Monogrammed to a T (CYW-Black)

Monogram

Today, the last day of April, is the last day of JNW’s Color Your World Photo Challenge with the color target of black. I like the black and white contrast of this stationary. And since the last day of April also happens to be my birthday, and therefore all about me 😉, a posting with MY monogram seemed fitting! Truly, I have received my share of birthday wishes today from family and friends. On top of that, it is a beautiful sunny day! I am certainly blessed!

Suburb-The Changing Seasons V2 (April 2017)

Delicate

Delicate Haiku (Peace)

Delicate moment
In striving to keep the peace
Think before you speak

***
This seemingly delicate blossom is sturdier than you might think. Without any concerted effort from me, it sprouted up on its own in my backyard! Years ago, someone planted flowers in my yard. It is amazing how they still grow year after year!

***
Peace is a delicate commodity, easily broken, and needful of our committment.

***
This is my fourth 2017 post for year three of Cardinal Guzman’s photo challenge, The Changing Seasons. You can post a photo gallery (V1) or a single photo (V2) that showcases your view of the month. You can check out the Cardinal’s page for the general challenge rules and join right in! His photos are fantastic! Like last year, I am planning to add a haiku along with my single V2 photo each month. Even though it has been said that a picture paints a thousand words, I like pairing pictures and words; both can still mean different things to different people.

All my previous Changing Seasons posts are in one place under the Changing Seasons header at the top of the page. And, I also have a bird header where all my bird pictures are gathered.
Take a look around my blog if you are interested! Comments are welcome!

Scarlet Beauty (CYW-Scarlet)

Scarlet

This puffed-up, rain-soaked, male house finch shows off its scarlet coloring. Beautiful!

*posted for JNW’s Color Your World photo challenge: scarlet
*to see more of my bird photos, click on the birds header at the top of the page

Home on Earth

Earth Bound

Home on Earth

Earth bound
Encompassed
Grounded
Retained

Reliant
Resilient
Resourceful
Sustained

***
Response to the daily post weekly photo challenge: earth

Cardinal Red (CYW-Red)

Cardinal Red

Red feathering immediately draws our attention to the cardinal. We can’t miss it. It is a stand-out bird. I have been wanting to capture a picture of a cardinal in my flowering dogwood tree. The Cardinal is the Virginia state bird and the dogwood is the state tree. Finally, I got my chance! Here is the photo, recently posted on my Instagram.

Representing Virginia

Here is one more photo of a cardinal perched on a pole above the bird feeder in my yard. He’s a beauty!

Pole Position

*posted for JNW’s Color Your World challenge:red

Perspective

Nature Perspective

The way I see it, nature (and the ability to enjoy nature) is a gift. I really enjoy watching the creatures that grace my back yard. And, even though I don’t have a green thumb, I enjoy seeing the colorful flowers, planted long ago, that still bloom there every year.

It is a beautiful spring day, perfect for being outside. And, for me, today is extra special because it is Easter. I have been reflecting on my blessings, of which there are many!

Happy Easter! I wish you all a wonderful day!

Great Blue Surprise

Great Blue Heron Surprise

I had never walked this path before. I was almost back at the starting point when I unexpectedly spotted this magnificent bird wading in the water. I was shocked by its size since I had been watching for little songbirds. It was certainly a surprise to see this great blue heron take flight! It was also a surprise to realize I had actually managed to capture the moment!

Here it is standing tall, with its long neck extended, before it was surprised by me.

Standing Tall

These last two pictures were taken later at a different nearby location, but it could be the same bird! I have now seen a single great blue heron standing near water at four different spots in my town!

Coiled Neck

Here is a view of its face and beak.

Profile

Isn’t this a cool bird? To see more about birds, you can click on the bird header at the top of my page.

*posted for the daily post weekly photo challenge: surprise

Barbed Security

Security

Security Haiku (Barbed)

High barbed wire fencing
Securing bad ones keep out
And good ones stay in

***
Or does it?
***

*posted for the daily post weekly photo challenge: Security

Double Dense

Double Dense

Last September, I went to a local sunflower festival. We got there pretty early so we could find a place to park. The cloud cover was dense at the start of the day, but the skies cleared up some later, and the flowers in the dense sunflower fields stretched toward the sun!

Here is a sunnier view.

Sunflower Field

I invite you to take a look at my post, September (Sunflowers), to see a gallery of sunflower photos from that day! I had never seen so many cheerful sunflowers at one time. It was amazing to see!

*posted in response to the daily post weekly photo challenge: dense