barielle “sand-al chic” over zoya “felicity”
topped with covergirl boundless color “disco dazzle”‘

fauxnad plate stamp

plush flower badgeflower keyring

flower keyring

the very same mushroom Mario munched on

xoxo speech-bubble badge

cloud with a silver lining – plush badge

I really love this song…

…from Nightwish

It’s not the tree that forsakes the flower
But the flower that forsakes the tree
Someday I’ll learn to love these scars
Still fresh from the red-hot blade of your words

…How blind can you be, don’t you see…
…that the gambler lost all he does not have…

La Rose

I read in Scott Kelby’s book “The Digital Photography Book” that the best time to shoot flowers was when the sky is grey and even better right after the rain. As I completed that part of the book the rain started, so I ran out with my camera to the rose bush outside our flat and shot this one.

Scott was right the colors come out best when taken right after the rain.

And the droplets of water make the rose look even fresher.

Details:  Aperture: f/5  –  Exposure: 1/80 sec  -  Focal lengths: 41mm  -  Iso: 100

The sky broke like an egg into full sunset and the water caught fire. ~Pamela Hansford Johnson

A sunflower faces west as day approaches sundown

This is available as a print, gallery wrap, or boxed set of 12 notecards & envelopes at bbrunophotography.

I am just so excited right now that I might possibly explode while I am typing this. I get to attend the Rockettes tonight at the Fox Theatre.  I simply cannot wait.  I sure hope they let me take pictures.

As far as black and white week go, I have not taken any pictures.  I will hopefully get some tonight while I am out and about in the city.

I currently have an obsession with weeds.  I am also really getting into this whole deviantART thing. It’s a great site to get connected with other photographers and find inspiration. Everyone is very encouraging and not stuck up like on many photography websites I have been to. I hate snobs.

These star-like objects are part of the reproductive system of a tropical flower. I call this photo “Parallel Universe” because the casual observer often misses the minute and often fascinating details of things like the not-so-private parts of flowers.

Hej…

I just noticed that I missed to tell the winner photos… going into the hamsterboard calendar competition…

Because of the sparse comments, I counted flickr. comments and others too.

Nr. 8 was the picture of Lotta which found most of the attention…

And Joda goes with picture Nr. 1 where he is cleaning out his chops (has packed them with a self baked hamster cookie )

I’m so excited if they will make the race and get a place in the calendar…

Definately I will tell, if they do or don’t…

So now it says: Keep your fingers crossed for Lotta and Joda.

Have a nice and colourful Sunday…

It gives a gallon of toddy every day, the local ale of Keralites, one third of whom live by extracting it  from this too familiar tree. They give it to the cooperative, that owns a network of distributories. Being the cheapest drink, all workers go direct to the “shop”, after a day of hard work, where, sometimes they spend the whole day’s earnings.

Toddy is collected by cutting the flower bunch, which the botanists call the inflorescence, and collecting the juice coming from the cut, rich in starch and vitamins,  sweet when fresh. Our tapper at home is a family friend. He gives Rs. 50 per tree per month. All this, I learned when Ravi my Bihari son-in-law whanted a “bottle” from him.

If the flowers are allowed to grow, the inflorescencs is cut and used as a boucquet, considered auspicious and a must in marriage ceremonies, when receiving the deity of god, coming home on the back of an elephant, or simly as decoration, during festivals in temples.

The hard cover of the inflorescence, with a net like inside membrane, was used to make a torch, even in my childhood!

Have you seen a whole coconut? It has a fibrous cover, to protect the nut inside, because the whole thing falls down from a height of even fifty feet. It is very, very difficult to peel it (I should enjoy a European doing it even with the sharpest knife!). In Vetekkaran pooja, 12000 nuts have to be broken in front of the deity.  A sharp thick iron bar is planted in the soil, with the sharp end pointing upwards. The fibrous nut is brought down forcefully to hit the instrumet, when a dent is made in the outer cover, without damaging the nut inside. Now they have designed an instrument which is an innovation of this method and can be wielded even by girls.

Ropes are made from the fibrous cover which we call chakiri. it is the traditional occupation of women in the coastal districts of Keralam, from Alapusha to Kollam.The fibrbre comes loose, after soaking chakiri for months in the backwaters. The Coir Board is selling an incredible variety of coir products, including door mats. Global recession has hit this cottage industry too.

Inside the fibre is the hard shell called chiratta. It is a valuable fuel, traditionally used in the heavy ironing box. It is also used as a ladle, by fixing a handle to the shell. Artists use it to carve figures of people, animals etc.

When the nut is tender, the sweet water inside the shell, is a nutritious beverage, now available in most towns. It contains pure glucose which can be given intraveinous, I read somewhere. The soft white kernel is light food.

The ripe kernal is the source of oil, commercially used for making soaps and detergents. A Keralite will not enjoy his food, if it is not laced with coconut oil. Papadam fried in other oils is unpalatable.

The leaves of the tree, resembling in shape, the wings of a peacock, are used for making nets or mats, by weaving the individual blades together. These are used for thatching the roof or making a screen for the open bath sheds, where women take bath.

The tree trunk can be sawn into beams for making furniture, roof of houses etc.

This is my own observation. People leave the root clump, after cutting off the trunk, because it is very heavy and impossible to cut into pieces. Its inside can be scooped out, by a suitable tool, leaving the outside shell which can be used as a big bharani, as we call it, for storing mango pickles etc.

Now you tell me, is there any other tree that gives all parts of its body for human beings?

Two non indigenous plants are flowering this week and are beautiful. (in pots) The chirstmas cactus and an orchid.
I planted more seedlings this week, cauliflower, beetroot, green pepper and black basil.
Michael is quite busy this time of the year, moving seedlings into new pots and selecting the keepers. All the millions of seeds on top of the fridge are almost ready to be planted out so he has to make space for them. The have to make space again for the new seeds that have to go on top of the fridge. We still have some beauties flowering like my favourite clivia that is only starting now.

Paint Pens on Cardboard

Paint Pens on Cardboard

Paint Pens on Cardboard

Paint Pens on Cardboard

Paint Pens on Cardboard

Paint Pens on Cardboard

Paint Pens on Cardboard

Paint Pens on Cardboard

]]> http://collets3642009.wordpress.com/2009/11/22/364-%e2%80%93-326/ Sun, 22 Nov 2009 04:58:52 +0000 Liz http://collets3642009.wordpress.com/2009/11/22/364-%e2%80%93-326/

Middle of World

Der Charme hat seinen Sitz in der Seele.
Sigmund Graff

*

]]> http://wrongside.info/2009/11/22/twilight/ Sun, 22 Nov 2009 02:42:41 +0000 Fiona http://wrongside.info/2009/11/22/twilight/

“As nightfall does not come at once, neither does oppression. In both instances, there is a twilight when everything remains seemingly unchanged. And it is in such twilight that we all must be most aware of change in the air – however slight – lest we become unwitting victims of the darkness.”

— William O. Douglas

]]> http://milkayphoto.wordpress.com/2009/11/21/was-there-the-whole-time/ Sun, 22 Nov 2009 01:31:27 +0000 milkayphoto http://milkayphoto.wordpress.com/2009/11/21/was-there-the-whole-time/

Finally got around to gathering up the annual pots around the yard (yeah, I’m a little behind in my gardening tasks….shoot me). Most things were completely dead (naturally) but one had a spark of life! A small patch in back containing some greenery and a few small white flowers, the variety of which is ironically named “Snowflake”.

"Tiny Snowflake" (Sultera cordata "Snowflake" aka Bacopa) Nikon D300, 105mm F/2.8G macro, F/11, 1/80s, -0.3EV, ISO 640

Huh, imagine that!

Download AI URL: http://www.imgcapture.com/?p=807

Material description:

This material is based on fashion and noble black pattern pink background with colorful flowers, foliage and elegant fashion design embodies the noble and beautiful and stylish elements. Either from the background pattern or design on the material selection is a terrific modern design material.

Flower taken with a 105 mm Macro lens with selective focusing.

Size: 20,3cm x30,4cm

Price: 180 US Dollars

Why do people distrust flowers delivery services?

No matter the occasion, flowers delivery is always the right choice for a gift. However, this service is now provided mostly online. For that reason, a lot of people are suspicious about the reliability of the service. Seemingly, there isn’t really a way of making sure that your order arrives safely and on time.

What is the method of payment?

There are many questions that arise when it comes to flowers delivery. Most of them involve the method of payment. You should know that most flowers delivery companies demand that you make the payment before they can process the order. The only payment method accepted by these companies is credit card.

That is why if you do not consider that entering your credit card information online is safe, you will most probably not be able to enjoy flower delivery services. Something that you should also take into account is that with flowers delivery what you see is not always what you get.

Will the recipient get the exact same flowers that I pick?

In many cases, suppliers provide online images of the flowers but they are only indicative of the product being delivered, for that reason the flowers may not resemble the online images. Similarly, your flowers of choice may not be available in the delivery area of your choice. In these cases, companies proceed to substitute the product for another one.

Am I entitled for a refund if the product I choose is not available?

You should be aware that even if you are not notified about the product substitution, you are not entitled for a refund. In fact, you have to agree to this term before placing your order. So make sure to ask a customer service representative if the product that you chose is available.

Am I entitled for a refund if my delivery does not get to the recipient on time?

There are many situations in which your delivery may not arrive on time. Weather conditions, closed business or recipients that are not found are just some of them. Flowers delivery companies do not consider that this situations are their responsibility, thus they do not offer refunds.

How can I know if the recipient got the delivery in a timely manner?

Even though most companies do not offer a confirmation service, you can request them to send you a notification of the delivery via e-mail. During especial holidays, they are so busy that they may not be able to send you a confirmation but you can call their customer service number to get that information.

Is there such a thing as international flowers delivery?

You can have access to international flowers delivery services in some companies. However, this service does not guarantee next day delivery, so be sure to make your order with time. The same applies to deliveries during holidays. Also, note that not all products are available for international delivery.

What else should I take into account before placing my order?

The previously mentioned facts should be taken into account before placing your flowers delivery order. However, some terms change from company to company, so make sure you read the terms and conditions section in the company’s website to be sure that you know what kind of service you are getting.

Am I ready to hire a flowers delivery service now?

It is important that you make sure to check out their payment policies. In some cases, there are penalties that can be applied if you cancel your order. So do a thorough research and choose the flowers delivery company that better suits your needs.

The boss at Advertizia, Julian J. Lenox reviews and writes articles for Home and Garden Top 100, a focused Gifts and Occasions websites views stockpile. Stay tuned at .

Arriving at Gardex, the International Garden Expo Tokyo, was a bit of a shock. First, I could not believe how far it was from Tokyo. Past Disney. Past IKEA. Past Costco. Gardex occupied a portion of one of the five mega-halls. The first impression was overwhelming: a hum of electricity and a burst of fluorescent lighting animating a trade show as removed from nature as possible.

The first booth we passed promoted a pesticide company. Spray bottles seemed to float above colorful flowers, a salesperson spoke with much animation into a wireless mic, and lighted towers offered multiples of each product. The photo mural and garish colors seem to contradict the “natural safety” message.

Click below to read and see more about industrial gardening, a cool vertical garden product, and global business.

Clearly gardening is big business with global suppliers. Roses come to Japan from Colombia, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Kenya and India.  The flowers are so huge and the distances so vast, I fear they are pumped with pesticide, fertilizer and other chemicals.

I was impressed with the technology and artistry of E-Soil Board, a vertical garden system. It seems less modular than the hydroponic vertical Suntory Midorie, which also exhibited at Gardex.

Also featured were several large machines for bunching and plastic wrapping cut flowers for large retailers. I like the juxtaposition of machine and “we are flower people” message.

There was some garden art, including this framed Christmas pig made from flowers.

And finally, as if to underscore that gardens are no place for wildlife, there were enormous rat-killing product displays.

November Rose, originally uploaded by © Don Iannone Photography.

Dedicated to our departed Flickr friend Madisonprincipal (Bob Olsen). Our prayers and healing thoughts to his family, friends, and students.

Bob Olsen: http://www.flickr.com/photos/28461105@N05/

Roses Giving Thanks for Sunlight, originally uploaded by © Don Iannone Photography.

Dedicated to our departed Flickr friend Madisonprincipal (Bob Olsen). Our prayers and healing thoughts to his family, friends, and students.

Bob Olsen: http://www.flickr.com/photos/28461105@N05/

One of my favorite places to photograph at Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge is the Bayscape Garden behind the old visitor center, near the Bayview Butterfly Trail. A Bayscape Garden is designed to benefit people, wildlife and the Chesapeake Bay.

On my most recent visit to the Bayscape Garden, I photographed some beautiful monkshood (aconitum carmichaelii) flowers. I loved the deep purple flowers that I photographed. And all you have to do is take one look at the shape of the flowers to know why it is names monkshood. Here are some of my photos of the monkshood at Eastern Neck NWR.

(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

(c) 2009 Patty Hankins

I only made it to Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge a couple of times this year. Each time, I found wonderful things to photograph. I think I’m going to try to get there more often next year.

]]> http://kanavulagam.wordpress.com/2009/11/21/amazing/ Sat, 21 Nov 2009 06:49:33 +0000 premcs23 http://kanavulagam.wordpress.com/2009/11/21/amazing/

Art is a collaboration between God and the artist, and the less the artist does the better.  ~André Gide

Simplicity

This image is available as a fine art print, gallery wrap, or boxed set of 12 greeting cards at bbrunophotography