Sunshine Came Softly

Our weather has recently taken a small turn for the better but in the spirit of being way behind in my photo sharing, this post was written several weeks ago when I was exceedingly tired of the enduring winter weather.

It seems that through winter, there's only so much out there worth photographing. Sure the snow and icy surroundings can look nice - for the first week or two but after that, the season seems to wear thin pretty quickly. The one nice thing about winter is that the sun always seems to be at a low angle - never directly above as in summer. This makes for lovely lighting and intense shadows. On this day, I spent a lot more time snapping photos indoors than out. Below are a few plants around Frank's house.


The sun was shining through the kitchen window where a couple of plants adorn the ledge. Its light was so intense, that it cast shadows of the window screen upon the tiny leaves.





Another plant, backlit by the sun.





The tiny hairs on the stem of yet another plant were illuminated.





Same plant - a peek through its leaves.





A different view of the same leaf. Do try and contain your excitement.





The croton is a colourful plant - often showing off greens, reds and yellows at the same time. Sunlight is peeking between the leaves.




Another day, another view. The light shines directly on the leaves.





And from behind, it shines right through them.





Fresh snowflakes, sunlight and the window screen were responsible for this bokeh effect.




Even dead blooms have their beautiful moment in the sun.

Wishing those who celebrate a Happy Passover and/or a Happy Easter. Whatever you acknowledge, just make sure the Easter Bunny doesn't Passover your house without delivering some chocolate.

More photos in a few days.

A Floral Arrangement

I have flowers to share...

For openers, a view of a globeflower in my neighbour's garden.

My Croton stays indoors all winter but enjoys the outdoor weather in summer. It had just been rained upon.

The first Iris to bloom in my garden this year. I had a grand total of two. On the same stalk.

A solitary rose hip left over from last year's climbing roses. The blooms are profuse this year. I'll have photos somewhere down the blogging road.

Daisies growing along the edge of my yard. That's the driveway you see behind them.

And a closing shot of another Globeflower.

More photos coming up soon if the Blogger scheduler will oblige.

The Great Indoors

Well I guess that last post's "mystery images" were much too easy for this intelligent bunch. I'll have to find more obscure objects next time.

I did have fun photographing the watch and the energy-efficient light bulb, and cropping them in close. The watch in particular was challenging because I had a hard time trying to get the winder into focus.

The two full-image shots are below, followed by a few more photos which were all taken indoors under natural light.




My simple wristwatch which I wear (say that three times fast!) every day. I much prefer the face of an analog watch over digital. I only buy inexpensive watches because I tend to be hard on them - often forgetting that I'm wearing one until after I've done the dishes. The time may be a bit less accurate than that of a digital, but I tend to set it a few minutes ahead anyway, This way I can trick myself into being on time. (please click to enlarge)





I took this shot from directly below an overhead light fixture. I'm not crazy about the appearance of these spiral-shaped light bulbs but I sure do appreciate their energy efficiency aspect. I find them more difficult on the eyes, and the split-second hesitation between light switch and power throws me almost every time. I figure they'll become more aesthetically pleasing over time as they've already begun to enclose some of them inside of a standard-shaped light bulb. (please click to enlarge)





My Valentine's Day flowers were two weeks past their prime and ready for the green box. The soft yellow blooms seemed to outlast the other colours but even they have begun to wither. They were beautiful while they lasted. Thanks, Frank! (please click to enlarge)





This set of tea candle holders adorns a wooden chest in my dining room. It turned out that its colours matched perfectly with a vase that has probably been in my family longer than I have. It can be seen in the background. (please click to enlarge)





The flowers on this Kalanchoe (thank you Mental P Mama for identifying it for me) are less than a centimeter wide. It has just begun flowering after sitting dormant for the winter. Hopefully this is one of the sure signs of spring. (please click to enlarge)




I love the colours of this teacup and saucer which I picked up at a yard sale a few summers ago. It was in this cup where I first found the mole, which began our little game. Frank, this should serve to remind you that it's your turn to find the little guy. And Suldog, this should also remind you that you were going to write about something similar. (please click to enlarge)




This Croton also sits in front of my kitchen window all winter, waiting for the day that it's warm enough to go outside for a few months. The diagonal stripes on the green leaf are shadows from the slats of my venetian blind. (please click to enlarge)




A few wisps of fake flowers adorn this little brass watering can. It sits upon a small shelf in my front hallway. (please click to enlarge)




Pink, freckled leaves grace this Hypoestes* plant which grows in a basket alongside the above flowering plant. The leaves have been growing more profuse the past few weeks. Another sign of spring? We can hope. (please click to enlarge)



Skittles always has to be a part of whatever I'm doing. If I'm in the kitchen, he's even more vigilant of my every move, just in case I have a strong urge to pour out some cat food. What do you think he's looking at? (please click to enlarge)

* Daryl, I thought I had included the name. I remembered Googling it, but I only put the name in the labels. It's a Hypoestes. Thanks for pointing out the missing info. :)