I drove past a field of sunflowers yesterday & in my head, I was transported into some place far far away. Sunflowers are already the perfect youthful summer bloom but to see a huge field full of them is quite magical.

I just wanted to get out & run through them all but because I’m not a fool, I did not do that. I did not want to get stung by pollenating bees, bite by a snake or ate up by mosquitoes.  So instead, I took a few snapshots from afar & accidentally took a few home.  I have no idea how the 5 sunflower got in my car.

Strange!

One issue that I have when I photograph anything is that I over photograph, then I switch lenses etc. Each shot has subtle differences so when I’m deciding on what to keep & what to toss I go crazy.

While photographing the sunflowers today, I took about 124 photos & kept about 80 of them. Of the 124, I only wanted to post 4 & this is what you see here. Decisions!

The 1st set of photos was taken with my Nikkor 105mm macro lens. As you can see, there are some very sharp elements with lots of detail & soft edges.

The 2nd set was taken with my Lensbaby Composer outfitted with the macro kit.  Images taken with the Lensbaby are often dreamy, with a nice soft focus, little detail & lots of imagination.

It’s always hard for me to choose a favorite version when I compare the Nikkor macro to the Lensbaby. They both offer something very special.

This time of year is amazing for wild flowers in my area. A tapestry of purples, whites, oranges, blues & yellows are scattered throughout the fields near my home.

Of all the wild flowers around, I love Queen Anne’s Lace & Woodland-edge Sunflowers & Chicory.

Yesterday when I stopped to photograph these on the edge of the road, I damn near caused an accident while coming to a quick stop.

Sometimes my artist & flower loving mindset takes me out of the reality zone momentarily. I need to do better.

Are you a wild flower lover? What are your local favorites???

Factoid:
Queen Anne’s Lace seeds can be & were used as a contraceptive dating far back as the 4th century B.C.

I’ve never met a lily that I did not love. Never!  Outside of oriental & Asiatic lilies, calla lilies are my favorite. Especially large white calla lilies.

Calla lilies are romantic, regal, art inspiring, delicate, complex yet so simple and African.

I recently posted on Twitter that I find calla lilies to be beautifully vaginal and phallic at the same time.

One the surface, I see an erect penis with a large head. Inside, I see a soft warmly lit vagina with a carefully protected clitoris ready to be loved.

When I see & photograph flowers, sometimes my mind wonders. I see many things almost like when I gaze at clouds. Maybe it’s my artistic mind but I’ll let you figure that out.

See more of my recent calla lily photos here.

I made a quick trip to Cousin Dee’s house the other day & noticed how beautiful & lush her begonias were.

I was hesitant to ask for a few clippings but I got over it quickly because I just had to have a few.

I LOVE begonias!!!

You can see more of the images here. There were 3 flowers & 8 totally different looks.  It was hard to choose a favorite.

When it comes to my macro floral photography, the closer & more abstract the better.

Meet my new garden friend, a “panter pink cone flower.”  The panther pink cone flower is supposed to be hardy in zones 5-8 so Im hoping that it actually makes it through the winter & flourish next year, especially after paying big bucks for a small plant.

Don’t get me wrong cause I love the rain. When it rains, I don’t have to water my plants or grass, which not only saves me money, but it saves me time. And my lawn looks amazingly lush right now.

But……. Most recently, the rain has been tapping into my pocket because I’ve had to cancel a few outdoor photo sessions.

Sure they were all rescheduled but all this time shuffling is a bit much & has been putting me in a time crunch.

I’m sure in a few months, I’ll be complaining about it not raining enough as my water bill starts to skyrocket. On the other hand, I hope to be happy with scheduled & executed photos sessions.

My day started off with a little drama that was quickly dissolved, then my photo shoot planned for this afternoon was canceled. Just bad news all the way around.

I decided that the drama was not worth me being all pissed off & I let it go, which is not always easy for me to do. After the shot was canceled, I looked at it as an opportunity for me to relax & get my mind right.

As I post this, my mind is clear & I’m excited about the weekend, which kicks off tomorrow with my partying at the Bravo Bravo charity event dressed in my look for less. My look for less consists of $18 jeans from Old navy, $22 blazer from Macy’s & am $20 graphic V-neck tee also from Macy’s. The shoes, a different story & I will not reveal how much they cost.

I think I have the most popular hosta plants in my neighborhood. Throughout out the summer without fail, random neighbors ask for a piece & ask how I got them so big.

Usually, I will give them a plant or two because they seem to multiply like rabbits. Just yesterday while out gardening someone asked about the hostas & I surprised her by digging one up for her. When I say I have many, I really mean it & I don’t mind making someone’s day with items from my garden.

The variety of hosta that I have is called “Big Daddy” and the size is almost giant alien plant like, which makes them fun.

Suite Suzy hates them because they take over the walkway but these babies ain’t going nowhere!

The fragrance: Sweet
The petals: Many & delicate
The color: Bright & vibrate
The history: Rich & wide spread

When my poppies are in bloom I get so excited. I don’t know what it is about them but they make feel like a kid. I wish that they bloomed all summer but that’s not the case, so I will enjoy them for the week or so that the will be around.

I planted violas in one of my gardens last year & the bloomed throughout the summer.  To my surprise, this lonely yellow fellow greeted me today while I was weeding.

What a nice bright surprise.

Coincidentally, it’s my grandmother’s birthday; we called her Mommie.  Everyone called her Mommie. Her kids, grand kids & people in the neighborhood all called her Mommie.

No one dared to call here Essie Mae!!!

Mommie was a very mysterious woman.  She never told me why she moved to Detroit from Birmingham, AL way back when, she never revealed her age, she NEVER talked about my grandfather who was rumored to be a Detroit pimp back in Black Bottom.

What I did know about Mommie was the love she had for me, her high regard continued education, the enjoyment she received from selling World Book Encyclopedias & her influential unique artistic abilities.

Mommie once told me that being cultured was a necessity for a successful Negro (she actually said Nigga but I thought I would clean it up a bit).

Recently, someone asked me who my muse was, I said my muse is my Mommie. She’s been gone for many years but her influence is ever present!

I sure miss Mommie!

Some of the best things in life are pink; like my favorite Egyptian cotton socks, cotton candy, strawberry ice cream & dogwood flowers.