This sky is from exactly one year ago. I really love this image and I am calling it my weekly Top Shot.

Clouds at sunset, with trees in silhouette

Joining Reconnect With Nature Wednesday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, NF Catching the Light Monday, Monday Mellow Yellows, Our World Tuesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Wordless Wednesday, Scenic Weekends, Skywatch Friday, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, and Saturday Show Off. Thanks for visiting and hope you have a great day.

This red rose bud (probably ‘Don Juan”) is my first rose of the season. This particular rosebush is grown from a cutting I took at our last house five years ago, and THAT rosebush was from a cutting that a friend rooted for me when I still lived in California. It’s intensely fragrant. Happy rose season to all my friends in the Northern Hemisphere!

Red ‘Don Juan’ rose on own roots blooms in Seattle in May

Joining up at  I Heart Macro Saturday, Macro Monday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Blue Monday, Skywatch Friday, Our World Tuesday, Outdoor Wednesday, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday,Garden Party Thursday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, My Romantic Home, and Saturday Show Off. I appreciate your visit here, and come back soon!

My sister was in the south of France recently and took this photo of the blood-red poppies.

Red, red poppies in a field in the south of France

Linking to Ruby Tuesday 2, Blue Monday, Our World Tuesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Scenic Weekends, Skywatch Friday, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, Garden Party Thursday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, and Saturday Show Off. Please click on the Sara’s Fave Photos Blog curly letters above to see a few recent photos here. Thank you.

Sometimes there’s a break in the clouds.

Sometimes the sun does break through the gray clouds.

Participating in Monday Mellow Yellows, Pink Saturday, Our World Tuesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Scenic Weekends, Skywatch Friday, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, Orange You Glad It’s Friday, NF Catching the Light Monday, and Saturday Show Off. Try clicking on a tag in the tag cloud in the sidebar at right for some interesting images on a theme.

The little city of Burien, Washington, has a very sculptural clock. Here it is as it looked on Art Walk the other evening, in extremely fine weather. See the crescent moon in the sky, adding to the ambiance?

More sculpture than clock, Burien is lucky to have this special timepiece.

Joining up with Monday Mellow Yellows, Ruby Tuesday 2, Blue Monday, Skywatch Friday, Pink Saturday, Our World Tuesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Scenic Weekends, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, and Saturday Show Off. If one photo only shows here, please click on Sara’s Fave Photos above for a few more. Thanks!

The tulips are almost done, but here’s a scenic tulip field with a bit of reflection for your viewing pleasure:

Red tulips reflected in a puddle in the Skagit Valley April tulip festival

Joining up with Blue Monday, Skywatch Friday, Seasonal Sundays, Our World Tuesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Pink Saturday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Blooming Friday, Water World Wednesday, Weekend Reflections, and Saturday Show Off. Don’t forget to click on the Sara’s Fave Photos Blog curly letters above to see the latest pretty pictures here.

Leaves in spring sunshine can be as dazzling as autumn color. Here are some red Japanese maple leaves like flaming fingers against the sky.

Deep red Japanese maple leaves against a blue springtime sky

Linking up with Blue Monday, Skywatch Friday, Seasonal Sundays, Our World Tuesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, NF Catching the Light Monday, Scenic Weekends, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, and Saturday Show Off. If there is only one photo visible, please click on Sara’s Fave Photos above for a few more recent ones.

In the break we had from rain a couple of days ago, I went out with my dry paintbrush and pollinated my two little fruit trees. (“Make like a bee!”) I am lucky enough to have a dwarf cherry tree with multiple grafts on it of different varieties. However, even though it is “self-fertile,” all that means is that it doesn’t need another variety to pollinate. It still needs some pollen to move around for the fruit to set. So out I go, on a sunny day, with my soft, dry paintbrush, and gently brush the blossoms. I have found it makes a big difference. Use this technique on tomato plants, too.

Fruiting cherry tree blooms in backyard orchard

Linking to Blue Monday, Skywatch Friday, Seasonal Sundays, Our World Tuesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, NF Catching the Light Monday,  Straight out of the Camera Sunday, I Heart Macro Saturday, Macro Monday, Monday Mellow Yellows, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Blooming Friday, My Romantic Home, and Saturday Show Off. If you’re a macro fan, try clicking on the tag “close up” in the tag cloud at right.

At Seattle’s Volunteer Park the other day. This photo is one of my very top faves and I am calling it my weekly Top Shot.

Elm tree branch backlit by April sun in Seattle’s Volunteer Park.

Linking up with Skywatch Friday, Seasonal Sundays, Our World Tuesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, NF Catching the Light Monday, Scenic Weekends, and Saturday Show Off. Thanks for your visit here and please come back soon.

Seattle is glorious on a sunny April day:

Seattle seen from the soon-to-be-demolished viaduct

Visit Blue Monday, Skywatch Friday, Seasonal Sundays, Our World Tuesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, NF Catching the Light Monday, Scenic Weekends, Straight out of the Camera Sunday,  and Saturday Show Off. Thanks for your visit here and please come back soon.