Next up: a glimpse of my visit to the Iowa Arboretum. The school house is so small there’s just enough room for a student or two with the teacher. The metal sculpture of a cardinal is the best cardinal photo in my collection – maybe someday I’ll get the right equipment to take live bird pictures.
Little Red Schoolhouse. Iowa Arboretum. July 20, 2021
Metal Cardinal. Iowa Arboretum. July 20, 2021.
For a little fun, here is a new fire hydrant looking at an older relative to see if it is safe to remove its covering.
It was the first week of August so Cee’s Midweek Madness Challenge is Macro or Close-Up photographs. I took these Tuesday morning (August 3rd) at Big Creek State Park. The dew drops in the sunlight caught my attention; click on each image to enlarge.
Last Friday – the day before the first day of spring – was windy but warmish. With hopes of buds on trees and new plants poking out of the ground, I grabbed my camera and headed to Reiman Gardens on the campus of Iowa State University. The discovery of the day was a special exhibit in the Hughes Conservatory: “Mirror, Mirror on the Phal.”
“Phalaenopsis orchids are like faces: if divided from top to bottom, one side reflects the other. Such symmetry occurs throughout nature. Just look around – mammals, insects, and many leaves exhibit this quality. Where can you spot symmetry?”
“Of course, another place to see a reflection is in a mirror. The Evil Queen in Snow White made famous the phrase, “Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest one of all?” We think nature presents us with the greatest beauty, whether symmetrical or not. We see it reflected in the drama of a sunset, the simplicity of a Phalaenopsis, and even within ourselves. At the start of 2021, we invite you to reflect and seek all the beauty you can find. Even just by looking in a mirror.”
The reflections in the hexagonal mirrors were so much fun! I’m planning to go back some afternoon – rather than the morning – just to take pictures when the sun is coming from a different direction.
They have set it up for one-way traffic through the Conservatory and masks are required. But it’s not a large place, so I was thrilled when I was the only one in there. The last photo is looking back through the exit doors.
Hoping you’ll take a few minutes to reflect on all the beauty you see – especially when looking in the mirror!
Blue Flower, Morton Arboretum, Illinois. June 2013.
Blue-Green was the February color for Cee’s Midweek Madness Challenge. I gathered the pictures and had them uploaded to share on a blogpost, but did not get around to finishing it. (Sigh.) Though more than a week behind, here it is.
Blue Hydrangea, Missouri Botanical Garden. June 2012.Remembering Baptism, St. John UCC, Melbourne, Iowa. January 2019.Panoramic Awareness Pavilion by artist Olafur Eliasson, Pappajohn Sculpture Park, Des Moines, Iowa. January 2021.National Balloon Classic, Indianola, Iowa. August 2013.
We bought a bunch of mixed flowers several weeks ago, choosing purple and white because we were still in the season of Advent. Just a few of the blooms remain.
While drying dishes last evening I noticed the stigma of the alstromeria (commonly called Peruvian Lily or Lily of the Incas or Parrot Lily). Though the flower is nearing the end of its vase life, the stigma was still standing straight up.
Alstromeria. Photo: TLClark, 12/29/19.
Though the flower is nearing the end of its vase life, the stigma was still standing straight up. Wondering if I could capture it in a photo, I left my husband to finish the dishes while I played with the camera. I’m pleased with the result – the automatic flash highlighted the flowers and completely darkened the background. The only editing of the photos was cropping.
Groceries. Who takes pictures when grocery shopping?!! I did today! Just because Frank issued a groceries photo challenge on Tuesday. My husband John agreed to be photographed as we did the weekly shopping. Come along to the store with us.
First, a list!
John adding to the grocery list. Photo: TLClark, 10/3/19.
Next, decide on a grocery store. John had a prescription ready for pick-up at the Hy-Vee Pharmacy so the decision was easy. Our other choice is Fareway – it’s closer to where we live. Fareway stores are smaller than Hy-Vee stores. If you want lots of choices and don’t mind adding a lot of steps to your pedometer, go to Hy-Vee. If you just want to get the basics and prefer to be done sooner rather than later, go to Fareway. (There are other choices, but it’s Fareway or Hy-Vee for us.)
Hy-Vee, North Ankeny Blvd, Ankeny, Iowa. Photo: TLClark, 10/3/19.
We almost always start on the end with the produce section. I was going to take a picture of the Honey Crisp apples but as I pulled out my camera three other shoppers appeared. What you can’t see is the Starbucks stand behind me and a salad bar and a Hy-Vee Market Grill to my left (less restaurant than it used to be but still a place to sit down to eat).
Pears and Apples. Photo: TLClark, 10/3/19.
The bakery – or, more precisely, the bread – is one reason I like shopping in this store.
Bread in the Bakery. Photo: TLClark, 10/3/19.
Since having all of his teeth extracted this summer, we’ve been supplementing John’s diet. Here he is trying to decide on which flavor of protein shakes to buy.
Zinnias, Discovery Garden, Iowa State Fair. Photo: TLClark, 8/13/19.
One of our customs when attending the Iowa State Fair is to stop and enjoy the flowers in the Discovery Garden. Click here for information about the garden.
Zinnias, a Marigold and a Fly, Discovery Garden, Iowa State Fair. Photo: TLClark, 8/13/19.
The zinnia with a fly isn’t a dahlia and a bumble bee as shared by Cee in her Flower of the Day photo challenge (click here) but her rules are simply to post a picture with a flower. It’s a great challenge to follow for a little color, a little happiness no matter what your day holds.
Zinnia, Discovery Garden, Iowa State Fair. Photo: TLClark, 8/13/19.
The red zinnia caught my attention when at the garden but it wasn’t until looking at the pictures at home that I realized it was the rolled-up edges of the petals that made it look red and white.
“Wall” is the word for the weekly Tuesday photo challenge. This wall is next door to the coffee shop where I gather with quilting friends once a month.
Walnut Street Gallery Outside Wall (looking west on 3rd Street). Photo: TLClark, 7/13/19.
Walnut Street Gallery, a framing shop and art gallery in uptown Ankeny, uses parts of painted picture frames to create seasonal scenes on their outside walls. I remember a Christmas tree in December and a large heart in February. July (or is it all summer?) is flowers and a flag.
Flowers, Walnut Street Gallery. Photo: TLClark, 7/13/19.
Closer look at the red flower. Photo: TLClark, 7/13/19.
American Flag on outside of Walnut Street Gallery. Photo: TLClark, 7/13/19.
