I've been fairly absent from blogging lately and figure this will continue at least for a few weeks. I've been spending a significant amount of time away from home and very little of my home time has been spent in front of my computer. My posts and blog visit will continue to be hit and miss for a while.
Below are a few photos from sometime over the past month. They all depict one of my favourite colours - purple.
"I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it." ~ Alice Walker
Before: This is an unfurled clematis blossom found in Frank's back yard.
During: Clematis in bloom. One of the prettiest purple flowers on the planet.
After: Once the clematis bloom has come and gone, this is what remains. Can you tell that I was having fun playing with Frank's new 100mm macro lens.
Also found in Frank's back yard. These leaves have the uncanny ability to appear purple, brown, red or green depending on the lighting.
Wild chicory is one of my favourite wildflowers. I find it in my local park and just about anywhere else I wander.
Although it's considered a weed, I quite like thistles - maybe not in my garden, which is where I found this one, but it's loved by the goldfinch and I wouldn't complain if they came to visit.
The purple bellflower shot in low light. This one is for you, Adrian!
I'll be around for visits as soon as time and circumstances permit.
69 comments:
These are wonderful, the clematis after blooming is beautiful, and the purple and red leaves!! And, the quote is perfect, love this post :)
gorgeous, hilary!
Beautiful...from the first to the last!
Flower in the low light actually stole the show. Its not only wonderful but somewhere a deep message is given "STAY ILLUMINATED"
Something in my soul always craves purple. Thank you.
I'm not a huge fan of purple, except in Mother Nature. Love your photos!
That's beautiful, the purple just looks at you.
Some loverly shots there, Hil. You have the gift of finding the "extra" in the "ordinary." :)
What IS the plant with the uncanny ability?
It's breathtaking!
In just the last week or so I have been CRAVING purple. Purple clothing, purple jewelry...what's happening?
wow. I love the color purple.
Purple is my fave as well! Such a royal color! Loved the flower in the low light. You must be having a wonderful time .... continue, my friend!
Those are some gorgeous flowers. Thank you for naming the wild chicory. I have some in my flower garden, but didn't know what it was. One of my favorites as well.
I came home to a six foot tall thistle after visiting Iowa this June. I left it up for awhile. Just to let it bloom. Finally got around to weeding along the hedges and cut it down. Perhaps next year again since I didn't bother to dig it out.
One day, when he was only 11 or so, I caught my son, standing in front of the bathroom mirror, talking to himself.
And he was saying (to himself, (as if involved in an interview) "Purple is my favorite color".
I can't tell you how many times we've laughed about that as a family. It's embarrassing, to get caught in your priviate fantasy.
But, you know, he had a point.
When it comes to flowers,
purple IS my favorite color...
nice...love that one with purple leaves...very cool...as are the thistles...there are several weeds i tend to like....
Hope you're enjoying your summer. Love these purple photos.
Beautiful all. I have taken pictures of most of these very same plants recently. I have a Jackmanii purple clematis and a Smoke Bush which performs magically in sun light.
Great work with the macro!
They're all beautiful, of course. But that little bit of red in the midst of the purple leaves just makes that one. I have a feeling that macro lens is getting quite a workout.
I just bought a new camera, but after seeing these, I think I'll just crawl into a dark corner and assume a fetal position.
lucky purple!
Aloha from Waikiki;
Comfort Spiral
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All spectacular Macros, but the light shining on the thistle is wonderful.
Wow - so many gorgeous shades of purple. Such lovely shots! Enjoy your time away.
Lovely photos Hilary. Very rich purples.
I've been more absent than present the last few days myself - glad I hopped over to see these. Beautiful and I want one of those lenses now - so crisp and bright!
Outstanding photos. I must get a macro lens!
Thank you......I love these and have only just worked out how to do them. A beautiful set.
Oh, just enjoy your life dear Hilary, it is simply so wonderful to live it.;)
Love all your purples, beautiful photography as always.
Have a lovely weekend if you get to read this before it starts,
xoxo
Purple is such a rich colour and you have captured very well a variety of its' different hues.
Well, this post is a veritable hit. Every image a real stunner. I am drooling still. Fantastic. We'd like as much of you as you can possibly spare!
Oh, that night shot! I'd love to have an enlarged print of that framed and hung...somewhere...in my house! I might have to change the colors of a room to fit...hmmm...maybe I better hold off on that for a while.
But I can still love it!
Chicory - we call it cornflower around here, and it grows wild on the roadside. The stuff will survive just about anything, including drought!
You should add 'plant whisperer' to your list of credentials. You certainly have a gift, Hilary.
A great collection of purple. I love the top Clematis. I think I need to add some purple to my garden. Thanks.
Whatever the plant is with the purple,brown,red coloring...I WANT IT!!!
A superb selection Hilary.
That second Clematis just about clinches first place for me.
wonderful purples and that last capture is splendid!
wow! such a fantastic beauty! simply brilliant!
Wow, breathtaking!
And gosh, why on earth would you spend time out and about enjoying the world when you could be parking your butt in front of a computer screen for hours a day blogging?
Er, hmm, perhaps a question I might want to put to myself as well...
I'm not a big fan of purple, but I think it may be because I have some difficulty distinguishing certain shades of it from certain shades of blue. I have a narrow range of color blindness, and so purple tends to piss me off.
I still like YOU, though :-)
the remains of the clematis is my favorite ... its one I could sit and look at for hours
Mother Nature does purple so beautifully!
Very nice shots, I love the clematis and have a number all around the yard.
Hilary, you continue to outdo yourself. These are stunning!
how absolutely beautiful shots!
Love that mysterious purple leaf that can act like a chameleon.
Maggie X
Nuts in May
The clematis is beautiful even at its end.
Absolutely gorgeous. Tell Frank he needs to send the macro lens to me now so I can try it out. Oh, but it won't fit my camera, so he'll need to attach a camera. Well, heck, if he's going to do all that, he might as well just bring it himself, so he can show me how to use it. And, of course, he wouldn't want to come alone, so you need to come too. :)
I am glad, that like me, you are finding it hard to find time to post. I think that just means we are healthy and balanced as bloggers. Your purple passion has me speechless!
Ooo, forgot. Can I borrow that macro. I have been craving one for a year or more!
I always love catching sight of a clematis climbing a wall or overhanging a trellis, but I've never seen a bud of one waiting to unfurl. It's beauty is certainly not a false promise of what's to come.
Looks like tons of fun with that macro lens, all to good effect.
Wow. Stunning! The first shot and the shot of the leaves are just amazing! Gorgeous!
And I love the quote at the top too. :)
Purple is one of my favorite colors too, but it is especially beautiful in the lens of an artist's camera. Gorgeous photos.
Exquisite. Thanks for sharing those pictures, Hilary.
Oh, it's summer, Hilary. I don't spend much time here either. Will wait until our long cold winter to spend time at the computer. LOL!
Love your purples. I was wondering if the purple-leaf plant from Frank's garden is basil? Just a thought.
Enjoy the weather while you can (and time away is good too!
You make a good case for purple. Glad you are enjoying some time away from the computer as am I.
Enticing pics.
Purple is my favorite color
it's deep and dramatic and has so many shades
beautiful shots Hil
Love the color purple and could never pass it by without noticing! Thanks for the beautiful pics as always!
Absolutely wonderful. I love your clematis study.
You have done justice to the color purple!
You're right, purple is a wonderful colour. I particularly like the cotinus leaves which take on all kind of hues.
Enjoy what remains of the summer. Computers are all very well in darker days.
• Christine, thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed the post. :)
• Thank you, Tex. :)
• Wanda, thank you kindly. :)
• Naqvee, that's a lovely message. Than you for that. :)
• Messyimi, I'm glad I could oblige. :)
• Thanks, Snappy Di. I think that how I feel about red. Thanks for the visit. :)
• Bob, thanks for looking back. ;)
• Thanks, Frank. I hang out with inspiring people. :)
• June, you must be entering your Royalty phase. ;) Bonnie (a few comments below) identified that plant as smoke bush. I think I'll have to grab some cuttings. Thanks for the visit. :)
• Ellen, it's in my top ten. Thanks for stopping by. :)
• Thank kindly, Reena. Much appreciated. :)
• VM, a blooming thistle is just so pretty.. the soft petals growing out of those prickles. And some birds love when it turns to seed. Thanks so much for stopping by. :)
• Susan, that's an adorable story about your son. Too cute. Thank you for sharing. :)
• Thanks, Brian. Weeds are only weeds because of how they thrive and take control. You're right to like and admire that. Thanks always for your visit. :)
• Elizabeth, thank you. :)
• Thank you, Bonnie. Your kind words are always so appreciated. And thank you for identifying the smoke bush for me. I had no idea what it was called. :)
• Linda, you'd be quite right in your feeling. You must be psychic! Thanks so much for your always-kind words, my friend. :)
* AC, now stop that! You take beautiful photos and capture those adorable expressions on your grandkidlet's faces just perfectly. And I only get to play with the macro lens part time… as in .. not right now, darn it! Save me a corner, wilya? ;)
• Thanks for the visit, Cloudia. :)
• Thanks very much, Barb. I'm glad you like it. :)
* Thanks very kindly, Fiona. Much appreciated. :)
• Slamdunk, thank you so much. :)
• Thanks very much, Barbara. Your kind words mean a lot to me. It's a beauty of a lens and it's hard to put down. :)
• Thank you, Marilyn. It opens up a whole new world. :)
• Thank you kindly, Adrian. It's fun to play around with lighting, isn't it?
• Zuzana, thanks very kindly. I'm glad you enjoyed the photos and I hope you're having a wonderful weekend of your own. :)
• Cheshire wife, thank you for such kind words. They're very much appreciated. :)
• Dave, you're too kind. Thank you so much. Your kind comment has made my day. :)
* Ethel, thank you kindly, my friend. I was calling this flower cornflower also, until somebody told me that cornflower was a slightly different flower. I'm going to have to do some research now.. or at least before I post them again. ;) I'm glad they're hard to kill because I quite like them and find that one has taken to growing in my back yard - a gift from the birds via the bird seed, I think. Thanks always for stopping by. :)
• Thank you, Daniel. You always bring a smile to my face with your comments. :)
• Thank you, Steve. I think purple belongs in every garden. It's the new red. ;)
• Blueviolet, thanks to Bonnie (a few comments up), I now know that this plant is called Smoke Bush. And now you know too. :)
• Keith, thank you so kindly. :)
• Jill, thanks very much. :)
• Mikko, thanks so much for your very kind words. :)
• Crabby, thank you. And that is a good question. So if you happen to be reading this, head out that door right now! Always lovely to see you stop by. :)
* Well, thank you, Jim. It's kind of like the sports thing, isn't it? I have trouble distinguishing pitchers from quarterbacks. And the way some people go on and on about the fine points which are lost on me, tends to make me roll my eyes. But I still like YOU, too. ;)
• Thanks, Daryl. Those spent flowers catch my eye every year, too. :)
• Gary, Mother Nature and your house. ;)
• Thanks, Steve. I'm not surprised. You seem to surround yourself with a lot of beautiful plant life. Thanks for the visit. :)
• Thank you so much, Robin. Very much appreciated. :)
• Thank you kindly, Kamana. :)
• Maggie May, thanks to Bonnie, I now know that leaf is from a smoke bush plant. I'm glad you like it. :)
• MJ, thanks. It tends to look lovely at all stages. :)
• Sandra, we'll be right over. Please leave a light on. ;)
• Tabor, thanks so much. I'm so glad you're enjoying your summer. The Balanced Blogger would make a good blog title. ;) As for the lens, I guess you'll have to get in line behind Sandra. :)
• Louciao, you have a nice way with words and of looking at things. Thanks for sharing that. :)
* Thanks very kindly, Kat. Much appreciated. :)
• Thanks so kindly, Sandra. Your kind words make me smile. :)
• Rob-bear, thank YOU so much. :)
• Wendy, you're right. Summer is not the time to spend indoors if you can help it. Upstream in the comments, Bonnie identified the plant as Smoke Bush. The leaves are significantly larger than those of basis and not aromatic as basil is. Now I'm craving a salad with fresh basil! Thanks so much for your always-kind words. :)
• Thanks, Gary. I revisit colour themes from time to time. This one just crept up on me when I uploaded photos. Thanks for stopping by. :)
• Thank you, Jagdish. :)
• Thanks so much, Dianne. I knew that you loved purple from a previous post. I'm glad you enjoyed the pics, my friend. :)
• Yaya, thanks kindly. The colour sure is an eye-catcher. :)
• Thanks, Leah. It's quite a lovely flower from beginning to end. :)
• Thanks very kindly, Pauline. Much appreciated. :)
• Thank you, Friko. I guess cotinus is the official name for the smoke bush which Bonnie identified for me. Thanks for that additional information. I will definitely be around my computer more once summer ends.. which is all too soon. Thanks for stopping by. :)
I like purple too, especially in flowers as it contrasts so well with the green leaves. I once had a beautiful purple sweather that I loved.... now, I wonder where it is.....?
The focus on these is just marvelous. It adds so to the overall feelings. Thanks. Such power.
That first picture is amazing to me. It's hard not to assign human qualities to that plant.
that's the macro i use and i love it :)
xo
I think Walker was right about God and purple. You sure didn't annoy God at all! These flowers are delightful.
Purple and green are my favorite colors.
Thanks you for your post! I truly love it. Purple is beautiful.
Cassy from Learn Electric Guitar
• Shammie, you must have lent it to someone and they loved it too much to return it to you. Purple would look lovely with your hair colour. Thanks for the visit. :)
• Mage, thank you so kindly. I'm glad you enjoyed them. :)
• Mami, I know what you mean. Anytime I see a leaf cradling another, or a bud or berries, I think pretty much the same thing. I'm glad you like it. Thanks for letting me know. :)
• Beth, it's a great lens, isn't it? I'm dying to get my hands back on it again. :)
• Sandy, thank you kindly. Purple is just so pleasing. Thanks for the visit. :)
• Welcome, Cassy and thanks for the kind words. Always nice to meet another lover of purple. Thanks for stopping by. :)
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