These flowers were ordered for me before I wrote my post where I mentioned that I hadn’t bought flowers for myself. When Texas Seestor saw my comment, she got a good chuckle out of it, because unbeknownst to me, she had gone in with Mom and Dad to buy me this bouquet!
It was delivered this afternoon, and as you can see, is just gorgeous!
I’ll be taking more photos soon. But for now, this is what I was able to shoot quickly with my normal lens.
I can’t decide which of these 4 photos I like the best. So, I’m posting them all. 
Last Saturday, I took a vase out into our front yard and cut these out of our landscaping. I decided I might as well have them inside where I could enjoy them the most.
I think that this brown blanket background might show off the details on the yellow flowers better than the black.
As the weeks/days go on, I’ll post the close-ups. I took 75 good photos (88 total), so I’ll have a fair number to post.
even though this last one is overexposed, I kinda like it.
Happy Easter everyone!
I set these flowers up in one of the Girlie’s favorite spots. This happens to be my usual spot for taking flower photos, but also happens to be one of her favorite places.
It was a little later in the day than she really liked, but the light was good for photos. So, it was a compromise.
This heliotrope caught my eye when I was choosing annuals this year, because it was so intensely purple. It was also rather tall, which appealed to me.
Unfortunately, there was a period of time where it evidently didn’t get enough water and kinda died off. You can see that some in the photo.
But I was really pleased when I went to take close-up photos and realized it had such beautifully star-shaped blossoms.
and in large
I’ve always liked lantana. I particularly enjoy the multi-colored blossoms that cluster together on a stalk. In fact, last year I posted photos of the lantana that grew in containers on our deck.
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That is all for now. I keep meaning to post more about my TX trip, but I never quite put aside the time to do it. I will soon, though.
In other news, I got my ticket for So You Think You Can Dance (touring show) today. We had a password to get tickets by presale. I’m actually farther back than I was last year when I didn’t have the presale option. So, it must be getting more popular. I’m in row 11 (last year, I was in row 3). Maybe being a little farther back will be better for seeing more of their feet when they are half-way back on the stage. However, I probably won’t be able to get the kinds of pictures that I took last year. (Note that I’ve had 193 views on that set!) I guess I’ll just have to see.
The flowers on my deck have really been healthy this year. I am slowly starting to figure out from year to year what grows best in this climate and spot around the house.
As time goes on, I will probably post this photo again and describe/give you the names of the other flowers.
I really like how the purple centers of these daisies were complimented by the other purple flowers nearby. It looks more impressive in person.
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I finally realized that I should use both of my black bedsheets to create a circle of black area. This allowed me to get this shot.
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Well, that is it until I get to TX. Most of those pictures will end up private on Flickr, unless I take some from behind. Maybe I should specifically do a few of those. Anyway, I fly out tomorrow. I expect to be around here and there, because doing things on the internet is enjoyable for me, so I will include it in my vacation. 
See you later and have a good weekend!
This tree/bu$h was blooming over Memorial Day weekend.
This is what I saw out the kitchen window that inspired me to cut some branches off and put them in a vase so that we could enjoy them inside.
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and of course, the girlie had to help out.
Yes, she is large. But her face is so pretty to us. And the fur on her chest looks so soft; it just makes you want to pet it….
…. but of course, the white areas are the venus fly-trap areas.
And one last thing, did anyone else realize tomorrow is 6/7/08 – 6, 7, 8
These are from the bouquet of congratulatory flowers I received from my family. I think this is the last of the flowers from that photo session. However, I do have more photos of some of the flowering trees and bushes near the house. So, I will have some photos for future weeks to tide us over until the outside annuals get into full bloom.
and in large
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These shots are some of my favorites from this set. I’m not sure if it is the shape of the lily, or the contrast of it against the black background. But I just love them.
I’m sure Squirl will like them too, since they is yellow.
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That one, I’m particularly fond of, since you can see the grains of pollen.
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Have a great Memorial Day weekend everyone! If it doesn’t rain, I’ll be singing at a church service that is outside amidst the trees. My mother in-law is going to come and hear me sing. She, my father in-law and brother in-law are visiting this holiday weekend. It should be a lot of fun to have them here!
