Even bare branches can look good when there’s water, sunshine, and reflections involved. This January view of the lake in Spring Lake Park in Santa Rosa, California, was something that will look quite different in just a few months.

Visit Watery Wednesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Scenic Sunday, Weekend Reflections, Blue Monday and SOOC (straight out of the camera) for some more interesting photos. And you might try a tag like “reflections” or hop over to Free Photos for even more scenic and flower photos. All free for personal use!

I’ve decided I like the almost lace-like texture of the black branches very much and am naming this post my Best Post of the Week. If you see only the one photo below, do click on Sara’s Fave Photos for the rest of them.

While I was visiting Northern California in January, I had a chance to drop into the Oakville Grocery in Healdsburg, right in the Sonoma County Wine Country. The area is famous for food as much as wine, and deservedly so. Don’t these look yummy? Fresh and perfect.

Visit Ruby Tuesday, SOOC (straight out of the camera), and Color Carnival for lots of great photos on a theme. And perhaps try a search for the word Red or Tomatoes here first?

Spring will get here, I am certain of it, but the wait is difficult. Here are some true spring flowers for you. I think those are forget-me-nots in the background of the second photo.

Do you prefer the super close macro shot, or the one with more flowers showing?

Visit Macro Monday, Blue Monday, Mellow Yellow Monday and Color Carnival for more neat photos with a theme. Or click around here a bit if you have a minute.

Thought I’d give you a vision of July flowers on this gray January day. Going through the archives to upload more photos into Free Photos “next door” (do check it out, or subscribe in that section, to see what’s new), I came across this shot of part of my front garden in my last house. I love flowers; can you tell? One of the things that happened in the four years or so we lived there is that our neighbors began to plant more flowers, and they said that we had inspired them. That felt good, and looked good, too!

Visit Today’s Flowers for more beautiful flowers from around the planet.

When I was in Northern California recently, this camellia plant was beginning to come into bloom. In January! When I lived there I had an old shrub of just this kind of pink flower outside of my house. These grow to at least 10 or 12 feet tall (3-4 meters)! No scent, but such flower perfection.

Visit Pink Saturday, Today’s Flower and Macro Flowers Saturday for more great photos, and if you have a minute, do click on Free Photos “next door” for an additional selection of pretty flower and scenic photos.

These are Meyer lemons, grown by friends in Northern California. Don’t they just look cheery? Meyer lemons are supposed to be a bit sweeter than regular lemons, but I don’t know. Their fragrance is a bit more flowery, perhaps. All lemons are good, especially in January, when their little sunny orbs are a feast for our eyes.

Visit Macro Friday for more interesting close ups and Color Carnival for more bright colors. And you might try a tag of Yellow while you are here. Remember, if there’s only one photo below, do click on Sara’s Fave Photos to see the rest.

Here’s a view of Santa Rosa from the hills of Windsor, California. I may have mentioned that dusk is my favorite time of day, especially with peaceful winter views like this one. The tangles in the oak tree branches to the right are mistletoe.

Visit Skywatch Friday for more great skies around the world, and Scenic Sunday for more scenery. Post one of your own, if you like; participating is great fun.

While you’re here, do click around here and there to see what you might find. I promise many pretty pictures for you!

Spring Lake, in Santa Rosa, California, just a week or so ago was so scenic! Even in the depth of winter, Northern California Wine Country just doesn’t get too dreary. The duck likes it, anyway!

Visit Watery Wednesday and Outdoor Wednesday for more neat photos, and Scenic Sunday, SOOC (straight out of the camera) and Weekend Reflections have great stuff too. I invite you to view a tag like Water or Scenic (to the right) while you are here. Thank you for visiting, and it would be so appreciated if you left a comment and shared how you felt about what you see here.

These anthurium flowers aren’t really flowers, just like some bromeliads and pointsettias, with their colored leaves (bracts) looking for all the world like a flower. I just love the way the shine on them lights up in photos. Very photogenic plant. Did you know that some flowers are far easier to photograph than others? During the summertime at the Volunteer Park Conservatory when they had their fabulous display of brugmansia, or Angel Trumpets, I tried with so many photos to capture their magnificent presence. So lovely and graceful in person, and so frequently awkward and charmless in a photo. I do love anthuriums for their good looks in photos, if for no other reason.

Visit Ruby Tuesday and Mellow Yellow Monday, Color Carnival, Macro Friday, SOOC and Macro Flowers Saturday for more photos with a theme idea. And check out a new tag or category here if you have a minute, or you might see what’s new at Free Photos next door. If there’s only one photo below, click on Sara’s Fave Photos for the rest of them.

And even though I do like the two scenic photos above very much, I’m choosing this one for my Best Post of the Week. If you don’t see any above, just click on Sara’s Fave Photos and they will appear.

Yesterday there was a bit of sun (yay!) and I ran out to the Volunteer Park Conservatory to get some photos of orchids. I might as well tell you that I am working on a book about the flowers there, coming out later this year. My first book, and a very exciting and big project! I think I may use this image in it.

Visit Today’s Flowers, Macro Friday, Mellow Yellow Monday, Macro Monday, Macro Flowers Saturday, and Shadow Shot Sunday for more neat photos with a theme (that’s what a photo meme is). Before you go, be sure to browse around here and next door at Free Photos, checking out the multitude of photos on so many topics.