1. The sound of singing white-crowned sparrows in the trees
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| A white-crowned sparrow sitting on a branch in one of our maple trees |
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| A completely open white apple blossom surrounded by five buds with their outer curved petals of pink encasing the unopened blossoms |
3. A huge bee population that is visiting the blossoms on our apples trees!
4. The sugar water recipe that we use to make sure our hummingbird friends have sufficient to drink even though we have plenty of flowering natural habitation plants for them to visit as well
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| This little ruffled, sopping wet humming bird just could not seem to get enough of the syrup. It was a cold, windy, pouring-down rain day. I love that little cross-eyed look he has with his entire beak completely inserted into the hole in the red feeder. |
5. I'm still learning how to use my little camera and hadn't really used the continuous feature until this week. Since humming birds are a bit challenging to photograph, at least for me, I decided to try the continuous setting where it takes five photos in one shot. I also played around a bit more with zooming in to get a better in-focus picture. I just have to remember to watch my own progress and not compare my photos to that of my husband's photos.
6. A friend who texted me this week to let me know that a lazuli bunting had showed up at her place and she knew that I would enjoy seeing this beautiful little bird
Note: By the time I noticed I had a text message, the little bird had flown away.
7. Places to donate used, but still in good condition, clothing, that not longer fit us
8. Hard workers who came for a few days this week to clear out our bamboo except for a row to use as a screen between our property and the neighbors
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| The workers left our screen of bamboo and prepared a wider ditch between the bamboo and the fence so they can come in every other year and make sure none of the rhizomes are escaping. The brown earth shown in the photo had several areas of different types of bamboo before being cleared. There was just a little pile left for us to burn after the workers left. We are just trying to make our work load lighter. |
9. My husband spotted an alligator lizard under a board this week on our property. Although I haven't seen it yet, I'm thankful it (or a relative) is still hanging out. I'm also thankful for my husband sharing his discoveries with me!
10. The rainy, cooler days that came right after the workers finished the bamboo clearing, because that weather change made it possible for my husband to do the burning that was necessary
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| Two beautiful English Daisies with pink outer petals, and a yellow center encircled by a row of white petals. A deep rose colored unopened daisy can be seen in the center at the bottom of the photo, giving the photo an appearance of two eyes and pursed lips below on a background of green grass and clover. |
You photos are, as always, beautiful and inspiring. I envy your ability to capture such images. Bamboo can be very invasive; my friend and her husband had an awful time deforesting it from their property. Have a good week, my friend.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy taking photos, and I am always glad if others find enjoyment from seeing some of them.
DeleteThere are ways to keep the bamboo from taking over, but we just wanted to get rid of some of the other beds, and hired someone who not only grows bamboo but has the kind of equipment needed to get rid of it.
While there are a number I items I enjoyed in your Ten, (especially on the photographing of hummingbirds. We have one that comes around the back of the house and occasionally to the window at my desk. I am not including a photo simply because I've never succeeded in take one. Your suggestion of the continuous setting was helpful. I appreciate it.)
ReplyDeleteOften, when reading a post a line will jump out that I can copy and paste, for reasons of reference or because my sometimes over-active imagination made something of it.
This week: "...I just have to remember to watch my own progress and..."
I immediately got a 'visual' of (a thing I am guilty of doing) a person focusing on taking a photo and moving towards the subject, in the interest of framing a better shot.... without looking around. (lol clearly my mind made a different associate with the word 'progress' than you were making in the item.)
Enjoyed the yard clearing photo, always one of the more satisfying yard projects, as you get to enjoy the improvement for quite a while after the initial novelty wears off.
As always, most excellent photo captions.
Your different association with the word 'progress' is one I totally get, whether it is in completely missing the better shot, or in not paying attention to where my feet are going. LOL
DeleteIt is amazing how some plants that look so attractive can end up being so much work. Even when you realize that when you plant them, and your energy levels are considerably different than they are in later years, the focus at the time is on the present and not the future. I don't think one needs to live a life as though they were already older. There needs to be some joy in the moment. :-)
That hummingbird with his beak all of the way in, he is truly all in! Lovely photos, lovely list.
ReplyDeleteThat was what I noticed about that little humming bird! I had never seen a humming bird with his beak so completely in!
DeleteThe bamboo garden looks so different now! I'm glad you left some to enjoy.
ReplyDeleteThat little hummingbird sure is cute (and thirsty!)
That bamboo garden does look very different, and after all that hard work some of your kids did. :-/
DeleteI think the humming bird was getting as much sugar as possible to be able to fly anywhere. There had been such a drastic change in the temperature that day.