Even though the focus is a little softer than I’d like, this image of pink cyclamens from a recent Garden Club district meeting flower show pleases me. It’s funny how challenging it can be to photograph something that is so beautiful, graceful and perfect in person, so full of life and freshness, and make it convey even a small amount of that liveliness. You’d think the camera would just record it, but no. Such is the challenge of a person who loves to take photos of flowers.

Do wander over to Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Macro Friday, Macro Monday, Macro Flowers Saturday, Today’s Flowers, Weekend Flowers, Floral Friday, Color Carnival and Pink Saturday for more photo fabulousness. And of course, if there is only one photo below, you can click on the Sara’s Fave Photos banner above to see the entire blog.

There’s a supermarket not too far from me (Renton, WA Winco, for the locals) that has a parking lot that is quite open and on a slope so that it just seems to have more light and sky than your average parking lot. I always look up when I am there, and this time I just loved how the trees and sky were doubled in the car windows. Hope you like it, too.

Visit Scenic Sunday, Outdoor Wednesday, Weekend Reflections, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera), A Piece of Heaven and Skywatch Friday for more interesting photos. You can see all the photos here by clicking on Sara’s Fave Photos.

This is from the ice storm three weeks ago. That was really something. The ice was already beginning to melt when I finally was able to get outside to take some photos. We were lucky and our power never went out, although I heard later that people fairly close did lose power for a couple-three days. I am so very grateful we didn’t. I hope you get some every-day luck like that, too.

Check out Macro Friday, Macro Monday, Scenic Sunday, Outdoor Wednesday and Watery Wednesday to see other photos on a theme. Explore the full blog by clicking on Sara’s Fave Photos.

It may be a long haul until actual spring that has flowers and warm weather, but I am all psyched when I see these little shoots of daffodils emerging in winter’s melting snow. So brave and yet so tender looking! This inspires me, so I am calling it my Best Post of the Week.

Have a look at Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Macro Friday, Macro Monday, Macro Flowers Saturday, Today’s Flowers, Weekend Flowers, Floral Friday, Scenic Sunday, Outdoor Wednesday and Watery Wednesday for more neat photos. Perhaps do a search here for snow, or winter, first? Always return to the full blog by clicking on Sara’s Fave Photos.

I need to see some flowers blooming, so a trip to the archives from June 2007 is just the thing. Double Delight might be my favorite rose. It’s sturdy, available in nurseries everywhere, and supremely fragrant. Let us gaze on this image of summertime! It will get here, we know. And for you “down under” folks, hope you are enjoying your time in the sun.

Do check out Ruby Tuesday 2, Macro Friday, Macro Monday, Macro Flowers Saturday, Today’s Flowers, Weekend Flowers, Floral Friday, Mellow Yellow Monday, Scenic Sunday, Outdoor Wednesday, Color Carnival and Pink Saturday to see excellent pictures from around the world. Try something new here by clicking on Sara’s Fave Photos, if you have a moment.

I took this a month ago but no change in the bare branches has occured yet. Spring is showing a few early hints, but not so you’d really notice. This was taken at dusk at Volunteer Park, close to my favorite haunt, the Conservatory. They’re doing a Wine and Chocolate Tasting for Valentine’s Day, by the way. How romantic!

This photo is, or will be, linked to these memes: Outdoor Wednesday, Scenic Sunday, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera), A Piece of Heaven and Skywatch Friday. If you have arrived via a link and there is only one photo below, click on Sara’s Fave Photos to see the rest of them. Thanks for visiting!

This cheerful cactus houseplant blooming on my windowsill is very happy, and making me happy in the process. It’s called hatiora (ha-tee-OR-a) or Drunkard’s Dream because the teensy cactus stems sometimes look like bottles. The flowers are only a quarter inch or a centimeter.  I call it a matchstick plant, but that’s incorrect. I actually have several plants, for one reason or another, and this is the only one blooming, and it’s covered in blossoms. I guess in the northern Seattle lattitude, full southern exposure is the way to go.

Why don’t you check out Macro Friday, Macro Monday, Macro Flowers Saturday, Today’s Flowers, Weekend Flowers, Floral Friday, Mellow Yellow Monday and SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera) for some great pictures around the world. Find lots more interesting photos here by clicking on Sara’s Fave Photos, here or above.

Seattle had a big ice storm, as you may have heard. I really wanted to get outside and take photos yesterday, but the weather was just too bad. Today it all began to melt, but I got out there before it was all gone and captured some great images. This pieris shrub is also called andromeda. I didn’t even realize it had already set buds until I was outside looking closely. It doesn’t seem to be the worse for wear.

Take a look at Macro Friday, Macro Monday, Macro Flowers Saturday, Today’s Flowers, Weekend Flowers, Floral Friday, Watery Wednesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Scenic Sunday, and Ruby Tuesday 2, for more fascinating photos. Do browse around here first by clicking on Sara’s Fave Photos.

These trees are in my backyard in Seattle, Washington, and this was taken in this first snowstorm of the season. The one on the left is a magnolia, and the one on the right is a pink dogwood. They will certainly look different in a few months!

This photo is or will be linked to these memes: Watery Wednesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Scenic Sunday, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera) and Skywatch Friday. If you have arrived via a link and there is only one photo below, if you click on Sara’s Fave Photos you will see the rest of them.

We had our first snow this winter two days ago. I love that brief time when the snow has fallen but no wind has come along to disturb the frosting on trees and shrubs. I went outside to our patio, standing under the eaves so my camera wouldn’t get the silll-falling snow on it, when I heard that familiar Anna hummingbird whirrr. There she was, and what a scenic, snowy backdrop she had as she rested on her red feeder! I like this for the snow frosting everything like icing as much as the beautiful little bird, so I am calling this my Best Post of the Week.

Since several of you asked, they do stay in this lattitude nowadays because people like us provide feeders. It is not usually freezing here, and if it does freeze, we take the feeder in overnight so it’s liquid in the day.

Snow counts as water for Watery Wednesday, doesn’t it? Also, visit Outdoor Wednesday, Wordless Wednesday, Scenic Sunday, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera), Camera Critters and Ruby Tuesday 2. Click on Sara’s Fave Photos for the complete blog collection here. Or try a tag like “Scenic” in the right sidebar down a bit, or a search for “Snow” in the upper right field, perhaps, to see something new.

This ceiling was in a strip mall Chinese restaurant in Northern California, in Santa Rosa. The food was quite nice, but I think the ceiling was really memorable. It seemed like a stage set, or somehow underwater like jellyfish. My hat is off to the people who dreamed this one up and set it up.

Visit Ruby Tuesday 2, Color Carnival and Pink Saturday for lots more color fun. Click on Sara’s Fave Photos to see the whole blog here first, if you have a moment. Actually, it might take you more than a moment, because I’ve realized that I’ve now posted over 1,000 photos here. I amaze myself!

It’s great when all the eggs peel well, isn’t it? Don’t you hate those infuriating ones that refuse to peel properly, even though they were cooked and handled the exact same way as their carton-mates? Hope you enjoy this study in white. And yes, the devilled eggs that came later were extremely good.

Check out Shadow Shot Sunday 2, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera), Macro Friday, Weekend Exposures (Still Life) and Macro Monday for fascinating photos. If there is only one photo below, click on Sara’s Fave Photos for the complete collection here.