Different Sides Of One Rainbow

"Sometimes it's important to work for that pot of gold. But other times it's essential to take time off and to make sure that your most important decision in the day simply consists of choosing which color to slide down on the rainbow."

-Douglas Pagels

I was going through my archives yesterday, as I did my annual year end clean-up of my photo files, when I found this photo from spring of last year. I don't believe it made it to to Ellipsis, which seems like a shame, because I like the colors in this photo very much. Cosmos are such beautiful flowers, and during the spring and summer months, they can be found all around San Francisco, especially in Golden Gate Park. It is impossible to look at a cosmos in bloom, and not feel good inside! I think I will be adding some of these flowers to my garden again this year. I did roses only last year, but I want to do more with the flowers this year. Gardening is something I look forward to with great anticipation, especially during the cold winter days. It was cold yesterday, so I went looking through my files for a splash of color. Isn't it gorgeous?

Also yesterday, the cats and I had a tragic mishap with the camera. I took it out to give it a thorough first of the year cleaning, at the same time the kittens experienced a spike in activity. LOL. Needless to say, CRASH... BOOM... SWEAR WORD... my beloved digital camera is no more. :( Alan bought me that camera 5 years ago, and it hasn't been out of my hand ever since, so needless to say, I am a bit sad tonight. All is not lost, however, I do have a wonderful , wonderful, simply wonderful 35mm film camera which I love with my entire being, and in a pinch I also have Alan's digital camera, which takes much better macro shots then mine did, so all is not lost. In fact, it gives me a chance to take a look around and do some research into what kind of camera I will get to replace the one I just lost. Any suggestions?

The Face Of A Bad Kitty...
Dylan, January 1st, 2009

In the meantime, I will still be posting lots of new BAD KITTY photos, and I am paying a visit to the city sometime next week, which always provides me with inspiration. You can't go to San Francisco and not find something to photograph! I was just talking about the new opportunities I was looking forward to with new year, I just didn't think I would be meeting one on the first day of January, but who am I to question fate? The philosopher in me knows that when digital camera shutter door closes, another one opens. Maybe with interchangeable lens, 15MP, and accompanied by a new camera bag! In to each life a little rain must fall, but when the sun comes out there is usually a rainbow to enjoy... sometimes in digital color!

-Carly
"Pink Cosmos"
Golden Gate Park
San Francisco, California
Spring, 2008
Afternoon

Round Robin Challenge: Backyard Photography

"In my garden, there is a large place for sentiment. My garden of flowers is also my garden of thoughts and dreams. The thoughts grow as freely as the flowers, and the dreams are as beautiful."

-Abram L. Urban

Finally, I get a chance to show off my autumn garden! In autumn! :) I started my garden a little later than usual this year, I don't know why, I think I was just taking my time, trying to decided if I really wanted one. I have complained enough about how challenging this year has been, so I won't go into detail, but all the crap was getting to me, and so, as a result, I could feel my drive to be creative slipping away with each day. Well, one day last June, in a mad attempt to break away from some of the issues I was going through, I just jumped in, feet first, and planted away. First I chose what corner of the yard to make my own, then I visited the store, and chose the seeds and plants, and then I made the vision come alive. I have one or two more touches to go, like the orange autumn lights, and then it will be complete. Pretty soon I will have to decide if I want to plant some bulbs for next spring, or if I want to just go with container pots again. I bet you can guess I am sitting on the fence a bit. Well, you will just have to stay tuned! :)

Bachelor Button

Pink Aster

Yellow Sunflower

Hot Pink Four O' Clock

Orange Cosmos

Yellow Cosmos and Skipper

A surprise visitor to my garden, a tomato plant from the neighbor's yard!

From Alan's garden; Variety Bell Peppers and Eggplant

Solid Black Sunflower

Burnt Orange/Red Sunflower

Nemesia

Violets

This Round Robin Challenge, was suggested by Tammie Jean, author of the blog, "Long Drives To Nowhere." Thank you Tammie Jean! :) Please be sure to drop by her blog, and say hello, then pay a visit to all the participating Robins, to view their entries as well. And remember Robins, we always need new suggestions for future Round Robin challenges, so please submit your ideas. Email your suggestions to Karen, Steven or myself, and who knows, we might choose your idea next!

Linking List

1. Steven... (sometimes photoblog)
POSTED!

2. Carly... Ellipsis
POSTED!

3. Tara... A Long Walk Home
POSTED!

4. Janet... Fond Of Photography
POSTED!

5. Suzanne R... New Suzanne R's Life
POSTED!

6. Vicki... Maraca
POSTED!

7. Gattina... Keyhole Pictures
POSTED!

8. Karen... Outpost Mavarin
POSTED!

9. Tammie... Long Drives to Nowhere
POSTED!

10. Julie... Julie's Web Journal
POSTED!

11. Teena... It's all about me!
POSTED!


-OndineMonet
Garden Photos
Autumn, 2007

Photographing Flowers

"A great photograph is a full expression of what one feels about what is being photographed in the deepest sense, and is, thereby, a true expression of what one feels about life in it's entirety."

-Ansel Adams

I had a good week with the camera. I did ok with it last week in Golden Gate Park, but I kept letting myself get distracted with head noise. I am thinking about taking a refresher class in Qi Gong, to kind of refresh myself to the discipline. I haven't been remembering to use it for stress management. If I did, I would be doing better with my photos. A couple times this week I used it as a instrument of focus, but I really should get myself back on a schedule of practice. Truly, it is one of the simplest meditative practices I have tried, and usually puts me in a much calmer state for the several hours afterwards. Look into it. :)

I found some fun flowers to photograph this week. I found the green and yellow Dahlia on Thursday. I was photographing as many as I could that day, because all of them seemed to be newly opened and at their perfection. I almost over looked that particular dahlia, in favor of one behind it, but when I stopped to really take a look, it made me smile, because to me, it looks a lot like it was grinning at me. :) Silly what the imagination will do. LOL. But doesn't it look a little like it is smiling? ;)




The rose was actually from the previous week, when I was taking pictures in the Rose Garden. I hadn't finished editing all the photos from that time, until last night. I don't know... there is just a kind of gentle peace to it for me. Roses are so beautiful in their many stages, I am always in awe of them. :)

I saved the main photograph in the entry for last. It is the very first cosmos to bloom in my garden. Isn't she glorious? I was hoping that maybe a skipper might come by and land on her, but it wasn't meant to be. It didn't matter much that I couldn't capture a winged creature on her, I think she is beautiful, and so I set out to take her portrait. Lately, I have been looking for totally black backgrounds. It isn't easy to find one naturally, but in this case it was late in the day, and I just used the dark fence and the natural shadows to my advantage. There's more to photographing flowers, then just finding a beautiful flower.

So, that was my week with the camera. I am looking forward to next week, and some time meditating in the park. I am curious to see what a difference it will make with my photography. So tell me, do you have a ritual you employ before you go out to photograph a specific project? Do you have a set process? Share with me what you do to find your inner artist.

-OndineMonet
"Facing Autumn"
Berkeley, California
August 18, 2007
Late Afternoon

I Think Phil Is Right :)

"I once had a sparrow alight upon my shoulder for a moment, while I was hoeing in a village garden, and I felt I was more distinguished by that circumstance that I should have been by any epaulet I could have worn."

-Henry David Thoreau

More pictures of what I saw in San Francisco last Thursday. While I was there, I paid a visit to Ft. Point and Chrissy Field, where there is usually a nice variety of birds to enjoy watching. It was really cold however, so there just wasn't as many different types as I would have liked to have seen that day, but there was a nice group of sparrows happily searching for food. I am thrilled with each new bird species that I can add to my library. This little guy was a new one for me, it is called a, "White-crowned Sparrow." According to my, National Audubon Society Field Bird Guide, this type of sparrow is one of the most studied birds of the western United States. I had a good time watching him look for food, and enjoying his soft little chirp.

White-Crowned Sparrow

There are little glimpses of spring everywhere. I know it is a little early to be looking for blossoms on the trees, but to my delight, I am seeing deep pink blossoms here and there, so I think Punxutawney Phil's prediction might be right, I think we will be seeing signs of spring early this year, which is fine by me. I am looking forward to the flowers this year. I have some seed packets on my desk right now, just waiting for a warm day for planting. I have Cosmos, 4 O' Clocks, Sunflowers, Mini Carnations, which will hopefully bring me some butterflies and bees through the summer and autumn. Tee Hee. I am already looking forward to autumn. :)

So tell me, what are you looking forward to this year? A special holiday or birthday? The flowers blooming in spring? Summer at the beach? Share if you want to, in the comment thread for this entry. :)

-OndineMonet
"White-crowned Sparrow"
Chrissy Field
San Francisco, California
February 1, 2007
Afternoon