Flutter By Butterfly....

by Deanna

As some of you may know via instagram and facebook, I recently visited Arizona, the home of good friends who graciously invite me each year to enjoy the warmth of the sun and the amazing life in the desert. And you also probably know that I spent time with both Terri (my FOL sister and BFF from Phoenix) and the amazing Barbara Carroll. Lunch together on my birthday was pretty darn special. Terri and I joined up again a couple of other times and just enjoyed being together, snapping our cameras at the glorious sights of our surroundings. It was absolutely glorious to see color and sunshine again. Here at home we are still struggling with the arrival of Spring, cloudy days, cool temps, but there are glimpses that Spring will arrive. 

I have so many (approximately 3,000 give or take) pictures that I took while there. Up to this point 2017's inventory of pictures taken was only about 1300 from January until the 1st part of March. Pretty pitiful for someone who historically snapped several each day. As I said before, there are only so many bare trees and branches one can get excited about.. Visiting the butterfly exhibit at the Desert Botanical Garden and another visit to Butterfly Wonderful brought that excitement back in full force. So, because my inventory is over-flowing with butterfly images I am dedicating this post to the magic and wonder of butterflies.

Please do not ask me to name any of these. I could spend hours trying to google and search for each of these, but I'm not, so just enjoy their uniqueness, their beauty, and their exquisite colors. 

Not sure if these two were copulating or just happen to land on the same leaf at the same time.... 

And, by the way, I bought myself the new Tamron 90mm Macro lens, which really performed nicely for butterflies, flowers, bees. I would recommend the lens. All of these images were taken hand-held, which proves that for a 74 year old woman the vibration compensation really works. 

I've spent very little time on my computer lately processing pictures, so preparing for this post was almost as delightful as being there. Isn't it marvelous that we can re-visit those special places through our photographs. 

 I combined this lovely with the bluebonnets from Texas that I enjoyed last year. 

"Love is like a butterfly

It goes where it pleases

And it pleases wherever it goes."

(author unknown)

Now if you happen to wonder what I might produce with these lovelies....I make calendars each year and sell them, with my profits (after expenses) then donated to the Alzheimer's Association. 

May the wings of the butterfly kiss the sun

And find your shoulder to light on.

To bring you luck, happiness and riches

Today, tomorrow and beyond.

- Irish Blessing 

Yellow - The Color of Spring

by Deanna

Touches of Spring was my choice for this month's theme. OK I know the image above doesn't resemble Spring at all, but if I was at home right now this is probably what I would see out of my window. If you have seen any pictures of mine on Instagram or Facebook in the last week you would know that I am in Arizona soaking up the sunshine and enjoying the warmth. Except 90+ is just a wee bit warm for my body, but it sure hasn't stopped me from enjoying my moments in the sun. Rub on that sun screen and off I go.

Today I'm all about the color yellow. Yellow is the color of egg yolk, ripe lemons, some animals, many flowers, a few birds, butterflies, clothing, furniture, etc. It;s the primary color between green and orange in the visible spectrum, an effect of light with a wave length between 570 and 590 nm (nano meter, not "never mind").

Since I have been in Arizona I have seen yellow thru my lens wherever I went. So this post is more about images of yellow than words.

I discovered animals in yellow....

Butterflies and bees in yellow....

I know the flower isn't yellow but that bee buzzing inside is sure yellow.

Lots of flowers in yellow...

I have been visiting friends in Arizona (specifically, Phoenix) for several years. It's my getaway when winter has been around too long at home. When everything is still very brown at home, I fly to the land of the sun to envelop myself in the vivid colors that heal the remnants of winter in my bones.

I'll admit when I first visited Arizona 20+ years ago I did not appreciate the desert with it's beauty. My mindset was "how can anybody like living around rocks, desert, and cactus."  Well, needless to say, my mindset has certainly changed over the years. I now find those cactus, those rocks, and those deserts beautiful. 

Even birds are yellow out here....

And then of course, there are the stunning sunsets...

Even tho I am missing the massive blooming of the cactus by about 2-3 weeks, I sure haven't been cheated out of any beauty.