Watercolor Flowers

I love flowers! I wouldn't call myself a master gardener by any means, but I'm a pretty good dead-header. Doesn't sound glamorous, but it does keep things blooming a whole lot longer (something I learned from my father who raised orchids and fuschias). I've been playing with Corel "Painter" lately and created this "watercolor" out of picture I took of flowers in my kitchen window with dappled sunlight on them. Not too exciting yet, but I'm excited by the possibilities! :)

Gifts of Lavender

I had a huge lavender crop this year and wondered what to do with it all. My sister-in-law, Marilyn, found an article on how to make lavender wands. Since then, I've found a good explanation on the web as well: http://www.gardengatemagazine.com/extras/62lavenderwand.php

I made many of these while on an airplane. The plane smelled sweet, I believe we were all more relaxed thanks to the soothing properties of the aromatic lavender, and I sure did get a lot of curious onlookers who had never seen them before. I'm hooked. I hope my harvest is even greater next summer.

My husband, Del, took me out the night of my birthday (Sept 12) to a wonderful local restaurant and we ate outside. This was the view from our table and there was a live band playing on the other side of the water. Perfect!

The Gift of a Sunbird

This is one of the favorite images I've ever captured. I had been getting up before dawn every morning for about a year and taking sunrise pictures. This morning, as I was capturing the rising sun, a raven flew into the frame at just the right moment. It was truly a gift.