April 16, 2012

Raindrops on Roses

Last week, it rained almost all week. 

When I was living in Seattle, the rain frustrated me. It was constant. All I could think about were wet socks, frizzy hair, cold fingers, dirty puddles, indoor mold. 

Now that I'm back in California, where showers are balanced with sunshine, it's easier for me to be thankful for the rain. Now I go out in my rain boots with my camera, enjoying the beauty that the rain brings, especially to the rose garden. I've always loved taking close-ups of dew-studded roses. I hope you enjoy the results!



They're little miracles, reminders of the beauty brought even by hardship, signs of joy even in the rain. They remind me of the song from The Sound of Music:


"Raindrops on roses, and whiskers on kittens...


 "bright copper kettles, and warm woolen mittens...


"brown paper packages, tied up with string...


"these are a few of my favorite things!"


Happy Monday! What's beautiful in your world today?


15 comments:

  1. Love it! I absolutely love roses, and they make such beautiful up-close photos. What camera are you using? (We're in the market for a new one.) Have you been to Filoli on the Peninsula off of 280? If you love photographing flowers, it is worth the trip!

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  2. Thanks, Bethany! These were taken on my "baby," a Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-H2 (it's going on 6 years old now, so I don't know if they still make the model, but it has 12x optical zoom and is great!). I also have a point-and-shoot Kodak that I like for sticking in my purse and capturing candid moments :)

    And yes, I have been to Filoli! One of the loveliest places in the Bay Area :) I would like to move into their library...

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  3. I could almost smell those roses :-)

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    1. Just don't smell the wet ones--I tried that, and you just get a wet nose :)

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  4. Beautiful roses! Brought a smile to my face.

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  5. Thank you, and thank you! God grows them and I just take their portraits :)

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  6. Thanks for the beautiful reminder to 'stop and ENJOY (I got the message on not smelling wet roses!) the roses'!!

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  7. Beautiful roses. I love your line, "God grows them and I just take care of them."

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  8. This makes me think of your mom's and our trip to Europe in 1984 when we went to Salzburg and visited several places where the Sound of Music movie was filmed!!! Good memories. Love you.

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    1. Oh, how cool! I've seen pictures of that trip and Salzburg looks like a postcard. Maybe I'll go someday :) Thanks for reading!

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  9. Yes, so glad for the sun after weeks of rain on and off (mostly on) here in California. The perfect time for roses. Yours are beautiful. Here in the valley, we will quickly go from rain and cool to heat this weekend, reaching the 90s, and I fear the 100s aren't far behind. For the moment, though, let me smell the roses!

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    1. I think I live just to the north of you, Cora. We're looking at temperatures about 10 degrees lower than yours, but I'm getting excited to pull out my shorts soon!

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  10. Love closeup photos and love that song. Sang it to my kids when they were babies so they knew all the words by the time they could speak full sentences (or sing them). The roses are beautiful. A lovely end to my day today.

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    1. Oh, how fun! My little cousin used to sing the song "So Long, Farewell" and pantomime it by scooting backwards up the stairs. Too cute.

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