the gift that keeps on giving
The blue flag iris stems I photographed five days ago have been siting on my kitchen counter ikebana-style in a shallow pasta bowl with water and flower frogs. I thought the whole arrangement would last a day, maybe two. But here we are, five days later and it is still looks great. All the original blooms have faded, but hidden behind each of them was another bud just waiting for it’s chance to shine. And what elegant buds they are…like a Japanese tanuki hair brush dipped in purple paint ready to make marks on a fresh sheet of washi paper. Swoon.
blue flag iris– flower and bud (Iris versicolor)
It was fun while it lasted
Happy Summer Solstice! This is is the aftermath of the daisies I photographed nine days ago. It is weirdly evocative, isn’t it? Being busy has unexpected advantages–subjects that hang around long enough to have a second chance at being commemorated as STILL subjects.
Spent roadside daisies
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At 78 I feel like these daisies. Not quite dead yet, but heading in that direction. Your book is a joy, and I am going to consume it in the same way you created it; one day, one photo at a time. Because my eyesight is failing, I need to look long and hard at everything. Your book is perfect for that. And it would appear, so is this blog. Thank you for both.
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something a little different
I am finding it interesting that the black background does not motivate me to do flat-lay photos in the same way the white background did. On white, flat-lays felt natural–almost scientific. But on black, without the soft shadows on the background, it feels a little…well, flat.
driftwood pieces from the south shore of Lake Superior
another day on the dock
Steve and I behaving like we are 20 years younger than wee are–waist deep in waiters repairing our boardwalk one 8-foot section at a time. It is backbreaking, a little foolish, and as a result kind of fun. It’s such a janky old dock that it is one of those things that is easier to do yourself–no matter how difficult–than to try and explain to someone else what to do. Someday soon, the whole thing will have to be rebuilt–probably right on top of the old one. Until we win the lottery, or some A24 director buys the movie rights to Stevie’s book, we will keep patching the old one ourselves.
American water lily (Nymphaea odorata)
before I say goodbye
I made a group shot of these musk thistles six days ago. Since then, they have been in a vase on my (still-new-to-me) kitchen island. My husband just informed me that the water in the vases were giving off a musty smell. So before I dumped them outside so they could self actualize into compost, I decided I needed one last individual portrait. Musk thistle, you are a thorny villain almost to rough to handle, but you sure are photogenic.
musk thistle or nodding thistle (Carduus nutans)
Look at all that exquisite veining on them (nectar guides for the pollinators)! And two more buds waiting in the wings for your future admiration. The curved stem ain’t bad either :) Well done, as always!