Travel Theme: Orange

I love orange! It’s such a vibrant color! Wherever I go I’m always on the lookout for bright colors and I had no problem finding images that I hope will adequately represent Orange, in response to Ailsa’s Travel Theme challenge on Where’s My Backpack? at http://wheresmybackpack.com/2014/08/22/travel-theme-orange/.

Somehow, purely by chance, I nearly always seem to show up at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Bartlett, Illinois during a special event. At the end of July when we visited, there appeared to be some kind of Youth Conference in progress. People at the Mandir are always very friendly and willing to explain what is happening and we were told that the participants were from all across the country. From what I understood, these young people were there to learn about the Hindu faith and its place in the world today. We arrived just as they were taking group photos outside the temple and out of respect we stayed well back, so we had rather limited access but I managed to capture a few images once everyone had dispersed. The figures in the above image were ceremoniously placed on the steps of the Mandir and the colors really stood out against the white stonework of the temple.

Orange canna lilies are just tall enough to catch the setting sun on the Esplanade at the Chicago Botanic Garden.

An orange place setting caught everyone’s eye at the Chicago Flower and Garden Show at Navy Pier in Chicago earlier this year.

One of the stained glass windows on display at the Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows at Navy Pier in Chicago.

A flash of orange as ornamental koi splash around in the pool at the Anderson Japanese Gardens in Rockford, Illinois.

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Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Texture

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge this week on Cee’s Photography at http://ceenphotography.com/2014/03/25/cees-fun-foto-challenge-texture/ is Texture.

I did quite a bit of fiddling about with this one so I hope you’ll find that the end result justified the effort.

The warty surface of a toad’s skin; a smooth seal’s skin; a delicate butterfly’s wing and the rough, knobbly texture of tree bark.

The bumpy surface of a jackfruit; the rough texture of wheat straw; the soft feathers of an ibis and the crimped texture of sheep’s wool.

The texture of various leaves and pine needles including the lumpy surface of a lotus leaf on the far right.

The furry surface of the plant called lamb’s ears; the texture of fine grass; the rocky texture found in the Badlands and the slimy scales of a fish.

A-Z Challenge: Tagged K

I seem to be playing catch-up all this month. Once again I’m late with another challenge. This one, Frizztext’s A-Z Challenge on Flickr Comments at http://flickrcomments.wordpress.com/2014/03/18/tagged-k-2/ which last week was Tagged K.

Although we have at various times kept an aquarium at the house, the novelty and the idea of cleaning the thing out on a regular basis soon wore thin and we are now a pet-free zone. Still, I do love to see fish swimming about and I’m always attracted to the koi pool when we visit the Anderson Japanese Gardens in Rockford.

Koi or nishikigoi which apparently when translated means brocaded carp, can be very restful to watch as they glide through the water. When I came to review the image shown above, it seemed as though they were swimming through the universe. The star effect was fortunately already there in the picture. The only other adjustment I made was to crop the image.

The scene changes dramatically when you throw a handful of koi food into the pool. Then it’s every fish for himself!

But once all the food as been snapped up, they all drift away like ghosts in the night, until the next person comes along.

A Word A Week Challenge: Two – Part 2

I hope I may be forgiven for posting a second entry in Sue’s Word A Week Challenge on A Word In Your Ear at http://suellewellyn2011.wordpress.com/2013/11/01/a-word-a-week-challenge-two/. After all, the subject is Two. After I spent so much time sorting through all the images I would have been sorry not to use a few more of them.

Of all the pictures that I’ve taken, this one tugs at my heartstrings the most; my dear mother and youngest daughter. The two of them were so close and during Mum’s final hours, E sat by her bedside and sang all the songs that she remembered Mum teaching her when she was growing up (mostly good old Cockney songs like ‘Any Old Iron’.) The memory of that touching scene will stay with me for the rest of my life.

Poppies are some of my favorite flowers in the garden and these two really made a lovely show.

Two sea-lions basking in the sun. I believe this shot was captured at the Indianapolis Zoo.

Two Koi in a pool at the Anderson Japanese Gardens in Rockford, Illinois.

Two of the wonderfully energetic dancers from Ballet Folklorico performing in Elgin, Illinois.

Swimming in the Pool