LOOKING FOR SUNSHINE

 

It  was a bit rainy last week and I've been combing through old pictures.  (Hasn't everybody lately?)    It's a multi-purpose review — trying to weed and sort and at the same time looking for pictures suitable to put on canvas or otherwise frame. 

 

 

We need decoration for a very empty white wall here in our Oregon home.   My goal is to find a sunny photo.  I love the one above,  from the walking path near where our Colorado "kids" live.  But I think it is too pink for our wall — there are a lot of reds in that living space.  So I'll keep looking.  

 

 

 

Here's a bit of sunshine on the ground … 

 

 

… and here's some more.

Some of you didn't know these were California Poppies when I blogged them earlier.   It is the state flower of California and appears on their State welcome signs.  One time years ago we traveled to California with one of our major goals being to see the poppy fields at their peak — and they were beautiful.   At that time, we really didn't see this flower in Oregon.  But in the last couple of years it seems to bloom everywhere here — on roadside verges, in vacant lots, and in yards.  Wiki says it grows easily from seed .. I guess migrating birds may have brought it up north of the state border.  Yellow flowers always bring a smile — and the poppies are  no less beautiful for being easy to see.   

 

 

 

I mis-identified this Common White-tailed Dragonfly  as a moth in last week's post.  For those who missed my later correction, here's a rerun with thanks again to those whose comments  furthered my education.    And now that I look at it again , it is obviously a dragonfly.  Look at those lacy wings — how could I ever have thought otherwise?  But I would never ever have  known it was a white tailed variety!     I really wish it  weren't called "common"  — since it obviously wasn't for me!    I think the same thing about birds and flowers with that word in their names.    Oh well, when nothing is "common" it is much easier to be enthusiastic.

The  mosaic below is going back to our shortened stay in Florida (and is a total change of subject matter) :

 

Less than amateur pour painting samples.   

All snowbird resorts offer various classes and activities "at home."   Some friends have  compared the life to summer camp (for grandparents.)   We've always spent a lot of time on our own  — nature hiking and city exploring — and don't do even half of what is offered at our resort, but I have enjoyed taking part in some arts and craft classes.  This mosaic is made from phone shots at a short series of pour-painting classes last season.  The  final class was the last  activity sponsored by the resort before Covid regulations put a stop to anything else.     I had more  fun than I've ever had at any 'artsy/craftsy" resort activity and hope I have a chance to do more pour painting sometime. Really, at this point I hope we all have a chance  to get together with friends to do  pretty much anything. 

 

 

One more sun/sky picture.  It's red and it conjures up great memories of a few nights we spent camping near Everglades City.  But I'm still not sure it's good enough to make the wall cut.   

I'm grateful for all our sunny memories — as well as for the forecast of a few less rainy days.  And always thankful to the hosts of these sharing opportunities where this post is linked:

 MOSAIC MONDAY;  NATURE NOTES;   ALL SEASONS;  THROUGH MY LENS;   OUR WORLD ON TUESDAY; ;  MY CORNER OF THE WORLD;   THANKFUL THURSDAY;  SKYWATCH FRIDAY;  and FRIDAY  BLISS.