Little Bunny Miniature Fountain Grass (Pennisetum alopecuroides)

Little Bunny Miniature Fountain Grass
Pennisetum alopecuroides
July 1st 2014

"That beautiful season the summer!
Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light;
And the landscape
Lay as if new created in all the freshness of childhood."

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

It's summer. It's warm. And sometimes my mind wanders away. Just wanders. The other day, while Alan was searching for a hidden object, I will explain more about that later in the week, I saw this patch of Little Bunny Fountain Grass gently dancing back and forth in the warm breeze. The sun was in the far western sky, so there was just the right amount of light making it appear different soft pastel colors. I reached down and touched one of the ivory blossoms, and was surprised to find how soft it was. Fluffy, just as it's name implies, like a bunny's tail. I am beginning to become quite fond of this plant. So much about summer can be harsh, but not this unusual plant.

"People don't notice whether it's winter or summer when they're happy."

~Anton Chekhov

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Garden Update July 1st 2013

"The serene philosophy of the pink rose is steadying. It's fragrant delicate petals open fully and are ready to fall, without regret or disillusion, after only a day in the sun. It is so every summer. One can almost hear their pink fragrant murmur as they settle down upon the grass: 'Summer, summer it will always be summer.'"

~Rachel Peden

As much as I dislike the summer, and it's oppressive heat, I love what happens to all the roses, leaves and vegetables in the garden! It's gorgeous right now, and it's a happy feeling that it will only get more delicious and fragrant! The next couple months should be stunning!

The Japanese Maple...



The Heirloom Tomatoes...



The Pears...



And to go along with all this loveliness, I got to hear the ethereal musician playing his sax, but today he had some friends playing different instruments along with him. It's lovely. I am so glad he lives in my neighborhood.

:)

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Paradise On Earth

"We all have our time machines. Some take us back, they're called memories. Some take us forward, they're called dreams."

-Jeremy Irons

Yesterday, was a very long day, but a very good one. It rained very early in the morning, but by mid-afternoon, it was bright, warm and sunny. It was the kind of day that made it impossible to be in a bad mood, and finding this pretty little skipper butterfly, only made it better. I know my blog has been a bit floral heavy lately, but my goodness, isn't that what the summer is for? Flowers and sunshine, and beautiful little butterflies, just floating by. Golden Gate Park in summer... now that is paradise on earth! :)

-OndineMonet
"Little Skipper"
Golden Gate Park
Dahlia Garden
San Francisco, California
July 18, 2007
Afternoon

Bumble Bee Tongues

"For many 19th century artists, the usual reaction to photography was no reaction at all. They simply ignored it. But not Degas. He was deeply interested in the new medium, not just as a tool that could help with his drawings and paintings, but as an art form in its own right."

-Edward Saywell

Can you believe it? It was cloudy and kind of cold yesterday, at least I was cold. Elvis was by my side most of the day, I think he knows when I am not 100%. Sigh. I have been having nightmares again. Nightmares are the most inconvenient things. It's so strange how we can be sound asleep, and yet transported forward or backward in time, to places we have long since forgotten about, visiting with people we know we will never see again. The surreal can seem so vivid. Like I said, nightmares are inconvenient.

That's why I take pictures. Photography allows me to step into the surreal with a certain amount of control. I love taking photos of gardens, because there is so much going on, and everything changes in a blink. It takes a great deal of concentration to photograph butterflies and bumble bees, especially on a warm, sunny day. It's a good thing, but it is definitely a challenging thing. I don't know... my mind gets completely filled with whatever scene is in front of me. The flowers, the things with wings, the sky... whatever. Everything else gets blocked out. At least it seems that way. Maybe that is why I have nightmares when I haven't been particularly active with the camera.

Of course, it might also mean it wasn't a good idea to eat 8 Jalapeno Poppers at 3:00 in the morning. LOL. Jeepers, that is why I dreamed the hills that surround the house I live in were on fire! Could be. Or it could have just been my mind reminding me of my lifelong fear of fire. I have conquered a good many fears and phobias. I took charge of my life, and eliminated panic attacks from ruining my life, but I have never been able to cure my fear of fire. I try to photograph fire when I can. When Alan barbecues, I am right there with the camera, snapping away. Still... the fear continues. Maybe my dream was saying, "Get over it girl."

I used to be absolutely scared to death of bumble bees. Now I seek them out, so much so that recently I was on my stomach in Golden Gate Park, photographing some bumbles that were enjoying some dandelions. LOL. I had to laugh at myself, because it was just a few years ago that I would have left the park, for fear of bees. Silly of me, because look how beautiful they are. They have such interesting lines, and who knew they have tongues? :) It never occurred to me they would, until I was licked by a butterfly last year at the Conservatory of Flowers. LOL. It seems I had a little bit of maple syrup on my hand, left over from a pancake breakfast I had eaten earlier that day. Talk about surreal... being licked by a butterfly, is surreal! Almost as surreal as watching an opossum use it's thumbs. But that is a whole other entry. LOL. It's not supposed to be cold in July... is it?

-OndineMonet
"The Bumble Bee's Tongue"
Golden Gate Park
San Francisco, California
Late June, 2007