While it’s still blissfully warm in Seattle, with one more day or so before regular temperatures and cloud cover returns, here’s a view that greeted us on our camping trip a couple of weeks ago. Doesn’t that just make you want to take a deep breath? And the new header photo of the boy in Wildcat Lake is just a picture of a warm day, for me.

Take a look at Shadow Shot Sunday, Outdoor Wednesday, Scenic Sunday, and SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera) for more interesting photos with a theme. Remember, if there is only one photo below, click on Sara’s Fave Photos for the others. Thank you for visiting!

There was another one of those garden club district meetings on Wednesday. About 70 people got together for some info, a nice lunch, and a flower show. And I sold books, which was the first time I’ve done that. They bought quite a few, and I was so happy that they liked the book so much. By the way, that special launch pricing on my new book ends pretty soon, so if you are thinking of getting one (or two or three), now’s a good time. It’s called Flowers of Volunteer Park Conservatory, and perhaps you might “like” the book’s page on facebook?

Do check out Pink Saturday, Macro Flowers Saturday, Macro Monday, Macro Friday, Today’s Flowers, Color Carnival, Mellow Yellow Monday and SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera) after you’ve browsed around here first. Lots to see! Click on Sara’s Fave Photos to get to the newest post here.

This being the Pacific Northwest, it’s not so totally surprising to find a big totem pole at someone’s house, overlooking Puget Sound. But still pretty darn unusual. I like it very much, especially on a day like this one.

Visit Skywatch Friday, Outdoor Wednesday, Scenic Sunday, Weekend Reflections, Watery Wednesday, and SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera), for fascinating photo frolics. Browse around here first, why don’t you? Clicking on the Sara’s Fave Photos banner will always bring you to the latest post here.

One person I know calls these kinds of sky shots “hand of God” photos. You can see why. This particular one is maybe not that majestic, only some gray clouds over a freeway, but still, don’t you just love this look?

Visit Skywatch Friday, Outdoor Wednesday, Scenic Sunday, Weekend Reflections, and SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera),  for more photo fun, and be sure to click on Sara’s Fave Photos to view the complete blog if you see only one photo below.

Brugmansia, or Angels Trumpet, is such a magnificent flower. Taken at a recent Volunteer Park Conservatory event, you can tell this flower, about the size of my hand, is one of my top faves because I used its pink cousins on the cover of my book. They’re quite challenging to photograph, at least if you want them to look as graceful and elegant in your photo as they do when you’re looking at them. How a flower like this can look awkward I do not know, but it happens.

Mellow Yellow Monday, Today’s Flowers, Macro Monday, Macro Flowers Saturday and Macro Friday are neat places to visit. Try Color Carnival, too. Remember, if there is only one photo below, click on Sara’s Fave Photos for the others. Thank you for visiting!

Camping! Can you just smell the woodsmoke? We love to get out in the woods for a few days and smell actual fresh air, day and night. Even a trek through the campground to the facilities can be a lovely experience. A warm day in August in the Pacific Northwest is like no other. I love the range of light to darks, with the blue sky peeping through, and I’m calling this my Best Post of the Week.

Visit Shadow Shot Sunday, Outdoor Wednesday, Scenic Sunday, and this week the theme of Unique Exposures Weekend Challenge is 100 Years Old (or more). It’s pretty close to qualifying for SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera) but I did adjust the curves just a tad, so it doesn’t. But take a look there anyway. Remember, if there is only one photo below, click on Sara’s Fave Photos for the others. Thank you for visiting!

Highline Botanical Garden is so worth a visit. Just north of SeaTac Airport, south of Seattle, this small but lovely garden only becomes more beautiful with time. Those gardeners and volunteers must work very hard!

Visit Skywatch Friday, Shadow Shot Sunday, Outdoor Wednesday, Ruby Tuesday, Scenic Sunday, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera), and Today’s Flowers. Returning to the latest post (if you’ve arrived from a link) is easy: just click on Sara’s Fave Photos above or here.

Oriental lilies are the latest in the summer and the most fragrant, I am told. Worth waiting for! And they will bloom in part shade, another plus. A lily grower in N. California told me that they like having low plants at their feet, like oxalis, perhaps, or some other low forest plant. All I know is I adore their smell.

Visit Pink Saturday, Shadow Shot Sunday, Scenic Sunday, Outdoor Wednesday, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera), Today’s Flowers, Macro Monday, Macro Flowers Saturday and Macro Friday.

Bonus photo: Here I am at my book launch at the Volunteer Park Conservatory in the Bromeliad House yesterday. It was so much fun and such a great experience! Thank you to all who helped make it a success.

A warm evening in the summer is heaven anywhere, but here in the Seattle area we feel particularly blessed when we can eat dinner on the patio and take in the garden view. This was last evening’s lovely view. Hope you can enjoy it with me.

Visit Pink Saturday, Scenic Sunday, Shadow Shot Sunday, Outdoor Wednesday, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera), Color Carnival, Today’s Flowers, and Wordless Wednesday. Also, I think it is so cool that my new book and the launch party at Volunteer Park Conservatory on Thursday, August 4 got a mention in the Seattle PI garden blog!

Dusty is one of those kitties who loves everyone. Doesn’t matter if you love cats or not, smell of dogs or not, feed her or not, she is your friend. “Pet me!” she says. In our last house we had a deck with weathered wood, and I swear sometimes it was hard to see her when she lounged on it. She’s still a bit camouflaged here on our patio but makes herself known quite well.

Shadow Shot Sunday, Outdoor Wednesday, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera) and Camera Critters this week have other interesting insights. Take a look! But do browse around here first. Click on Sara’s Fave Photos here if there is only one photo below. Thanks for visiting!