Sunshine today, sunshine this weekend, yay and yay! Went out and snapped a million (well, a few) photos in the late afternoon light, of course my fave, considering I am not a morning person by any means. The lupines did remarkably well this winter. I think it was so cold this spring that the slugs stayed sleeping and let them get going unmolested. I planted these from seed maybe three years ago and look at them!

Visit Pink Saturday, Scenic Sunday, Today’s Flowers, Shadow Shot Sunday, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera) and Outdoor Wednesday for fabulous photo fun. Click on the Sara’s Fave Photos banner to see the complete blog  here, if you have a minute.

I love tulips! And shadows! And sunshine! Tulips are pretty much done by now, but I found this photo I took almost two weeks ago and knew I couldn’t wait til next year to share it. And I’m calling it my Best Post of the Week, too.

Visit Macro Friday, Macro Monday, Today’s Flowers and Macro Flowers Saturday, Ruby Tuesday, Shadow Shot Sunday, Color Carnival and SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera). And try a new tag or category, and/or the latest posts here at Sara’s Fave Photos first, why don’t you? Thanks for visiting!

Wouldn’t you like to pick up your mail by walking on this driveway every day? I surely do love sunny days and the shadows that result. The pink shrub at the entrance is a real scene-stealer. This sentinel is pieris or andromeda, very popular here in the Pacific Northwest. I read that our soils are acidic and that’s why plants such as rhododendrons and azaleas (and pieris) tend to do so well. Who knew?

Visit Shadow Shot Sunday and Pink Saturday on this long weekend. Also try Scenic Sunday, Outdoor Wednesday and SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera) if you have a minute. Remember, if there is only one photo below, click on the Sara’s Fave Photos banner above to see the rest of the collection.

This photo makes me want to keep looking at it, so I’m calling it my Best Post of the Week.

Hope you are not tired of tulip close ups. It’s actually been sunny the last couple of days here in Seattle, so a morning walk was just the thing. Some tulips are still around, and this one was glorious. Now it can live forever on the internet at its peak of beauty.

Macro Flowers Saturday is back! Visit Maia there as she’s sure to have some lovelies. Also check out Macro Friday, Pink Saturday, Shadow Shot Sunday, Skywatch Friday, Today’s Flowers, Blue Monday and Macro Monday. If only you see only one photo below, do click on Sara’s Fave Photos for the complete display.

Meadow rue is a great perennial plant in the flower garden. I believe that its flowers come in yellow and lavender at least; this one is a lavender. The leaves actually look very much like columbine, but this plant gets much taller, maybe 4 or 5 feet (1.5 meters). It’s getting ready to have puffy, hairy sort of flowers, kind of like ageratum. Doesn’t sound pretty, but it is. I’ll show a photo when it’s blooming, which should be in a week or two. I like tall flowering plants as they just feel so abundant, plus of course the flowers are closer to my eye level.

Visit Shadow Shot Sunday, Macro Monday, Outdoor Wednesday and SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera) for more neat photos with a theme. If you see only one photo below, click on Sara’s Fave Photos for more, and possibly more recent photos.

Finally a weekend day with sunshine! Yesterday I had such a happy half hour down there with the camera and the flowers blooming; these days it’s mostly too wet to even see them up close. Photo tip: Put your camera on its flower setting and get down there to get some background in that will be blurry. Simple but effective.

Visit Mellow Yellow Monday, Outdoor Wednesday, Shadow Shot Sunday, Scenic Sunday,  Today’s Flowers, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera), Macro Friday and Macro Monday for more intriguing photos. Browse around here first, why don’t you, by clicking on a new taq or category. Try the “close up” tag, at the lower right? Or the “My Garden” category might be fun.

This year I think it’s even too cold for the slugs. The lupines are coming up all unmolested, although maybe it’s my campaign with the clippers last year that’s having an effect. Last week the sun peeked through and sparkled in water caught in these lupine leaves.

Visit Shadow Shot Sunday, Macro Monday, Outdoor Wednesday, Watery Wednesday, Macro Friday and SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera) if you have time. While you’re here, check out more photos in this blog by clicking on Sara’s Fave Photos.

Someone was dropping french fries off the Des Moines, WA, fishing pier, feeding these seagulls at the water’s edge. I know that it’s very bad for the birds to do this for many reasons, but I totally understand why people do it even if they know better. The birds look so cute as they fly and flutter around!

Visit Watery Wednesday and Outdoor Wednesday, plus Camera Critters this week. Shadow Shot Sunday has more neat shadows, Weekend Reflections and Wordless Wednesday are great, too. Check out Free Photos “next door” to see what’s new, and do click on Sara’s Fave Photos here if there is only one below.

I love the purity and delicacy of white daffodils. I took this at Volunteer Park Conservatory recently. Some day I’m going to have them coming up in my yard. Last year I bought a whole lot of “mixed” daffs but was disappointed to find them all plain yellow when they came up. Not that there’s anything wrong with yellow daffodils, it’s just that I really like the white fancy kinds, too. What kinds do you grow?

Visit Macro Monday, Macro Friday, Mellow Yellow Monday and Flowers on Saturday. I didn’t tweak this one at all, so it’s good for SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera), too. It’s neat shadows qualify for Shadow Shot Sunday, as well. Check out Free Photos next door to see what’s new, and do click onthe  Sara’s Fave Photos banner on top if you see only one image below.

Puget Sound views can be glorious, and sunshine really helps. I heard that we have had rain on 36 of the last 40 days (and those four were probably cloudy), and continuing showers and rain in the forecast. But Friday had a bit of sun, and I was lucky enough to get out to the Des Moines, Washington fishing pier for this euphoric view.

Visit Shadow Shot Sunday, Scenic Sunday, Blue Monday, Outdoor Wednesday, and Watery Wednesday for more intriguing works. Remember, the banner above with Sara’s Fave Photos brings you to the full blog here.