I know everyone likes the sunshiny skies, but since this IS Seattle, once in awhile I have to show what it truly looks like. These clouds over Volunteer Park do have a little tone variation, and you can tell I’ve lived here for a bit, because I do appreciate that the clouds aren’t just one tone of gray! Seattle doesn’t actually get any more rain than New York City, say, only about 36 inches a year on average, but it sure is cloudy, a lot. Did I mention dark and cloudy?

Anyway, be sure to visit Skywatch Friday for more skies all around the world. Outdoor Wednesday has more outdoor photos of all kind, and Scenic Sunday has more great scenery. If there’s just one photo here, click on Sara’s Fave Photos for the full blog.

The weather in Seattle was so cool for most of the summer that the cosmos didn’t get going until the end of September, and they are supposed to be summer annuals! The good part is that those flowers, so late in starting, are now blooming like crazy, so my backyard border (shown from my bedroom window) is filled with huge bushes of cosmos, taller than I am. The roses are few but company coming called for a bouquet.

Visit Ruby Tuesday for more ruby redness gracing all kinds of photos. Color Carnival has more bright colors. Scenic Sunday as always shows us scenery around the world. Windows and Doors has lots of ’em, creatively seen. And SOOC has more straight-out-of-the-camera shots. A new meme, Monthly Garden Bouquet, features photos of blooms from your garden.

If you’ve arrived via a link, the latest photos here are at Sara’s Fave Photos.

Nothing like a golf course for scenic vistas, all ready to photograph. I don’t play the game much myself, but I love to tag along if I can with my camera. This was taken in Kent, Washington. Bet there are a lot of golf balls in the bottom of that water!

Visit Skywatch Friday, Weekend Reflections, SOOC (straight out of the camera), Scenic Sunday and Blue Monday for more ideas on a theme. While you’re here, though, please do browse around a bit. You might see what a tag-click of “water” or “reflections” brings up. And you can always get to the latest blog post by clicking on Sara’s Fave Photos, here or above.

This huge old cedar tree is what I first loved about this house. It’s actually hard to take a good photo of a tree, especially such a big one. This photo is hot out of the camera, as the weather cleared up nicely this afternoon and I just shot it.

Enjoy more shadows at Shadow Shot Sunday, the Hey Harriet blog. Scenic Sunday has more endlessly varied scenery.

While you’re here, you might try a new tag or search “tree” for other photos you might like. Or the My Garden category? To get to the latest post here, always click on Sara’s Fave Photos, here or above.

There might be a special name for this kind of marking on flower petals, but I don’t know it. If you do, please clue me in. [later: Striated! Thank you!] They aren’t really stripes; more of spots and stripes mixed together. Anyway, I just love the way it looks. I took this in Seattle’s Volunteer Park dahlia garden that I just discovered this week, maintained by the Puget Sound Dahlia Association. Enjoy!

Visit Ruby Tuesday for more ravishing photo redness and SOOC for more straight-out-of-camera shots.

If you got here by clicking on a link, it might not be the latest post—Sara’s Fave Photos above will take you there. Be sure to try a tag or search for “dahlia” and see what you get!

This lovely scene is in Volunteer Park in Seattle on a recent sunny day. I love looking out at a sunshiny lawn from under a shady tree.

The Thursday Challenge this week is the theme of Outdoors. Do visit Scenic Sunday as well.

While you’re here, you might try clicking on a tag of “green” or “sky” to see what comes up. And you can always see the latest post here by clicking on Sara’s Fave Photos.

Woodland Park Rose Garden in Seattle is a delightful place. I’ve got to go back there for another visit soon. So many roses, such charming vistas. A delightful way to spend a couple of hours, and it’s free!

Visit Watery Wednesday for more water photos of all kinds, Outdoor Wednesday, Scenic Sunday, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera shots) and Weekend Reflections for the most intriguing reflections. Try clicking on one of those tags here for more of the same, if you have time. Return to the latest post by clicking on Sara’s Fave Photos.

This photo holds up very well for me. I’ve tagged it Best Post of the Week.

Took this yesterday in the brilliant sunshine we had so briefly. It’s the flower border we put in two summers ago. Not too bad for just getting established. I’m trying to use fewer and fewer annuals so it will just do its thing, but of course there must be flowers continuously spring through fall, if at all possible. I’m working on it. The veggie beds are to the right.

Visit Flowers for Today for more flowers around the world. And happy Independence Day to my American readers!

The weather has been so cold and rainy in Seattle (except for that ONE magnifcent day a week ago) that I must go to the archives for a decent shadow shot. But I’m glad I remembered I had this one. I had just a second to get the photo before a car came by and the sun went behind a cloud. You’ve got to be so quick with shadows in this neck of the woods, for in just a moment it may be gone, like so many things.

Visit Shadow Shot Sunday for more perfect penumbras. And I call this an entry for Scenic Sunday as well. But do wander a bit here and there into new tags and categories if you have a moment. Click on Sara’s Fave Photos anytime you’d like to get back to the full blog.

I’m posting two recent photos of my garden of the back border. The top one with the rhodies was taken earlier in the month, and the lower one was taken in mid-month (the geum is the red round flowers). They have a very different feel, don’t they? Which do you prefer?

Visit Ruby Tuesday for more visions of red seen everywhere. And click on Sara’s Fave Photos above if you ever want to find your way back to the latest post.

I like this post a LOT, especially the bottom photo, so I am tagging this Best Post of the Week.