When the petals are not just one flat row, the flowers are called doubles. The edge of a different color around the petals is called picotee. These azaleas with maidenhair ferns on the side from the Volunteer Park Conservatory are pretty special for both reasons, and you probably won’t find too many like this in your neighbor’s front yard. I think they are so sweet and cheerful!

Visit Pink Saturday, Color Carnival, Macro Friday, SOOC Sunday, Today’s Flower and Macro Flowers Saturday for more photos with a theme. Be sure to click on Sara’s Fave Photos if there is only one photo below. Thanks for visiting!

These are some of my top fave mums. I remember that my mom grew them when I was growing up in New York City (it’s not all tall buildings, you know), and the tiny “spoons” of the petals totally fascinated me. And the scent. I was pleased to see some in a recent gift bouquet I received. Lucky me!

Visit Shadow Sunday, Mellow Yellow Monday and Macro Monday for more neat photos. Do browse around this site, as there’s lots to see. Search here or next door in Free Photos for anything you’d like to see.

Happy New Year to everyone! May health, wealth and happiness be yours, in 2011 and in every year.

A bit of sunshine perks up everything in the house. These days in Seattle’s northern lattitude when the sun is so low in the sky, the our rare sunshine reaches far into the room. This was taken at my south-facing kitchen table a week or two ago. But now the days lengthen and eventually the sun’s rays will not enter the window at all.

Visit Shadow Shot Sunday for more interesting shadows of all types, and Blue Monday. Such creativity!

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Here’s a stunner of a view, if I do say so myself. It’s amazing what a little patch or two of sunlight can do to an otherwise gray vista. This overlook near my house has been such a great scenic boon to me, and I am grateful.

Visit Watery Wednesday and Outdoor Wednesday, Weekend Reflections, Skywatch Friday and Scenic Sunday, too, for more great photos.

I continue to be excited by the lucky break I encountered in the cloud cover and am calling this my Best Post of the Week.

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Oh, the glories of a sunny morning. This image is hot off the memory card, as I took it minutes ago. Christmas cacti rule!

Visit Today’s Flowers for more amazing flowers, Color Carnival for more bright colors, and Cactus Monday and Macro Monday for you know what. This shot is straight out of the camera, too.

If there is only the one photo below, it might not be the latest blog post, so click on Sara’s Fave Photos, here or above. And soon, soon, soon, an entirely new look for all my dear readers.

We’re going to a potluck brunch tomorrow so I thought I’d make something healthy. Fruit plates can be challenging at this time of year, but these yummy organic grapes should be a hit.

Visit Macro Friday for more interesting close ups and Color Carnival for more bright colors..

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One from the archives, for sure. I was going through the tulip collection because I felt like creating a calendar for 2011 with tulips and I don’t think I ever posted this one on the blog. I will definitely include it in the calendar. It was taken in April of this year at the Skagit Valley Tulip Fest, a couple hours north of Seattle in Washington. Hope you enjoy this blast of springtime as we are entering winter.

Visit Skywatch Friday for more great skies seen around the world. Color Carnival has more brilliant colors. Pink Saturday has more pinkness. Scenic Sunday has more scenery. You get the idea.

I really like the expansive feeling I get when I look at this photo so I’ve categorized and entered it as Best Post of the Week.

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This is my backyard, taken last week in the first snow of the season. I felt that I needed to post another shadow shot today. I love the roses below, but the shadows just weren’t crisp enough. These blue shadows are good for Blue Monday, and this is another for Scenic Sunday, too. Also, this is a good post for the Sunday Creative, on the theme of Frozen.

As always, if there’s just one photo below, do click on Sara’s Fave Photos for the complete blog experience.

A few weeks ago on my way to a conference in Las Vegas, the weather was gray in Seattle, no surprise there, but what a magnificent view of Mt. Rainier emerged when we ascended above the clouds. I love air travel for this reason. The views are truly heavenly.

Even though this is water frozen and water gaseous, it’s still water, and it qualifies for an entry to Watery Wednesday. Visit Blue Monday for more blue in photos, too. Shadow Sunday has more neat shadows. Outdoor Wednesday has more outdoor shots, of course, and Scenic Sunday the same, but different. Skywatch Friday has great skies to see.

If you see only one photo here, you’ve arrived via a link. Click on Sara’s Fave Photos for the full blog experience.

Looking at the new snow that had fallen out back on Monday, we could see from that dark, laden sky that more snow was coming. When the sky is darker than the land, it’s such a strange kind of look. I like the way this is a full color image but looks almost monochrome.

Visit Skywatch Friday for more skies seen around the world, and Scenic Sunday for great scenery. And have a happy Thanksgiving, everyone!