Category Archives: Garden

Smelling Sweet Lavender

22 Friday Jan 2021

Posted by in Back Yard Garden, Backyard Garden, Bumblebee, Canon, Garden, Grocery Outlet, Home Garden, Lavender

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I photographed this Bumblebee last summer while she was approaching to collect some nectar from our Lavender plant. We surprisingly found this great lavender plant at Grocery Outlet. We are very thankful for the hard work of Bumblebees and Honey Bees for pollinating the plants and food crops in our yard and in the world.

It was by chance we found lavender plants at Grocery Outlet one afternoon. They were healthy mature plants at a pretty reasonable price. We bought a few different plants that day from Grocery Outlet. This helped us in the beginnings of improving our backyard space. It was also about a year before this pandemic started. Little did we know how much we would need our backyard to “Shelter in Place”.

These lavender plants bloomed wonderfully in the spring and summer of last year. The smell was wonderful. I’ve always liked the smell of lavender. But I really fell in love with the smell in my backyard. It is calming and relaxing.

The Bumblebees also love the lavender. These plants attracted many bees into the yard. I did not fully realize how beneficial these plants would be. When I first bought the plants, I did not fully envision how I would be photographing these bees in my backyard. None of us would dream that we would face such a pandemic where we would be home so much.

I am looking forward to spring to enjoy the lavender flowers again. I am preparing for spring. I am trying to make myself less threatening to the bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. I researching and planning what new flowers I can plant for my flying friends.

Smelling these lavender flowers reminds me how to take time to smell the flowers. I never spent time to smell any flowers. The sensation of smell does relax and provides a calming atmosphere. I am pretty good at smelling. I love tofu and can sniff to make sure the tofu is still fresh. Smelling lavender refreshes my soul and reminds me to take a moment to be thankful.

Bees also have a great sense of smell and love the lavender scent. The lavender scent draws the bees to the flowers.

During this pandemic time, find the scents that help relaxation!

Photos Relax our Souls!

Being in the Center or on the Edge

21 Thursday Jan 2021

Posted by in Back Yard Garden, Backyard Garden, Bumblebee, Canon, Dwarf Sungold Sunflower, Garden, Home Garden, Honey Bee, Sunflower, Sunflowers, Sungold flower

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The Bumblebee in the first picture is having a good time on the peripheral of the Dwarf Sungold Sunflower. He is feasting on the nectar as he makes his way around the flower. The Honey bee in the second picture is planted in the center of sunflower for his sweet feast. Which bee is smarter in its position in the flower? I’m not sure if there is a sweeter part of the flower between the center and the petals.

The Honeybee do produce more honey than the Bumblebee. The Bumblebee is good at using their bigger bodies to vibrate the flowers until they release pollen. Releasing the pollen helps plants produce more fruit.

Is it better to be closer to the edge to shake things up compared to being in the center where it may be safer? In the case of the bees, it seems that each position is important.

It is usually more comfortable to play it safe. I like to look at the ocean for the view, but I do not like to spend a lot of time at beaches. When we went to Hawaii, we did visit the beach but did not lay out on the sand. When we were in Costa Rica, we chose to be in the 4 foot deep spacious swimming pool over going to the beach in the resort. In our area, recently there have been sad incidents where people have been hit by waves on the beach and disappeared into the ocean. While these incidents can be rare, I am pretty content not spending a lot of time on the beach.

Conversely, there are times it is advantageous to take a risk and try something new. In our pandemic life, we tried playing family games with participants in 3 different locations. We played 3 different online games for the first time in a Zoom meeting. It was fun to learn the games and interact with each other.

Doing this blog and sharing my photographs is something I never thought I would do. I keep learning new things as I continue to shoot and examine my pictures. I appreciate all those who take a little time to look at my blog. Taking risks continuously teaches me new lessons.

Lastly, there is a time to play it safe, and there is a time to take a risk. Both actions are important to do. I’m learning that I need to do both and learn when I should take a risk and when to play it safe.

The Bees are doing the same thing by being in the center or on the edge. It’s all good!

Photos give valuable lessons.

 

Inviting Bees with Dwarf Sungold Sunflower

20 Wednesday Jan 2021

Posted by in Back Yard Garden, Backyard Garden, Garden, Home Garden, Sunflower, Sunflowers, Sungold flower

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I received a bunch of seeds courtesy of the Sierra Club. The seeds were from Bentley Seeds Inc in Cambridge, New York and were to grow Dwarf Sungold Sunflowers or Helianthus annuus. So I followed the instructions last March 21, 2020 to put the seeds in 1/2 inch deep into loose soil and planted the seeds about 12 inches apart.

These flowers are considered as dwarf in size. But they are still big and grew to be about 3 feet tall with about 8 inches in diameter. I shot this picture on July 16, 2020. These flowers are full with all these ruffled petals. They attracted a lot of bees to my garden. Unfortunately, these sunflowers did not last forever and eventually died off. But they are relatively easy to grow.

I still have some of seeds leftover from my free stash. I plan to grow more sunflowers in March as I did last year. I am learning what flowers grow well in my environment of fog and sandy soil. I am creating a schedule when I should purchase and plant the flowers to invite more flying friends to my garden.

It is funny now I am planning how to invite bees, butterflies and hummingbirds to my garden. Early last year, we were planning to invite real people to our garden for a party to celebrate my mother-in-law’s 100th birthday. I was planning the Bluetooth music with speakers and fun lighting. My wife was imagining what kind of food to purchase and cook. My mother-in-law wanted a party at our home and not in a restaurant. Parties can be more intimate at home. Parties do take work and planning. But it is rewarding to see people interacting and having fun.

Unfortunately, all these plans were dismissed as we realized how serious the pandemic is. Even though our plans had to change, the discovery of a backyard refuge for me and my flying friends has been an interesting adventure.

Who knows how long this pandemic will last? We don’t know when we can actually invite our family and friends for a backyard party. But for now, I plan on inviting my flying friends and providing enticing sweet treats for our garden party.

I am learning to change with our circumstantial changes in order to thrive during this pandemic. Change is hard, but change is required.

Photos remind us that our world constantly changes, and we must change to adapt.

 

Black Wing Bumblebee Stinger

18 Monday Jan 2021

Posted by in Backyard Garden, Bumblebee, Garden, Home Garden, Lobelia Gerardii Vedrariensis

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This Bumblebee was approaching a Lobelia Gerardii Vedrarien Cardinal Flower for nectar. I photographed her at 1/8000 of a second.

The side black wing on this bee is cool. I associate black wings with a DC or Marvel super hero. Even though this bee is not attacking the flower with its antennae, it makes an interesting fantasy story with these black wings. This bumblebee has a nice mostly black body. The coloring just adds to the ominous appearance.

A few years ago, my friends and I had a blast watching Ant Man. Maybe one day someone will create “The Stinger” – a superhero who has the ability to sting and stun for protection against bad guys. He would have super wings to fly fast like a bee. It might be a little funny to see this superhero in a fuzzy black and yellow suit.

This photograph would be perfect to show off this new super hero with the greenish lighted background and bee centered approaching the flower.

A good photograph should allow us to use our imagination and take us to a fantasy world. We all want to escape our current reality. We need to use our imagination to create a better reality. We can use our imagination to be creative with our reality to find solutions.

So if we ever see a movie called “The Stinger”, remember you saw the idea in this blog post first.

Photos encourage our imagination!

 

 

 

Quick Chow Down with Meyer Lemon Nectar

16 Saturday Jan 2021

Posted by in Back Yard Garden, Backyard Garden, Bumblebee, Garden, Home Garden, Meyer Lemon

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I photographed this Bumblebee recently sitting on a leaf and taking a break and feasting on some Meyer Lemon Nectar from the flower. She was also helping to pollinate the flowers. I had to be quick to shoot this picture. The bumblebee was only there for about a minute. It is interesting how the bumblebee planted herself down in this sitting position. Then she curved her body over the lemon blossom to properly positioned herself to get a good sucking of the nectar. She even had her legs hanging out on the side of the leaf. It is pretty amusing to see the bumblebee chowing down for the quick sweet snack.

This reminds me when I could enjoy chowing down at a buffet. Periodically, my buddy and I would go to a buffet for lunch to enjoy a variety of Chinese and other Asian food. I can identify with this bee’s sitting to be comfortable as she had her short feast. Even though over the years, I have modified the amount of food I eat at a buffet. I am more selective, and I do not have to try every single food in the buffet. There was a time I had to absolutely eat at buffets in Las Vegas. But now I do not feel this necessity. I do not go to Las Vegas very often. But now I prefer choosing a restaurant based on what I am craving to eat. Also since the buffet prices are higher now, this contributes to my change in preferences of restaurants. 

I do love the variety of food choices at a buffet. Eating at a buffet gave my friend and I an excuse to spend time together in the midst of our work and family. I do miss going out with friends and eating at restaurants. I have not done any outdoor dining. The temperature in my neighborhood is never too warm, so it is not as inviting to sit outside to eat.

Who knows what is the future of buffets after the pandemic? 

At least, I have been enjoying cooking and eating food at home. I can do this chow down pose in the privacy of my home to enjoy good food. Let’s see how long it will be when I can go out with my good buddy to enjoy a meal at a restaurant.

Photos show fun eating poses!

Wild Flowers that grew in our yard 6 Years ago

13 Wednesday Jan 2021

Posted by in Backyard Garden, Garden, Home Garden, Wild Flowers

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Six years ago, these flowers grew naturally in our backyard. I shot this photograph of these flowers in 2015. It was nice that I did not have to tend to these flowers. The color was vibrant. Our yard had been landscaped previously, and these flowers were probably planted in the original design. Unfortunately, when we had the drought years, then the flowers eventually died off.

The rain has not been overly abundant this season. It looks like this could be a drought year. In 2015, I was not spending time in the backyard as I am doing currently. What am I going to do to preserve the flowers and plants if we have a drought?

Lack of resources whether it is money, food, housing, or water is a problem for many individuals especially during this pandemic life. I am trying to ponder how I will water my garden if there is not an abundance of rain. I do save shower water for the garden. My wife is suggesting to collect rain water, even if it is not too much.

Planting drought resistance flowers which attract bees, butterflies and hummingbirds is also another option to consider. Since my garden has been my refuge from the pandemic, I am determined to figure out a way to preserve my flowers and plants.

During this pandemic life, we all are facing a variety of problems. But which problem are you determined to find a solution? I need to create a list of options to try. My parents taught me to create a variety of backup plans, if an initial plan does not work. This has been a valuable lesson to have alternatives to find a solution.

These flowers are vibrant and pretty in color. I miss these flowers and am glad I have the photographs to remind me of their beauty. The photograph also reminds me due to drought, and my neglect to find a solution for watering during a drought resulted in their demise.

Stay tuned to see what my future plans to maintain my garden will be. I am looking forward to see what my plans will be too.

Photos give lessons from past failures. 

 

How About an Insect for Dessert?

01 Friday Jan 2021

Posted by in Anna's Hummingbird, Back Yard Garden, Backyard Garden, Cuphea Vermillionaire, Garden, Home Garden, Hummingbird

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I took these series of photographs in sequence as I followed this hummingbird’s actions. These hummingbirds are constantly looking for food to maintain their energy level.

It is amazing to see the different positions of this bird’s wings from the back to the side and forward. I love the forward curved wing positions.  He enjoyed the nectar from the flower and kept moving his wings while drinking the nectar.

The hummingbird’s green back blends in so well with the greenery in the garden. The Creator gave the hummingbird pretty colors to match his surrounding and to be hidden from any predators.

The hummingbird’s expression is interesting as he gazes at the insect dessert. Not sure how he compares the insect snack with the flower nectar. I usually prefer sweets over savory. But it is a hard choice since I love all food.

I can identify with the hummingbird and his constant need to feed. It doesn’t take me too long to get hungry after a meal. I often am hungry by bedtime. Unfortunately, I do not have the metabolism of a hummingbird. So I cannot afford to eat before bedtime.

As this difficult 2020 ends, we all possess an abundance of mixed emotions about the events of this year.

One of my goals during this pandemic was to get healthier. I learned to increase my steps per day and managed to lose about 10 pounds. Perhaps, I would not have accomplished this goal, if it were not for the pandemic and sheltering in place.

During this pandemic, our household tried to cook and eat different foods. Fortunately, my wife did bake comfort treats to ease our SIP mood. We needed our desserts to soothe our anxieties and the changed social interactions.

In the midst of trials, we do need good things to comfort us like dessert.

This hummingbird enjoyed his insect dessert, as he stared at his spec of a meal.

In 2021, make sure to find ways to reward ourselves, since we do not know how long until we transform into a new and better normal.

What pandemic goals will we seek to achieve in 2021? Let’s give ourselves comfort rewards for our achievements in the new year. We all need our comfort foods, but I would not choose an insect dessert.

May we find photographs to motivate us to do better in 2021!

Crazy Wings

18 Friday Dec 2020

Posted by in Anna's Hummingbird, Back Yard Garden, Backyard Garden, Canon, Cuphea Vermillionaire, Garden, Home Garden, Hummingbird, Sloat Garden Center

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Since I have been shooting photographs of hummingbirds, I never realized how many different poses and positions these birds have. The more I shoot the more I am surprised by the many different positions they move their wings. These wings look curved forward in their position. Also this bird’s head gives a different position of looking at the top from a slight angle.

Being a good photographer means catching natural images. I dread having my photograph taken. I probably only have a couple poses when I asked to be in a photograph. Being a typical guy, I am not flexible. I miss not playing sports. I walk for exercise and keep an eye on my fitbit to get 15,000 to 20,000 steps a day. In addition to walking, I do get low when I am gardening, but that’s my limit. My wife does pilates. She is flexible and gets into stretch positions I cannot even figure out.

One of my best pictures are taken as I am in position to shoot pictures. That is my natural position. It is best to capture any living creature doing their own “thing”.

A good picture reveals who we are. So my perfect pictures show me in action.

The hummingbirds are pretty focused on getting their nectar. They need the energy, since they move so quickly. So most of their pictures show their beaks in the flower.

How can you improve your photography? Try to catch your subjects in their natural habitat where ever or whatever that is.

See how you can improve your picture taking during this Christmas? Can you take some creative pictures other than just around the tree? What kind of fun poses can you shoot of your love ones?

Photos Teach!

Up Close & Personal

17 Thursday Dec 2020

Posted by in Anna's Hummingbird, Back Yard Garden, Backyard Garden, Canon, Cuphea Vermillionaire, Garden, Home Garden, Hummingbird

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It is difficult to get an up front photograph of the hummingbird. Most of my shots are from the side. The hummingbirds are timid and are getting accustomed to me in my yard. They fly closer to me to check me out and access if I am safe. I try to wear colors to match the environment and to blend in. I am pretty still and do not move much.

It is hard to find the right spot to catch the hummingbird. It is unpredictable knowing where the birds will fly to get their next sip of nectar. It was pretty remarkable to get in front of the bird to see him face to face.

Since being sheltering in place, we hardly see anyone. We go grocery shopping and see the other shoppers whiz by.

It has been a challenge to be up close and personal with people via video chats. Our family has been just as busy with activity. We save time by not traveling as per our old routine. Instead we spend more regular time with our friends, family and relatives. We are hearing about experiences from the younger generation as they are learning to develop their passions. We enjoy their acting, dancing, writing and ambitions to make this world a better place. We share our worries, problems and triumphs during this pandemic life.

We are learning how to be involved with each others lives. For example, my cousins are enjoying my recent nature pictures. One cousin passed on my website info on a Nextdoor thread about hummingbirds. This probably would not have happened if we were not regularly meeting together.

Surprisingly, we are getting up close and personal with our loved ones, even though we do miss being together physically. Our relationships have become stronger even during our video meetings.

I’m glad I could get up close and personal with this hummingbird. It took effort on my part to get close to this bird.

In the same way, it takes time and effort to get up close and personal with the people in my life. But it is so worth it to be a part of people’s lives. I

Are you going to be up close and personal with your people? Find your people and get involved. A Pandemic is not an excuse to be a spectator. Can you expand your circle?

Photos Teach!

Reaching Forward

14 Monday Dec 2020

Posted by in Anna's Hummingbird, Back Yard Garden, Backyard Garden, Canon, Cuphea Vermillionaire, Garden, Home Garden, Hummingbird

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This hummingbird’s wings look translucent. They look a little angel-like. It is interesting how he has his wings going forward. Humans reach forward to obtain an object. A referee will put his 2 arms forward to signal his call for a play. During a worship service, some people will raise their hands to symbolize surrender to God.

Is this hummingbird just reaching forward in excitement for his next drink of sweet nectar? When I was able to attend a live game, fans raise their hands up to cheer when their team scores. Even when at home while watch a championship game, my friend had her own style of raising her arms up to cheer.

How often do we reach forward to grasp something and clumsily drop it? Consider the football player reaching for the ball during a pass and accidentally drops it. The ball was in his grasp. But something goes wrong, and the grip was lost. This hummingbird is fortunate that it does not have hands to hold onto anything. It just has the wings to hold upward and onward.

Do we have something to be excited about during these pandemic times? We can be grateful for this waiting period for COVID-19 to be resolved. Why should we be grateful for this time? We don’t know how long this waiting time will last before things become our new normal without the threat of catching this virus. There is a lot of uncertainty.

The only certainty is that we have to wait. Waiting means having a hope to reach forward and pray for solutions. We have not because we ask not. Reaching forward means we expect to receive something in our hands.

Can we reach forward in hope?

Photos Teach!