Still in a rose mood, longing for warm, sunny weather. This is my favorite rose, Double Delight. I read that it was a sport and almost not pursued. The petals get stronger color in more intense sunlight. This is one of the ones I planted last summer. The 18 bushes are leafing out well, but it’s just too rainy to get a photo to show you right now. I do have high hopes for later in the year.

Visit Mellow Yellow Monday for more cheerful splashes of yellow, and Ruby Tuesday for more ruby redness. Color Carnival has the brilliant color combos. Try them all! Click on Sara’s Fave Photos above to return to the full blog with my latest post on top.

This gray, gray, rainy and cold weather Seattle has been having has me longing for summer. Or spring! Seems like we are back in winter again, somehow. So it’s time to delve in the archives for a breath of warmth. This photo is from a truly halycon day at the end of July last year. I have no idea of the name of the rose as it was in someone else’s garden. Wish I had one like it!

Visit Macro Monday for more things seen close up.

Click on Sara’s Fave Photos above to return to the full blog with my latest post on top.

A few weeks ago it almost felt like summer, or certainly spring, but the last few days it’s been more like winter: cold, rainy, and gray. So for a cheerful shot of water I went to the folder with the pictures from that lovely, sunny day at the Highline Botanical Garden in early March.

Visit Watery Wednesday for the water thing, and Outdoor Wednesday for more outdoor scenes. This is a good one for Weekend Reflections, too, plus it’s straight out of the camera, not even cropped, or SOOC.

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

Years ago I used to shoot TriX film. I learned to develop my own film, make contact sheets, and print enlargements in the darkroom with a red light. Shooting black-and-white film was a great exercise in learning to “see.” I chose better subjects and composed the frame better when I wasn’t distracted by the color.

Now any photo can become black and white, but which ones are actually improved by removing the color? I’ve sifted through the archives a bit and chosen three that seem interesting. But I really want your opinion. Would these be better in the regular, real and colorful way, or does this create a mood that is worth doing?

Visit Thursday Challenge (“Black and White”) for more visions of that theme.

You can always click on Sara’s Fave Photos above to return to full blog with latest post on top.

The bags of tulip bulbs we planted around the front roses in the fall are up, and the first one has opened! See Macro Monday and Mellow Yellow Monday for versions of the theme.

And the delightful grape hyacinths (muscari) in the back yard are coming up so well. This is their second year and they are quite respectable looking. I love how easy they are, that they spread nicely, and that they are practically evergreen and leaf up super early. Visit Blue Monday for more blue things.

And check out Color Carnival for more brilliant colors! And I like this post so much I’ve tagged it Best Post of the Week.

Click on blog header above, Sara’s Fave Photos, to return to full blog with latest post on top.

A recent visit to the lovely Kubota Garden south of Seattle had any number of photo ops, especially as the weather was sunny that day.  Oh, Seattlites love their sunny weather, when they get it.

Don’t you love that curvy trunk on the pine tree?

Visit Pink Saturday for more interesting takes on Pinkness. Try Blooming Friday to see what’s blooming here and there. And Scenic Sunday showcases scenery of all sorts.

I finally got to see the famed Kubota Garden, south of Seattle. Luckily, it was on one of the gorgeous days we had here last week. This pink flower also grows here and there in people’s gardens, but I don’t remember its name. Anyone know it? The leaves and flower clusters can be quite large, as big as a person’s hand or larger.

See Pink Saturday for more pink visions. And Shadow Shot Sunday for more interesting shadows.

Recently Seattle was blessed with two warm, sunny days. I was so happy to be able to be outside and in a garden space. This was at the Highline Botanical Garden, and yes, that is the blue sky reflecting in the water.

Visit Weekend Reflections for more fascinating and creatively seen visual reflections.

I’ve also tagged this as Best Post of the Week. I love this one!

This quick bit of sunshine we saw last week was the last time I did see the sun, so I’m happy to post the brief reminder here. It’s been gray and rainy, typical for this time of year, but it does get a bit gloomy sometimes. Especially when I want to go out in the garden and get things done. Sigh.

This is a SOOC, or straight-out-of-the-camera shot, like most of mine. Visit Shadow Shot Sunday for more interesting shadows. See more windows (and doors) in Window Views. Visit Blue Monday for more things of all kinds in blue.

Navigation Note: Now you can always get back to the latest entry here by clicking on the “Sara’s Fave Photos” title at the top, no matter where you’ve wandered in the blog. I invite you to look at the archives of Flowers, Cloudscapes, or Water tags on the lower left, or whatever appeals to you today. Hope you enjoy your visit. Thank you, Marsha Perry of Perry Internet Consulting!

This is one of my top faves, from the archives, from when I used to live in Sonoma County, CA, which is about an hour or so north of San Francisco. I came across it and thought I might have taken it at about this time of year, or maybe March. Those huge live oaks are so dramatic when they are bare. Sure gives you that changing weather feeling of early spring.

Visit Scenic Sunday for some lovely views of the world. And this sure is a great shadow shot for Shadow Shot Sunday.

Since this is one of my all-time favorites, I’m tagging it Best Post of the Week.

Also, I’ve fixed the little problem with comments not being available when you click on a category to the left. Now comments are available whenever you click on a page (or should be). Thank you, Marsha Perry of Perry Internet Consulting! She made this blog on a WordPress template for me, and I am so grateful. What a great addition to my life.