The sun was out! Our five-graft plum tree in the back is popping into bloom! This is its second year so we might get a plum or two. I love the idea of five different plums on one dwarf tree. Jars of jam, here I come!

Young plum tree opens white blossoms in the sunshine

Participating this week in My Romantic Home, Skywatch Friday, A Piece of Heaven, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Today’s Flowers, Scenic Weekends, Outdoor Wednesday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Thursday Challenge (Spring), and Macro Monday. Thank you so much for stopping by here, and hope it’s Spring where you live. 

That effect where only some of the photo is in focus is always a neat one. I think it’s kind of the way the eye sees, having the brain pay attention to only one aspect of things at a time. Anyway, this pretty crocus with a bright orange center was blooming on this date two years ago, and I bet there are a few out there right now.

White crocus with purple stripes, up close and personal

Hop over to Outdoor Wednesday, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Today’s Flowers, My Romantic Home, Macro Monday and Scenic Weekends. I appreciate your visit here and remember, if you see only one photo here, please click on Sara’s Fave Photos at the top of this blog.

I know I’m rushing the season, but coming across these pinkish lavender lilacs I just had to post them. They bloomed in April in 2010 and maybe we’ll see lilacs in April this year, too. Right now that seems impossibly far away. Breathe that scent deep, now!

Old fashioned lilacs blooming in April 2010

Linking to Today’s Flowers, My Romantic Home, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Pink Saturday, Scenic Weekends, and Outdoor Wednesday. Please click on Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above to see other pretty photos. Thank you for visiting, come back soon!

This pretty snapdragon flower stem is from the garden in our last house. That location had one really great feature of getting late afternoon sunlight, almost from the horizon. What a flower photography bonus! If you’ve read my “7 Secrets” of better photos (free download at the right) you’ll know I’m a big fan of sideways light. Anyway, it’s reminding me to plant some snap seeds this year.

Frilly snapdragon flowers

Linking up to Today’s Flowers, My Romantic Home, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, NF Blo-Ma, Ruby Tuesday 2, Outdoor Wednesday, Pink Saturday, Monday Mellow Yellows, Photog Friday, Catching the Light, Scenic Weekends and Macro Monday. To view a few more photos here, click on Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above. Thanks so much for visiting, and come back soon.

Here’s a little peek back into summer for you. These red glads (gladioli?) were taken in my backyard at the beginning of August. Oh, it will get here again, I am sure.

Dark red gladiolus

Participating in My Romantic Home, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, NF Blo-Ma, Ruby Tuesday 2, Photog Friday and Macro Monday. If you’d like to see about ten more photos here, click on Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above. Thanks!

When it gets really sunny in the winter it gets cold. I just stay in and be warm, and enjoy the shadows on the curtains that the low sun makes. You can see the hatiora, or drunkard’s dream, in the photo below. How cheerful on a winter’s day: sunlight and bright yellow flowers.

Plants cast their shadows on my kitchen curtains, on a cold, sunny morning

Hatiora, or drunkard’s dream, flowers in January in a sunny Seattle window

Joining up at My Romantic Home, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, NF Blo-Ma, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Monday Mellow Yellows, Photog Friday and Macro Monday. Please click on Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above to see about ten more photos here. Thanks for visiting, see you soon again!

Every New Year’s Eve I cut up some vegetables for our after midnight snack, along with the crabmeat and cream cheese dip, with potato chips! Hey, the veggies cancel out the yummy fats, is how I think. Hope you had a wonderful celebration, and the luckiest year to you in 2013.

The carrots and broccoli are from our backyard!

Joining up at Water World Wednesday, Nature’s Footsteps Waters, Ruby Tuesday 2, and Macro Monday. If there’s only the one photo here, please click on Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above for the rest. Thanks for visiting, and come back soon!

No snow yet this year, but here’s a lovely scene from my back yard from last winter.

Please visit Skywatch Friday, A Piece of Heaven, Outdoor Wednesday, Scenic Sunday, Water World Wednesday, Nature’s Footsteps Waters, and Pink Saturday (snow). I appreciate your stopping by, and please come back soon.

Fresh snow on magnolia and dogwood trees

There’s a lady not too far from my house who really goes all out with the holidays. She does amazing things at Halloween and July Fourth, as well. But the Christmas display is my favorite. At this time of year, in this northern latitude, we love lights! Below is the view from the road in front of her house, showing the reflection on the top of my car as I steadied my camera, and below that is a closer view which includes Santa in the gazebo. There’s a huge Christmas village inside the home, but we’ll save that for another day. Merry Christmas!

Visit Outdoor Wednesday, Scenic Sunday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Pink Saturday, Mellow Yellow Monday, and Weekend Reflections. If you’d like to see the latest photos, please click on Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above. Thanks!

Normandy Park, WA holiday lights

Santa waving from the gazebo

Here’s a view at Seattle’s Woodland Park Rose Garden, from a June solstice a few years ago. It’s been raining here, or completely overcast, since the second week in October and I, for one, want to look at sunshine and flowers. Hope you do, too.

Joining up this week in Pink Saturday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, Scenic Sunday, Outdoor Wednesday, Skywatch Friday, A Piece of Heaven, and Ruby Tuesday 2. To see all the latest images, please click on Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above. Thanks for stopping by, and hope to see you again soon!