Sunflowers & Hummingbirds

Two years ago, I read about a large sunflower field in Lawrence, KS. It was too late in the season to see them, so I hoped to go last year. However, the weather wasn't kind to the fields last year and the flowers didn't bloom well. The owners have a Facebook page to keep the fans alerted to the flowers' progress (click here https://www.facebook.com/GrinterFarms).

This year looked promising but we only had a one day opportunity to see them ourselves. So last Monday, I grabbed the Canon, hubby picked up the coffees, and Khaleesi the Afghan Hound hopped in the back of the SUV. Off we went on a little road trip.

The field was not quite what I expected. I was imagining acres & miles of big, beautiful sunflowers. (The farm is 40 acres, which is nothing to sneeze at.) Sometimes my expectations are a little unrealistic.

One of the fields was blooming but "not mature" as the lady at the little store said. The other field was just beginning to pop.

But we always make the best of things and have a good time no matter what. I did manage to snap "a few" pix, as you can see. 

The flowers had their backs to the parking area this day and I didn't want to trudge all the way to the other side in the semi-muddy field to get a facing shot. (But thinking back on it, after driving 4.5 hours, that was kinda stupid!)

It's funny, but in my search for the perfect, flawless, flower, it seemed to me that each one has a personality!

Just like us, each flower was in a different place on its life journey. 

Some rose above the others. 

And some were broken.

Some, even though they were growing up among flowers who were further along, didn't let that discourage them. They kept growing, trusting the Creator's plan for them.

They steadfastly keep their faces towards the sun, trusting it to strengthen and nourish them each day.

There's a little story going around social media that on cloudy days, sunflowers face each other, to share their energy. It's very sweet, but experts say it's not true. They face east for the early morning sun and track it all day, facing west as the sun sets. In the morning, they repeat the process. However, when they mature, they remain facing east all day.

 

Here's a little bit of fun information from the internet......

"Sunflowers are more than just beautiful food -- they're also a mathematical marvel. The pattern of seeds within a sunflower follows the Fibonacci sequence, or 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144... If you remember back to math class, each number in the sequence is the sum of the previous two numbers."

I never found the "perfect" sunflower for my picture frame.

But, I did find an entire field of happy faces!

Speaking of big smiles...

The hummingbirds have been really active this summer!

We have so enjoyed watching their aerial antics.

I still haven't gotten the great hummer shot, but the last one in this series might make you smile.

"You lookin' at me?"

An Art Doll Tour & a bit of Reminiscing

 I did as promised in the last post. Yesterday morning, I got up early to photograph the wild horses. I didn't want to get up early, but I did.

I traveled south to see if the Shetlands were in their pasture. Unlike me, they were sleeping in. I turned north in search of the hundreds of wild horses I saw last fall. First of all, I had a hard time remembering exactly where I had seen them. Out yonder thar, the countryside tends to all look the same. After driving several miles in various circles, I spotted them. But they were too far even for my telescopic lens. This was turning into one of my infamous bison hunts!

So my Saturday project turned into finishing what I started Monday - straightening up and reorganizing my multipurpose room. My husband put up a long shelf for my display of art dolls and I got them arranged. Not as many fit as I had hoped! I thought while we're here, I'll just give you a short tour.

In the photo above are mostly dolls I've made. There are a couple that were gifts or won in club door prizes. The two biggest ones in the center are called Pas de Deux. They were the first dolls I made in the first workshop I took shortly after joining the local club. (link here).  I finally have a place for them! They take up so much room, they've had to hide in the closet for awhile.

I really like this little ensemble above. It's a piece of the old fence from our yard, crowns given to me by friends, and one of my favorite artist's creations - a beautiful fairy I received in a holiday gift exchange. She adorned the top of our Christmas tree that year.

These two mischief makers are from club friends. The little lady below is something I made in another workshop. It's one of my favorites.

Since I joined Tulsa Dolling Dames 11 years ago (!!!), I've only made 25 dolls. Eight of those reside in other homes. Seven of the dolls in this collection are from other artists, won in drawings or received in gift exchanges. Oh yes - there are still 5 in various stages of completion. Maybe this time next year, they'll be added to the shelf!

Unless you're into this hobby, you wouldn't know that there are amazingly talented artists who are well known and quite respected in this field. Their work fetches hundreds of dollars. Our little club has been so blessed to host them personally in workshops. The dolls pictured here are made from designs by Patti Culea, Barbara Schoenoff, Cindee Moyer, Sherry Goshon, Paula McGee, Diane Little, Arley Berryhill, and others.

And since we're touring my room, I'll introduce the Guardians of Ephemera...
The black bear is a souvenir from the Smoky Mountains (one of our favorite vacation spots), and the little penguin & meerkat are whimsical gifts from my husband.

You may have noticed a running theme in these photos - crowns & sparkles!

I wasn't sure I'd like all the dolls on display, but I had to give up the notion of decorating this room tastefully. Now I enjoy all the color and remembering fun workshops, satisfying times of creating, and meeting new people who inspired, shared, and became precious friends.

I used to love visiting the home of our club founder, Jean. She had art of all kinds in every possible space, but mostly art dolls. I spent many a happy Saturday learning at "Jean's Magical Doll House."  I think I may be developing one of my own!

Trying to Get Back in the Saddle

Earlier this evening, I was rummaging through my blog. I confess (without sounding conceited I hope), that I enjoyed reading some long-ago posts.  I'm really glad I wrote them because it's like looking through an old photo album or journal. A reminder of good times and some thoughtful introspection on coming through difficult times.

I want to write something new, but I'm coming up blank. Can't imagine why. We're over half-way through this year and it's been pretty interesting, to say the least.

Last year, I heard there was a huge field of wild horses not far from here. I ventured out one evening to see if I could spot them and get a cool picture. These are the photos that I never got around to posting. 

I noticed back in the spring, when we realized the pandemic wasn't going away anytime soon, I kinda lost some mojo for anything creative. I haven't been out with the camera at all this summer except for some real estate jobs. I did manage to make a small art doll and start two more. But my physical & creative energy has kinda suffered from all the global drama. 

Blogger has changed and I can't see how to delete photos or move them around yet. I would put the above one last in this post.  

I must be getting old - I don't like things changing all.the.time.  Not a helpful attitude to have in 2020!

So I need to motivate myself. Make a plan. I could venture out early next weekend and try getting some better shots of the horses. I also saw a pasture full of Shetland ponies not far south of here. 

Well, that was my weak attempt to get back to blogging. It can only get better from here, right?!

A Look Back

Last night, I was looking for something in my [crazy huge] file of pictures, and came across a folder from 2012. It was when we traveled back to Ohio for my dad's funeral. These are just a few photos from that trip that I always meant to edit and post.

The photo above was taken at the cemetery where my in-laws are buried. [It's not their monument; I just thought it was an interesting shot]

I've just finished the prequel book from The Hunger Games, which caused me to watch the movies again. The pictures above and below remind me of District 12. [not all of The Valley looks like this, by the way.]

I know this house below. At one time, it had so much potential. It's now abandoned and gradually disintegrating. The Ohio Valley has so much natural beauty, so much potential to be more than it is. It grieves me to see it dying.

OK, enough with the depressing black & white foggy look!

My bro-in-law is the Chief of a small town volunteer fire dept. His dad was Chief before him. This station is very active and beloved in the community.

The volunteers participated in my dad's service and also hosted a reception afterward. The family will always be grateful for this and the number of times they came when my dad needed help.

Later, we got a private tour of the station. Since then, they've been blessed with a brand new truck.

One of my favorite pictures ever is of my sister and her new husband on their wedding day, standing in front of the fire truck, all dressed in white. Her gown looked like something from a Disney movie, which made for fantastic contrast against that workhorse red machine.

Just those odd shots I like to do.

I think my photography has improved a bit in 8 years. Next time I go back, I want to do another photo shoot at the incredible old cemeteries there. You don't see anything like them in Oklahoma and I think I can do a better job of capturing those images than I did in 2008 (link here). Thinking that trip might happen next spring....

Hey, it was nice to get back to blogging again! 

The President Comes to T-Town!

So the President came to town today. Expectations were high - for record crowds, protests, and possible mischief. On top of that, we're in the middle of a pandemic which may or may not be mitigated by a mask that you should or should not wear.

Being that I don't like heat or crowds, I decided not to go to his rally. However, it's been a while since I did a Saturday morning photo shoot. This seemed like a good excuse to get back in the game. So on the spur of the moment, sans any makeup, I grabbed the Canon and long lens and headed downtown.

I circled the city first, to get the lay of the land. Things were much quieter than I expected, but it was early in the day. It was strange to see National Guard on our streets.

Lots of vendors were set up. Parking lots were charging anywhere from $20 to $40 with the promise of "SECURE PARKING!" However, I found a free spot on the street just across from one of the lines waiting for the venue to open. This was just one of the line locations and it stretched at least 6 blocks, maybe 8.

The atmosphere was peaceful. People were friendly, just relaxing and talking with each other. There was kind of a festival vibe.

 I saw some Q people!

As these troops walked by the line, the crowd clapped and cheered them. It went on for at least 2 blocks.

This lady was met with cheers too. I assumed this message was the same on both sides.  Then she turned it over and I saw the other side. Wasn't expecting that!

(In case you can't read it, the sign says: "I might be gay but I'm not stupid.")

This is one of the entrances to the venue where the President was scheduled to speak. The fence and digital sign displaying the rules for entrance reminded me of something I'd seen in a foreign country. It felt a little uncomfortable.

I barely caught this shot in time. Here's something CNN doesn't want you to see. I overheard some of their conversation. They were total strangers.

 I also took a short drive to another part of the city.  This was a historic theater. It was recently renamed because the original name was for a man who had a racist history.

Not sure what the building below is.

This was painted on the side of an art gallery. One of the streets in this neighborhood was painted with the same message. It looks pretty cool.

Some businesses boarded up ahead of time, concerned there might be riots and looting. Someone offered local artists $200 to purchase paint supplies and turn the bland boards into art.

All in all, it was a fun day and turned out fairly peaceful. Aaaaand.... it ended with a 4.2 earthquake! We haven't had one of those in a long time! Had to be Trump's fault. :)