Buzzing with Activity!

"Pear Blossom Pollinator"

The two Bradford Pear trees planted behind my church were just loaded with blossoms last Sunday, and the bees were busy taking advantage of the situation!  It was a perfect time to get some close up shots of these busy guys at work.  Spring has been late in arriving this year, so we are glad for every sign that we get that warmer weather is here to stay.

Hope Springs Eternal

One of the best features of spring is the sense of hopefulness it brings. We watch the trees for signs of leaves, and the bulbs emerging from the ground for their first colorful blooms.

Peace Church's Fall Flowers

Another sign that summer is coming to a close, and fall is just around the corner. All the black-eyed susans have finished blooming, except these two hold-outs. :-)   

There is a group of ladies from our church that do a beautiful job of "beautifying" the outside of our church. As soon as it's warm enough in the spring, they have daffodils blooming, daisy's blooming all summer, and now that summer is winding down and the cooler temperatures are in the air, the chrysanthemums are taking their turn.   

More photos of the mums planted around my church. This variety is so full of blooms, and I just loved their colors and shadings.   

The last shot of the flowers around my church....another variety of purple chrysanthemums. This one has smaller flowers, but the flowers seem to have more petals. Can you tell than I'm *not* a gardener? lol

Anniversary Bouquet

To celebrate our 27th anniversary, my wonderful hubby surprised me with this colorful, fragrant, bouquet of flowers. The flowers will only last a week or so, but my husband is a keeper. :-)   

Hosta Surprise!

The blooms on this hosta are roughly 18 inches off the ground, so you can imagine the shape I was getting in, trying to get the camera under them, framing the shot, focusing on the blooms, etc. I was completely oblivious to the fact that Mollie, our beagle, had hopped up on the porch to be nearby whatever I was doing. It wasn't until I was browsing the shots on my camera when I was done that I noticed her in the background of some of the shots. When it was all said and done, the shots with Mollie in them were infinitely more interesting than the ones without her! Thanks, Mollie!    

Raindrops on Roses...

After a rainshower, I took a few minutes to go outside and see what the flowers looked like after their "bath."  :-)