This is the last gasp of my sweet Valentine’s Day tulips, perfect as they fade away.

Tulip blossom with red petals and fringed white edges, and pistil and stamens casting a tiny shadow

Linking to Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Blooming Friday, Monday Mellow Yellows, Seasonal Sundays, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Ruby Tuesday 2, NF Catching the Light Monday, Macro Monday, I Heart Macro Saturday, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, My Romantic Home and Saturday Show Off. Thank you for your visit. Please click on Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above to see the latest pictures here.

My dear cousin went to Hawaii (and got engaged there!) and has given me permission to share a few scenic photos she took there.

Turquoise water and lava rocks at the Hawaiian shore

Split leaf philodendrons in the wild, with rain-shined leaves

Rainy Hawaiian path through a mass of split leaf philodendrons

Linking these photos to Scenic Weekends, Nature Notes Wednesday, Seasonal Sundays, Our World Tuesday, Blue Monday, Outdoor Wednesday, Water World Wednesday, Unique Weekend Challenge (Ocean), and Saturday Show Off. For more pretty pictures, mostly by me, please click on Sara’s Fave Photos above. Thank you!

It’s been pretty gray and I haven’t managed to get outside much when the sun did peek through, so it’s back to the archives for a blast of sunshine. Dahlias are such summer stunners.

Yellow dahlias with pink tips bask in the late summer sunlight in the garden

Joining up at Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Blooming Friday, Pink Saturday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Macro Monday, I Heart Macro Saturday, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, NF Catching the Light Monday, Skywatch Friday, Ein Stück Himmel, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Monday Mellow Yellows, Outdoor Wednesday, Blue Monday, My Romantic Home and Saturday Show Off. To see the most recent images here, please click on Sara’s Fave Photos above. Thanks so much!

This year my sweetie got me these pretty white-edged red parrot tulips that I can put in the garden for next year.

Red parrot tulips with fringed white edges bloom on my kitchen table

Participating in Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Blooming Friday, Pink Saturday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Macro Monday, I Heart Macro Saturday, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, NF Catching the Light Monday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, My Romantic Home and Saturday Show Off. Please click on Sara’s Fave Photos above to see the newest images here. Thanks!

Really, this post is about the shadows more than the dried hydrangea flowers. But I am proud of the flowers, as I grew and dried them myself.

Dried blue hydrangeas cast shadows in winter sunlight

Joining up with Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Blooming Friday, Blue Monday, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, NF Catching the Light Monday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, and Saturday Show Off. Click on Sara’s Fave Photos above to see the latest photos here. Thanks for your visit and please drop by again soon.

A recent visit to Seattle’s Volunteer Park Conservatory was a sun and shadow symphony

Sun and shadows decorate some barrel cactus and gray-green succulent spikes at Seattle’s Capitol Hill Conservatory

Linking to Straight out of the Camera Sunday, NF Catching the Light Monday, Skywatch Friday, Ein Stück Himmel, Scenic Weekends, Blue Monday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, and Saturday Show Off. Thank you so much for visiting!

In a commercial building that is not fully leased, I saw the light pour in. It gave me a good feeling.

Late afternoon light pours into this commercial space needing a tenant

Linking to Monday Mellow Yellows, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Thursday Challenge (Shadows), NF Catching the Light Monday and Saturday Show Off. Thank you for visiting here and please come back soon.

Seattle’s beloved Volunteer Park Conservatory was looking fine today. The sun was out and the light on the orchids was just spectacular. Below the lady slipper orchid macro, check out the pretty metalwork and Clise Orchid Collection from 1921 sign decorating the display.

Brightly colored lady slipper orchids on display at the Volunteer Park Conservatory

Graceful metalwork at the Clise Orchid Collection in the Conservatory

Happy to join up at Today’s Flowers, Monday Mellow Yellows, Macro Monday, Ruby Tuesday 2,  Pink Saturday, Mandarin Orange Monday, Orange You Glad It’s Friday, I Heart Macro Saturday, Floral Friday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Thursday Challenge (Shadows), NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, NF Catching the Light Monday and Saturday Show Off. Thank you so much for your visit here first!

This tender yellow cactus flower (original flower is a few inches across) is available as a print for your home or office, one of 15 stunning images from my book, Flowers of Volunteer Park Conservatory: Blooming Month by Month. They have no watermark, of course. All are 8″ x 10″ archival quality photo prints and I’ve firmly matted them in white to 11 x 14″ and signed each one. You can check them all out and order here or by clicking on the Prints tab above.

Delicate yellow petals of the cactus flower contrast with its massive spiny posts

Linking to Monday Mellow Yellows, Macro Monday, I Heart Macro Saturday, Floral Friday, Today’s Flowers, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Thursday Challenge (Shadows), NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Wordless Wednesday and Saturday Show Off. Thank you for your visit here first and do click on Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above for more pretty pictures.

I got some little crocus bulbs in a pot and they have begun to bloom. The sun peeked out today, finally, and I grabbed my camera.

Little purple crocus flower with an orange center blooms on my kitchen table

Visit Mandarin Orange Monday, Orange You Glad It’s Friday, Macro Monday, I Heart Macro Saturday, Floral Friday, Today’s Flowers, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, My Romantic Home, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Thursday Challenge (Shadows), NF Catching the Light Monday and Saturday Show Off. I appreciate very much your stopping by here and hope to see you again soon.