "weeds" better.
How about you?

5 comments:

Pondside said...

California Poppies - how I love them! They'll grow in any crack in a rock along the highway, but resist all my efforts to get them to grow at Pondside - in the garden, on the rocks...anywhere.
I love those 'weeds' too. They are so prolific and I'm always pulling them out, but where I leave them, they are a lovely little bit of light against all the green.
Some of your photos wouldn't upload on my little notebook, so I'll be back to see them later.

Vee said...

I've got something about to bloom and am very eager to see what it might be. I may be pulling them.

What a beautiful group of photos. The poppies...oh the poppies! I don't have any and now you're making me want some.

We feel the same way about our murder of crows. There's a reason they're called that, of course. I feel quite murderous when they start in at five every morning. I understand that a group of magpies can also be called a murder, though it's not first on the list.

ellen b. said...

Beautiful photography Jill. Loved all the shots.

Sara at Come Away With Me said...

Your photos are gorgeous, Jill.

Lovella ♥ said...

Wow...those california poppies are amazing. I also love the way you captured the japanese maples shadows through the broad leaves.

We don't have magpies around here but we have crows and I suspect they are equally annoying. Baby crows are not rescued here...we leave them to figure it out.