Nature Photography via My Husband

Tonight I'm sharing some of my husband's beautiful photography.  He has a blog called Back Road Photos - New England Style which he used to post to when he was working as a UPS driver.  His last route was out in the "hilltowns" where nature was at her finest, so everyday was a photo-op, as they say.

Now that he's retired, he's a tad less diligent on posting, to say the least.  Hence, I'm doin' it!

What the heck is that, you say?  Believe it or not, it's actually a drop of water resting perfectly on this giant elephant ear leaf.  (At least we think it's an elephant ear; it's a little different than our usual plants).  

Look at how beautifully and magically the water magnifies everything around, making it almost look fantastical.  

These next three are of our daughter's rose, The Pope John Paul II Rose, which has flourished so amazingly in our back yard that we're hoping she's in no hurry to transplant it to the home she now shares with her husband (and cuter-than-any-baby-boy-in-history-our-six-month-old-grandson-Bobby!)

See what I mean?  And each photo is taken with an iPhone 6, nothing more complicated than that.

This one makes me think of velvety whipped cream, or satin, or God.  Because only God can create something so immaculately perfect.

These leaves adorn our blueberry bushes.  The way the colors melt into each other is just so soft and peaceful.  

He's going to post some on his blog tonight (he may or may not know that yet), so feel free to take a hop, skip and a jump on over to see these and the older ones as well. Back Road Photos - New England Style

He's good, I tell ya!  

Yellow Jackets?!

Raise your hand if...your crafting cottage has a giNORmous nest of yellow jackets between the trim boards!!!!  

MINE TOO!!!

No way can I go out there knowing there are hundreds of stinging insects 3/4 of an inch away, just on the other side of the sheetrock.   Not only am I allergic to the stinging demons, I am over-the-edge terrified of them!  I can't even LOOK at them!

Needless to say, I haven't been in my cottage for over a week, partly because of the heat and humidity, but most recently because of the terrifying yellow jackets!  

My husband has been working on getting rid of them on his own, because heaven forbid we call an exterminator!  

I think I'll give him a deadline of one more day, then...I'm calling in the weaponry, the top guns, the EXTERMINATOR!

Wiener Mobile!!

Raise your hand if...you saw the Oscar  Mayer Wiener Mobile!    Me too!!

WHAAAAAAT?!

Who thinks this stuff up?!  

I felt kind of funny staring at it, until I realized that EVERYone was staring!  I mean, it's not like you see this kind of thing every day, right?! 

(But if you DO see this kind of thing every day, I'd like to come visit!)  

East Coast Gem and Mineral Show

Raise your hand if...you are in love with one of nature's gifts, gems and minerals!  Me, too!!

My husband and I went to the East Coast Gem and Mineral Show yesterday, what a nice way to spend the afternoon.

Here's just a little bit of what we saw...

...this is actually gold.  How magnificent, as was the price tag!  I can't remember the exact amount on this piece, but we saw prices up to $75,000.00!

                                           
If I were a beader, I'd have been in beader heaven!  The two photos above are just a minute section of the beads and cabochons offered for sale.

This is pyrite, which grows in cube shapes, cool huh?  My husband bought a very small piece for home, just to have.

My favorite pieces of all are the minerals.  To think that they are naturally occurring in nature is mind-blowing to me!  A gift from God and Nature.

I can see how a person can get caught up in collecting pieces.  Once you own one, it's close to impossible to stop there!  

Evening Backyard

Peace and quiet is what reigns supreme in our backyard at certain times of the day, like just before dusk.

When we first moved here to our little acre 31 years ago, there were close to 30 blueberry bushes.  This is our patch today, smaller but still healthy.  Barely any blueberries this year, though; maybe it's because of the lack of rain? Some years are just better than others.

While the blueberries are producing less berries, the grapevines are laden with grapes!  This is just one of them...maybe this will be the first year I make grape jam rather than blueberry!

Just look at this magnificent rose!  This is the second blooming of this healthy and beautiful bush.  The first time she produced 21 blooms (hi Mom and Dad); this time she's got 18 blooms! I hear tell roses are sometimes fussy to grow, but this lady is strong, hardy and magnificent.

Lastly, Grandmother Willow.  She's nearing the end of her time here as she's about half the size of when she was at her fullest.  Every so often, another limb succumbs and hits the ground with a resounding thud.  But for now, she still stands with as much majesty as she can muster.

Sleep Deprived Today

Raise your hand if...you couldn't fall asleep until FOUR A.M.!!!!

Me, too!!

What the heck was THAT all about?!

And may it NEVER happen again.

I did ok earlier today after two cups of coffee, domestic goddess chores, and reading on the porch.

But now, at 5:30 p.m., I'm starting to fade, and fade fast.

I have a funny feeling I won't be awake for Ghost Hunters Series 11 Premiere tonight.

Dammit.

Raindrop on Leaves

My husband, Bob, is a really good photographer.  He sees what others don't, he has his own perspective.

Let me show you what I mean.

This is an actual, single raindrop that has settled in the center of a giant leaf in one of the gardens.  It almost looks like a piece of glass, but it isn't.  It's an actual raindrop.  

The last photo is my favorite, I don't know why.  Perhaps it's the angle, or the colors, or the beautiful, magical mystery of it.  

Never Too Much Chocolate

Look at these photos that I found from four years ago!

My son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter had traveled to Hershey, PA, and look at what they brought me!  Oh they know me so well.

Does it get any better than this? I can taste it like it was yesterday!  

Feeling Blue

Raise your hand if...you ever feel blue.  Yeah, me too.

I was feeling blue a couple of days ago, and while I do love the color blue, I don't like feeling blue. (that's a lotta blues).  

There were a number of healthy ways I could have chosen to battle those blues, like...

• talk a long walk
• call a friend
• journal
• manifest Richard Gere (ok, maybe not that one)
• go shopping
• read a book

...you get the idea.  Lots of healthy remedies.  

Know why I chose none of them?  Because I was craving frosting, plain and simple. 

So I made a cake. 

With milk chocolate frosting.

And I ate a piece (or three).

And  felt less blue.  Sort of a light blue, maybe even pastel blue.  

I suppose I could have just eaten the frosting right out of the container, but that seemed a little over-the-top, you know?  Unhealthy even.