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Thursday, July 3, 2008
Sum Sum Summertime
There isn't much that I don't like about summer. I love the sights, sounds and fragrances which represent my favourite season.
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On those particularly hot days, you might want to relax under the shade of a large umbrella and enjoy the garden.
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Flowers, such as these Bleeding Hearts are in full bloom.
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This stray bell-shaped flower took root in the crack of a patio stone, and grows right beside the step.
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This small yellow blossom, found shortly after a light rainfall brightens its surroundings like the emerging sunshine.
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This little bug seemed to reflect the colour of the surrounding foliage.
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Here's a bit of perspective which shows how tiny it was.
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The early evening sun filters through from behind this tree, casting a long shadow. This is my favourite time of day.
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Late-day sunshine seems to saturate its surroundings with intense colour. The bark of these trees almost appear to be lit from within.
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A short while later, this park bench glistens like gold in the setting sun.
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The rising moon and setting sun provide soft contrasting colours behind this dead tree's silhouette.
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As the day grows dark, two birds bid each other "goodnight" with their song.
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A Canada Day firework set off at the end of our street. With this, I wish a Happy 4th to our Amurikan pals, from your friends north of the border!
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45 comments:
Oh lovely as always Hilary. I really like the park bench and the fireworks shot is wonderful!
Lovely series of shots to express your feelings. Great post!
those are all so beautiful.
A good friend just returned from a long photography workshop and as soon as she did I sent her (back) your way.
and she is, as you say :), smitten.
Miz.
OH Hilary, these are FABULOUS! That park bench is AWESOME! I am a huge fan of benches!
And seeing the moon between the branches of the trees...stunning!
Wonderful Work!
The Bleeding Hearts look like hot-air balloonists in formation. Great job. The park bench is just gorgeous and the tree silhouette is absolutely beautiful. What wonderful photos.
I just love your photos!
And not only do I enjoy them here, but it helps me "see" the lovely stuff all around me outside here too (for a few hours anyway, until I forget to look properly again).
Oh GIRL! What wonderful shots! They are just beautiful...is that lovely yellow creation a passion flower? It looks mighty like one if it isn't it deserves to be! I thought I was the only "girl" that didn't run screaming from a bug...I'll bet you let granddaddy longlegs tickle your arm, too! Course that's the only spider that I would ever voluntarily let touch my skin, lol...loved this post...gonna have to go see David again, me thinks lol...
Sandi
Bleeding hearts are the most interesting flower (next to Birds of Paradise)! Gorgeous shots, and thanks for the July 4th wishes!
Peace - D
Love your pictures! I have a wonderful camera - unfortunately, I have no idea how to use it properly. I must sign up for lessons - I want to be able to tell a story with photos just like you have here. You've captured so much in each photograph. I can almost hear them actually speaking to me. Beautiful.
Kari
Thank you for the glimpses of your summer day. I'm always enchanted by your beautiful photos, and today is no exception; they are all just grand! (Love the sun and moon together)
Great photos, as always! Love the park bench glistening in the sun...and the ravens look like they are kissing goodnight! (yeah, I know, I'm a romantic at heart...)
Lovely pics Hil. Some of them look like my backyard!
You present a strong case for summer but autumn's still my favourite. :)
The bench and the fireworks are my favs .. but that doesnt mean the rest are super .. they are .. you are really becoming one with that lens .. IMO the mark of a 'good' eye!
:-Daryl
• Thank you, Reb. I had a hard time trying to capture any sky-bound fireworks, so I was pleased that this one turned out. Thanks for stopping by. :)
• Thanks very much, Indrani. :)
• Aww thanks so much, Mizfit. Very much appreciated. :)
• Thank you, Kerri. I knew I had read somewhere that you loved benches and I thought about you when I snapped, and then posted this photo. I'm so glad you like it. Thanks so much for your kind words. :)
• Thanks so much, Leah. What a creative way to look at bleeding heart flowers. You're so right! Thanks for your always-kind comments. :)
• Thanks, Crabby! You cracked me up with that last part of your comment. I'm glad you think to look around you differently.. it's cool to have perspective. :)
• Sandi! Thanks so much for your kind words. I don't think the yellow flower is a Passion flower. I have no idea what it is. It's tiny though. As for bugs, well that one was on Frank's hand, not mine. And you're SO wrong about allowing Daddy Longlegs tickle my arm. I really don't like spiders and you won't likely see a photo of one on my blog.. but you never know. Thanks for your kind words, and for your comment on David's blog. :)
• Thanks, Momma. Agreed - Bleeding hearts are great flowers. Thanks for stopping by. :)
• Thanks so much, Kari and welcome! You're too kind. The more you use your camera, the more you'll figure out so just start snapping. Thank for your kind words and for stopping by. :)
• Thanks so much, Pat. Your kind words mean a lot to me. :)
• Thanks, Baggie. I almost didn't recognize you.. nice new bag! Yep, birdie love is in the air which is probably more appealing than what's often in the air at your cow ranch! ;) Thanks for stopping by. :)
• Thanks, Frank. I suppose some of them DO look familiar to you. Stay tuned - there'll be more soonish. :)
• Thanks so much, Daryl. You always know the nicest things to say. :)
I was in Winnipeg for Canada Day! It was beastly hot (and I live in New Mexico), and I got eaten alive by mosquitos, but it was so much fun to be there for your national holiday. We actually watched the fireworks in the reflection of a building. It was spectacular!
Nice series of photos... I loved the park bench and little itty bitty bug!
Have a great weekend!
Mountain Retreat Photos
The photo of the moon rising is my fave. I've tried to capture that moment before but my camera doesn't have enough bells and whistles to make it happen...ie the flash always goes off.
Sounds like you are enjoying your summer!
These are beautiful. I love the moon and the tree, and I had forgotten how lovely the bleeding hearts are.
Gorgeous photos.
That bug photo is just amazing. I don't know how you do it, but I assume much patience is involved.
I can't get over how tiny that bug really is. Very nice job with the macro.
Is it ever chaotic in the Smitten World? Everything you post is so calm and serene. (and that's a good thing!)
Wow, wow, and wow!! So many beautiful images I could never comment on them all!
I love the park bench! The sun is catching it just right and it is wonderful. I have not read the comments but I am sure many others have mentioned this image, too.
The wild phlox are beautiful and the sun is catching them just right. Glorious!
The green background that fills the image with that little bug is special, too.
I always enjoy visiting your blog and seeing your images and reading your comments. Yours is one of my top 2 or 3 favorite blogs by far!!
Take care.
a little bug!
Wow Hilary, I think you have outdone yourself this time. What a terrific set of pictures going through your day. The one of the moon through the trees is exceptional and the Goodnight Birds is clever.
• Louise, that sounds like you had a great time up here, north of the border. I'm glad for that. Did you make it home in time for your own fireworks on the 4th? :)
• Thanks for the kind words, Michele. Much appreciated. :)
• Thanks for stopping by, Steviewren. :) Have you checked your manual to see how to turn that flash off? I've had to mess around with mine so that it only goes off when I tell it to.
• Thanks so much for the kind words, Jennifer. I'm glad you stopped by. :)
• Thank you, Jenn. I recently mentioned patience as a virtue to one of the best photographers I know. He kind of scoffed at that and said that when you're doing what you love to do, patience is not needed. I'm not particularly patient either. I just get lucky sometimes. :)
• Thanks, Susan. Chaos? Of course. But perhaps my blog is my personal Zen garden. Yeah, I'm going with that. ;)
• Thanks so much for all of your kind comments, Russell. I'm sure glad you're enjoying my blog and please know that yours is among my top favourites as well. Thanks for dropping by. :)
• Yes! Would he look cute perched on the rim of a cup or a bowl? ;)
• Thanks for the kind comments, Photowannabe. That means a lot to me. :)
That was lovely, sharing youre summer day with you! Yes, summer really seems to have arrived. I love looking up through the garden umbrella at the sky. I had a nice snooze under a big pine tree in my garden today, and when I opened my eyes I was looking at the sky through the interlacing of the pine needles, with the sound of sparrows fighting each other for bird seed in my feeder. A nice way to wake up. Yes, hooray for summer! Your photos are lovely.
The park bench is amazing, as though the world were turning to gold!!
I love up through the umbrella shots lol - every summer I take so many of them. my son says they all look the same but to me each one feels different.
These shots are ALL FAB but I adore that sun flare shot through the tree. WOWZA! And you're right, I love summertime shooting too - can't get enough!
Wonderful pictures. I have actually never seen bleeding hearts. They are completely wonderful. You have displayed so well. Kayce
dj, very nice!! i wish i could take a leaf outta your book and take pictures of stuff around me...but all i have is a concrete jungle fulla noisy neighbours, traffic jams, dust etc etc... :-)
I hope this doesn't sound totally goofy, but I especially like your pictures of bugs. I try to treat bugs and other smaller creatures with the same respect as larger ones - at least as is possible - and it's quite obvious you take care with them, also.
Don't know if you've read this one of mine already, but you might like to:
http://jimsuldog.blogspot.com/2006/04/bugs.html
Unfortunately, no wonderful photos such as yours to go with it...
beautiful shots. the bell shaped flower in the patio crack is a columbine, one of my favorites!
• Thanks so much ex-S. It sounds like you had a wonderful setting for that nap. What a lovely way to wake up. :)
• Thank you, Dianne. I've never thought to take a shot through an umbrella before this one. But I bet I will from now on. ;) Thanks for stopping by.
• Thanks so much for your kind words MG. Much appreciated. :)
• Welcome, Kayce. Bleeding hearts are quite different for sure, and so aptly named. Thanks for your kind words. Please come back again soon. :)
• Thanks, Rabin. You'd be surprised how interesting your traffic, dust and concrete would be to others. I say go for it! :)
• Thanks for the visit, Sully. To be totally honest, I am SO not a bug person. I don't want them in my house (spiders and earwigs, especially), on my body (uninvited) or near my food (don't wanna bite down on a wasp!). But if they respect my space, I'll respect theirs. I find some bugs fascinating though and most just innocuous.
I love the post that you linked to. Thanks. I hadn't seen it before though the link from the drawn image that you used was a total heart-breaker. I like the idea of that "Bug Buddy", and will keep an eye out for one. That way I wouldn't HAVE to handle a spider to get it outside safely.
Thanks so much for the link and your always-kind words. :)
• Thanks, Lime. I had no idea what that flower was. Thanks for that and for stopping by. :)
Beautiful shots Hilary. I love the bleeding hearts. And I am a sucker for a sunset as you know. ;0)
Well captured - especially the park bench one. And... oh they are all beautiful!
whenever my 8 yr old Annika sees bell-shaped flowers, she stops to look around for little fairies. Great pics!
Nope .. he didnt squeal .. but he did OINK ...
:-Daryl
I am surprised and eleated every time I wander by your blog. What a wonderful recreation of a summer evening. i love the moon caught in the branches of the tree! That little buggy guy is pretty cool too.
Hilary, what beautiful photography! I am taking a photography class and you are what I aspire to be! Thank you for giving me something to shoot for!
Wow Hilary, just beautiful!!
• Thanks muchly, Cath. I know how you feel about sunsets - you've certainly captured some beautiful photos of them recently. Thanks for stopping by. :)
• Welcome, XUE and thanks. That's so adorable! Please tell Annika that I'll be sure to keep my eye out for fairies myself now. :)
• Snort, Daryl! ;)
• Thanks very much, Clowncar. What a very sweet thing to say. Thanks for the visit. :)
• Aww thanks, Addhumorandfaith. That's very kind of you. Good luck with the class. That sounds like it would be fun. Love the "something to shoot for" pun! Thanks so much for your kind words. :)
• Thanks very much, Cheffie-Mom! :)
What a bunch of Canadian Bleeding Hearts!
Ha, good one, EWBL! :)
wow! you take amazing pictures. i simply loved the one with the park bench... and the one with the ravens on the dead tree as well... simply beautiful, all of them...
• Welcome, Rebecca and thanks so much for your kind words. I hope you'll be back soon. :)
love, love, love that gold bench shot!!!!!
Thanks, thanks, thanks, Moi! :)
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