A few weeks ago it almost felt like summer, or certainly spring, but the last few days it’s been more like winter: cold, rainy, and gray. So for a cheerful shot of water I went to the folder with the pictures from that lovely, sunny day at the Highline Botanical Garden in early March.

Visit Watery Wednesday for the water thing, and Outdoor Wednesday for more outdoor scenes. This is a good one for Weekend Reflections, too, plus it’s straight out of the camera, not even cropped, or SOOC.

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A recent visit on a rainy day to the Volunteer Park Conservatory was filled with Spring flowers, and also these tropical beauties, Anthuriums. Exciting, aren’t they? My mom used to grow them in South Florida, so I’m always partial to them.

Visit Ruby Tuesday for more red visions, Color Carnival for more brilliant color, Window Wednesday for windows and doors, and SOOC for more straight-out-of-the-camera shots.

This hydrangea was taken at the Volunteer Park Conservatory in Seattle just this week. A greenhouse plant, of course it’s rushing the season, but it’s a vision of summer flowers to come.

For more flowers around the planet, visit Flowers For Today. Try Macro Flowers Saturday and Macro Monday, and Blue Monday also. Color Carnival has lots of brilliant color creatively seen, too.

You can always click on Sara’s Fave Photos above to return to the full blog with my latest post on top.

It was late and the lighting was very dim, but my new camera (with a little help after the fact) did OK to show you this neat shadow I found.

Try Shadow Shot Sunday for more amazing shadow scenes seen.

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This view of my backyard from the patio shows the magnolia tree and a few early bulbs with a dramatic sky promising rain. Visit Skywatch Friday for more skies around the world, and Blooming Friday for more flowers happening now. Pink Saturday will show more pink of all sorts. Scenic Sunday has more scenigasms. Have fun in blogland!

You can always click on Sara’s Fave Photos above to return to full blog with latest post on top.

Years ago I used to shoot TriX film. I learned to develop my own film, make contact sheets, and print enlargements in the darkroom with a red light. Shooting black-and-white film was a great exercise in learning to “see.” I chose better subjects and composed the frame better when I wasn’t distracted by the color.

Now any photo can become black and white, but which ones are actually improved by removing the color? I’ve sifted through the archives a bit and chosen three that seem interesting. But I really want your opinion. Would these be better in the regular, real and colorful way, or does this create a mood that is worth doing?

Visit Thursday Challenge (“Black and White”) for more visions of that theme.

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And you know what that means. I was lucky to see this scene down at the waterfront near Pike Place Market. Who wouldn’t be inspired by the scenic Puget Sound surroundings, complete with ferry, and weather like this?

Visit Watery Wednesday for more cyberwetness, and Outdoor Wednesday for more fresh air.

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These two checkered tulips or fritillaria are ruby colored; perfect for Ruby Tuesday. They came up very well, this second year, as did the sturdy white hyacinths behind them. Oh, the garden is really beginning!

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The bags of tulip bulbs we planted around the front roses in the fall are up, and the first one has opened! See Macro Monday and Mellow Yellow Monday for versions of the theme.

And the delightful grape hyacinths (muscari) in the back yard are coming up so well. This is their second year and they are quite respectable looking. I love how easy they are, that they spread nicely, and that they are practically evergreen and leaf up super early. Visit Blue Monday for more blue things.

And check out Color Carnival for more brilliant colors! And I like this post so much I’ve tagged it Best Post of the Week.

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This photo of cherry trees in bloom in the hazy sunshine is from a couple of weeks ago. Spring is moving fast here, with the big pink and white trees and the yellow forsythia now mostly giving way to the spring bulbs beginning. I wanted to show you this amazing street in the Wallingford neighborhood of Seattle before it was too long past.

Visit Flowers for Today for more flowers around the world.

Navigation note: Now we have a search field for you in the upper left. Thank you, Marsha Perry of Perry Internet Consulting! So if you’ve been wanting to find just tulips, say, it’s easy. And don’t forget you can always click on the header, Sara’s Fave Photos, to return to the complete blog headed up by the latest entry.