Last month I went to Northern California Wine Country, and I am still enjoying the photos I took there and hope you are, too. This was taken at the square in little-but-so-artsy Healdsburg, about an hour and a half north of San Francisco. I love the way some branches are bare, some leaves are green, some still seem to be in autumn mode, and the palm trees wave over all. But it’s all about the blue sky, isn’t it?

Visit Skywatch Friday, Outdoor Wednesday, Scenic Sunday, SOOC (straight out of the camera) and Blue Monday for more photos on a theme. And check out Free Photos next door for more scenic and flower photos to browse, too.

Even bare branches can look good when there’s water, sunshine, and reflections involved. This January view of the lake in Spring Lake Park in Santa Rosa, California, was something that will look quite different in just a few months.

Visit Watery Wednesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Scenic Sunday, Weekend Reflections, Blue Monday and SOOC (straight out of the camera) for some more interesting photos. And you might try a tag like “reflections” or hop over to Free Photos for even more scenic and flower photos. All free for personal use!

I’ve decided I like the almost lace-like texture of the black branches very much and am naming this post my Best Post of the Week. If you see only the one photo below, do click on Sara’s Fave Photos for the rest of them.

Spring Lake, in Santa Rosa, California, just a week or so ago was so scenic! Even in the depth of winter, Northern California Wine Country just doesn’t get too dreary. The duck likes it, anyway!

Visit Watery Wednesday and Outdoor Wednesday for more neat photos, and Scenic Sunday, SOOC (straight out of the camera) and Weekend Reflections have great stuff too. I invite you to view a tag like Water or Scenic (to the right) while you are here. Thank you for visiting, and it would be so appreciated if you left a comment and shared how you felt about what you see here.

Yesterday there was a bit of sun (yay!) and I ran out to the Volunteer Park Conservatory to get some photos of orchids. I might as well tell you that I am working on a book about the flowers there, coming out later this year. My first book, and a very exciting and big project! I think I may use this image in it.

Visit Today’s Flowers, Macro Friday, Mellow Yellow Monday, Macro Monday, Macro Flowers Saturday, and Shadow Shot Sunday for more neat photos with a theme (that’s what a photo meme is). Before you go, be sure to browse around here and next door at Free Photos, checking out the multitude of photos on so many topics.

Santa Rosa in Northern California gets almost no freezing weather and so the geraniums live from year to year. This sunlit leaf was photographed on a cold January day.

I am entering the Gardening Gone Wild Picture This Photo Contest for macros taken with point and shoot cameras. I can’t wait to see the other entries using the special camera on a jar technique suggested. Also Macro Friday has lots of neat close ups.

Do browse around here, perhaps the tag “close up”? or at Free Photos next door. New photos coming soon!

What a blessing is a sunny day in Northern California. Spring Lake Park is in Santa Rosa, with many wineries close by, but even without the vineyards the landscape is beautiful. Last week there was weather for a little hike around the lake. Weren’t we lucky?

Visit Watery Wednesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Weekend Reflections, SOOC and Scenic Sunday for more neat photos with a theme. And while you are here, do click on a new category, here or next door at Free Photos, to see something new.

Wandering through the archives, I came across this sunset taken at just this time of year when I was in Arizona a few years back. Simple but serene, I think. Hope you like it.

Visit Mellow Yellow Monday for more photos with a splash of yellow, Skywatch Friday for skies, and Scenic Sunday for more scenery. And you can try a search for yellow here or next door at Free Photos, too.

Visiting my friend in Santa Rosa, California, I was so pleased to see her geranium plant blooming, in January! This orchid color is a beauty, isn’t it? Here in Seattle, now that I’m home again, not much happening out there in the garden, but soon, we hope.

Visit Flowers For Today for more flowers from around the world and Macro Monday for more close ups. And if there is only one photo here, please click on Sara’s Fave Photos for the full blog.

I took a photo of this same scene many years ago, taken against a dramatic sky in March, as I remember, but here it is again, taken last week in January. It was great to find the exact spot and I was happy that the sun peeked out for a bit of shadow on the barn wall for me. This huge old live oak tree, certainly over 100 years old, is in Sebastopol, California, out on Sanford Avenue. This photo is one of my very top faves, so I’m putting it in my Best Posts of the Week category.

Visit Scenic Sunday and Shadow Sunday for more intriguing photos, and SOOC for more with no tweaking, or straight out of the camera. And browse around here and at Free Photos for some pretty pictures if you have a moment.

Just back from visiting Sonoma County, photographing as much as I could. I love this place so much. The landscape of Northern California wine country has to be the most beautiful in the world. Everywhere you look is beauty.

Visit Skywatch Friday for more skies seen round the world, Blue Monday for more blue and Scenic Sunday for more great scenery. How about viewing a new tag or category here first?