Tag Archives: Photography

Crisp White

Posted on by Laurie

This is one of the wildflowers that I saw out on the prairie yesterday. I tried unsuccessfully to identify it, but I think that it is quite lovely. The flowers look like tiny white orchids.

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Daily Prompt: Dull

Posted on by Laurie

This is Purple Haze.  Except for a tinge of magenta on the outer petals, the coloring of this rose is a very soft mauve or lavender. It makes a lovely cutting rose, for which reason it is popular with florists, though I haven’t been able to find it at plant nurseries.

This particular bloom is left over from a wedding here at the Bed & Breakfast last weekend.  So you might be wondering why I chose to photograph it for the Daily Prompt given that today’s theme is dull.

Since it is drizzly and gray out today, it occurred to me that if I photographed the bloom outside the its color would illustrate dull in the sense of soft  or not-intense while the weather would illustrate dull in the sense of as overcast or dreary … my intent being to show a little  beauty on an otherwise dull day.

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Dappled Sunlight

Posted on by Laurie

This is Hydrangea Grandiflora Paniculata “White Diamond” in early morning sunlight.  (The purple flowers in the background are fragrant phlox.) Once my “diamonds” come into full bloom, I feel like summer, though not over, is starting to wind down and that I had better remember to enjoy the rest of summer while it lasts.

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Last of the Daylilies

Posted on by Laurie

Thankfully, I have a few clumps of late season daylilies scattered around the garden, but their days are definitely numbered with only a few buds left to open … a reminder that the garden will soon be making its transition from being a summer garden to an autumn garden.

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DaylilyAutumnAccent2

I think that this variety might be called “Autumn Accent”, but I am not positive about the appellation. Does anyone know “Autumn Accent” well enough to confirm or refute this? Thank you for any help. Have a lovely day!

Daily Prompt: Dreams

Posted on by Laurie

This is Peachy, shortly after my husband and I adopted her through a rescue agency. I love this picture because she seems to be sleeping so peacefully, her dream of a good home fulfilled.

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For more on the daily prompt.

Travel Theme: Wild

Posted on by Laurie

Wild is this week’s Travel Theme from Where’s My Backpack.

The photo below is of Rudbeckia Triloba (Brown-Eyed Susans) which I planted years ago and have allowed to naturalize in the easement out by the street in front of the Bed & Breakfast. I like just a touch of wildness in that garden. (I thought that the little ant crawling up one of the flowers added a nice touch for the wild theme.) This is such a sunny and cheerful flower, and it will keep blooming into early autumn.

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Travel Theme: Sweet

Posted on by Laurie

Thank you to Where’s My Backpack for this week’s Sweet challenge!. This challenge is just to my taste. Enjoy!

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Fiesta Cookies*

Makes about 36 medium size cookies.

Soft, piped cookies lightly flavored with chocolate and spices, decorated with icing and nonpareils.

1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 t. ground cinnamon

1/4 t. ground nutmeg

1/8 t. salt

1/2 c. unsalted butter

3/4 c. + 2 T. confectioner’s sugar

1 lg. egg

1 t. almond or vanilla extract

1 1/2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, melted

Icing of your choice

Nonpareils

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Whisk together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, beat together butter and confectioner’s sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg and extract. On lowest mixer speed, beat in dry ingredients and then chocolate.
  4. Using a heavy duty pastry bag fitted with a star tip, pipe cookie dough onto baking sheets, spacing cookies 1 1/2” apart. Cookies will not rise, spread or change shape while they bake.
  5. Bake for about 5 to 7 minutes or until set. Place baking sheets on wire racks and allow cookies to cool before decorating.
  6. Once cookies have cooled, decorate with icing and nonpareils.

Suggested shapes for piping: thick bars, stars, hearts, and wreaths.

 * Recipe from my cookbook, Confectionately Yours: A Collection of Cookies, Candies & Yummy Confections.