In Search of Green

Yesterday afternoon I got my camera and walked around our yard in search of something GREEN — and I was surprised by and happy with what I found.

Like these new Aspidistra (also known as "Iron Plant") leaves poking up through the pine straw ...

And my Irises are coming up, too ...

Louisiana Irises

The ivy in this urn has survived an ice storm and temperatures in the 20s, and still looks remarkably well.

I found this little patch of ivy tucked in behind a Sweet Olive plant in a flower bed ...

I love the delicate Sweet Olive blooms.

Harry, our Blue Heron, stands out in his winter home amongst the Umbrella plants around our waterfall ...

I wouldn't take anything for Harry. He always makes me smile.

And speaking of smiling, Hilda, my little hen, looked quite happy snuggled in her nest under some holly plants in the backyard ...

It won't be long before this rusty old rooster weather vane will be almost hidden by the Lady Banks Rose vines on the fence behind him ...

I also found a little green in the form of moss growing on some of the rocks around our pond. If you'd like to get a closer look, you can click on the photos to enlarge them.

Although it's not green, this clump of ornamental grass beside our pond is striking against the drabness of the winter landscape.

Today is supposed to be an extraordinary day for the end of January, weather-wise, with sunshine and a high temperature nearing 70! I'm not sure in which direction I'm going to head, but you can be sure my camera and I will be out somewhere enjoying the day and, hopefully, capturing some lagniappe along the way.

Best wishes to you for a weekend filled with lagniappe, too ... wherever you are.

Magical Raindrops

This is a continuation of my walk around our yard after a rain shower which I began in my post yesterday, Why Roses Have Thorns. You can click on the link, if you'd like to read it before you read this one.

We have a row of Purple Irises planted down a fence on the side of our house, and they stand about three and half feet tall.

As I walked around the yard with my camera, I noticed that the irises were bent over from the rain, their leaves glistening with shimmery, silvery raindrops — they looked like God had sprinkled diamonds on the leaves. You can click on the pictures to enlarge them, if you'd like.

As I got a closer look at the leaves through my camera lens, I was mesmerized and amazed by how the raindrops clung to the leaves, seemingly defying all of Sir Isaac Newton's laws of gravity.

What amazed me most was that there were raindrops clinging to the undersides of the leaves, too!

I took countless pictures of a leaf from the side, trying to capture a clear shot of the drops on top of the leaf and the drops on the bottom, but finally gave up in frustration. This next picture is the best shot I captured.

Here are a few more of my "after the rain" pictures:

This is the stone path leading from our courtyard to our backyard. I think the puddles look as if one of God's angels spilled gold leaf along the path ...

The next two pictures are closeups of one of the last blooms of summer on my Lantana plants in the courtyard. Notice the little "jewel" raindrops in the centers of the blooms.

My love of photography has blessed me in so many ways ... and discovering through my camera lens the magical qualities and dazzling beauty God has wrought in these simple little drops of rain was truly a pleasure.