Rain has begun, but I cut the roses first.

Peace and other roses in a bouquet

Connecting up with Our World Tuesday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, I Heart Macro Saturday, Macro Monday, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Monday Mellow Yellows, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Pink Saturday, Wordless Wednesday, Water World Wednesday, My Romantic Home, and Saturday Show Off. Why not try a search while you are here? Vase or bouquet might be nice.

This is my little carniverous Cape Sundew (drosera capensis) plant that I got to help with fruit flies in my kitchen. The plant is about as wide as my hand, and the flower stem is almost a foot tall! I don’t know that it traps all that many fruit flies, but it’s cute, and I was thrilled when it recently began to flower. As instructed, I keep the saucer half filled with water, in part sun, and it seems to be happy. Bonus: TWO photos this post!

Cape Sundew (drosera capensis) on my windowsill with a few tiny fruit flies in its feathery leaves. The flower stem is at upper right.

Tiny pink Cape Sundew flowers, each less than half an inch (1 cm) on a stem about 12″ tall.  Only one flower blooms at a time.

Linking to Our World Tuesday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, I Heart Macro Saturday, Macro Monday, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Pink Saturday, My Romantic Home, and Saturday Show Off. Thanks for visiting and please come back soon.

At the last day before the recent temporary closure to complete the restoration at Seattle’s Volunteer Park Conservatory (reopening Dec. 6!), these purple vanda orchids did their amazing thing.

Backlit vanda orchids show an almost plaid pattern at the Volunteer Park Conservatory

Connecting up with Our World Tuesday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, I Heart Macro Saturday, Macro Monday, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, NF Catching the Light Monday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Pink Saturday, and Saturday Show Off. Why not try a new tag or category while you are here?

In my backyard…

Swirly puffs of white clouds in a blue sky

Linking up to Skywatch Friday, Our World Tuesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Scenic Weekends, My Romantic Home, and Saturday Show Off. Thank you for visiting here and please—come back soon.

Hydrangeas are some of my top fave flowers, blooming all summer and even looking good into the fall.

Hydrangea blooms with fall color

Connecting to Our World Tuesday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Outdoor Wednesday, I Heart Macro Saturday, Macro Monday, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, NF Catching the Light Monday, Monday Mellow Yellows, Orange You Glad It’s Friday, Mandarin Orange Monday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Pink Saturday, My Romantic Home, and Saturday Show Off. Try a new tag or category while you are here, and please visit again soon.

Not too long ago we went camping at Staircase, on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington, and took a hike near the river there.

River scene on a sunny day

Linking up to Skywatch Friday, NF Catching the Light Monday, Our World Tuesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Scenic Weekends, Water World Wednesday, Weekend Reflections, and Saturday Show Off. Thank you for your visit here and hope to see you back very soon.

We were in a Chinese restaurant with aquariums (aquaria?) and one had several koi fish in it, maybe 10 inches or so big. Hand held and slow exposure so not very sharp, but still I like this photo very much.

Golden koi swims in an aquarium

Joining Camera Critters, Our World Tuesday, NF Catching the Light Monday, Orange You Glad It’s Friday, Mandarin Orange Monday, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, Water World Wednesday, Weekend Reflections, and Saturday Show Off. Thank you so much for your visit here and do click on Sara’s Fave Photos above if only one photo is visible here.

Dahlias are loving the long, warm summer that Seattle is enjoying so much this year.

Red-and-yellow and purple dahlias in early fall sunshine

Linking up with Our World Tuesday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Outdoor Wednesday, I Heart Macro Saturday, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, Macro Monday, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, NF Catching the Light Monday, Monday Mellow Yellows, Orange You Glad It’s Friday, Mandarin Orange Monday, Ruby Tuesday 2, and Saturday Show Off. Please visit here again soon.

This is a close up of a cotoneaster (ka-tone-ee-AST-er) shrub in our yard, beloved by birds and photographers alike. The berries are small, about the size of a pea, and they adorn the arching branches in fall and winter. I was amazed to learn its pronunciation, by the way. I was sure it would be something like cotton-Easter. But no.

Bright red cotoneaster berries add color and bird food to a backyard

Linking with Our World Tuesday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Outdoor Wednesday, Garden Party Thursday, I Heart Macro Saturday, Macro Monday, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, NF Catching the Light Monday, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, My Romantic Home, and Saturday Show Off. If only one photo is visible here, please click on Sara’s Fave Photos above. Thanks!

California poppies (the State Flower of California) are so beautiful in their simplicity. Very pretty and dependable in the garden, but reseed almost too easily. I deadhead to keep them from taking over.

Orange California poppies in my Seattle garden

Joining up with Skywatch Friday, Our World Tuesday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Outdoor Wednesday, Garden Party Thursday, I Heart Macro Saturday, Macro Monday, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, NF Catching the Light Monday, Monday Mellow Yellows, Orange You Glad It’s Friday, Mandarin Orange Monday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, My Romantic Home, and Saturday Show Off. Thank you so much for your visit here and do click on Sara’s Fave Photos above if only one photo is visible here.