sidewalk tourism: more magnolias

more magnolias...

sidewalk tourism: magnolias...

The magnolias had a decent run this year. Usually they bloom and then it immediately snows...

Enjoy your spring!

sidewalk tourism: spring magnolia

The temperatures finally warmed up! So I'm declaring it officially spring... that means it's sidewalk tourism time. No more winter blues. No more cabin fever. No more funk.

Hopefully your flowers are blooming : )

Outside: Autumn begins

The first day of fall was officially 22 September. So, the leaves have started to turn in the last week or so. And that means it's time to charge up the camera batteries and put on my shoes and go wander around and enjoy the season. So, here we go:

So, the leaves have started to turn and fall, and the light is more atmospheric, and the insects are getting in their last little bits of activity before it's time to hibernate.

  I also found myself standing in a Target in the last week or so, and picked up cds by The Avett Brothers, fun, Awolnation, and Green Day. It's nice to put on some new music every now and then.

 Apparently I've moved into the 21st century, or I've been dragged there kicking and screaming — so you can check me out on facebook.

Anyway, go outside and enjoy the view : )

sunflowers

Yes, as the title implies: sunflowers.
On my way to and from work I drive down a lot of country roads and highways that are surrounded by farm fields.  Much of it is corn, wheat is the runner-up, and occasionally they grow alfalfa in these parts. Anyway, there is one farm that I know of that grows a crop of sunflowers every couple of years — and apparently this was one of those years. So, I charged up my camera batteries and parked at a really awkward angle on the shoulder of a busy highway — well off the shoulder, actually, hence the angle part... and, voila — sunflower photos!

It really is a beautiful sight.

Outside: dogwood blossoms

Last weekend I went into town to photograph the lilacs... and I ended up taking over 600 pictures in 2 days - most of which were dogwood blossoms, since that's what happened to be blooming at the time.

 

dogwood bokeh

 

dogwood abounds

 

dogwood fantasia

dogwood memories

You can see some of the rest of them here at sarahknight.etsy.com.

Yes, I was a dogwood junkie for 2 rather cold days last weekend.  It was like 40˚F, and while I was wearing a shirt and a coat and gloves (and pants and shoes and socks, and a wrist watch and sunglasses) — I was also very cold.  I want that unseasonably warm weather that we had in the beginning of March to return. I'm tired of being cold...

We have dogwood bushes in the yard, but they're not the same thing.  They're mostly thin red sticks with weeny little flowers on them, when and if the flowers actually bloom.  Nothing like the splendor of the flowers on dogwood trees.  So, yes, if you were briefly awoken and saw the lady with the big sunglasses and the crazy hair standing on your lawn, well, that might have been me. Don't worry, I'm not a burglar or a terrorist, I'm just a dogwood junkie.

As I said I would, I went out last week and got a copy of Jack White's "Blunderbuss." And like a school girl I have pretty much played "Love Interruption" on repeat. I'll eventually get around to listening to the rest of the album, but these things must happen slowly & organically. I still haven't quite gotten around to listening to that Bob Dylan album from 2005... but someday I will unwrap it and pop the cd in the player.  Someday.

If you're not watching "Grimm," well, I don't know what to say. That show is awesome.  The dinner scene awkwardness between Nick and Monroe was a priceless and hilarious bit of acting. You can see part of it here. The full episode of "Leave It to Beavers" can be found on hulu.

Anyway, have a good week, oh, and awesomesauce — M&Ms FINALLY put the coconut ones in a big bag!

Outside: irises (part 2)

So, this is the second installment of the irises. The first two photos are "honky tonk blues," the third pic is a "batik," and the fourth - well, I think it's an "above the clouds."

As for those light purple colored irises that smell like grape - those are Iris pallida 'Variegata'
We have some growing on the side of our house, I always just kind of thought they smelled like grape — although probably because we never had grape soda. There's a fairly famous beverage company in Michigan: Faygo. Anyway Faygo Rock & Rye was a family staple, because otherwise it was Coke or Pepsi. Rock & Rye is one of those pop flavors like Dr. Pepper - I'll be damned if I can explain what exactly it tastes like, and I suspect it has nothing to do with the alcoholic beverage of the same name. But then, what exactly does Coke taste like — you know, besides Coke?

Anyway, the pallida variegata grow by the side of the house. But unfortunately, they grow to be about 3-4 feet tall. And the stems are so loaded with blossoms that they literally fall over. I have to go out and prop them up with pruned tree branches every year. They're pretty though, and I love the way they smell.

On a completely unrelated note, my 'Artfire collection' was the collection of the day for 10 June 2011 - check it out here. Very cool : )

The bluebirds had 5 babies this year. I neglected to mention this while they were in the nest, because last year's first attempt at a nest ended in tragedy — due to English house sparrows who went into the nest and killed all 4 babies. I hate english house sparrows. When I can: I kill these birds. I live in Michigan — they are an alien invasive species.
European House sparrows are an invasive species in North America

Anyhow, the bluebirds had five babies. They fledged, without incident. I actually saw the last fledge out of the nest. It was adorable, mostly because it was literally just standing there on the back porch looking up at me. Anyway, that was like 2 weeks ago. Last night I happened to look out in the back yard and wonder what the strange little birds were sitting on the old rabbit hutch. I got the binoculars, and low and behold — they were the baby bluebirds. Well, I guess now they're technically "juveniles." Juvenile bluebirds are pretty much gray on the head, back, and wings, their belly is white with spots of gray, and they are identifiable by their blue tails. (see this photo from a google image search) What a bunch of cuties. This is actually their Dad. And this is their Mom.

You can find my many homages to eastern bluebirds here and here.

As I type this I am waiting for paint to dry. I've had this idea floating around in my imagination about combining photos and watercolors and probably salt and then the other day I saw this technique with alcohol. So, yeah, photos had to be selected, and then formatted... and there was some gnashing of the teeth at my printer which apparently does not understand the meaning of the term "borderless." But anyway, I'm waiting for the paint and salt and alcohol to dry now...

Surely, if I ever have an autobiography, there will be a chapter entitled "Waiting for Paint to Dry." And it will somehow be a very long book with many pictures...

Have a lovely weekend!

Outside: irises (part 1)

As I've mentioned before: irises are my favorite flower. While I may spend a lot of time wandering around photographing other people's flowers, flowering trees, trees, the sky, tree bark, etc. — irises are my favorite flower and I have a menagerie.

Yes, somewhere in my past there has been a great deal of money spent via the Schreiner's catalog. So, they're like my children. And every year when they appear I finally remember to weed them, and then I take a ridiculous amount of pictures. So, this is Part 1 of at least 4 parts...

The first picture is a Merlot, the second picture - I have completely forgotten the name, and the last 2 are Gypsy Romance. Gypsy Romance — I completely fell in love with these when I saw them in the catalog. I had to have them. I assembled an entire order just so that I could justify buying them...
*swoon*

I guess it's beyond about time to start working on the graphics for the 2012 calendar; there's always something with irises...

Sidewalk Tourism: cherry plum blossoms

The weather is getting warmer which means it's sidewalk tourism time. So, this is someone else's tree. After consulting Google I think this is a plum cherry tree. But I could be wrong about that. It's not my tree — I just drive by it in the spring and think "man, that is a pretty tree."

merry cherry


cherry wonder


cherry affection


(not yet titled)


cherry impression

I think I stood there for about 20 minutes photographing this tree, it was just that damned cool. I so have tree envy. You can find some of them in my Artfire shop: SunshineSight

Anyway, Mother's Day is on Sunday — so everyone have a Happy Mother's Day!