Flowery Friday 3

I missed last Friday, sorry about that. Not sure what happened. Busy retirement life, I guess. The work contract took another step towards ending. We had a meeting to transition what I had done so far on a part of the project to Max, since he's actually an employee. We've worked together on a bunch of stuff, and he wasn't making any sounds of shock and horror at what I'd done so far. I'm quite sure he will finish up just fine. 

The piece of the project that had been consuming my life the first part of the year has been declared a resounding success! Yay team! There are tentative plans for an on line party to celebrate, but that's probably the last of it for me. I'm making preliminary plans to shut down my consulting company, unless someone wants to buy it.

On to flowers, for the first week of May. Let's see if blogger screws up the order again, like it did yesterday with the Reader Rock garden photos. Apparently not.

Of the Day

Driftwood

Celina

Artsy stone

Linda on a beach.

Reader Rock Garden with buddies

Reader Rock garden is a favourite for many photographers in Calgary. It's central, there's lots to shoot, and like any other garden, it's always changing. My buddy Kelly (of Yukon fame) had suggest we meet up there. It was nice to get out of the house and shoot something else, think about different compositions. Several others joined us as well.

We had great light for our expedition, and I was a bit surprised at how far along some of the flowers were. I was also looking for composition in wood and stone, and found some interesting shots. Interesting for me.

And as it turns out, Blogger is being pissy about adding photos. I had to use a different method, and it's gone and put them in reverse order. So scroll down to the bottom and work your way up to see them in the same order I took them, if that's important to you.

Our irises are only just beginning to bloom, and these are almost done. Go figure.

As always, I'm often more interested in dying blossoms that the ones in full bloom.

It's the backdrop here I liked, with the flower being a bit of decoration. There's a bear's face in the background.

I'm a big fan of cactus plants. You don't often see them in Calgary.

One of the photo buddies hard at it.

A bee, hard at it, like always. Looking forward to more bee shots over the summer.

An abstract for you.

This was fun, to capture this abstract, to get the camera focused on what I wanted it to focus on. A petal hanging from a spider web.

I'd like to believe this is one plant eating another, and not something where we should be averting our eyes and telling them to get a room.

Composition in stone.

Hairiest crocus I've ever seen. At least I think it's a crocus.

Pareidolia in stone.

 

I loved the colour of the bark, and was looking for something to contrast. After walking around the tree a couple times I found this growing out of it.

You guys know I'm a sucker for orange.

Another bee, hard at it.

Of the Day

Driftwood

Celina

Peony parade

Readers that have been following along know that the white peony is one of my favourite subjects. It's made Image of the Month several times. There are other peonies that have produced some spectacular photos, although not making the top of the hit parade. Sometimes the competition is pretty steep from non-floral subjects.

It's early going yet, but there are at least 12 peonies on the go this year. Some are new and barely putting out any foliage. It takes them a long time to settle in. The red and white peonies were some of the first flowers Linda planted, more than 30 years ago. (How is that possible??) They seem to like it there, after sulking for the first several years.

So here we go, starting in the front patio on Sunday afternoon. Linda is looking over my shoulder to give me the names, where she can remember. So many flowers, after all. Bola Beauty.

Gay Paree

Scrumpdiddleyishous. 

Danse de Feu

Bartzella

The famous white peony (Festiva Maxima)  is putting out many shoots, and I'm really looking forward to seeing the blooms. It missed being image of the year by THAT much one year, and it's safe to bet it's going to try again. Some of the ant photos that happen here are pretty good too.

The red peony (Peter Brand)is the same age, and produces a lovely dark red bloom. The problem is that particular red has been very difficult to properly capture on camera. I'll be working on it this year.

A new peony that's doing quite well in the bed beside the house. Sorry about the netting, the bed has tulips. Duchess de Nemours

This one is a few years old now and beginning to settle in. The blooms are quite pretty, but getting a nice background is difficult. Doctor Alex Fleming.

The tree peony is just getting started after several years of sulking. The other one Linda planted at the same time appears to have died. Souvenier de la Malmaison

Duchess du Lorraine getting used to the back garden bed.

The Sarah Bernhart in the back yard has a spectacular ruffled white blossom. I've got some ideas about repressing the plants around it to get nicer photos. It could well be in the hunt for an image of the month.

Of the Day

Driftwood

Celina, and sort of an artsy abstract if you look at it the right way.

Actually artsy

Flower