Fan of . . . 180: Bright Colors

Experimenting with different WordPress themes this week. Tried something called Mesa, but didn’t like the way the posts were organized. This one’s called Livro.

Today is Halloween! Self has a bag of candy ready. Unfortunately, she didn’t have time to set out all her Halloween decorations. Nevertheless, she’ll keep her lights on and sees who shows up.

There are lots of things she’s a fan of, but nothing energizes her as much as bright, vivid color. In her garden, she has a new plant: a bougainvillea. She bought it in June, and it is now covered with orange flowers.

Posting for Jez Braithwaites’s Fan Of . . . #180 Challenge.

Lens Artists Photo Challenge # 221: Favorite Flower, and Why

Self’s favorite flower — dear blog readers all know what that is:

ROSES! ROSES! ROSES!

Because this year, she moved her container roses to just outside her French doors, and they have repaid that decision in spades. She greets them every day, and lavishes care and fusses. They love food, and sun, and warmth — which just so happen to be all the things self loves. And oh, yes, they love companionship. And they repay that companionship with the most gorgeous displays.

Here’s the prompt from Leya.

Good Morning! More Flower of the Day

Decided to take another picture of what’s blooming in the backyard at the moment.

Posting for Cee Neuner’s Flower of the Day.

Flower of the Day: Afternoon, October

Self’s All Dressed Up started blooming again yesterday.

It is a very, very hot day.

Posting for Cee Neuner’s Flower of the Day.

Her roses just don’t quit. Bougainvillea right behind, doesn’t quit either.

Flower of the Day: Blaze

Finally, self has done it! After many, many failed attempts, she has succeeded in establishing a bougainvillea! The little itty bitty thing she bought from the Palo Alto Farmers Market in June has quadrupled in size and is covered with fiery orange flowers, which seem to blaze in the late afternoon sun.

Posting for Cee Neuner’s Flower of the Day.

Flower of the Day: All Dressed Up Rose

Self’s All Dressed Up Rose is blooming again! Here are some pictures she took a few hours ago.

Posting for Cee Neuner’s Flower of the Day.

Lens Artists Photo Challenge # 220: One Subject, Three Ways

To explain this challenge, P.A. Moed quotes Shivanand Sharma:

Working a shot is the photographers’ way of refining the shot; to make an extraordinary imagery from the ordinary scene. It is just like a writer wandering about for the plot of story or a painter re-working his canvas for a finished outcome. 

Shivanand Sharma

Self had quite a hard time settling on a subject. So many possibilities! Which shows how many pictures she actually takes: for her, framing is all.

But, finally, she settled on her newest rose, Moonlight Romantica, bought just this past spring. It has entertained her with its beauty for months — all summer, in fact. It is not blooming right now, so these are pictures she took in July. (In addition, it has grown to a great height: it’s almost 5 feet right now)

The colors change gradually: from the bright orange of a new bud, to a pale yellow when first unfurled, to almost white when past its prime.

Moonlight Romantica rose, July

Flower of the Day: Last Thursday of September 2022

Good morning!

Chrysler Imperial Rose busts out!

Took this picture a few minutes ago.

Posting for Cee Neuner’s Flower of the Day.

Flower of the Day: One More Round for Roses

One of the greatest pleasures of the summer just ended has been the new roses self bought in the spring. All Dressed Up (pink) is just starting to bloom again, and her Chrysler Imperial (deep red) is getting ready for a spectacular show.

Posting for Cee Neuner’s Flower of the Day.

Cee’s Flower of the Day: The Heat Returns

We had unseasonable weather last week: it rained. And rained. And rained.

Yesterday it did not rain, but it was cool.

Today was hot. Self had seen a gorgeous bloom on her Chrysler Imperial rose this morning. But she didn’t have time to take a picture. By the time she returned, in mid-afternoon, it had wilted.

Not to worry: her bougainvillea is covered with pretty orange blooms.

Posting for Cee Neuner’s Flower of the Day (FOTD) Challenge.