Dreaming of Spring

As I've been going through pictures from last summer I am continually looking forward to warmer weather and green grass.  We've had a fairly cold winter here this year, though we haven't had much snowfall compared to past years.  Now that we're into April I'm hoping the warmer temperatures and the rain will start coming soon!

I thought I would go through and share some of my favorite pictures from last summer/fall.

This last fall my sister and my brothers and I went out on a walk through the back pasture, taking pictures and checking on the cows.  The leaves in the timber were popping with color!

The sun was setting as the cows were enjoying the lush green pasture.

 Maggie, our calf to one of our milk cows, was pretty curious as to what we were doing out in the pasture.

 Storm clouds rolling through during a nice spring day last year.

 I always look forward to the Grape Hyacinth blooming in the spring, and if you can get close enough they even smell good!

I've been experimenting with verses and quotes over photos lately.

What are you most looking forward to this spring/summer?
Leave a comment and let me know!

Flowers of Spring

After a long winter, the thing I look forward to the most in the spring is all of the new flowers popping up here and there.  It's as if everything was asleep during the long cold winter and is just waking up, vibrant and newly revived for the coming months of summer.  There's nothing quite like all of the new life surrounding you to get your creative juices flowing!  This usually ends up in an over abundance of flower pictures, but of course not all of them are worth posting.  Here are a few that I was pleased with the way the focus, composition, and subject matter all came together to make a complete story.  Although each one of these definitely has room for improvement.

Wild Cherry Blooms

I think these are wild cherries, but I'm not positive.  So don't go eating a bunch of them! ;)

 Periwinkle Ground Cover 

These were growing around an old house I took pictures of this spring.

Rose Vines by the Pond

It was starting to get dark while we were fishing at the pond and I loved the way the colors were starting to change as the sun was going down.  I had to snap a few photos of the green rose leaves on the red vines.

What's your favorite part about spring?

Week 24: Pink Clematis

I planted this clematis about three years ago.  The first year I don't think it bloomed at all.  The second year (last year) it had several blooms.  This year it has exploded!  There are tons of blooms all over it!  I really like Clematis and hope to get a few different colors started.  I believe this one is called Nelly Moser.  Though I may be wrong on that one.  It doesn't look anything like the picture that was on the package that I bought!

 

But I still like it anyway!

 

 

 

This picture was one of those where you think, "Hey, I wonder how it will look from this angle."  One of those times where you normally wouldn't have tried it this way.  I really like how it turned out!

This one is probably my favorite!  Sometimes I have a hard time getting the camera to focus where I want it to.  I will think I have it right, take my camera inside and unload the pictures only to find out it's not focused where I thought it was!  With this picture I wanted it focused on the white stamens in the center of the flower to help draw your eye into the picture.  It's pretty close to where I wanted it.

Have you been enjoying the summer flowers? 

Week 20: Snow in a Green World

This Spring we had several heavy, wet, snows.  These pictures are from the second or third snow.  Normally, we don't get snow past March in the Spring.  This has been a weird year as far as the weather goes.

 

 

This Hyacinth picture is probably my favorite! 

"Praise the Lord from the earth,

sea monsters and all ocean depths;

lightning and hail, snow and clouds,

strong winds that obey His command."

Psalm 148:7-8

 



Week 18: Snow.....in May?

We've had an up-and-down sort of Spring this year.  Going from 70s and 80s for a high one day, to 35* and snowing the next.  Yesterday was the day we got snow.  Big, soft, wet flakes flying down rather rapidly almost all day.  On days like that, we usually end up baking to warm the house a little. (More on that in the next post.)  After I made some biscuits, I suited up and headed out to get some pictures of the snow.

These tulips were bent from the wind.

 

The buds on a Hickory tree.

 

A pink tulip capped in snow.

 

It snowed like this all day, thankfully it mostly all melted by nightfall. 

In certain areas such as this the snow didn't pile up because of the trees and bushes.  Most of it blew over the top. 

An orange tulip in the snow.

 

 

 

Have you had an up-and-down sort of Spring this year?

Week 15: Spring Is Here, But Winter Came to Visit

Spring is finally here!  The grass is green, the daffodils are blooming, the birds are singing and new baby calves are being born!  But Winter isn't going to give up that easy, so for the next few days he'll be hanging around until Spring kicks him out for good. 

Over the last week I have been busy planting potatoes and strawberries.  We had several days in a row where it was in the 70*s and the nights in the 40*s.  I planted 10 lbs. of seed potatoes and hope to get 4 more planted soon.  This year I am going to try to grow some purple potatoes, they're called Purple Majesty.  I should've taken some pictures of the cut seed but I didn't.  I'll have to get some pictures of the harvest to show you guys.  In all I am growing seven different varieties of potatoes, they include: Purple Majesty, Purple Viking, German Butterball, Red Pontiac, Kennebec, Irish Cobbler, and Dakota Pearl.  I was going to grow Yukon Gold instead of Dakota Pearl and Irish Cobbler, but I was too late in buying the seed tubers.  I couldn't find them anywhere.  We grew them two years ago and they tasted amazing!

As for the Strawberries I planted 3 varieties: Jewel, All Star, and Honeoye.  Seventy-five plants in all.  They are all June-bearing.   I planted them about 12-14 inches apart both ways in my strawberry bed and another small bed we had.  The last Strawberries we had were Honeoye, they grew very well and the berries were big.  Hopefully we will have lots of strawberries next summer!!

We have been getting lots of rain the past few days.  Maybe not a lot, but some.  Compared to last year we are getting a lot.  I'm just thankful to be getting rain at all!  I like cloudy-rainy days!  The rain seems to make things all the more pretty.  It makes the grass greener and the trees darker.  Not to mention the lighting, even though it makes taking pictures all that more difficult.  IF I can figure my camera settings out, the dark rainy days make for better photos than the bright sunny ones do.

                                                 I'm so excited Spring is here!

                            The Grape Hyacinths are blooming, aren't they so cute!

                                           The Chickens are also happy Spring is here.

How has the weather been in your area?  Are you seeing signs of Spring yet?

"In the light of a king's face there is life,

and his favor is like the clouds

that bring the spring rains."

Proverbs 16:15

 



The Woods

The woods are filled with living things this time of year.  Little green sprouts coming up after a long winters rest.  Little green sprouts that seem to say "hello!".  Some seem to say "take my picture, please!", yes, they say please.  They are rather polite, waiting patiently while I try different angles and settings, trying to get the perfect shot.  While a few wiggle back and forth excitedly as if they are a little child saying "can I see?" after you have taken their picture. 

 I just love going out into the woods in the spring to see what new life has sprung up with the warmer weather.  Trying to get pictures that display the beauty in the things God has created.  Many times, the picture doesn't do it justice, and that is the challenge of being a photographer.

We went mushroom hunting when I took these photos.  We didn't see any Morel Mushrooms, though we did see these little guys.

 I love seeing the little Dogtooth Violets every spring!  They seem to be the early bloomers.  I have countless pictures of these,  this is the newest favorite.

 Cedars are interesting, though they are not my favorite evergreen, they still make for some interesting pictures!  These two pictures are the same, edited differently.  Let me know which you prefer!

I am thinking I like the darker one better!  Though this one is closer to the original picture.

I hope you enjoyed the pictures!  If there is a "you"!  As always, maybe I can get some more up on here!

"In the light of a king's face there is life,

and his favor is like the clouds that

bring the spring rains."

Proverbs 16:15

Poudre River, Colorado

Last summer my family and I went to Colorado on vacation. We stayed with a friend in Fort Collins for a couple of days, driving along the Poudre River, and through the Rocky Mountain National Park. Then we drove down to Colorado Springs and stayed at a motel in Manitou Springs. We visited the Garden of the Gods, and the Manitou Cliff Dwellings. The pictures on this post are from the Poudre River area.
This first picture is from when we stopped along the Poudre River on our way up to the top. I liked how the rocks, pine needles, and plants looked in the sunlight along the river bank.

This one is also from when we stopped along the river bank, I liked how they were all lined up.

Also from the first time we stopped. The water was cold!

Another shot of the river.

The rocks in the river.

Rocks leading down to the river.

The path that led to the river.

Some Penstemon that was growing along the river.

One of my favorite shots! This was the view looking towards the river.

A cactus that we found along the trail towards the river.

Another view looking towards the river.

One more!

This was a picture I had taken earlier on our way up.

When we were first entering the mountain we saw farms and some crops.

This is of a corn field.

Also from when we first got into the mountains.

This was when we were headed back to Fort Collins, if you look close you can see some horses.

This was called Profile Rock, if you look close you can see why.

Another of my favorite views! This was one of the more open places on our way up to the top.

Also from the same area.

I liked the aspen trees!

Some pine trees with the sun peeking over the mountains.

I can't remember exactly where this one was taken, but it is one of my favorites.

This was when we reached the top! It was beautiful!

This is also from the top, the peak you see is Horsetooth Mountain.

I hope you enjoyed! I have lots more that I hope to get up soon!

God Bless!

Bobbi