Things That Fly

I trimmed my geraniums this morning.

The hummingbirds don't mind if I'm outside.

My geraniums had to wait while I found my camera.

For being such little birds, they can be quite noisy.

This picture was taken without using the sport setting.

This one was not.

I walked down the stairs to turn on the hose to fill the cistern that waters my flowers.

I spied another winged creature.  We left each other alone.

I'm delighted to finally be able to take pictures of birds at the second feeder.

This scene might look peaceful in pictures, but when we're all outside together, the hummingbirds buzz both feeders and have a grand party.

The only calm object I found this morning was the neighbor's flowers.

Feeding the Birds

I sent my grandson out to feed the birds this morning.

I followed with my camera.

This kid is great and loves to help out his grandpa, who is away for a couple days.

Feeding the birds took just a minute.  Taking pictures took a lot longer.

Mornings are the best time, for lots of reasons.

Taking pictures is a good reason.

I have discovered where the family of quail are living.  They are very safe, even from my camera.

The finches are not afraid of me.

I love the varied colors of these birds.

The hummingbirds were active this morning.

Grandpa will be home in time to fill these feeders.

Temple Flowers on a Tuesday Morning

The flower gardens at the Provo City Center Temple are gorgeous.

Everywhere I looked this morning, I saw beauty.

Color exploded.

And yet, some of the flowers look tender and delicate.

I'm always happy when my camera can spot a bee.

My mother loved snapdragons, so I do, too.

My ancestors wrote about making dolls from hollyhocks.

My father grew gladiolas.

I'm realizing that a love for flowers can come through our family lines.

Perhaps a love for sacred things can, too.

This is what families do:  Share what's important.

Broken Gate, New Flower

I stepped outside this morning to provide some aid to my husband.

I walked right back in and grabbed my camera.

It's not fall.  This is my red leaf maple.

We had a broken gate.  I was providing a small amount of assistance while my husband worked on the repair.

The repair went so well that we moved to the back to fix another gate.  My camera spied our bird feeder from a completely different angle.

I have given up trying to photograph the hummingbirds at this feeder.  My camera has refused to focus, until this morning, when the new angle made all the difference.

The birds were not bothered by the noise.

They were also not bothered by an empty feeder.

We have well-defined job descriptions in our household, and feeding the birds is not in my domain.

Don't worry.  The other feeder was full.

I was completely surprised this morning by this flower.  Big as life, there it was in my garden.  I have never seen it before.

Quail in the Garden

A family of quail is living in our front garden.  I see them at the most inopportune times, and by the time I find my camera, they are gone.  Today my husband saw them.  I grabbed my camera, and this guy was posing for all the world to see.  I'll stay on the lookout for his family.

I have Russian sage in a nearby flower bed.  I love this plant and see no need for anything else in my yard, although there are a few other plants growing.