How does your garden grow?

Thomas always says that our garden grows despite my best efforts. I think that was true at first but I'd like to think the plants are responding to the copious amounts of time I now spend doting on them. Perhaps they are showing off for their portrait sittings. Whatever the reason I'm ok with it.

Tree Fuchsia

I really love the clusters of pink flowers that fill this plant for most of the spring and summer months. I bought it on a whim not knowing what kind of habitat it needed. Much to the plant's chagrin, I planted it in direct, all day sun. It's taken a few years and a lot of water but this year it seems to be very happy with its home.

Camera Tricks: Magnifying Lens Filter

If you've read this blog before you'd know that I like taking photos. I like taking photos of my two crazy dogs, but I really like taking photos of flowers. I think flowers are incredible samples of nature. I mean what's better than a glossy orange tulip or a feathery pink hibiscus? Not too much.

Moving to California has brought a whole new set of flowers into my vocabulary. I don't stop at azalea and iris anymore. Now I can talk about bougainvillea and angel's trumpet. I head out in the garden at some point every day and today I fixed on fuzzy, yellow kangaroo paw.

This image was taken at the maximum focal length of my 55mm lens. I can get close and with a crop I could remove a lot of the background "noise" but then the final size of the photo would be smaller.

Enter the magnifying lens filter.

With an 8x magnifying lens filter and my focal length set to the same 55mm, I can get so up this flower's nose it's not even funny. As you can see a lot of the background has been left out and what's left is a sharply focused flower and shorter focal depth. I think I'll have to get a couple more lens filters because I can have lots of camera fun for about 10 bucks!

Oh, Henry! You're so adorable, I missed you so much

That's what I was saying when I took this photo.

Henry was saying something more along the lines of... "I really don't like your new camera, it bugs me. And, why haven't you cut my bangs so I can really glare at you while I pose for this photo that I am only posing for because you haven't been here to take annoying pictures of me. I missed you, too!"

A Day in the Life of Lola

Lola's day begins with a long, leisurely stretch that moves into a howling yawn. She then does a lap around the living room looking for warm sunshine. Today, it was a little cloudy, so a belly rub from Thomas is the way to go.

After the sun comes out, what is more fun than hunting for lizards in the garden with my brother?

Then Lola needs a little down time so she decides to chew a stick inside meticulously spitting out every little piece of wood onto my carpet. But wait! She needs to figure out what Henry is chewing just in case she needs to get up and steal it.

After a long day Lola settles in on the sofa for a little tv and another belly rub.