I love anemones. They are low to the ground and have no scent to speak of, but their brilliant contrast with those black centers just float my boat. I think I like them especially because I remember them in a still-life painting, by Redon (in google images, type in “redon artist anemones”) and was entranced. Somehow the fact that these flowers existed a long, long time ago adds to their allure.

You might want to check out Weekend Flowers, Floral Friday, Today’s Flowers, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Macro Monday, and Outdoor Wednesday, just for fun. If you’ve arrived via a link, clicking on the curly letters above of Sara’s Fave Photos Blog will bring you the latest and complete photoblog experience here. Thanks for visiting and hope to see you again soon.

We went to an event at Pike Place Market yesterday on my birthday, and forget all about the artisanal food and wine going on—there was a scenic sunset moment that got all my attention. With a seagull!

Other places for interesting photos around the blogosphere are Scenic Sunday, Outdoor Wednesday, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera),  Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Mellow Yellow Monday, A Piece of Heaven, Skywatch Friday, and Weekend Reflections. Please follow this blog on the new widget to the right if you enjoy the photos. Thanks for visiting!

When I was in New York last week, everything was in bloom, at least the early spring flowers and trees. And no wonder, with a solid two weeks of 75 degree F weather (which ended before I got there, sadly). There were a lot of trees with white flowers blooming, and the bark was rough so I knew they weren’t cherry trees. But what they were, I do not know. Any ideas?

Interesting photo memes you might enjoy are Today’s Flowers, Weekend Flowers, Floral Friday, Outdoor Wednesday, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera), A Piece of Heaven, Skywatch Friday and Scenic Sunday. If you’ve arrived via a link, click on Sara’s Fave Photo Blog above for the complete selection here. Please follow this blog on the new widget to the right if you enjoy the photos. Thanks for visiting!

Those displays of nursery starts really excite me. Naturally I’d like a garden like this, with hundreds of healthy plants (at eye level!) massed together and all color coordinated, but I am not such a disciplined gardener, and anyway, who has the ready, cultivated beds waiting for such a big infusion? But in buying only plants I love, and fitting the new ones into the existing scheme of things, I do get such a sense of satisfaction. When it works out well, of course.

This frilly purple pansy is just so cute in macro, to me. Too cold and wet for me to go into the garden yet in Seattle, this image will just have to do.

Be sure to visit Outdoor Wednesday, Today’s Flowers, Macro Monday, Macro Flowers Saturday, Weekend Flowers, Floral Friday and Mellow Yellow Monday. If you have arrived via a link, click on the Sara’s Fave Photos banner above for the rest if the photos here. You can also click on a tag or category, or use search, for some new images.

I took this a month ago but no change in the bare branches has occured yet. Spring is showing a few early hints, but not so you’d really notice. This was taken at dusk at Volunteer Park, close to my favorite haunt, the Conservatory. They’re doing a Wine and Chocolate Tasting for Valentine’s Day, by the way. How romantic!

This photo is, or will be, linked to these memes: Outdoor Wednesday, Scenic Sunday, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera), A Piece of Heaven and Skywatch Friday. If you have arrived via a link and there is only one photo below, click on Sara’s Fave Photos to see the rest of them. Thanks for visiting!

These trees are in my backyard in Seattle, Washington, and this was taken in this first snowstorm of the season. The one on the left is a magnolia, and the one on the right is a pink dogwood. They will certainly look different in a few months!

This photo is or will be linked to these memes: Watery Wednesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Scenic Sunday, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera) and Skywatch Friday. If you have arrived via a link and there is only one photo below, if you click on Sara’s Fave Photos you will see the rest of them.

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.

I took this for the bright colors of the purple flower, but really, I think the black one is more interesting. Can you see the silky texture of the petals? I once saw a huge Georgia O’Keefe painting of a white and a very dark petunia, and the brilliant, almost iridescent quality of the actual painting of the dark one made me a fan of in-person art forever. In any case, I think it’s amazing what growers have accomplished. Truly this pansy is practically black. No color or other adjustments have been made.

Visit SOOC for more straight-out-of-the-camera photos, Color Carnival for more bright colors and Macro Flowers Saturday for more of those. If there’s just one photo here, click on Sara’s Fave Photos for more.

Three years ago I went to The Event in the Desert, AKA Burning Man, in Black Rock, Nevada. It was hot, believe me, and dry heat or no it was way too hot for me. But I was there, so I was determined to have as much fun as I could. The peak of it was one big fire fest, late at night, many thousands of people watching. This column of flame was well over a hundred feet tall, maybe two hundred. It was far away for safety and it was HOT.

The theme this week for Thursday Challenge is Hot. Visit SOOC Sunday for other straight-out-of-the-camera shots. And you can always browse around here and find your way back to the latest post by clicking on Sara’s Fave Photos.

Here’s another photo from that letterpress workshop I took. Visit Ruby Tuesday for more photos with red in them. And of course, Color Carnival for more brilliant colors. Have fun in blogland!

And because this just floated my boat, so to speak, I’ve tagged this Best Post of the Week.