Flowers always invite me to smile, and smiling sends all kinds of positive neural messages through my body that enhance my well-being and improve my disposition. Especially in the short days of winter when I suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Having flowers blooming in my gardens like the naturalized clump of Trillium surrounded by periwinkle (Vinca minor) below, brightens my life.
Wake Robin – TrilliumTrilliumLenten rose
Another winter bloomer that cheers me is Helleborus orientalis, more commonly known as Lenten rose. They are a hardy ground cover with evergreen foliage that blooms profusely on through spring. Adaptable to shade and drought they also self-propagate, making them a winner in my book!
Camellia
Rounding out my favorite late-winter/early-spring bloomers is Camellia japonica. With its glossy evergreen leaves and a profusion of blossoms on through spring, Camellia is a joy to behold. As the tight buds burst out in full, they fill my heart with sunshine!
Rhododendron
Rhododendron is native in the Pacific Northwest and their evergreen foliage provides shade and shelter for birds year round. These I planted thirty-five years ago and they have grown into a mature base planting at our home. Though their bright blossoms fade sooner than I want, they are always a show stopper!
Lilac has been in my life since I was a kid. Its lovely range of purple hues and fragrant perfume wafting on spring breezes weaves a spell on me to this day!
Then comes summer with a parade of beauties to charm my soul! Mop head Hydrangea are among the happiest blossoms at this time, all crowding to catch the sunlight and emit their radiant blue hues.
My choice of plants to nurture in my gardens is driven by a variety of conditions: shade/sun, perennial/annual, native/compatible, thrives/struggles, low-maintenance/invasive and most importantly, plants that enhance the habitat for birds.
All summer and into late fall, Echinacea better known as Coneflower, and Rudbeckia or Black-eyed Susan flowers fill the sun-drenched border of my front yard. Resident bunnies hop and hide underneath them, and when the petals die back in fall, the seed-heads provide sustenance for migrating finches and other seed eating birds.
Though the fading blossoms signal the end of this year’s procession of favourite flowers, I am content knowing that it will only be a little while before I see the bright faces of garden friends that make me smile.
Whatever is blooming in your corner of the world, please honor our earth, be kind and stay safe.🐾
Thank you Ann-Christine for giving us gardeners carte blanche to show off our favourite flowers!
This week Patti at Pilotfishblog.com encourages us to “work the shot;” to present a subject in at least three ways to help reveal how best to show it. For my first response to this challenge, I selected photos taken while we were ‘staying in place’ during the spring months of 2020. The COVID pandemic brought things to a standstill just about everywhere, and I had Long Beach essentially to myself for close to three months.
Long Shadow
During a stormy high tide, this snag became lodged on the beach when the tide receded. Walking along on a bright early morning, I noticed how its shadow stretching toward the ocean imbued a graceful sense of dignity to the driftwood snag.
Roots in Surf
From this angle and in black and white, the snag appears somewhat awkward and ungainly, while the history of its origin as a clump of substantial tree roots becomes clear.
A good perch near surf’s edge is a welcome setting for Bald Eagles. From April into May 2020, this pair often kept an eye on me, while they surveyed the area for prey. As the days and weeks passed, they seemed to accept my being around and didn’t startle when I appeared.
San Diego Botanical Gardens – Steps to a View.
Tree on blue.
Tree on noir.
One photo, three ways; the whole scene, just the tree in natural light, and then with a noir filter. Each has an individual feel to it, wouldn’t you say?
Whatever angle you choose to view the world around you, please honor our earth, be kind and stay safe.🐾
Oh, boy! Tina is sending us on a treasure hunt! I’ve been combing through my photos, and found some that I haven’t posted before, and others that you may have seen in a previous post. Having more than one ‘treasure’ in the selected photo adds to the fun. So, I’ll start with the moon and its reflection.
From our deck at the Breakers we have a clear view of the Pacific Ocean. On this full moon night, I held my Panasonic steady on the rail and pressed the shutter. What a nice surprise to get this clear an image.
The fluffy clouds and forested shoreline reflecting on Odell Lake remains a favorite shot.
Always up for getting extra credit, here’s a photo of clouds with evidence of rain in the lovely rainbow wending it’s way across the marshes.
Another ‘double dip’ with a golden orange sunset and dramatic cloud formations over the Pacific Ocean.
On a warm October afternoon at the dog park – a person with an umbrella! Funny, we who live in the rainy Pacific Northwest often don’t bother with umbrellas or hats, so to see someone with an umbrella unfurled on a sunny day tickled my fancy!
Whenever a photo of a child is called for, I go back to shots I took on this wonderful day at the beach with my sister Lori, her daughter Molly, and my grandnephew Micah. It was a special time for all four of us – warms my heart ❤️
Above, Max and Daisy having fun chasing a squirrel up a tree at our favorite dog-park, and below seasonal colors of Chrysanthemums – the third year they have bloomed for me on the front porch.
I’ll finish with our family truck, a Nissan Frontier with Daisy in the driver’s seathauling her brother Max!
How many hills have I crested? How many trails have I trod and what have I learned on the journey? Many hills have beckoned me in my lifetime and I find each one to be an invitation to discover more of life.
Last week I was part of a group of supporters that was ferried across Willapa Bay to hike trails on Long Island. A fundraiser sponsored by the Friends of Willapa National Wildlife Refuge, I jumped at the chance to explore an area I couldn’t get to on my own.
On arriving at Long Island, the tide was not quite right for the flat-bottom ferry to land. We had options, take off our shoes and splash to shore or wait. Many of us opted to wade the few feet that remained! Soon after I had my socks and shoes back on, I started up the trail on my own. There were Forest Rangers and other volunteers to help guide the group – I just wanted to explore independently and take photos!
I had hoped to photograph birds on this hike, however being right at the height of fall migration, there wasn’t much new to see in that regard. The trail lead through old growth Douglas Fir forests to a grove of ancient Cedars – which were quite stunning.
It was a lovely day, the hike was just the right length for me, and being on my own, yet in an organized group was perfect. Another hill climbed, with a deep sense of fulfillment and some pretty good shots at the end of the day.
Thanks to Donna Holland of Wind Kisses for this challenge. It is an honor to be asked to host, and also a big responsibility to look at and respond to the many posts we followers send in! Your challenge was such a nice wide-open topic, and fit right into what was important to me this past week.
Whatever hills you climb, please honor our earth, be kind and stay safe.🐾
When I noticed Cee’s fun foto challenge for this week, I began to see curves and circles all around me! Here are some, all but the mushroom, from my walks this week.
Whether you’re going in circles or simply on a winding path, please honor our earth, be kind and stay safe.
This week Tina gives us carte blanche on what we feature, so long as our images portray opposites, not in the sense of opposing, more along the lines of contrasting. To open, I chose to feature a duckling and a drake. Both are Mallard ducks, however they are “opposites” in age and maturity.
My next pair of photos features the same subject – Lilac blossoms. The first one is of a bloom on a seasonally warm spring day while the second shows emerging buds covered in unseasonably cold snow!
A few years ago I “adopted” the benches along the two trails leading from the Breakers Condominium structures to the beach. Most were functioning and just needed a fresh coat of paint, except this one. Since all the parts were still there, I bought some zinc wood-screws, brought out my power screwdriver and put it back together. Now all the benches get a fresh coat of paint before I leave for the summer!
Meadow to marsh, marsh to meadow; the acreage between the buildings and the ocean berm is owned by the Breakers Condominium Association Long Beach. From early summer to early winter the land is a thriving meadow inhabited by songbirds and frequented by mule deer. As rainfall increases in autumn, the meadow transforms to a marsh that hosts many aquatic birds, like the Mallards in my first images.
Another contrast in the two images above is the light of bright afternoon sunshine, compared to the dark of early evening fog.
Max and Daisy have been part of our family for seven months now. They have become wonderful companions and serve to remind us of important life lessons. First; it is important (imperative!) to get out there and engage with life – get some exercise! Bark and enjoy! Second; it’s equally valuable to kick back, unwind and relax.
Wherever you find interesting subjects to compare and contrast, please honor our earth, be kind and stay safe.🐾
Walking With Eagles is a collection of original poems and photographs by Lindy Low Le Coq. A lifelong naturalist, amateur photographer and bird enthusiast, Lindy’s verse, composition and photographs open a window into the essence of her subjects. Her poems and photography reflect the rich natural wonders of the Pacific Northwest.
Bald Eagles mature over the course of five years. Walking With Eagles invites the reader to take a poetic and visual tour of this odyssey.
view ~ Walking With Eagles ~ in top menu bar for a preview, though the folio is much nicer!
Lindy Low LeCoq 