That amaryllis that I (amazingly) regrew from last year was in full bloom about a week ago, in the sun before this unwelcome cold, snow and basic winter weather hit here in Seattle. But the weather changes, and we will have sunshine again. In the meantime, enjoy the color and shadows in my living room for a little while.

I love this photo with its deep shadows and look of peace and comfort and I am categorizing it as my Best Post of the Week. Hope you agree.

Visit Shadow Shot Sunday, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera), Today’s Flowers, Window Views and Ruby Tuesday for more photos with a theme. Do check next door at Free Photos to see what’s new. And if there’s only one photo below, click on Sara’s Fave Photos to see the rest of them.

Thursday I was lucky enough to attend the NW Flower & Garden Show in Seattle (on through tomorrow, Sunday). A great show! I liked it better than previous ones and thought the orchid displays were particularly extravagant. Very worthwhile, and what a photo op for a flower photo junkie like me. It does help to have a camera that does well in low light, though (I use a little Canon S90), and I recommend a monopod to help brace you for those longer exposure shots. Much less intrusive than a tripod and easier to set up and carry, too. You don’t get the rock-still support, but it still helps.

Visit Pink Saturday, Macro Friday, SOOC, Today’s Flower and Macro Flower Saturday for more wonderful photos. Click on Sara’s Fave Photos to see more here.

From a couple of weeks ago, driving north on the Viaduct, the skyline of Seattle in blessed sunshine. See the little Space Needle over on the left?

Visit Skywatch Friday for more interesting skies seen round the world, SOOC Sunday for more straight-out-of-the-camera shots, Blue Monday and Scenic Sunday. Post an image and join the fun yourself, why don’t you?

If only one image below, click Sara’s Fave Photos.

This was taken a few weeks ago at an indoor fountain in the Seattle Design Center, south of downtown. My first visit, and what a great space it is! Lots of interior-design related offerings like furniture and art. Huge and skylit. I loved it.

The theme for Thursday Challenge this week is Movement. I thought this was appropriate. It’s a lovely Rorschach test, too. What do YOU see? I see a dog jumping towards me. And I like the sort of mysterious lighting from underneath.

If you only see one photo, it means you have arrived via the permalink. So click on Sara’s Fave Photos and you will see many more. There, wasn’t that easy?

In the fall, on a boat out of Anacortes, WA, we saw this great blue heron and some seals resting at the edge of one of the islands. We didn’t want to get too close to disturb them. I was told they are either harbor seals or sea lions. Does anyone know for sure which they are?

Since this is such an unusual photo for me, and how many Blue Herons do I get to see posing, anyway, I’m categorizing this as my Best Post of the Week.

Visit Watery Wednesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Camera Critters, Weekend Reflections and Scenic Sunday for more neat photos.

If there is only one photo below, click on Sara’s Fave Photos for others. And check out what’s new at Free Photos next door before you go, hear?

Pike Place Market in Seattle can satisfy the strongest yearnings for Spring and its flowers. Just walk down the row of flower vendors with their all-local wares, seeing the bouquets of such magnificence, and so inexpensive, too, and you will be transported.

In blogland, visit Color Carnival, Mellow Yellow Monday, Today’s Flowers and Macro Monday for more photo fun. And if there’s only one photo below, click on Sara’s Fave Photos for the whole shebang.

Well, my hubby’s love, anyway. I love being able to receive a bunch of beautiful flowers at least once in awhile. Flowers are a feast for the senses and for the sense of mystery they engender. Why do we love them so much? They have such brief beauty, and then to the compost pile, but they comfort and delight us so. Have you ever noticed that so many people give each other flowers on important occasions? Why is that? But they are magical, and their meaning always seems just beyond words. So here is an image, instead.

I am honored to be Guest Friend on Today’s Flowers today! The great team there headed by Santilli – Denise – Pupo – Sandy Carlson gives the world more beautiful flowers.

Visit Macro Friday, Macro Flowers Saturday, Color Carnival, Ruby Tuesday and Shadow Shot Sunday for more intriguing images.

Try clicking around in Free Photos for some interesting photos, too. And if there is only the red rose below, Sara’s Fave Photos here or above has the rest.

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I know it’s not really a pink shooting star. I know it’s only the condensation trail of some sort of plane lit up by the setting sun, but doesn’t it look like it? This was taken near the Seattle waterfront in early January, and the digital camera info tells me it was taken at 4:46pm. And that was on a clear afternoon. The days are definitely getting longer these days!

Visit Skywatch Friday for more skies from around the planet, Pink Saturday for more pinkness of all kinds, Blue Monday for things blue, Scenic Sunday, and SOOC for more straight-out-of-the-camera shots. Join in yourself if you like; it’s way more fun that way.

I do like this post very much, as it’s quite unusual for me, so I’m calling it my Best Post of the Week. Hope you agree.

If you’ve arrived here and see only one photo below, do click on Sara’s Fave Photos to see the rest. You might like one or two.

That brief trip to Northern California last month is still yielding some neat images. Who doesn’t like reflections on a still lake in the sunshine? Spring Lake is in Santa Rosa, California, about an hour north of San Francisco. Seems like it was roughly the same hiking distance around as Green Lake in Seattle, about an hour or so. I love being outdoors near water!

Take a look at Outdoor Wednesday, Watery Wednesday, Scenic Sunday, Blue Monday and Weekend Reflections for more interesting images on a theme. And if you like scenic landscape photos, there are a number of new ones taken in Arizona on Free Photos that you might check out.

I can’t believe I got last year’s amaryllis to actually rebloom. A miracle! Garden tip: For one thing, they tend to be so top heavy that I’ve learned to plant the bulb in a clay pot, not the plastic one provided in the “kit” sold around here. Toppling over is so not good for those huge blossoms. So after the bloom a year ago I kept the plant on my sunny, south-facing windowsill, kept watering with the dilute plant food I use for all my houseplants, enjoyed the sculptural strappy leaves all year, watched as they died back gradually, and was amazed when I saw a flower stem emerge!

Visit Ruby Tuesday for more photos with red, and Outdoor Wednesday. You might try a tag of RED here (lower right) first, just for fun.