Cypress trees at the olive mill

for Six Word Saturday and Squares: trees

In lieu of a beanstalk and peeking at blue

I think if I were Jack, I’d prefer climbing this sturdy tree rather than a flimsy beanstalk. Just saying.

I remember nothing about this photo, although I see it’s sidewalk sale time, but there’s some blue which is what’s needed. 🙂

Classic blue doors

Today I offer you two sets of two blue doors from Philadelphia (with the red, white, and blue hiding behind the TREE.) Red, white, and blue is seen in the second shot as well on a classic car in a Fourth of July parade. Hats off to our veterans!

Blue color is everlastingly appointed by the deity to be a source of delight. ~John Ruskin

Tree canopy and close-up blue

Keep a green tree in your heart and perhaps the singing bird will come. ~Lois Lowry

A certain blue enters your soul. ~Henri Matisse

for Squares: trees and Life in Colour: blue

Tree dipped in blue

But where does the tree end and the water begin?

And in related water news, we’ve actually had much-needed and appreciated rain in the last week or so. When you only get 9″ per year, every little bit help but this has been real, stick-around-for-a bit rain. Unfortunately, it caused flash floods in some places but the water-starved Southwest is very thankful for the rain.

I see from comments that I must also add that this water isn’t from our recent rains. It’s in one of the lakes at the Preserve that uses reclaimed water to make our lives and those of birds and animals much better. 🙂

for Squares: trees and Life in Colour: blue

Autumn tree with car and flower with butterfly

As odd as most people think it is, I miss winter or cool air, so one Saturday we drove down to Tucson and then up The Catalina Highway or Sky Island Scenic Byway, rising almost 9,100′ and through six types of vegetation. At the top, it felt alpine and we spotted bright yellow and red leaves and aspen trees as well. In addition to the leaf colors, the parking area was temporary home to this colorful beauty. The scenery on the one paved road up and back is spectacular!

For “blue”, let’s hope from the mountains of Arizona to Wyoming’s Big Horn Mountains. From what I’ve read online, I believe this is a butterfly rather than a moth but either way, its color sets off the blue of the flowers.

“Blue thou art, intensely blue; Flower, whence came thy dazzling hue?” – James Montgomery

Ponder/pond

Ponder

Pond

for One Word Sunday: ponder/pond

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #157: Getting Away

Today’s challenge is “Getting Away”, something I enjoy doing as often as possible. However, we aren’t the only ones who like to get away.

Here’s what getting away looks like in McDowell Forest Preserve, Naperville, Illinois. I came around a corner of the trail to find both a fawn and a doe. I froze, allowing me to appear unthreatening for at least long enough to get some photos.

(I’m going to publish this post with four photos, the first of the fawn. But although all the photos show up in the draft, the preview doesn’t show it. I’ll see what happens and if it doesn’t work out, try editing the published version. Ahh, WordPress, why do you do these things??)

The doe was on the move at this point.

OK, I’ve tried everything I can think of to get that photo inserted but WP won’t let me do it. So instead I’ll use another one. This buck was happily standing in the path looking at me until a cyclist, out of my line of sight, came zooming along.

Getting away in Wyoming might look like this and it wasn’t even Thanksgiving! I love the expression the eye seems to have.

And getting away at the Riparian Preserve in Gilbert, Arizona might mean flying high. This guy seemed to have been carrying some sort of foliage with him.

Whatever getting away means to you, I hope you’ll be able to enjoy it as soon and as much as possible.

Useful trees with a cheeky marmot

for Six Word Saturday and Squares: trees

Ethereal trees and corporeal children

All that needs to be said: trees and blue. 🙂