Category: Nature

TrumpetVine2016

I enjoy adding new plants to my garden.  About 10 years ago, I planted a Trumpet Vine and encouraged it to trail over a fence in my back yard.  The tube-like flowers attract hummingbirds.  The plant has always been full and green, but never developed any flowers.  About 2 weeks ago as I was puttering in the garden, I noticed a cluster of 4 flower buds!  These were the very first flowers after 10 years of waiting and hoping!  I was so excited!  The other night I went back out to the garden with plans to photograph the flowers.  To my dismay, 3 of them were gone and only one remained!  The deer must have been as excited to see the new flowers as I was!  Thankfully the one remaining flower was open and I had a chance to take a few photos.  If anyone has this plant in their garden, I would love some advice on how to encourage more flowers.  I read that the plant must mature before it blooms, so maybe this year was the start of great things to come!

00576LH2016

The colors of the landscape change dramatically as the sun rises on the horizon.  This image was taken much earlier than the one from yesterday’s post that had an orange tone from the already risen sun.  In today’s photo, the sun had not yet become visible and the water was reflecting the blue, pink, orange and purple hues of the sky.  Gosh, I should get out with my camera this early more often!  It was so pretty and peaceful.  I love being the only person on the beach at this time of day!

00649LH2016

If it weren’t for Gabriel and his 5:30 AM antics, you wouldn’t be looking at this photo right now.  Cats are known to sleep 18 hours a day – the other 6 hours (often in the middle of the night at our house!) are for playing.  On Saturday morning at 5:30, Gabriel thought it a fun idea to pull the curtain rod off the window frame, nails and all.  So, after hearing the crash at that ridiculous hour, I found myself searching in the carpet for the nails and then hammering the rod back in place.  As long as I was up and the sun was about to rise, I decided to head down to the Lake and see if there were any photo opportunities.  Getting out at sunrise is a rarity for me, so I was pleased to come home with a few images that made it worth the trip.  I love this scene of the early morning fishermen with their lines in the water waiting for the catch of the day.

I wonder if the stairway to Heaven looks like this?  Pretty paved steps, a rustic wooden fence, beautiful flowers and ferns along the sides … and waiting at the top, all of our family, friends and pets that have gone before us.  Oh, I hope it looks just like this!

3076_EGC2016

I love the curve of this Speedwell and the gradual variation in the amount of bloom from one end to the other.  The new flower bursting forth from the leaves on the bottom right is a bonus!