Orange reflections

We don’t get lots of falling leaves in autumn colors here but we do have some lovely orange flowers, even when upside down. 🙂 This beauty is formally known as Caesalpinia pulcherrima , a member of the pea family, and more familiarly as Pride of Barbados, Barbados Flowerfence, Peacock Flower, Mexican Bird of Paradise, Dwarf Flamboyan, Caesalpinia, and Dwarf Poinciana.

“Orange strengthens your emotional body, encouraging a general feeling of joy, well-being, and cheerfulness. Orange vibration foods are: oranges, tangerines, apricots, mangoes, peaches and carrots.”
~Tae Yun Kim, The First Element: Secrets to Maximizing Your Energy

Orange is red brought nearer to humanity by yellow. ~Wassily Kandinsky

Life in Colour: orange

Monday miscellany

I like to walk down to this lake, walk around it, and reflect on this, that, and the other thing but the lake does its own reflecting as well. Pick up sticks, anyone?

It also provides a nice bit of bokeh.

Up close and personal with a butterfly? Alien? Somethings look different when you get this close, don’t they?

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

Lemon tree very pretty and reflecting a bit

Who else remembers the Peter, Paul, and Mary song “Lemon Tree?” As with all their songs, the melody was lovey, although I had to disagree with the last line of the chorus:

Lemon tree very pretty and the lemon flower is sweet
But the fruit of the poor lemon is impossible to eat
Lemon tree very pretty and the lemon flower is sweet
But the fruit of the poor lemon is impossible to eat

Okay, perhaps you don’t actually eat a lemon on its own, but the fruit is pretty darn good! I start most mornings with a glass of warm water and the juice of half a lemon. I also sometimes make a ginger-lemon drink that’s very good and good for me. This lemon tree is at Queen Creek Olive Mill. They grow quite a bit of what they use/sell at the mill store.

And for “blue” this week, let’s venture to a completely different sort of surroundings, to downtown Chicago once again where there are plenty blues for today.

Lens-Artists #155 – (White) On the Water

This week’s Lens-Artists Challenge by John at Journeys with Johnbo coincides with the last weekend for “white” as the theme for Life In Colour (yes, I know Jude doesn’t know how to spell “color” but you’ll have to excuse her–she’s British.) So here are three examples not only of white but also of white reflections on water, all the more for your time. I wish you all a wonderful weekend. I’ll be watching stage 8 of this year’s wild and crazy Tour de France (but not until the replay, as it starts at about 4 am here.)

“Water is the driving force in nature.”
― Leonardo da Vinci

We’ll start with tiptoeing on water while creating a reflection…

“Praised be my Lord, for our sister water.” St. Francis of Assisi

…floating on the water while reflecting, and finally…

And just because:

“It seems rummy that water should be so much wetter when you go into it with your clothes on than when you’re just bathing, but take it from me that it is.”
― P.G. Wodehouse, The Inimitable Jeeves

…synchronized swimming (and diving and eating) while reflecting on water.

And never forget this classic poem and a second version:

A Wonderful Bird Is The Pelican

By Dixon Lanier Merritt

A wonderful bird is the pelican,
His bill will hold more than his belican,
He can take in his beak
Enough food for a week
But I’m damned if I see how the helican!

Another version:

A funny old bird is a pelican.
His beak can hold more than his belican.
Food for a week
He can hold in his beak,
But I don’t know how the helican.

Source: https://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poem/a-wonderful-bird-is-the-pelican-by-dixon-lanier-merritt

Just a few reflections on silver.

for Six Word Saturday and Life in Colour: white/silver

Urban

for One Word Sunday: urban

Fun with editing

These bushes growing in the water and providing great reflections attract me for some reason. Then I got to playing with editing and this is the result. Happy Tuesday.

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #116: Symmetry

This week’s Lens-Artists Challenge might have you seeing double. Although most things aren’t truly symmetrical, many are so close that you can’t tell the difference or you feel that you’re seeing symmetry.

When I think of symmetry, the William Blake poem springs immediately to mind:

Tyger Tyger, burning bright, 
In the forests of the night; 
What immortal hand or eye, 
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

Fortunately for you, there’s nothing fearful about the symmetry I’m sharing today. The snowy egret in this first shot is almost dancing on the water and with the water’s smooth cooperation, it’s almost perfectly symmetrical.

“Symmetry is what we see at a glance; based on the fact that there is no reason for any difference…”
― Blaise Pascal, Pensées

Here’s another almost symmetrical shot from the Riverwalk in Naperville, Illinois.

Although this photo is less symmetrically perfect than the previous ones, there’s still a pleasing almost-symmetry about it and it feels balanced.

Patchwork

for One Word Sunday: patchwork