Mardi Gras in a Flower
I wander down a wooded lane, the sun touches the horizon behind me as I step into the shadows. A wooded canopy arches over the lane and cool air whispers across my cheek. I see a purple veil ahead and wonder what mysteries lie beyond it. All around, violet flowers glow, their centers shining in the deep evening. I choose one to guide me beyond the veil and into a topsy-turvy world.
Mardi Gras in a Flower. This was created in Photoshop. Click on image to read how I achieved it.
242/365 There’s This Prairie Meadow Hiding In the Suburbs….
242/365
Blink and you’ll miss it. You’ll probably miss it anyway because you are focused on driving. I’m glad. That means I get it all to myself, because you won’t see it to stop, unless you’re looking for it, it’s that inconspicuous.
Daubenspeck Community Nature Park is a gem. It is prairie meadows, wetlands, and forest all hugged together on 22 acres. I go there to walk and to meditate and to enjoy the meadow. It is lovely and secluded even though it is surrounded by roads and cars and houses. But once in the park, you forget everything else.
Mounds of prairie wildflowers cluster together, rolling into the woods beyond.
Every now and then a pocket of color peaks through the green leaves and stalks.
The petals look wild and messy, not smooth like other petals. And, yet, they are structured. I do so love structured chaos!!
Pick ME! A single beauty.
Dotted throughout the landscape are these beautiful, dark, rich stalks. I tried to capture the contrast between their lovely darkness and the vibrant greens surrounding them but fell short. They add a subtle elegance to the wild colors of the rest of the meadow.
Coming in for a Landing! This was the first bee photo I took in the meadow that day. I took many others, but when I got home and saw this little guy coming in for a landing, I knew this was it. The flower is pretty, too.
On hot days, I like going into the woods to cool off until I’m ready to return to the meadow.
Nude Sun Bathers. The late evening sun bathes these nearly spent wildflowers.
I almost missed this. As I left, I looked back at the meadow and saw the late sun kissing the tops of just this patch of wild growth.
241/365 Beauty in Holliday Park
241/365 Worship
I am surprised I haven’t already featured these photos yet! I searched and searched through my posts, using every keyword I could think of but came up with nothing. I know I’ve posted these somewhere besides on Flickr. Probably on Facebook back in 2010 when I initially took the photos.
I remember the evening. I was restless and had to get away. Usually that means I end up somewhere like Kentucky where I hit the Bourbon Trail, or St. Louis where I attend Mass for the first (and only) time at the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis. Or I go somewhere more local like Oliver Winery located an hour away down south near Bloomington. But this time I went to Holliday Park, just across town. And I pretended to have a Greek vacation. The ruins can do that for you.
At the time I lived in Irvington. Irvington is about 30 minutes away from Holliday Park so it was like a mini-vacation. Now I live just a few blocks away and can walk there whenever I want. So happy!
163/365 Lily
163/365
I know, I recently posted an Easter Lily. Because I’m doing this 365 Days Journey Through the Past* and because this time of year falls around Easter, it was inevitable that I would have more than one Easter Lily photo. This is my favorite out of all of them, though.
*For those who don’t know, 365 Days Journey Through the Past is when I go through my photo history and post a photo that I took on or near the current date. I am on day number 163 of 365 days.
158/365 Easter Lilies
The Easter Lily is beautiful with its luscious silky texture, its trumpet-like bloom, its white petals, and its simple golden stamen. I was pleased to find that I have photos of Easter Lilies taken in the past that I can post on this Easter day.
158/365
Easter Lily
Alleluia
108/365 Altar Flowers 02
108/365
101/365 Altar Flowers
101/365
I used to attend a church where they let the congregation supply the altar flowers. The flowers were usually in memoriam or in celebration of an anniversary or birthday. I loved seeing the various arrangements every Sunday and chose to photograph them. It helped me with composition as I tried out various angles and whether to use flash or to hand-hold with a higher ISO (I never felt comfortable bringing a tripod to church). This is one of the first Sundays I started doing this so I felt awkward after church standing up front taking photos. I only got three shots of this arrangement. This is my preference, though if I had it to do over again I would have found a different angle that didn’t include the white rose with the rogue petal. 
Photography: Oliver Winery, Indiana
I took a much-needed break yesterday and headed south. I didn’t know where I was going, I just wanted to go. I ended up at Oliver Winery, which is a very pleasant place to end up. Oliver Winery is a favorite destination for me when I’m roaming because of their bucolic setting and wonderful tasting room. And they are far enough away from me for it to be an adventure but close enough for me to get home easily. The sun was high and clouds floated by. It was a cool—cooler than it had been for weeks—and very bright day.
Are there times when you just have to get away but don’t know where you want to go but you go anyway? These times are magical times. Follow the urge. You’ll find the destination to be just what you need.
(I am not affiliated with Oliver Winery. I just like them. A lot.)
