The rain has been wreaking havoc on the rose bushes, but a couple of dry-ish days allowed a few flowers to open to their potential magnificence—just to get rained on yet again. In the brief window of opportunity that a break in the wet allowed, I went outside and caught this beautiful apricot Sundowner rose, with such an appropriate name.

Visit Flowers for Today to see more blossoms around the planet, and Color Carnival for more brilliant color. SOOC has more straight-out-of-the-camera shots. But why not type in “rose” in the search field here and see what comes up? You can always return to the full blog by clicking on Sara’s Fave Photos above.

The weather has been so cold and rainy in Seattle (except for that ONE magnifcent day a week ago) that I must go to the archives for a decent shadow shot. But I’m glad I remembered I had this one. I had just a second to get the photo before a car came by and the sun went behind a cloud. You’ve got to be so quick with shadows in this neck of the woods, for in just a moment it may be gone, like so many things.

Visit Shadow Shot Sunday for more perfect penumbras. And I call this an entry for Scenic Sunday as well. But do wander a bit here and there into new tags and categories if you have a moment. Click on Sara’s Fave Photos anytime you’d like to get back to the full blog.

Finally the peonies in my backyard have bloomed! There are a couple of dozen out there, and I picked these. The smell of them in my office is heavenly.

Visit Pink Saturday and Macro Flowers Saturday after browsing around here. You can return to the full blog at Sara’s Fave Photos, above.

Can you see the tiny sailboat? And the reflection of the cloud on the water? This big cloud over the inlet at Fort Worden in Port Townsend really “floated my boat,” you might say. Love those puffy huge things that look like you could bounce on them.

Visit Skywatch Friday for more skies from around the world, Weekend Reflections, and Scenic Sunday as well, after trying a new tag or two around here. How about Best Posts of the Week? Return to the full blog at Sara’s Fave Photos.

When we were in Port Townsend a few weeks ago, the weather was fine and the boats were out. This group might even have been having a regatta of some sort. Of course I loved the sign. Yes! Beach this way!

Try a new tag or category (return to the latest and all posts by clicking on Sara’s Fave Photos above) and then check out Watery Wednesday, Outdoor Wednesday, and Scenic Sunday as well.

I know I posted one of these croton plants not too long ago, but this photo is even cuter than the last one, I think. I love the new growth and its improbable green color. This one, like the last one, lives in Seattle’s Volunteer Park Conservatory, an amazing and inspiring place.

Check out a few new tags or categories here (you can always find your way back to the latest post by clicking Sara’s Fave Photos above), then visit Color Carnival and Ruby Tuesday for more interesting color shots, and try SOOC for more straight-out-of-the-camera shots. I don’t crop, either, by the way, or hardly at all. Digital photography is such a blessing in that you can take as many photos as your heart desires, for free, so it’s just easier for me to take enough images to get a good one without too much fussing. Or any, like in this case.

I took a walk in the Wallingford neighborhood of Seattle last week.

This old-fashioned rose with a single row of petals sometimes is prettier than the huge ruffled kind. Below that is ceanothus (see-an-OH-thus), or Wild Lilac in California, or California Lilac up here in Seattle. It also has a sweet scent and can become quite a big shrubby plant, covered in blue in the spring. When I lived in Northern California, it was common and wild, and bloomed with yellow broom on the rolling hills. Pretty nice!

Visit Macro Monday, Mellow Yellow Monday and Blue Monday after wandering about here.

This is not in my yard; they’re not quite ready yet at my place. But that same Wallingford garden a couple of shots down seems to be a bit earlier with what’s blooming. And I don’t see any black spot on the leaves, either.

All this rain has been tough on my roses, but the day or so of lovely sunshine coming up tomorrow may get them going. As soon as they look good, I promise some nice photos for you.

Visit Macro Flowers Saturday, Today’s Flowers,  Pink Saturday and Color Carnival after you browse here and there. Try a new tag today! And return to the main blog always by clicking on Sara’s Fave Photos above.

This overlook is right near my house. I have been complaining about the gray, wet skies, but when I see clouds like this I am content. And besides, as a gardening friend said, it’s great for weeding.

Visit Skywatch Friday for more skies seen round the world, and Scenic Sunday for more amazing scenery. And if you like skies, be sure to scroll down a photo or so and see my post of the Port Townsend beach and sky. It was extra dramatic! Try clicking on the Skywatch Friday category, or Nature, for more photos you might like. Return to the full blog with the latest post on top by clicking on Sara’s Fave Photos.

This is not my yard. The Wallingford area of Seattle has some older homes with lovely, modest gardens and is a great place to stroll with a camera in hand. There seems to be a lot of perennials used, stuff that keeps coming back; the easy way, in my book.

Color Carnival has lots more bright colors! Scenic Sunday will like this one, too. Click here and there around here to find something new, and return to the full blog by clicking on Sara’s Fave Photos above.

A recent trip to Ft. Worden in Port Townsend yielded lots of fun photos and magnificent scenery. How’s this for a view?

Visit Watery Wednesday and Outdoor Wednesday to see more on the theme, or meme. Click here and there around this blog first to see some neat photos you might have missed. Sara’s Fave Photos above will take you back to the latest post and all the photos.

I like this one very much, even a week later (how quickly we move on!) and I’m tagging it Best Post of the Week.

This chenille plant, or Acalypha hispida, was growing in Seattle’s Volunteer Park Conservatory recently. Isn’t it a fine and lovely thing, and don’t you just want to touch it?

Visit Ruby Tuesday for more rosy rubiness seen everywhere. And be sure to click on the Ruby Tuesday category and the Red tag at the left for more variations on the red theme right here. Sara’s Fave Photos on the header will bring you back to the full blog.