spring colors

Spring Colors

May 8, 2013

Lew picked this week's Headbanger's theme.  We are going with "Spring Colors."  Check out my  pals for their interpretations on this theme: Fishing Guy, Katney, Imac and Lew.

For me, Forsythia is what does it.  It has become to me the official announcement that Spring has arrived.  This started some years ago when I learned that the right time to put the first application of lawn product is when you see the Forsythia bloom in the same region.  That's how you know what's happening under the turf with the insidious Crabgrass, and you can catch it before it grows up and chokes out the good grasses like Fescue, Rye and Kentucky Bluegrass.  I used a polarizing filter for the header shot, because I wanted to show the deep blue in the sky in contrast to the gorgeous Forsythia in full bloom.
 

Spring offers a lot of options for this theme, and here are some other ideas.  I hope you like them.

a neighbor's tulips just before sunset

a pretty pixie hides among paper flowers

Periwinkle experiment with selective B&W

a Magnolia tree's first bloom

Crocus buds emerging from rain-drenched soil

I'm fond of this one--it's a juvenile (American) Robin up close and personal

earth day

I feel a soap box moment coming on...

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Earth Day. Is this for real or is it a bunch of hoo-ha? For me, every day is a day to pick up litter and take care of my environment. Things like zero population growth make me gag! Ice age, global warming, save ANY animal at the expense of humans... pshhh! (We should be saying, "Save the humans!") We might be able to do a lot of things to control the quality of life here, but the earth will not--can not be destroyed until Christ returns. Seriously, do you think the Sovereign Lord's promise to return and judge the earth is going to be thwarted by stuff that we control? The earth is not our mother. If you celebrate Earth Day, that's fine. Just remember to acknowledge its Creator too, okay?

m is for...

[click on photo for larger image]

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You would find my little cubicle deep in the heart of the building, far from any hope of direct sunlight. Our spirits had been repeatedly trampled by unseasonable cold and snow and the dismal dripping of freezing rain, almost to the point where we began to get accustomed to it. So sometimes it is advantageous that I cannot see what it looks like outside.

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But this day, people were all abuzz with excitement. It was one of those days where everybody can't help talking about the weather. At my first break, I raced away from the inner caverns of our carpeted walls and artificial light, and made my way to the front entrance.

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Two full magnolia trees keep their sentry posts on either side of the main entrance. The heavy fragrance of these ivory guards has arrested me several times at the front door. As I approached, I could see the sky was so blue, it was surreal! I pushed open the door and squinting a little bit, filled my lungs with a deep breath of sweet air. I had almost forgotten what I was going to do, but the camera in my hands jogged my memory. I put a polarizing filter on the lens and began snapping pics.

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This one is my favorite from the set. If you look carefully, you will notice that my magnolia comes with a little surprise just behind the blossom. It is a mosquito.

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Funny thing. As I said, this turned out to be my favorite shot, but guess what... it was the only capture taken with the flash. Foolishly, I decided from looking at the preview screen, that I didn't like the flash. Now, I'll probably start bracketing sunny outdoor shots with and without flash.