Today was the last day that Seattle’s Volunteer Park Conservatory was open to visitors so that the long-awaited restoration project can be completed. Look for the grand re-opening in early December.

A beautiful last day for the orchids. Conservatory is re-opening in December 2014

Joining Skywatch Friday, Our World Tuesday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Garden Party Thursday, Orange You Glad It’s Friday, Mandarin Orange Monday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Pink Saturday, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, Weekend Reflections, and Saturday Show Off. Thanks for your visit here first.

Combine perfect flowers, perfect weather, and a blue sky, in the late afternoon sunlight…

Lavender-pink cosmos reaches to the sunny blue sky

Participating in Straight out of the Camera Sunday, Skywatch Friday, Pink Saturday, Outdoor Wednesday, Our World Tuesday, Scenic Weekends, NF Catching the Light Monday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, I Heart Macro Saturday, Macro Monday, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Thursday Challenge (Blue), My Romantic Home, and Saturday Show Off. I appreciate your visiting here and please—come back soon. If you’d like some free, easy tips for taking better photos of any kind, download at the sidebar on the right.

Camping at Staircase Campground near Lake Cushman in Washington on a glorious morning.

The woods of the Pacific Northwest on a sunny September day

Linking up to Outdoor Wednesday, Our World Tuesday, Scenic Weekends, NF Catching the Light Monday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, and Saturday Show Off. Please try a new tag or category while you are here.

Not everyone knows that if you don’t pick an artichoke when it’s closed up nice and tight, it will open to a beautiful bluish-purple flower.

Artichoke plant blossoms

So great to have you visit; thanks so much!

At a friend’s lovely home. Notice the reflection of the round window opposite the picture on the wall!

White hydrangeas in a vase and a stargazer lily blossom on a blue tablecloth

Participating in Weekend Reflections, Pink Saturday, Orange You Glad It’s Friday, Mandarin Orange Monday, Ruby Tuesday 2, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Our World Tuesday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, NF Catching the Light Monday, and Saturday Show Off. Thanks for visiting here and please come back soon.

At a neighborhood event in the park, looked up and saw a boy having fun climbing a tree.

Summer joy is great weather and a tree to climb

Linking to Straight out of the Camera Sunday, Skywatch Friday, Outdoor Wednesday, Wordless Wednesday, NF Catching the Light Monday, Our World Tuesday, Scenic Weekends, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, and Saturday Show Off. I so appreciate your visiting here first.

Highline Botanical Garden at SeaTac, WA, just gets prettier.

Latticework adorns a weathered wooden arch at the Highline Garden, with view of rusted iron rose arches

Joining Pink Saturday, Ruby Tuesday 2, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Outdoor Wednesday, Our World Tuesday, Scenic Weekends, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, NF Catching the Light Monday, and Saturday Show Off. I appreciate your visit here and please come back soon!

The scenic clouds-and-water post below got me thinking about black and white images. Here’s a version of the cosmos flower post below that, in black and white. What do you think? Color, or black and white, for most attractive impact? Which would look best on the wall?

Cosmos flower in the garden, in black and white

Participating in: NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Outdoor Wednesday, Our World Tuesday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, NF Catching the Light Monday, I Heart Macro Saturday, Macro Monday, The Weekend in Black and White, My Romantic Home, and Saturday Show Off. Thanks for stopping by and hope to see you again soon.

It’s great what the right light can do for a macro flower photo. Such an ordinary flower, but so amazing in good light.

White cosmos with yellow center bloom in August in my Seattle garden

Participating in these photo memes this week: Pink Saturday, Monday Mellow Yellows, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Outdoor Wednesday, Our World Tuesday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, NF Catching the Light Monday, I Heart Macro Saturday, Macro Monday, Thursday Challenge (Yellow), My Romantic Home, and  Saturday Show Off. I appreciate your visit here and please come back soon!

Friends have the most beautiful garden you can imagine, with a view that just won’t quit. Here is a small visitor checking out the pool on a warm evening recently.

Child peers at floats in a pool, in a garden near Puget Sound in Washington

Joining Skywatch Friday, Pink Saturday, Monday Mellow Yellows, Ruby Tuesday 2, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Tuesday Garden Party, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Outdoor Wednesday, Our World Tuesday, Scenic Weekends, Water World Wednesday, Weekend Reflections, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, NF Catching the Light Monday, and Saturday Show Off. Thanks for your visit here and please come back soon!