Insects

Blue Eyed Darner

Golden-backed Snipe Fly

Grapevine Beetles?

Colour catches my eye and so I see what a lot of people don't - insects. They're wonderfully intricate and come in a wide variety of colours. I'm still longing for a macro lens to get better pics of them but I am pleased with these for now. Finding insect names is proving to be more challenging than finding floral titles. I couldn't find any picture exactly matching what I labeled as a grapevine beetle so if any entomologists want to correct me, they are welcome to do so!

Flower Friends

Yellow Lady's Slipper
Ragwort

Robin Plantain

Daisy

White Clover

Birdfoot Trefoil

The floral diversity of the little strip of land I walk on frequently is amazing. Some of these flowers are old friends and some are new aquaintances. As I notice new faces, I am trying to learn names. I've been able to find titles for most of the wildflowers but I'm having a harder time with the flowering shrubs. Somewhere out there is a good site to help me out but I can't seem to find it!

Pink Sky

What music does for most, colour does for me; it's an instant mood lifter. I am prone to feeling down and today was definitely not an exception. God must have seen His child looking awfully glum because suddenly the sky turned the prettiest shade of pink. It didn't last long, just long enough for me to leave my pity party and go outside to take pictures of it in my oh-so-familiar backyard. My mood has gone from "I feel like crying" to...well...something a wee bit more positive. Pink skies will do that.

Columbine

My husband brought this specimen home from his evening walk. He knows the naturalist in me is intensely interested in flowers. I keep my eyes open for ones that weren't blooming yesterday but are today. As soon as I spot one I don't know, I try to discover what it is. I've seen this flower before but I didn't know what it was called. Now I know. It's columbine. I can't help but think its intense colours come out smashingly against my kitchen wall.

Orillia Fish and Game Conservancy

I did my usual round of quick pics today but this time at a different location than my back yard. In between dropping off and picking up my boys and their friends, I stopped in at the Orillia Fish and Game Conservancy. It's amazingly beautiful there this time of year. Even though I was only there for maybe ten or fifteen minutes, I found plenty to point my camera at. I will have to go back when I have some time to linger and really enjoy.

Ants

Ants and peony buds seem to go together. I find ants (and all insects) truly fascinating. One day I hope to have a macro lens to showcase the tiny wonders I see all around me.

Blue Eyed Grass

Some days I wish I could travel more than I do. I long to see the sun rise on a different landscape than the one I'm used to. I want to smell scents and hear sounds that are completely foreign to me. Since traveling for the time being is out of the question, I've decided to enjoy, REALLY enjoy, the surroundings I find myself in. I may only have a couple of minutes a day and may not get any farther than my own back yard but I'm choosing to relish those minutes and to open my eyes to the wonders that I'm sure are lurking right under my nose. I'm rarely disappointed.

Today I spotted these diminutive perennials for the first time. They're called blue eyed grass. Those tiny pricks of purple-blue dotting the meadow just steps from my back door made for a quick but satisfying photo op.

Lily of the Valley

I finally have some lily of the valley thriving in my side garden. Yeah! I know, I know, they're not tough to grow. They spread like weeds in the woods behind the house but my yard is a tad sunny for their more shady disposition. So, I'm thrilled that I managed to get a few blooming where I can see them and enjoy them. They are pretty, aren't they?

Canada Geese

Dandelions

I know a lot of people HATE dandelions, especially when they've gone to seed, but I can't help but wonder if they're not really a photographer's dream. Those little white puffs that spirit the hated seeds to unsuspecting lawns are just so amazing. Every spring I look at them again, marvel at their design and try to capture their fleeting beauty in new ways. I'm a huge fan of abstract imagery so I loved this blurry shot of dandelion parachutes with sun and sky mingled in.

Painted Turtle

I was chasing down some very skittish butterflies when I stumbled across this little painted turtle in my back yard. He was terribly shy but oh so pretty with his yellow and red stripes.

Red Roses

A couple of red roses made their way into my hands on Mother's Day and they've been begging me to take pics of their gorgeousness ever since. It's finally not raining (or snowing) so my new roses went for a yard tour.

More Flowers

Flowers seem intended for the solace of ordinary humanity. ~John Ruskin