Plant id?

(Remember, I said this was going to be a week of randomness.)

We have these flowers? weeds? wild herbs? in our yard...the stems look like chives but smell like green onions. They grow in clumps in various spots by the house, generally in shadows (like, at the base of shrubs).

Any ideas?

Unknown

September 2005, Canon PowerShot S230

Hodgepodge week

Pressed for time + one sick kid = a totally random collection of shots this week. ;-)

Frosted over

January 2006, railroad tie/garden/backyard, Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT

Snow week concluded

Getting ready to head out of town to visit friends, so I'm wrapping things up with the first shot of the New Year. Not a great shot, compositionally. But we'd gone something like two and half weeks with no sun by this point...starting off the new year with even a wee bit gleaming through the grey overcast skies was such a relief.

January the 1st

January 2006, our Twin Cities 'burb, Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT

I'm thinking of doing a macro week for the next theme--unless there's a particular something someone wants to see?

Have a great weekend, all! :-)

Home security

Last spring Emma brought home a library book about a very paranoid chicken and his equally paranoid mother who, among other things, put up warning signs in their yards to scare away potential burglars.

Emma thought this was an absolutely brilliant idea, so brilliant that she promptly made a sign for us (with just a little bit of help from Daddy).


December 2005, our back yard, Canon PowerShot S230


And just for the sake of comparison, here are some shots from when the sign was crisply fresh:





Obviously, it's working. No burglars here! ;-)

Vanishing point

It's too early to think of anything to say to go with this one.

Just round the bend...

January 2006, Ft. Snelling State Park, Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT

Apples didn't fall far from that tree

So, my husband does this crazy winter biking thing. Thus, the girls think this is normal behavior. Ergo, when it's 4°F in December they see nothing wrong with putting on their outside gear and hopping on their bikes and going for a little spin...


Lunacy, inherited

December 2005, our snow-covered driveway, Canon PowerShot S230

Pretty

So sleepy this morning...man, the wind was howling last night!

Winter Wonderland

February 2005, Canon PowerShot S230
Our front yard, facing north

Snow week

Snow Anna wants, so snow Anna shall get! (If we get a blizzard now, it's all her fault.)

Still

December 2005, Canon PowerShot S230
- our front yard, overlooking the MN River*
- originally color, converted to B&W

*Anna also asked where yesterday's photo was taken, which made me realize I'd stopped putting "place" info in the descriptors during Butterfly Week...I'll go back and add 'em in as time allows.

Sunset week concluded

Last of the sunset shots. This one is very nice viewed
large (and against a white background).

January Splendor

January 2005, Ft. Snelling State Park, Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT

So. Any suggestions for the next "theme"?

A walk in September

Power lines and sunset skies, interesting combo (to me, anyway).

September Night

September 2005, Ft. Snelling State Park, Canon PowerShot S230

After the storm series

Another one from that 2004 thunderstorm...

The Infinite Meadows of Heaven

July 2004, looking toward Minneapolis, Canon PowerShot S230

Dusk falls

The moon, sunset remnants, the river, the city lights...a perfect September night.

Untitled

September 2005, scenic overlook above the Minnesota River, Canon PowerShot S230

Sunset flight

Sometimes, don't you wish you were on that plane going Somewhere, not watching from the ground?

Fly Away

November 2005, old quarry now part of Ft. Snelling State Park, Canon PowerShot S230

Pink Sunset

Quieter than the previous one, but just as nice in its own way. As always, click to see the larger size.

The Pink Rushing Light of Dusk

August 2005, our Twin Cities 'burb, Canon PowerShot S230

Sunset week!

Harumph. Y'all are being too quiet, so I'll just keep doing whatever I please, then. ;-)

Starting things off with this shot, taken right after a thunderstorm:

The Supreme Flaming Glory of the Sunset

July 2004, our front yard, Canon PowerShot S230

I should probably mention that I'm a big goof about certain types of titles (like, blazingly spectacular sunsets)...Oh, you noticed that? Never mind. :)

So now what?

Butterfly week was fun. Now, do I want to do another theme week?

I could go with:

- my kids
- sunrise/sunset
- winter
- bugs and spiders
- flowers
- florae
- storms
- inanimate objects
- water droplets
- or anything, really...

Sitemeter tells me this blog is getting an average of 12 - 15 visitors per day from all over the place. Drop me a line, let me know what you'd like to see--and how you found this blog, if you please. I'm curious! :-)

Timespace

October 2005, somewhere over the American west, Canon PowerShot S230

Celastrina neglecta

Butterfly week concludes with my personal favorite, the delicate Summer Azure*. Shy, skittish, not fond of great giant beasts blundering about with cameras, but a darling nonetheless.

What a little beauty!


September 2005, Canon PowerShot S230

*The link implies that this is a Canadian species, but the Summer Azure's range actually includes the eastern and central US as well as southern Canada.

Danaus plexippus

Today's butterfly is the Monarch. (You can see another one of my monarch shots here.)


September 2005, Canon PowerShot S230

We have a park nearby that the monarchs flock to in late summer before setting off on their annual journey to Mexico. There are at least 12 monarchs in the picture below. Can you find them? (Click the image to see a larger size.)


August 2005, Canon PowerShot S230

Pieris rapae

A Cabbage White butterfly...and a hard little bugger to shoot; she wouldn't stay still long enough for me to get a decent shot.


August 2005, Canon PowerShot S230

Colias philodice

Butterfly week continues with the Clouded Sulphur...


August 2005, Canon PowerShot S230

Vanessa cardui...

...aka the Painted Lady. (You can see another Painted Lady shot here.)

Love that snout!


August 2005, Canon PowerShot S230

Butterfly week

I've been using this space to rather haphazardly toss photos out there, no rhyme or reason to it, just shots I especially like...I think I'm going to try a theme week, just for fun. :)

So. Let's start with some Eastern Tiger swallowtails.

Several of them visited the weed patch (a little bit of lawn I'm letting go au naturel) at our house last August. Unlike other butterflies of my acquaintance, swallowtails make great photo subjects, as they don't seem to mind being continuously oogled by the paparazzi while eating. ;-)

The picture below is of a female (black) and a male (yellow). Dinner date?

Papilio glaucus

August 2005, Canon PowerShot S230

Memory of summer

Raindrops on...geraniums (ha! thought I was going to say "roses," didn't you? ;-p )

August 2005, Canon PowerShot S230

Happy New Year, belated

New camera joy continues.

World at my fingertips

January 2006, Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT

This one is particularly nice viewed large.