Butterfly Wonderland

It was a day of beauty and wonder for all of us. No matter how many times I visit, I am thrilled by this amazing natural wonder. The butterfly is a symbol of change, joy and color and a miracle of transformation and resurrection. So when I had friends visiting from out of town, I wanted to be sure to take them here. It is billed as America's largest butterfly atrium with thousands of butterflies freely flying around. They come from South America, Africa, Asia and other tropical locations. It is really a photographer's paradise!

My friends Deanna from Chicago and Barb from Canada were excited to see this wonderful place. We arrived at 10:00 in the morning and had to pull ourselves away at 12:30. The Blue Morpho above is quite elusive, flitting about but rarely landing. When they do land, they usually fold up their wings that are a dull brown on the other side, so I am always on the lookout for one who is sunning himself with his wings extended. In all the times I've visited here, this is only the second time I've been able to capture one (with my camera, that is!)

Here are a few of the other beauties that posed for me:

This black swallowtail is one of my favorites and he was so accommodating to pose on these white flowers!

And one of  my favorites is  this Paper Kite.  Even though they are only black & white and not a more striking color, I love their delicacy, and espcially love when they land on a red flower like this hibiscus!

And finally one that I'm not sure of.  I tried to find it in the handout but nothing looked quite like the right  one.  But I really liked the bands of colors on his wings.

When we were finally able to pull ourselves away, we had a nice lunch together and sat around and talked for a couple of hours more!  So glad I was able to share this place with other people who I knew would appreciate it as much as I do. 

Fabulous Photography Friends

It is always so much fun to get together with other women photographers, people who understand when you stop to take a photo of a leaf or a heart-shaped prickly pear pad. People who will walk slowly through the garden taking it all in and capturing it all with their cameras. People like me.

Yesterday was just such a day.  I had the privilege of getting together with these beautiful women at the Desert Botanical Gardens: l-r Barbara Hurst from Anthem, Deanna Swauger from Chicago and Barb Brookbank from Alberta, Canada.  Of course, I have known Barbara Hurst for quite some time since we both live here. Deanna comes to visit friends a few times a year and we always get together but this was the first time we had met Barb Brookbank.  I read all of their blogs daily and felt like I knew them long before the first in-person meeting took place.  But it was like we had known each other forever.

The Chihuly glass exhibit is going on at the botanical gardens and so that was a bonus. There were shades of blue:

And purple:

And some yellow and red:

But I really prefer to focus my lens on the natural elements in the garden like my favorite agave:

And the blooming aloes that were all around:

These beauties will be here long after the Chihuly exhibit has gone, always changing, always beautiful. So much fun to be able to share this place I love with friends from near and far.

We have a couple of more days planned together and I can hardly wait!

Day 4, 5 and 6 - Gratitude

I've committed to posting a gratitude photo a day to Instagram, Flickr and a post here and this is the one that seems to fall by the wayside unfortunately.  So here goes catch up day!

I am doing December Daily for the fourth year in a row and grateful to have had time to play today and get my cover done.  I ordered the Studio Calico kit and am changing it up a bit and so far I'm happy with how it's coming along. You'll see more as I get the insides completed in December.

Grateful that the shorter days allow me to be up for the sunrise and this morning it was spectacular! I tell you, the sun coming up over the desert is something to behold.

We have a pomegranate tree and it's a race against time every year to have them ripen and be able to pick them before the birds get them. We live right on the mountain preserve and I think the birds think whatever is in our yard is fair game.  We love to add them to guacamole and make pomegranate margaritas.  Can't tell we live in the southwest, can ya?

Day 3 - Gratitude

This weekend was jammed full of activity and not all of it fun. But in the midst of all that I remembered to pause and reflect on things I am grateful for.

My youngest son has been playing soccer for over 22 years and I think I can count on one hand the number of games I've missed. I'm grateful for him every day but today I am also grateful for this beautiful fall day and time to spend on the soccer field watching him play once again.

During halftime, I took a stroll to the ladies' room and discovered this tree covered in peppercorns:

The sky was blue, the breeze was cool and the sun was shining. Many things to be grateful for.

Desert Beauty

I am so grateful for the beauty of the desert that surrounds me. This time of year, the prickly pear are covered in bright red fruit.  In the spring, they are covered in beautiful and delicate yellow flowers. Second post for today because I started a day late! :-)

Abstract Images

I've been playing around the house today (it's too hot to go outside!) and shooting some abstract images for Leigh Love's theme over at Focusing on Life, Attraction to Abstraction. Did a little research first to try to figure out exactly what abstract images were.  I was so happy to find out that macro shots of flowers qualify!  I've been shooting lots of peony shots but decided to switch it up and took this one of some gerbera daisies I have sitting on the kitchen table.  Gotta love that color!

Morning Feast

 

This morning after a trip to drop Robert off at the airport I passed this saguaro only two blocks from home that was full of birds feasting on the fruit.  It was full of blooms only a few short weeks ago and now those blooms have turned to fruit.  This is a thrasher but there were doves getting their fill as well.  I quickly drove home and grabbed my camera and went back and luckily they were still there.  It's almost too hot to go out and shoot (111 degrees and record-breaking heat yesterday) but I was able to get this from my air conditioned car! Can you see that little bit of fruit clinging to his beak?  It made me happy to be able to capture this.