Flowers

Kind of cool and overcast the last few days. That combined with our babysitting/teaching duties has made it hard to get out for more photos. I finally made it out for a short walk around the neighborhood to see a little color and texture growing along the sidewalks.



Lots of azaleas and rhododendrons

But some of these are so striking in their colors and how this are distributed to make viewing them in color worthwhile.

Sometimes, it is just a monochrome image that works, however.

These delicate flowers with their "freckles" make an appealing view. I really do like the way the camera renders the texture of the petals in monochrome. Without the distraction of color, we get a clear view. It occured to me on this walk that this is the source of inspiration of much of women's clothes. The delicate cloth, the frills, and understated accents so common in high fashion in eras past can, I believe, all be traced to what you see in the spring time.

Were I to show you this image in color, it would be a totally different experience. Here, you can see a mass of flowers, open for business to the passing pollinators, strutting their stuff. They look as if they might break if I were to touch them.

Others, in their gaudy dress, seem to be on the make. Out to paint the town red (or yellow or pink) and simply be the one everyone looks at. Sometimes, looking past the color to see what is really there gives a notion of looking at the "soul" of the flower rather than the overdone makeup.

Sitting at home for weeks on end tends to make one a bit introspective, doesn't it?