Beanie level: Rooftop room dweller

February day 9
Lately the world has been so dark and dreary and it’s hard not to feel such despair and sadness.
So I went outside and found all sorts of plants emerging from the soil, the green tips bursting through the dirt with such power and hope. Then I remember that yes there is hope and the sun comes up each day and the seasons change, the flowers will bloom, the birds will still come to the feeders and life does go on.
Trust in this ability to look for those moments of joy.
Love, February
25
9

    I love orchids. I have several. This one is stunning!!!

    1
    1

      Same here @ally-le – I’ve discovered they are quite easy to grow and the flowers last a long time. Just having blooms around me helps.

      1
      0

    Whew! It’s definitely been a tough week, so thank you for the reminder, Jo <3

    1
    1

      Yes it has been a tough week on so many fronts hasn’t it? Thank goodness the weather has allowed me to go out and actually start working in the dirt, which helps a lot.
      That and of course, dramas…

      1
      1

        As off-putting and as sarcastic (which, it’s supposed to be) as the say goes, it truly is a good idea to go outside and touch some grass sometimes lol Away from screens and away from whatever else that might be bringing down our physical and mental health, and I agree that it definitely helps!

        LOL I just finished a drama and am slowly– like, sloth speed– starting another one

        1
        0

    “So I went outside and found all sorts of plants emerging from the soil, the green tips bursting through the dirt with such power and hope.”

    Thank you for this powerful and bright reminder.

    1
    1

      You are welcome. There have been some deep moments of despair for me and then when I walk out to the mailbox and see bulbs coming out of the ground, well, it sort of ‘grounds’ me to where I am now. Glad you liked the reminder.

      2
      0

    Wondering what it says about me that all I’ve noticed are the weeds? I’m in a new neighborhood this winter and I don’t think anyone has any bulbs planted.

    0
    1

      Well at least you noticed them, which means you are looking around. That in itself is good (but I’m one who stops to look at a bee going through a batch of flowers as I’m easily distracted, and always looking for those moments of joy) as it means you are aware!

      1
      0

Every day the sun comes up and the seasons keep changing…
So here are some new daffodils emerging and the sun enjoying the trees.
Love, February
17
5

    Such a profound blue sky is February for me. But it has become very rare that the sky is ever such a true blue… most sunny days, whatever the season, it is now a pale blue if not bright uncomfortable white ..

    1
    1

      Trust me, in Oregon it isn’t blue like that much from November through March. This winter has been very dark and foggy and cold and rainy – so when the sun comes out we go crazy.
      But I’m sure the sky wasn’t really that blue – but I didn’t want to to change the color setting in LR.
      Still it was very blue and very bright that day.

      1
      1

#BVIPP
An oldie but definitely a goodie for me.

4
0

I apologize for adding a song NOT by a kpop band, but this one is on repeat for me ALOT. I looked up Liu Yu Ning for his singing on Octogenarians, and in his play list this song came up! I LOVE it!

9
0

My contribution to the #BVIPP BY @ally-le
This song makes me dance all the time!

6
0

@turtuallysarcastic
Life can be very hard at times can’t it? Then there are other times when the days are bright and filled with hope. Hang on to those days and try to believe they will come again.

I don’t know how old you are, but I suspect that I have easily more than a couple of decades of ‘life experience’ to draw from compared to you, and can say with all certainty that this will pass. These darks days really will pass.

One thing you need to remind yourself over and over again:
When other people are horribly mean and say such awful things to you – 99.9% of the time it has absolutely NOTHING to do with you. Instead it reflects what they are thinking about their own work.
Maybe they are blaming you for the poor work they are doing.
Mostly though – it’s okay and perfectly normal to doubt yourself – the important thing is to look on this time as a way to learn from it. Then you will dust yourself off and walk away. But it will take time. Your mental state is bruised and battered and will take time to heal.

Every now and then I have times when I feel like such a total loser compared to other people in my life. Those days have been hard. Last year when I was unemployed for so long, one day I said to myself:
“Okay, you can pity yourself all you want solid for an hour. Just wallow in it as much as you want and then let go.”
I sat on the back porch and resolved to feel how bad I was and that no one wanted to hire me or be my friend yadda yadda. Then I saw the birds at the feeder and they made me smile in their beauty. Then I noticed my flowers needed watering. Soon I’d forgotten about it and was able to let go of myself for the time being. (or else I’m just way to easily distracted and entertained!)

Be kind to yourself – don’t listen to those horrible people at work. Listen to the people who love you for who you are – period. They are what gives you the strength to keep going.

You will get through these times and look back on it and shake your head. But it takes time.

The times that I feel useless and alone and totally needed anywhere I look at the photos of my flowers and then KNOW that I do have something that is unique to me and that I’m good at.

What are you good at? What makes you smile and feel confident?
So I’m sending you some flowers here as if I’m sending a card in the mail. Beanies from around the world all have their arms around you with love and encouragement.

Also, I’d add this poem to your card:
“Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books that are now written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.”
― Rainer Maria Rilke
36
22

    Just so you know, one of the reasons I like to send my cards of encouragement is that I’m really writing to myself.
    This is to all the Beanies around the world who struggle at times and just want to make it through this day and the next.
    You will do it!
    Fighting!!!

    tagging other beanies who have been encouraging to me as well!
    I’m sure that I don’t have all the names
    @eazal, @isthatacorner, @mmmmm, @leetennant, @carlybisek, @snarkyjellyfish, @manichan, @purplesheesh, @pickleddragon
    You are all pretty great!!!

    14
    4

      Thank you so much for this wonderful post of encouragement Jo! The pictures are gorgeous, so is your heart. ♥️

      I, too, received a card from Jo @turtuallysarcastic. I ditto whatever she wrote, especially on the be kind to yourself part. Dark times taught me that you don’t need everyone in your life -just those who love you are enough. Actually, it’s way more than enough when you can only focus on keeping who and what makes you happy in life. And health is the most important thing, period.

      I had trouble dealing with things, too, sometimes. But I also got so much love and encouragement from Beans and it made all the difference.

      9
      1

      Thank you so much for these words of kindness @stpauligurl. Its a tough time and my future dreams seem to be so far out of reach but I will always keep your words of encouragement in mind. Thank you for the flowers

      7
      0

      The flowers from you hang on the wall above my desk, with all their kind and encouraging words, so that whenever the day gets tough, all I have to do is look up and smile. Thank you for caring so much for us, @stpauligurl! Love and hugs back at you!

      6
      0

      Your words are so thoughtful and beautiful. @turtuallysarcastic is blessed to have such a wonderful and thoughtful friend.

      4
      1

    I’ve missed your lovely photos. They remind me that one of these years I really need to try to grow a peony again.

    9
    1

      Thank you @ndlessjoie – the past month was kind of hard for me as well and I once again learned that when I get out with my camera I feel much better.
      Peonies seem to like my garden but I have sunflowers and dahlias growing. yeah!
      I’ll post some more flowers soon.

      3
      1

    These words are so true. It will pass. It always does. It doesn’t make it easier at the moment, though. But it will pass and you will learn from it, Turtie.
    The best advice is being kind and gentle to yourself, because nobody else has the power to make you happy.
    And I totally forgot to tell you, Jo. A wonderful rose and all the beautiful messages arrived on Friday. Thanks so much for your love, your time and your thoughts!

    7
    1

      ‘Beanies, be more kind to yourself in 2021’ – Turtie, Open Thread Jan.1st 2021. The irony. 🙂 But you are absolutely right, I just have to be patient for it all to pass. Thank you!♥️

      5
      0

    I love you ST
    I know how you feel @turtuallysarcastic because I feel the same way about my life hugs

    7
    1

    Thank you for your kind words, StpauliThey are directed a Turtie, but we’ve all been there. @turtuallysarcastic, hold on to your heart, you’ve got this! Here (*runs for the group hug) 💚💚💚

    4
    2

    Thank you Stpauligurl Jo 😌🥰😘*hug*

    4
    0

    @stpauligurl, I have no words to describe how much I love this card, and the flowers, and the poem.🥺 This is so touching and beautiful and I am so grateful to receive this from you! Forgive me if my reply is weird, I am too moved to say more, but thank you so much for the love!♥️

    5
    1

      You are most welcome – as I wrote, many times they are words directed at myself. Doing this for others the past 15 months has helped me as much as them.
      So who knows, you might get another ‘card’ one of these days!!!!!

      3
      0

    I love you, Jo! Your card helped me a lot and I still read it from time to time to remind me that I matter. We all matter, no matter how small we see ourselves, we matter.
    And she’s right, @turtuallysarcastic. We may not know each other personally but remember that we are here for you to listen to your rants, raves, and everything!

    2
    1

This show….
I can’t even.
I bet all the cast members got to write their favorite names….
21
2

    No Vinnie? Someone got Mr Vin. That was my choice before the show aired lol.

    4
    0

    Corn salad 🤣🤣🤣🤣

    I can’t get enough of this drama!

    4
    0

I am going to watch every show this writer does in the future. Too many screens and lines to capture!
and I can only imagine how they cracked up trying to do this scene……
17
8

    If you have not seen it yet, the writer’s other shows are The Fiery Priest and Good Manager.

    4
    1

      I loved Fiery Priest from the first to last episode, but haven’t seen Good Manager.

      0
      0

    We used to sell this coffee at Starbucks, they probably still do now. It was crazy expensive. We were offered samples, but I didn’t want to drink poop coffee, no matter how good it might taste. 🤭

    5
    1

      Oh it’s real? No thank you!!!
      that is a load of crap in my opinion.
      heheheeee

      4
      1

        It is. Civetas eat the grains and when they poop them they are recollected. Their acids in their stomachs make the coffee special, it seems.
        There is another variety but with elephants.

        1
        2

Vincenzo episode #8 – this show is just so crazy and funny every week. When our cameo baddie was awestruck by our hero ML – all I could think was:
He is all of us watching SJK….









12
1

    These two were in “Arthdal” together (Ipsaeng and Eunseom).
    I wonder if Joong-ki had anything to do with getting Kim Sung-chul to cameo in this episode.

    2
    0

Here it is, September 15 and halfway through the month of September. WOW!
Between the COVID-45 9 pandemic, fires to the north and south of us, massive unemployment and riots etc. I keep saying “It just can’t get any worse!” and then it does.

So I’ve decided to stop asking that and instead ask everyone
“So what stories and bits of smile and joy are we going to carry with us to tell when this is all done?”
For me it’s the little Annas Hummingbirds who fight over the feeder outside my window and keep me so entertained as I watch them guard the feeder then chase each other away. So then another little hummer dives in for a meal. It looks like there is a little male who was born this week. But there are two females that seem to be ganging up on him and now I find them both at the feeder several times a day.
Yes I am that easily entertained.
Last Tuesday when the air was filled with orange smoke and ash all the birds were gone from the feeders and I didn’t hear or see them flying for about 3 days.
Except the hummers – they never gave up!

Let’s be like the hummingbirds who are smart and fast that we don’t let anything stop us from living the lives we want! Heres to all you beanies to just keep beaning on…..

And with that, I add some flower photos here so you can imagine them feeding. Bird photos are not my thing – just flowers and landscapes. So enjoy them everyone.
21
21

    The photos are just beautiful. I always say, don’t say things can’t get any worse because they always do. But this year really takes the cake, and I’m lucky enough to live someplace with ample water, no drought or fires and mostly no rioting, but plenty of “good trouble “ demonstrations. My advice to all is,
    Plan your vote!

    4
    2

      Thanks @bbstl – I like the sound of that plenty of “good trouble”!
      We vote by mail here in Oregon so I’m ready to go when it lands in my mailbox. I’m going to get in my car and personally deliver it!

      4
      0

      My state is a solid Republican state, I don’t know of my vote will make any difference but I will do my part! Hopefully that orange buffoon doesn’t get re-elected.

      3
      1

        Mine is also and I know my presidential vote is irrelevant but I concentrate on the local elections that are so important, like electing a female governor!

        2
        0

    I would be lying if I don’t say I was a tad disappointed to not see the hummers 🙂
    Beautiful pictures as always.
    Fighting!!

    2
    1

      @mayhemf – to be honest, I’ve been trying to get some shots, but if I get too close to the window they see me and fly off but I’ll see what I can do. They are such fun…

      2
      1

        Try hanging around outside a few times a day near the feeders once the smoke clears. Ours tend to scold me when I’m close to their food (be it a favorite plant or a feeder) but they tolerate me if I’m at the window now.

        1
        1

          A few years ago I neglected the feeder on the deck for a couple of days (before I knew better) and was out at the other end of the yard working in my garden. All of a sudden this little hummer came across the yard and started flying around in front of my face. Honestly it was just a foot or two away and it was definitely telling me that the feeder was empty!!!
          I never forgot that scolding. And I keep all the feeders full all year long.

          2
          0

    Gorgeous pictures.

    2
    1

      Thank you @ally-le – it’s been so smokey as of late I haven’t taken my camera outside so I’mm pulling from photos taken earlier this year or ones I found that I took in 2014 (which are the last two photos).

      1
      0

    Absolutely beautiful!
    Stay safe and well always 🌺🌸🌹🌼🌻🌷

    2
    1

    The pictures are fantastic!

    2
    1

      Thank you @korfan – I’ll try to post some more soon. They remind me of the days when the air was clean and fresh and I could see the sun and not have to worry about breathing!

      1
      0

    Thank you for the gorgeous photos! I’m looking forward to non stinging eyes and seeing the sky again soon (please be soon).

    3
    1

      You and me both @ndlessjoie! I think we should all wash our cars. It usually rains the day after I wash mine…
      And you are welcome for posting the photos. I’ll try to post some more, but I have to resize them as many are over 10MB which is the limit.

      2
      1

        I’d wash it, but I don’t think my sinuses can take it.

        0
        1

          To be honest, I put on my mask, pulled out the hose and power-washed off all the ash last Wednesday. I had to go into town and it was the only thing I could think of. But it worked.

          1
          0

    I am not a flower person, but your pictures are beautiful. Thank you for your post, I could use a little reminder to not forget the good things. 😉

    3
    1

      We all need that reminder – sometimes we get so caught up in what’s happening around us that we forget to stop take a breath, and just BE – if not for a bit.

      The hummers and all the other birds help me with that.

      1
      0

    amazing and beautiful pictures 🙂 , thank you for sharing them. Hoping things are better for you now.

    0
    0

This showed up in my new music list today and I can’t stop listening. To all you beanies around the world – this is for you!!!!!

10
0

Apparently, I’m not out of TU rabbit hole. Look what I found this week!
It’s over 2 hrs long and nowhere near 100% subbed. I’ve been watching parts at a time.

But it’s still fun seeing all the behind the scenes videos that we haven’t seen before (or at least I haven’t)
There are many cute interviews with different cast members. Besides my favorite WX and LZ together there is a real cute one with Wen Ning.

But by far the highlight is with a Jenga game/interview with Lan Xichen and Jin Guangyao. It isn’t subbed either but it is really REALLY funny how Jin Guangyao is totally focused on the game and..
Well, watch it yourself starting at 2:13:16.

These people are all just so beautiful even when not in costume!

20
9

Apparently while isolating at home, playing with flowers, refining my sourdough bread skills (which is making all my neighbors happy as I can’t eat all the bread I bake), and looking for a full-time remote writing job I leveled up!!!

I’m now a Rooftop room dweller!!!

And to celebrate I thought I’d share some of the flowers in my yard and from a dahlia farm down the road.
Top to bottom:
Pink dahlias in my yard
Orange marigold – my yard
White dahlia – the farm
Echinacea bud – my yard
Zinnia bouquet – the farm

Enjoy the pretty flowers all you wonderful beanies!!!!!
42
19

IOTNBO Episode #11
How can this show be so consistently beautifully filmed, heartbreaking powerful and poignant week after week. I love how it makes me feel, and think, and wonder every time. BRAVO!!

21
2

    I wasnt paying attention this episode but last time I checked, they have three directors working for this. Maybe that’s why it looks so nice. Scenes are properly allocated and they’re not rushing.

    2
    1

      Well, I’ll certainly look for these directors and writers again for anything else they do.

      1
      0

Watching this testament to John Lewis had me in tears. May we we all find a way to become our most truly human self. Love to all you beanies around the world!!! STAY SAFE and wear your mask!

6
0

This song showed up on my iTunes feed this weekend and it’s been on repeat and I can’t get it the song out of my mind. Then I looked up the lyrics in English and found out why it is so soothing.

2
1

    This is the link to the MV with graphics that say even more…..
    https://youtu.be/Q-Tr9pU0YAw
    It’s okay – we will all be okay…..
    This song is full of so much feeling of warmth and love that I just can’t get it out my mind and heart – so I hope you beanies all over the world can feel a little of what I feel listening to this song.
    ***fighting or hwaiting!***

    0
    0

For all of you who struggle with squirrels – this is SO MUCH FUN to watch!!!
important – do not watch with full bladder…. you’ve been warned!

12
10

    Lol! Thank you. This was so funny 🤣

    2
    1

      I’m glad you enjoyed it. I was laughing so much watching those squirrels flounder around – and now I wonder if I should just let the little one in my yard just eat my bird seed.
      Nah.

      1
      0

    I didn’t know squirrels could jump like that.

    1
    1

      Apparently they can. I watched as a squirrel fell from a branch in a huge tree outside my building. I think the limb was at least 20 feet from the ground. And the little creature fell FLAT on its stomach, with all four legs out. I was shocked and watched as the squirrel laid there for a couple of minutes (I think to catch it’s breath) then carefully get up and then walk over and climb back up the tree.
      Never forgot that. They are amazing – and annoying at my bird feeder – but still pretty amazing creatures.

      2
      1

        We don’t have squirrels in Australia, so it was startling to see how acrobatic they are. Years ago when I visited Canada it was interesting seeing in parks and backyards.

        1
        0

    Funny, but not surprising that the squirrels totally outsmarted all the obstacles.

    My only issue with the video is why did he assume that all the squirrels were male?

    1
    1

      What is funny is that he himself kinda calls himself out on it – a little….

      1
      0

    thanks a lot for sharing 🙂 ! that was some funny and amazing squirrels O_o hehe

    1
    1

      It is always good to find a way to laugh in a good way during these crazy and trying times we live in.

      1
      0

    This was amazing! I’m still scared of squirrels but they’re so smart and agile, I have so much respect for them now.

    1
    0

Hello from crazy rainy part of my world – today is Monday, right?
I’ve had two phone interviews with recruiters from different companies today. One of them was a no go as it would have been a 2 hour commute. But who knows what will happen?
But now I feel free to spend time watching a drama this afternoon.
In the meantime I wanted to share some of my poppy photos for those of you who said you liked them. Poppies are amazing in how they grow and form pods, then the flower actually pushes and emerges from the pods. I hope the following photos show a little of how amazing they are.

NOTE: These photos were taken at different times and on different bushes. I’ll have to resize many of them so they fit here. But I hope all you beanies around the world can enjoy them while you are staying safe and well!
32
18

    First of all: yay to those phone interviews!! Keeping my fingers crossed for you!!
    Second: thanks for sharing these beautiful photos. I love poppies. In fact, when I’m in distress or suffering from pain, I try to imagine a green field full of red poppies to find some comfort.

    6
    1

      Thanks – I’ll post some more just for you!!! Hey it’s always a good sign to hear some kind of response when searching for work right?

      4
      0

    Gorgeous! I don’t know about you, but it feels more like fall right now than summer. It’s supposed to start improving here in a few days.

    3
    1

    Fascinating, thank you!

    3
    1

      You are most welcome. I would have never seen this for isolating at home while unemployed. What a treat it’s been!!!

      3
      0

    Wow! I adore poppies and had no idea that is how they grow. Amazing!!!
    Good luck with the interviews.

    2
    1

      I also had no idea about that and only noticed it when I was going out in the early morning to take photos of the other flowers who would unfold and ‘bloom’ over several days. And this poppy would just explode over the course of an hour.
      Thanks for the good luck wishes!

      1
      0

    Absolutely gorgeous 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

    2
    1

    Did you grow them? I have tried to grow poppies last summer but they didn’t even sprout 😂

    Goodluck on your job hunting. Fighting!

    2
    2

      Normally poppies need to have their grains scattered in early April otherwise try to freeze them in the freezer and scatter them to soil, they will do great for several years just let them age naturally and birds with wind will do a good job to disperse them for next year.

      2
      1

      Actually I’ve not tried to grow them from seed and always bought the plants and put them in my garden. For some reason this particular poppy plant has been very happy here and is now on it’s second summer in my garden. But I am saving the pods for seeds.
      I’ve been working on the soil for years and I think it’s been helping.
      Thanks for the good wishes on job hunting!!!

      3
      0

    All the best with the interviews!, and hope the weather turns for the better soon. The photos (and the poppies) are just gorgeous – they’re like a story unfolding before your eyes. Incredibly precious.

    2
    0

    thank you for sharing again beautiful pictures of flowers 😀 , instructive to see poppies at different shapes ^^ .
    and hwaiting for the interviews !

    1
    0

Just finished a long forgotten Bollywood film: Jodhaa Akbar and loved it once again. A beautiful love story with music by A.R Rahman. It’s long and took a couple of days. It was worth the time!!
12
16

So what does a beanie do when forced to stay home during a pandemic, and then finding oneself without a job, and no schedule? Well this beanie makes and sends cards to friends and family.
So in the process of creating cards I went out into the garden and started taking photos every day as the iris flowers started to bloom. I discovered that these flowers are amazingly, extravagantly, gorgeous, and detailed in a wonderful way. Which led me to working on different composition and aperture settings on my camera to get the detail I wanted.

Wowzzaaaaaaaaa – I’m so excited with the shots I got and wanted to share them here – cuz why not?
It isn’t a sense of bragging at how great they are – but more of a sense of awe that I was able to capture these incredible images!

And I wouldn’t have had the time if I wasn’t isolating at home and not working.
Enjoy!!!
37
39

    Beautiful. Thanks you.

    3
    1

      Thank you @marcusnyc20 – it’s been a fun and satisfying challenge this spring. Next up is the poppies and peonies!

      4
      3

        Looking forward to these too! I love letter writing too, and the joy of receiving a handmade card is like nothing else in the world. I’m sure the recipients will be absolutely delighted.

        1
        1

          This all started when a friend of my ended up with Breast Cancer, then early retirement from where we worked and on top of it has to stay home due to the pandemic. I was sending her my homemade cards now and then and she loved them. So I started writing her every day – and then that turned into a ‘theme of the week” for photos where I had to go back into my old pics and pull all sorts of shots. One week it was trees, then architectural and even portraits I’ve done of moms and new babies.
          Well this has now gone on for 12 weeks now and it’s become sort of my “covid – diary” as she said she’s keeping them. Someday I’ll read them and see what I was thinking.
          But it has become a habit. Last week she had her surgery in Portland so I made all the cards for the week in advance. But it was so weird not sitting down at my desk and writing her every morning, that by Thursday I was back at it.
          Let’s just say it feeds my soul right now.

          6
          4

            Oh what a beautiful idea! It will make for a lovely diary to read at some point of time. Maybe make it into a book or something 🙂 I’m sure she treasures it even more than you can imagine!

            Your story reminds me of my craze for pen friends – I am not a photographer, but I love writing letters. I used to seek out pen friends in the early ’90s, and had many – just before email happened. Only one of them stayed on, and we met in person ~20 years after we first started writing to each other. We are now good friends IRL too, and meet and talk and email and message often, but because both of us like to write the old-fashioned way, we try to send snail mail to each other ever so often. My friend is far more creative than me and a bit of an artist, and designs letterheads and envelopes, so every letter I get from her is special. I have a carton full of her letters, and she has many of mine (mine are just reams of pages in bad handwriting, nothing creative involved). We always tell each other that one day we’ll swap and see how naive and crazy we were as kids and remained unchanged as adults…

            1
            0

            The summer after my high school graduation *cough – we’re talking decades now* I met a friend when we were both in Birmingham Alabama. She was from PA and I was from OR. We have written letters all these years. There was a time that we didn’t keep in touch so much but now we are writing again. I think that i have every single letter she’s written to me.
            Hey if you want a pen pal friend let me know – I love to write letters but it seems no one else does….. I’d be happy to send you letters.

            2
            0

            Ooh that would be lovely! I’d be happy to write to you too 🙂 🙂 (note that I’m on another continent, a few timezones away!)

            My gmail handle is the same as my DB handle. Send me an email, and we can swap addresses 🙂

            1
            0

            sent email

            1
            0

        I meant *looking forward to posts of poppies and peonies too!*

        1
        1

          The poppies are so amazing. One morning I went out in the garden to find that the blooms emerge from their pod in a matter of around an hour. Did you know that???? I’m trying to put the photos together to show how fast it happens.

          3
          2

            I didn’t! Are you taking time lapse photos? In any case, these should be awesome. Poppies bloom here for a very short season, but they are so gorgeous. I try to visit the local flower shows around the time to make sure I get my fill!

            0
            0

            I don’t know how to do time lapse photos but I did use my phone and take a video. Of course that is the poppy that took over an hour to fully throw off the pod. the first one I watched threw the pod off in about 45 minutes.
            But now looking back at the video I listen to the sounds of all the birds that morning.
            I’ve been slowly going through them to mark them and then I’ll add the times to each one so you can see the difference.

            0
            0

        Omg I love peonies!

        1
        1

          There is a Peony farm about an hour north of me here in the Willamette Valley. Talk about bliss – you would go nuts for how beautiful they all are…. And the fragrance…….
          sigh – all the gardens are closed to the public right now so I’m just using my garden – and it saves on gas too!

          2
          3

            Sigh~ that is my kind of heaven..

            I have been waiting for my peonies to grow. We’ve had crappy spring so they are growing so slow.

            I love your iris pics 😍 Keep them coming!

            1
            0

            If they are coming up from the ground and you can see something they will grow and you will have those blooms!!!!!
            **fighting!**

            2
            0

            This sounds so beautiful!

            0
            0

    They’re gorgeous!

    2
    1

      Thank you @bbstl! They are pretty wonderful flowers aren’t they? I am thrilled with what I got and I feel like the little child who takes the artwork to mom and says “see what I did isn’t it cool?”

      6
      0

    Are they orchids? They’re gorgeous! beautiful photos too! You have a good eye 🙂

    2
    2

      Comment was deleted

      0
      0

      They do look like orchids don’t they @pickleddragon? I didn’t see that before – they are called Bearded Irises!!! It wasn’t until I started to really get those close ups and looked at them on my computer that I saw how gorgeous they are.
      And of course early morning rain helps with the water drop effect.
      And thanks for the compliment!

      5
      1

        Ah nice! I missed the iris reference in the post and went straight to the photos (they were so distracting :D) – sorry my bad! I don’t think I’ve seen bearded irises before! I am not sure they grow in my part of the world, in the tropics where its dry and really hot and horribly polluted most year round :/ You’re so lucky to be able to wake up to so much beauty every day. 🙂

        1
        1

          But I bet you have lovely flowers in your part of the world that we don’t have here. Yes I am thankful every day to live here in the Pacific Northwest….
          except during allergy season

          1
          1

            Hah! Yes, we have some lovely flowering trees here. In my neighbourhood, in March-April-May (the season just ended), the skyline is just a series of colours – reds from gulmohar (flame of the forest, I think is the English name) and silk cotton; yellow from laburnums; and purple from jacaranda. I have wasted many hours just staring at them. After that, we have to survive the long dry summer, and wait for the blip of a winter we have here for the flowering shrubs to bloom.

            2
            0

    These are beautiful! And I love irises – such an underrated flower.

    2
    1

      Thank you @snarkyjellyfish – they were certainly underrated for me until this past month.
      There is an iris farm about 40 miles north of me but I went only for their english garden and rarely took my camera into the acres of irises.
      Next year I’ll spend more time in the fields!!!
      So color me hooked…

      3
      1

        Oooh that sounds lovely – I can’t wait to see what pictures you have from that. English garden sounds nice too – the only thing I miss living in the city is having a garden. My mom’s is always fantastic and very English, though apparently her roses are giving her hell this year. I remember when we moved to the suburbs my mom’s only solace was having a garden, because we are very much city people. There’s just something about flowers and gardening that is so cathartic. I have lots of houseplants but it’s not quite the same, though it does help my small apartment feel alive.

        I think irises may be my third favorite flower (after sunflowers and purple lisianthus). I love the unique shape and the texture added on the edges of the bearded irises is delightful.

        2
        1

          I always remember you as the sunflower – lover!!!!! I’ll post more photos later.
          But gardening is truly my therapy – pruning and weeding are even better for stress….

          3
          0

    Wow so beautiful! 😀

    3
    1

      Thanks @edgarpordwed I’m having way too much fun making them into cards and sending in the mail. Funny thing is NO ONE writes back. But I get lots of texts…
      It’s okay – everyone loves to get mail and I can still write and it’s my way to support the post office.

      4
      1

        Aah thats alright! Really it used to be a lot of fun to write letters and make cards.

        1
        0

    These shots are beautiful!! Thanks for sharing.

    3
    1

      Thank you @eazal – it truly is my pleasure – after all who doesn’t like to see beautiful flowers in this crazy scary world we are living in right now..

      4
      0

    These are beautiful.

    1
    0

    Can I add a footnote to this? My friend who has cancer and has been the reason I ended up taking these photos told me today that my photos of these flowers calms her soul. I can’t think of a better compliment.
    Sorry – I don’t have anyone else to share this with – but it is the ultimate compliment for me as a friend and a photographer!

    now if they could just make me some $$$

    4
    1

      What a lovely compliment! I’m sure your talent will be recognized soon. Make a book, or start a website to sell your photos.

      1
      0

    Whoa! These are gorgeous! You should submit these to a photography contest. Reminds me of Georgia O’Keeffe.

    3
    1