A recent visit to Seattle’s Pike Place Market flower vendors delighted and impressed, as always. What a place. Do you know that the flower vendors can only sell the flowers they have grown themselves?

Here’s a dahlia bouquet with the original touch of being ringed with marigolds. Or maybe they are coreopsis. Don’t you want it on your kitchen table, whatever they are called?

Visit Macro Monday, Mellow Yellow Monday, Color Carnival and Ruby Tuesday after poking around here. If you’ve arrived via the permalink, Sara’s Fave Photos has the regular blog.

Here’s a new flower, to me at least. When I was at the Volunteer Park Conservatory event last week, the head gardener, talented David Helgeson, showed me this unusual flower called Throatwort (trachelium caeruleum). I think it’s beautiful. That’s a maidenhair fern on the left, and coleus on the right. By the way, I totally love using google images for plant identification and info.

Visit Flowers For Today for more flowers from around the world, and SOOC for more straight-out-of-the-camera shots. As long as you are here, though, you might as well try a tag like “purple” or perhaps “bouquet.” If you’ve reached this post via the permalink, the latest post and full blog is always at Sara’s Fave Photos, above.

Driving on the Seattle Viaduct the other evening, there was an incredible sunset. Actually, hubby was driving and I was leaning across him and shooting out his open window. We don’t get too sunsets like this, believe me. When I saw the photos later, I was amazed to see a parasailor up there. What a view he or she must have had! Puget Sound is one gorgeous place, when the light is right especially.

Visit Skywatch Friday for more wonderful sky photos, and Scenic Sunday for more scenegasms. Color Carnival, anyone? Be sure to visit Weekend Reflections, too. While you are here, you might as well try a new category or search. Puget Sound, perhaps? See the latest photo here by clicking on Sara’s Fave Photos.

Here is Mt. Rainier and the moon at dusk, a longer shot than the one I posted of this scene a few weeks ago. That’s quite an overlook of Puget Sound, but it’s just a neat view from a road near my house.

Visit Skywatch Friday for more skies of all sorts seen everywhere, and Scenic Sunday, too. The Internet is an amazing thing for a world-wide perspective, isn’t it?

While you’re here, you might as well check out something new. Try “Mt. Rainier” in the search field, perhaps. And you can always find your way back to the latest post by clicking on Sara’s Fave Photos, above.

I love having my little Canon S90 camera with me always. I was in the parking lot at the local Trader Joe’s and we were finally having a sunset worth of the name. So here it is, for you to enjoy.

Visit Skywatch Friday for other amazing skies seen round the world, and Scenic Sunday for more visions of the outer world. And how about Color Carnival for more brilliant color?

Maybe it’s just me but I like this sunset very much. It seems like a fitting end to a fairy tale or old movie or something. I’m going to call it my Best Post of the Week.

Try exploring a new tag while you’re here, but you can always find your way back to the latest post by clicking on Sara’s Fave Photos.

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.

I am very happy with this first real rose bouquet from my garden. The rosebushes were put in late last spring, so we couldn’t pick very much at all last summer, or at least not with any stem to speak of, to save the energy of the fledgling plants.

But after a year they are going pretty well, most of them—at least those that are not having real trouble with blackspot, mildew, and now I see critter holes near the roots of some of them. Sigh. My mom used to shrug and say, “The vicissitudes of gardening . . .” and what else can you say? That’s why we planted 18 rosebushes, so that I would be sure to be able to have a bouquet or two.

Happy Ruby Tuesday, all. See what the participants there have going on for the weekly celebration of rubiness. And you can always click on the Ruby Tuesday category in the sidebar to see some of my other photos showcasing the color red. Or try Color Carnival for more brilliant colors. Returning to the main blog is easy; just click on Sara’s Fave Photos.

An abundant armful of orange lily flowers from my visit to Seattle’s Pike Place Market the other day. I love that I can go there, and with my little camera, have a bouquet for free! I do try to buy some now and then to support the vendors who work so hard for so little money.

Today I am honored to be Guest Friend on Today’s Flowers. Take a look at all the other flower photos people have submitted. You’ll find much beauty and talent. Do browse around here, perhaps searching for tulips or rose or whatever piques your curiosity, and always know you can return to the most current page at Sara’s Fave Photos, here or above.

Today’s visit to the flower vendors in Seattle’s Pike Place Market was fabulous, as usual. They have lilies (and sweetpeas) in magnificent quanties, combined in surprising and unique bouquet combinations as always. This one with a lily and a happy jumble of other garden flowers beats out any supermarket bunch any day.

Visit Macro Flowers Saturday for more flower close ups, and Color Carnival for more brilliant color. This one is straight out of the camera, or SOOC, too. And try a new tag or category here while you’re here, returning to the full blog at Sara’s Fave Photos as always.

In California, it is illegal to pick the orange poppies growing by the side of the road, as they are the beloved state flower. I heard you can’t even pick them in your garden, but that can’t be true. Here in Seattle, they grow very well also, maybe too well sometimes. They actually are great in bouquets. Clipping the long seedpods will extend the bloom quite a bit and help prevent way too many plants from appearing everywhere.

So, which view do you prefer? Leave a comment and let me know.

Visit Color Carnival for more brilliant color and Shadow Shot Sunday for more intriguing shadows. Both shots were straight out of the camera, or SOOC. And I like this post so much I’ve called it my Best Post of the Week.