Abstractions, Distractions

by Lizl Bennefeld2018/10/10

Raindrop

Splash

Red & Black

Enjoying the photography workshop, but so much to learn in too short a time. The weather turned wet, and we now are expecting snow: up to six inches. I have felt well enough to go out with my camera when I take the Scampers into the back yard. Wearing moccasins, now, rather than going out barefoot, and a flannel-lined denim jacket. Having a waterproof camera is a good thing. Having one that does not break when I drop it? Essential!

I still am struggling with the aftereffects of what I suspect was Latex exposure from the balloons during the reunion weekend. Trouble sleeping…trouble staying awake. Over the weekend and these first few days of the new week, however, I have at least gotten some things done around the house. Blood sugar is coming down, and blood oxygen level is coming back up.

I keep losing photo files. That is frustrating.

Going to try, now, to get back to sleep.

G’nite!

A week in the life . . .

by Lizl Bennefeld2018/09/11

I was together enough to write a WeekendCoffeeShare post, this week, for my Stray Coffee Breaks blog, but still have to write a haiku for RonovanWrites.

hoverfly/flower fly in the middle of a yellow California poppy

Flower Fly, California Poppy

Closeup of the hover/flower fly on a yellow California poppy, head toward the center of the flower

Flower Fly and Poppy

white trumpet-shaped flower, one of many on the plant

Showy White

drops of dew, raindrops on overgrown blades of grass

Dew on the Grass

The Scampers at Play

Playing a little bit of catch-up, having been sidetracked on household chores. My online photography workshop began on Monday (a 6-week course), and I am trying to decide how to approach the material and assignments. In the meanwhile, I also am sorting through fifteen years of photo archives, looking for examples of work that…I am pulling some of it from my Facebook download and using my JPGMag account as a quick index for locating other pieces.

In the meanwhile, these are a few of the photographs that I’ve taken since my last post.

I think that I will eat a sandwich, and then settle in to put together a post to the interactive closed workshop group. Such fun! (I imagine that I am the oldest person in the class, but still am waiting for the rest to post.

In other news, I learned that Al’s last aunt, Patricia, died in the middle of the night. Pat and her late husband, children, and grandchildren are centered in the Twin Cities and the Chicago area. I believe that one of Al’s sisters will be in the vicinity and able to attend the funeral, assuming that they can make arrangements for the coming weekend. With the respiratory problems and allergy season, it’s a given that I cannot make the trek south. I need a good, hard frost or two before the pollens are gone until spring.

I have not yet gotten through the first (17-page) course outline and discussion, so I am going to have an interesting night.

Best wishes for your week!
Lizl

Flower Flies

by Lizl Bennefeld2018/09/022018/09/02

Hoverflies, sometimes called flower flies or syrphid flies, make up the insect family Syrphidae.

Photos from Saturday:

A few photographs of Sunday’s photographs:

Resting on a Blade of Grass

Hoverfly, Close-up

Wildflower

In Flight, Hoverfly

Hoverfly, Visiting

The smoke in the air from the wildfires has abated for the time being, and I think that the rains, last night, helped a little with the pollen. I have enjoyed getting outside with my camera. I am not certain that I will be exercising in the gazebo, today, however.

A week from tomorrow, the Photography workshop that I signed up for should begin. I am looking forward to that.

There was a thunderstorm in the middle of the night, which woke me. And so, I slept in until quite late. After eight o’clock, I think. As a result, the day has sped away. I am pleased that I took care of the laundry and household chores. Why are there always dirty dishes in the sink? On our next outing for groceries, we must also get some paper plates.

Best wishes for your day and week!

Fooling Around With Flowers | #RonovanWrites #Haiku

by Lizl Bennefeld2018/08/152018/08/15

Written for the weekly Ronovan Writes Haiku Challenge #214: Lack & Fool.

fooling around with
nature’s floral color schemes
mixing them about

recreating my garden
for lack of coloring books

Late Bloomer

False Colors

Blue Wild Flax

Shades of Grey

Morning Photos | Saturday, 11 August 2018

by Lizl Bennefeld2018/08/11

prunings from the cotoneaster trees, waiting for city pickup

Discarded

flower bud backed by another plant against the wall

Daisy in Waiting

blue wild flax flowers with flower buds between them

Wild Flax Close-up

Wild Flax

This morning, I decided to water the back garden before the sun gets high and the temperature, hot. These photos were taken in the south-facing side garden. As usual, the Scampers barked and tried to get through the gate (or, at least, get to what I was trying to photograph).

puppy, trying to get through the fencing to eat a tiny coreopsis flower — Eek! Scamper Attack!

I’ve been having so much fun, I’ve forgotten to eat, which is not a good thing. We still have smoky haze, and it looks as though the temperature will be in the low 90s F. Once again, the five top cities for pollen count, according to Pollen (dot) com, are in North and South Dakota. That’s me, folks! Whoopy!

Imagine I’m going to entertain myself again today by practicing arpeggios instead of pedaling my exercise bike, which is in the backyard gazebo.

Retrospective – October 2013

by Lizl Bennefeld2018/07/31

Photographs from 7 October 2013

New Day, New Flowers

by Lizl Bennefeld2018/07/292018/07/29

Wild Flax

Flowers at the Gate

orange california poppy in morning sunlight

Poppy in the Garden

perennial blue wild flax flower in the tall grass

Hidden

dawn’s deep shadows
lighten as breezes flow
clouds fade away

the dogs have overslept and
now the rabbit takes his nap

I expect to be in the back yard, again, this second day of the Air Show, waiting for the Blue Angels to fly overhead. During their rehearsal on Friday, they came right over the house. The joys of living in an airport’s flight path. The rattling windows!

And the skies cleared…

by Lizl Bennefeld2018/07/262018/07/26

Coreopsis lanceolata

Orange-tinted California poppy, late afternoon sun shining through petals

yellow California poppy, late afternoon sun shining through petals

The sky was cloudy, and there was a mist of rain carried by gusty winds, until into the early afternoon. Then the winds died down and the sky cleared. Throughout the afternoon, I listened to the sounds of the airplanes going past as pilots timed and rehearsed their acts for the air show, this weekend. Too many mosquitoes, today, for me to sit outside and watch for the jets speeding past. They’ve another day for practicing, and so I might get out there tomorrow. Or wait for the shows on the weekend days. Normally we (our house) are close to the flight paths, so we have good views. (I dug out the weather-spotting binoculars, a few weeks ago.)

These photographs were taken just before the Scampers’ five o’clock dinner. I (unfortunately) frightened the resident rabbit away from the side garden (which has not managed to produce flowers, this summer). Thadd only took notice as the rabbit’s hind feet disappearing around the corner of the neighbor’s garage. After the dogs ate, we went outside, again, and I managed three and a half miles on the exercise bike in the gazebo. Far short of yesterday’s sixteen miles; perhaps I will have opportunity after the Scampers are in their kennels for the night.

yellows and oranges
rays of the sun soon to set
backlit petals glow

next after last, days go by
their glow passes…petals drop

Outside the Garden

by Lizl Bennefeld2018/07/23

wildflowers growing among branches pruned from the backyard trees — Among Dead Branches

White flowers growing at the gate to the back yard, over bricks and between discarded branches from trimming the cotoneaster trees. I do not know what sort of vine produces these wildflowers.