Couldn’t resist this shadow shot, taken in my backyard last week. Visit Shadow Shot Sunday for more shadows of all kinds. It’s so creative there! Go to Outdoor Wednesday and Scenic Sunday while you’re at it.

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Our pink dogwood tree is in full bloom. What a lovely sight. I am grateful to the people who planted this tree many years ago. Plant trees whenever you can! If you won’t be there to see it in its full glory, someone else will. And you never know, do you? Time has a way of slipping away so fast.

Visit Macro Flowers Saturday, Pink Saturday and SOOC (straight out of the camera) after your visit here. Click on Sara’s Fave Photos above any time you’d like to return to the latest photo on this blog.

Spring has very dramatic weather changes and I love how the sky looks when it’s sunny here and threatening there. Hope you enjoy this pink dogwood tree in my backyard taken earlier this week.

Visit Skywatch Friday for more skies seen round the world.

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Saw these tulips the other day at Pike Place Market in Seattle. The displays were mind-bogglingly beautiful. I love, love, love this photo and have tagged it Best Post of the Week.

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I bought this bouquet of a dozen tulips and daffodils, EACH, at Pike Place Market. I was surprised to see the tulips open into this starry shape. The bouquet even had lilacs in it!

Visit Macro Monday, Mellow Yellow Monday and Color Carnival after your visit here. Remember, anytime you want to go to today’s post, just click on Sara’s Fave Photos above.

Here’s another view of the tulip fields taken at the Skagit Valley Tulip festival recently. See the teensy people in the distance?

For more blissful pinkness, visit Pink Saturday. Scenic Sunday has more vistas and other inspired scenery. And you can always get back to the full blog here by clicking on Sara’s Fave Photos at the top of the page.

The top photo shows the tulips around the rosebed in front of the house, with our neighbor’s house behind them. It was a good idea to plant them there as the roses haven’t got going yet. This year the roses will be early and have set buds already, at least some of them.

The next one is taken from near that neighbor’s house, looking towards the side and backyard of our house, showing that big old cedar tree. Don’t those old rhodies look good? If they had fragrance I’d love them even more.

Visit Outdoor Wednesday after visiting here. And remember, you can always get back to the latest post by clicking on Sara’s Fave Photos on top.

Here’s the thing about apples: they must have cross pollination to set fruit. And even if there is another apple tree nearby, if the bees aren’t out doing their thing, you may have to help nature along. Here in Seattle where sunshine is an occasional thing (“sun breaks,” anyone?) it will definitely increase your harvest to get out there and help.

How? Take a clean, dry, soft artist’s paintbrush, or even a Q-tip, and brush the pollen carefully on a bunch of flowers on Tree A. Then go to Tree B (a different apple variety) and brush some more. Back and forth a few times should do it. Of course for a big tree, you can only do so much, but for dwarf backyard trees, you will make a huge difference.

We have two trees of the “columnar” type. They’re a super skinny, super dwarf size, good in containers, and both can be hand pollinated in just a few minutes. Go back in a few days when more blossoms have opened and do it again. You’ll be glad you did.

Visit Today’s Flowers for more sweet flower photos.

These were taken by my sister when we visited the tulip festival last week. I think hers are pretty wonderful. I wish I took that top one!

Please visit Macro Flowers Saturday, Color Carnival, Pink Saturday, Shadow Shot Sunday and Scenic Sunday after your visit here.

Remember, you can always click on Sara’s Fave Photos above to return to the full blog with my latest post on top.

This one below is of me.

I was in the back yard a couple of weeks ago, admiring the magnolia tree in the late afternoon light, when I saw the moon in the sky. Thank goodness I try to keep my camera in my pocket at all times!

Visit Skywatch Friday for more skies seen round the world, and Pink Saturday for more sweet pinkitude of all sorts. And remember, you can always click on Sara’s Fave Photos above to return to the full blog with my latest post on top.

I really like the way the clouds and the magnolia blossoms both seem to dance. I’m calling this one my Best Post of the Week. Hope you agree.