Nature Can be Tough

 

  Casualty - 1 by Jay Scott on 500px

Nature is not always kind. The spider, posted a few photos previously, has caught a pair of damselflies in its web that I freed but, unfortunately they both died. This dragonfly was caught, seemed in good shape, was freed by me and placed on a flower, but I'm pretty sure it died. I took the opportunity to at least keep it alive as a photo.

It was gone the next day; I could not find it below the flowers. However, I do not believe it survived. Probably a bird came down and had a meal.

 

  Casualty - 2 by Jay Scott on 500px

Our Deck Guest

 

  Wolf Spider by Jay Scott on 500px

A good photo should evoke a reaction from people. I know that the reactions will certainly be mixed about the first one in this post.

As the title indicates, we have had a guest making good use of the structures on our deck to make its web. I wasn't sure how large the spider would get, starting from the tiny little thing that it was. But, I've intentionally left the web alone so it had the opportunity to grow. A few days ago I tried to rescue a few damselflies in distress but they were too wrapped up in webbing and died shortly after I freed them.

It took a few days for the spider to rebuild its web, especially as a new smaller spider of a different genus moved in and was competing for the web presence. Last night they had a small face-off just before I made this shot. With this heat and today's smokiness, I wonder how much longer this growing arachnid has, especially as it is getting too large for its usual hiding spots. I will keep watching and make a few more shots as it grows.

A huge credit goes to Angie and her boundless love and devotion as she helps me set up flashes, at 10:30 at night to make a picture of something she doesn't care to see much of. Credit goes further to her for making the two photos of myself and Fiona coming in the next post.

My apologies if you will be humming the Spiderman theme for the rest of the day…

Beauties and Cuties

 

  Peonies at the Forestry Farm 1 by Jay Scott on 500px

It has been a very productive week, photographically speaking.

You have likely already seen the post from earlier this week with some floral work. While, the peonies have been coming into bloom around the city so I thought it was time to hit up the Forestry Farm to see what state they were in. Thankfully, the way that they grow there they can be enjoyed for a much longer time because of the varying light. Their variety of locations mean that for much longer period of time some of them are in bloom. In fact, because of the abundance of shade, I was a bit early compared to other plants I had seen in the city.

 

  Peonies at the Forestry Farm 2 by Jay Scott on 500px

There were a very few that had opened up so my options were limited but the winged insects that pollinate and the ants that cause them to bloom were very cooperative while I was there. Obviously they are beautiful when they have opened up but before that time, when they are a tight sphere of petals, I find them very intriguing, as well.

 

  Peonies at the Forestry Farm 3 by Jay Scott on 500px

This session for the peonies was organized under a new group I've begun on Facebook, Unlimited Photographers of Saskatoon, originally beginning with the support of the CPA. The point of the group is to provide regular and frequent opportunities for photographers with mobility disabilities to join others in unhindered photo excursions. One of the most frustrating things about being a disabled photographer is when your struggles to make a great photo are twice what they should be because of difficulty getting to where you want to be or setting up or framing the photo because of that disability. It should be about working the photo and practicing skills to make better photos, not spending time and energy on getting to where you want to be, if it's even possible to get where you want at all.

There are not a lot of fully accessible places to go in Saskatoon but it is the group's aim to make those opportunities available for the places that are accessible. The group is not limited to people with disabilities. Probably more than half of the members are able bodied. Just know, if you request to join it, that our locations may not be as exciting as you would like, but they are locations that will not hinder us. Of course, having an able-bodied person around to give a hand, should it be needed, is always helpful and appreciated.

 

  Freshly Groomed Schnoodle by Jay Scott on 500px

Next up is a photo I have been meaning to make for a long time. I have been wanting to emphasize the sheen on Kiwi's coat when she has been freshly groomed and is soft and shiny. In addition to that, I have wanted to her to give me one of the over the shoulder looks that she sometimes gives. Her positioning was essential to emphasize the sheen on her black fur, and not the white. Of course, those looks that she gives are almost always followed a split second later by her spinning around when we get her attention. Today was not much different, but she cooperated fairly well for me, with Angie's help.

 

  10 Months-1 by Jay Scott on 500px

Finally, who could forget that our precious Fiona turned 10 months old today? As cute as ever, she cooperated wonderfully with her sweet recent trick of hugging her stuffed toys. We couldn't decide between the green monkey I bought for Kiwi to play with a long time ago or the bunny from grandma and grandpa for Easter. We went with the bunny because I wanted to use some pastel lights which would match the patterns on the toy.

The final photo is your classic outtake. She was getting a little bit restless but still behaving in hilarious ways. At this point she was more interested in standing up on the couch and looking out the window. I got one shot of her looking back at me while standing, but she is so busy the focus was off so I cannot share it here. :-)

 

  10 Months-2 by Jay Scott on 500px

Springtime Flora

It is my annual intention to make something nice out of the short lived bleeding-hearts in our front garden. Last year yielded some nice results and I believe that photo still holds up well to the other bleeding-hearts photos on 500px. Our early spring, combined with life's obstacles, meant I didn't get to photographing our bleeding-hearts until they were past their prime so I needed to de-emphasize their waning state. How to meet or beat last year's photo? Lasers!

 

  Heart Within a Heart by Jay Scott on 500px

Add to that my new self-made strip light from the bottom, my assistant adding a nice touch from the top (after I realized something more was needed from above) all while holding Fiona and I think I managed to create something unique.

One of the bigger struggles lately in me having time and space to make a photo is our busy and remarkably fast daughter. I don't dare leave anything set up on the floor because of her fast speed she could have a hold of it, and potentially drag something down on top of herself, before we could catch her. Nobody wants any equipment damaged and we definitely do not want her hurt. She has enough little bumps all by her own efforts as she learns her fine motor skills and balance.

Last Monday we joined my in-laws at Pike Lake for a potluck and wiener roast. It was a beautiful +32°C with added humidity. I was loving it, the rest were feeling the intensity of it. Before Robin and the boys could join us, there was plenty of time for relaxation but you know that's not something I am very good at so I set up and tried to capture the beauty of one of the more despised flowers you can find anywhere. Dandelions.

I have never really minded them. I know that an unhealthy lawn can be taken over by their pervasiveness but I like their smell, color and feel, even if they are weeds. I hope the below one-light macro shot brings a bit of appreciation to their delicate beauty.

 

  Simple Beauty by Jay Scott on 500px

And, what cove of lovely dappled light, tucked away in the corner of the camp site, would be complete without a photo of our cute and precious little Fiona? She had an amazing day until her tiredness and the heat caught up with her and we had to make a pretty quick drive home. We still had a good number of hours enjoying a bit of roughing it, and the sound and smell of the campfire sure were refreshing.

 

  Fine Afternoon at Pike Lake by Jay Scott on 500px

Oh, and for what it's worth, that was an outfit she was wearing. As much as she's good at getting a hold of things like dish towels and table cloths, this time it was when she arrived with. It suited the unplanned photo perfectly.

Zoo 2014 - 8

No, the year in the title of this post is not incorrect. These photos were made in 2014. It just took me this long to dig them up as I was cleaning and sorting to make room for this year's shots.

It's not that so much was being missed by not sharing these but it would bother me if I didn't finish off the year, as it were.

I said before, but I certainly have become dependent upon lists. It may be the age, it may be the new baby, there may be other factors. Whatever the causes, neglecting posts like this are exactly what happens when I don't have itemized tasks.

The snow-like seeds in the air were lovely because they were combined with warm sunshine, not frosty wind chills.

The first blooms of the season always go too quickly. Thankfully they make room for the next round. This year we've noticed our lilies have popped up much earlier than usual. Maybe we will see their beauty before the end of August this year.

As you saw this winter, you can always count on the loveliness of pine trees to keep a bit of colour around, any time of year. I try not to neglect them during the warm seasons when they are overshadowed by the vibrant colors around them.

Pizza and a Candle

 

  Pesto, Goat Cheese and Italian Sausage Pizza by Jay Scott on 500px

Take out pizza I will always be what it is. Adequate, cheesy, fast, effortless and free of dishes. That doesn't mean it's great. Every time Angie and I make pizza we always praise ourselves about how much better it is than what you order in. No, it's not health food, but we do our best to minimize the sodium, nitrates, and preservatives. The flavor is always better with our freshly prepared ingredients and, as for dishes, since we wash them while the pizza is baking, it feels like there are none because when we are done eating, we are done eating.

Like I said, it's not health food. We splurged on a package of Italian sausage at Costco last time and have been enjoying it very much in different recipes, despite the fat content. That kick of spice and the texture of the meat is something unique that we both really enjoy. We decided to go all out, inspired by the red sun-dried tomato pesto we bought a while back, and combined those ingredients with red onion, mushrooms, Italian sausage, goat cheese and a generous sprinkling of marble cheese.

The pesto made a wonderful pizza sauce substitute, not that different from the lovely prawn and pesto pizza you may have had at Earl's before. In fact, that was what I had at my first meal out I had after my injury in 1997. Still on the menu so it must be good. But, I digress. I could see us using traditional marinara pizza sauce less and less in the future as combinations like this, and our Thai pizza, always satisfy us more than traditional pizzas. It's good to be able to cook well, at home, and in control of exactly what we are eating.

Last week I decided to make my move when a piece of glass came on sale at Don's Photo. I had been keeping my eye on this tele-converter for some time, had saved almost enough money, and then the sale price showed up making that last little bit of savings unnecessary. I have been more than happy with the image quality which can often be degraded when you add a stopgap solution such as a tele-converter as opposed to buying a dedicated lens. However, to get the additional telephoto length I wanted it would have been much, much more money as well as a lot more weight which may or may not have been something I could handle. I am very happy with the compromise as the image quality is absolutely satisfactory and the price was very manageable compared to the alternative. Now I'm looking forward to the birds returning to the Forestry Farm because I will be much more ready for them this year.

In addition to more telephoto, it also doubled my macro capabilities as you see above. That is a typical slender dinner candle, less than 1 cm from the wick to the edge of the candle. I think there may be a few more water drop photos in the near future. For now, I have some excellent projects on the go, hindered by a rigmarole with home care to finish dealing with, and then I hope to get back to fully enjoying our daughter and to the other activities that fulfill me, including work on Challenging Reality.

Aged Tenth Anniversary Roses

 

  Aged Roses - 1 by Jay Scott on 500px

As Angie had said before, roses just don't last as long as most other cut flowers. They certainly smelled nice and were beautiful but one week was definitely the extent of their life. The last two that looked half decent were the subject of these photos but I'm glad I took the opportunity to shoot them one more time before they were time to be disposed of.

 

  Aged Roses - 2 by Jay Scott on 500px

Most of the time when something starts to have areas of being less attractive it's the macro lens and close-up abstracts that tend to look the best so that is what I aimed for. Also, going against my natural tendency, I just used a few reflectors to light these photos. I have nothing against that, it's just that the sun moves quicker than you might think, especially when lighting is so precisely planned out. One five-minute delay to respond to an e-mail and you have to re-position to reflectors to get the same look you had previously.

 

  Aged Roses - 3 by Jay Scott on 500px

I don't think this will be the last bouquet I buy this winter. It's a pretty affordable and enjoyable thing to purchase to brighten up the home and give me something beautiful to make a photograph with.

Black and White Five Day Challenge

A few weeks ago I was nominated for the Black and White Five Day Challenge going around on social media. It was fun to have something to think about each day and, regardless of how long the photo took to make, to produce something with parameters to adhere to. Especially since I'm not much of a fan of grayscale photos. If I may be technically correct for a moment, black-and-white is inaccurate. It should be called the Grayscale Five Day Challenge but it wouldn't be the first time social media got it wrong.

Four out of the five photos I used a DSLR for but the busyness of catching up after the preparations for Help-Portrait necessitated one shot, the honey bear, just being a quick cell phone photo. Without further explanation, here are the five photos I made in order of the five days that I made them.

Anyone who knows me knows how much I like nutcrackers. A point of interest in this photo, the large white ornament on the tree is the footprint impression of Fiona Angie made with a kit that she bought. It's a little bit big but to be able to look back at that over the years, and how tiny her feet were, will be special.

The bikes are always a huge hit at our Help-Portrait event. We are very grateful to have Bikers against Child Abuse (BACA) there to lend a hand, entertain people and add to the fun of our event.

Besides being in a bit of a rush, the shifty eyes of our honey bear were the perfect quick subject for this day's photo. A little bit of hard light added to the drama.

Finally, while busily working on a stirfry, to make a quick frame of the mushroom medley we bought to be the highlight of the dish. Button, shittake, oyster and portobello were in the mix and it was nice to try cooking with a greater variety. They didn't cost much more than straightforward button mushrooms but we both agreed that we didn't feel they added enough to the dish to buy them regularly. The portobello were very nice and I found the texture of the oyster mushrooms very interesting. To anyone who has texture issues with their food I don't think you would like oyster mushrooms. I would like to try cooking with these with some type of a white or plush pasta sauce.

Little Lady Bugs

I've been meaning to share these photos of Fiona in one of the favourite outfits she's been given. Passifiers aren't that interesting to her, but she certainly has found her fists.

Beneath the cuffs of her pants are black bows on the socks. I didn't think I'd be so interested in the cute ensembles Angie put her in. The below shot was a tricky one because those legs just never stop kicking.

Red bum ruffles. Only a baby can get away with those.

She was a little tired after freshly waking up from a nap but I really enjoy the increasing number of expressions she shows us.

Since these photos she has had a visit from grandma and grandpa, grown so much, giggled to a degree that could melt the Grinch's heart and just continues to captivate us with her first experiences and developing personality.

For those tired of baby photos, I have more family shots and some other subjects coming, soon. Until then, Challenging Reality has been revived. Just in time, too. It will be featured in the next issue of Parascope, the Saskatchewan branch of the Canadian Paraplegic Association's quarterly magazine. I'll share a link to the PDF once it's out. The site updates will not be quite as regular as before but I've carved out time to commit to it so there are few excuses for it to not continue forward.

Finally, Help-Portrait is upon us in a few weeks. We've worked hard and it's looking good, except for donations. Last year we were flush with cash but had no location confirmation and few committed volunteers. This year we have plenty of people, but could use more money to ensure we can afford printing consumables as well as food. Each bit that has trickled in has helped. However, if you feel compelled to support us, please email me at jayscottphotography AT gmail.com or b.johnson AT sasktel.net. Next year we will try additional fundraising methods including auctioning or raffling off our work, steak nights or other things that give the donor more than just a warm feeling.

Perfect Poser

 

  Yellow Dragonfly by Jay Scott on 500px

I'm quite happy to see the number of dragonflies that have been in our backyard for over a month, now. Combined with the hotter, drier weather, they have done a fine job keeping the mosquitoes at bay. I haven't seen any specifically eating wasps, but the nest under our deck that I will get dad to take care of when they come up (as of the writing of this our baby has yet to arrive so I'm assuming they are not here), probably has had its population reduced thanks to the dragonflies.

I always find it intriguing to see how they go through cycles. Early in the season you will see the lovely light-blue colored damselflies which often move to the deeper orange and fuzzier looking dragonflies before some of the turquoise and huge black ones emerge. I don't recall seeing this many of the yellow ones pictured above as I have this year. Maybe the food supply is better or maybe the weather is just right for them. Either way, they are a beautiful and harmless insect that takes care of all the other pests. I think the only reason to not wish the extinction of mosquitoes and wasps is that they are food for dragonflies.

Maybe we should put some money into researching other food supplies for dragonflies and technology for the near extinction of mosquitoes and wasps, at least in the city where they are of little help in pollinating crops.

Here's hoping the next photos I have to share our of our baby.

Kub Kar - Year 1

 

  Kub Kar Year 1

  by

  Jay Scott

Unlike the Kub Truck my dad built for fun, this was the Kub Car that I built in my first year of Cubs. That was a long time ago. I'm happy to say that it won first place in the regionals for design. It didn't track very straight and its top speed was not up to the competition, but it certainly did outshine the other entries that year in Swift Current.

A few of the decals are hidden by the camera angle, but it looked pretty good in my opinion. I remember that as much as the cub leaders and parents were certainly allowed to their help their boys in the construction, I remember that my dad did not take over. He left much of the design up to me, but helped me to take care of the dangerous work when it came to refining the curves on the bandsaw. But when it came to the filing and sanding it was up to me.

The paint color was obvious, the difficult to obtain Department of Highways yellow; the same color you see painted on the highways. It wasn't that difficult to get a hold of when your dad works for that organization, but it made my car stand out from the others. I chose the decals from some Lego and Playmobile sets and rounded out the look with some 80s GM pin striping. It was definitely a great first year for building a Kub Kar. The speed and tracking came in later years when I won trophies for those cars, as well. Photos of those will be coming in the near future.

The Technicals

The background was provided by the one of the galaxy slides included in one of the creative kits available to accessorize a Light Blaster. From about 5 feet away, focused to 4.5 feet (to increase the perceived bokeh) zoomed into approximately 45 mm, by one SB 28 set to 1/4 power, with the consumer lens' aperture opened to f/4.5, the image was projected onto my white fleece blanket hanging in the background.

The camera settings are 50mm, f/7.1, 1/200", ISO 200. I list these because I know there would be photographers who would ask, but really, when you are combining five light sources with different types, power settings, gels, modifiers, distances and triggers, those first four basic camera settings are little more than a baseline. They were adjusted around my flash power limitations. That limitation being the minimum output possible. The fog, created by my new Dragon Puffer kit from Zero Toys, was illuminated by one SB-28 @ 1/64 power with 1 2/3 cut of red gel. The galaxy projection was tweaked with a one third cut of CTB, the snooted flash on the camera left side of the car had a 1/4 cut of CTO, while the camera right side gridded flash had a 1/2 cut of CTO. 

The final gridded light source was projected from quite high and just camera left onto the reflective sticker on the front of the car to emulate a bright headlight. It was altered with a 3/4 cut of CTO and two thirds cut of lavender gel, chosen to emulate the color of today's higher and car headlights. Because of the sticker's reflectiveness it needed to be just bright enough to create that purple-blue reflection. The tarmac was made of black neoprene rubber while the dirt colored ditch was simply the brown packing paper that came with the Dragon Puffer.

I had tried numerous times to use the twenty second timer on my camera to time it while timing the puff of smoke but it takes a few seconds for that Puffer to warm up then belch the fog. Timing that with the countdown that only lets me know 3 seconds before the shutter will trip, was very difficult. So, I had Angie create smoke and I just sat at the shutter release to get the timing just correct.

I look forward to seeing what my friend Stacey's pack comes up with for cars this year.

Kub Kars - 1/2 Lb

Two decades ago I was a member of a Cub Scout pack in Swift Current. We did a lot of fun things, especially once my dad was a leader, that included being locked in a holding cell at the local RCMP station, touring the water filtration plant, scavenger hunts, cub camp weekends and, my two favorites, knot tying and Kub Kar building and derbies.

 

  Kub Truck 1

  by

  Jay Scott

All three years I placed with two years being first place wins in Swift Current which allowed me to go to the provincials. One would have been a win if only we had decided to not re-lubricate the wheels with graphite because it took a little while to work in and was not at its fastest when my turn came. At least, that is my memory of the derby. :-)

 

  Kub Truck 2

  by

  Jay Scott

Of course, the cars had regulation sizes and weights for the "driving" competitions but not for the show competitions. I remember seeing a huge fire truck at one of the provincials that, I believe, won for showmanship.

 

  Kub Truck 3

  by

  Jay Scott

However, my dad being a truck guy, decided to build this Kub truck just for fun. And did a fine job of it. I thought it might be a good glow stick hauler, but they were a bit too big to fit comfortably. Still, it made an interesting light source with a 25 second exposure.

Over the next little while my three cars will be posted on here and you can see what three winning cars look like, Stacey. ;)

SIM Card

SIM Card by Jay Scott

Not so different from my previous photo or a CPU, but when doing tabletop macro photography the angle opportunities I have are limited, paralyzed hands and all.

Still, if I may date myself somewhat, I have trouble looking at a chip like this and comprehending its capacity and abilities. Compared to my first computer, cell phone, stereo - well, it's staggering.

I look forward to the next fifteen or twenty years of technology and will do my best to stay up on it and with it.

A Gentle Start Back to Work

CPU by Jay Scott

After the better part of a week of catching up on bills, bank records, returned messages, phone calls and e-mails, I was finally able to dig out my real camera the other day and make a photo. Sitting on my shelving unit was this CPU from Angie's last dead laptop.

I have been meaning to photograph it for a while and do not feel that it is anything too spectacular but good to get back to shooting. I needed to make sure I still remembered all of the nuances of lighting, focusing, and working the angle until it was just right. I had planned to continue working on the photos for Challenging Reality but they were not coming together in my mind as well as I had hoped. With all of that time driving I thought I might spend a bit more of it thinking and developing a few of those photos in my mind. There was just so much to see where we were that there was far less time for thinking that on the routine trips we take regularly on the highways of Saskatchewan.

The posts on Challenging Reality will continue as usual on Monday mornings and, again, as much as I appreciate the views, what I really need is your feedback and for you to share it with others. I have been spending any relaxation or TV time folding flyers, stuffing envelopes and getting them ready for distribution. I really hope to pick up steam and gain a greater awareness of the site, and the work that I have done, starting this fall. It's then that I will really be pursuing and asking for your help.

Not an April Fool's Joke

I actually have something new! I know it has been a long time since I have posted anything. A lot of behind the scenes work, thought and effort has gone into pieces that I hope will become something I can share before too long. Amongst that work has also been a time of great impatience as the mountains of snow continued to grow instead of slowly recede as they should for this time of year.

Temperatures are still quite far below normal and look like they will stay that way for awhile. However, we should be thankful because these below normal temperatures mean that these mountains of snow will melt very slowly and hopefully prevent any significant flooding.

We returned from Swift Current today from our Easter celebration and getaway. It was a very good time with lots of good food and much good conversation. The men even managed to thoroughly defeat the women at a game of whist. They usually beat us so this time we are going to enjoy basking in the victory because next time they will probably show us how it is done, again.

After completing the photo for the above-mentioned work, I wanted to occupy some time on Saturday morning just photographing something for fun. I have always admired a miniature grain elevator that mom had purchased a number of years ago and came up with the idea to photograph it while looking between the stocks of some wheat in one of the decorations mom had downstairs.

Moonlit Saskatchewan Elevator 2 by Jay Scott

I was going for a post-sunset look with the appearance of a risen full moon with the twilight still showing itself on the side of the elevator.

Moonlit Elevator 1 by Jay Scott

The delicate work that occurred to put this wonderful wood carving together was simply something I want to photograph. Not unlike the handmade pen, this kind of handiwork really impresses me and deserves to be shown off.

I hope your spring is going well and that your basements are water free. I know that would make for a much more enjoyable spring for everyone.

Author of Life

You may recall, from mid March to May 5, my repeated posts and tweets regarding an upcoming day of creation with our arts team at Ebenezer Baptist Church. It was on Saturday, May 5 that we gathered to work on a piece in our preferred medium with the theme: Author of Life.

The unveiling took place Sunday, May 27 in the morning before the services, but the complete show was that evening at Scott's concert. Due to sold pieces, exhibits elsewhere and class requirements not all of the pieces could remain on display.

Not all of the pieces in these two photos were from the Author of Life Theme.

In this first photo the bottom painting was Leah's from the day of working together. I believe Laurel's painting of the dancer's feet was as well.

 

Janet's photo or the colours reflecting over the water (top right) and my photo, "From Beginning to End" (top left) was from that day. A larger version is right below.

I respect Leah's creativity and Janet's interpretation of a photo turned into a painting. My approaches are simply more direct. I definitely feel more creative than I used to be, but still struggle to think of ideas to create that represent something else well. One way I've thought that painting has the advantage is that the artist can paint whatever they see in their mind. Perhaps that could be made into a photo, but often logistics and even physics get in the way of that. I still love photography and doubt I would have the passion and commitment to put in the hours to move beyond painting photos if I did try painting. A person can think if only to let the mind consider the possibilities.

Without further adieu, here is the result of waiting weeks for my duck quills, planning, painting the edges of the book silver (that and fences I can paint). After three hours of setup, four hours to let the candle burn down in the candle holder made by my grandfather and get the angle just right, you have the below result. Though the above photo does not represent the final look well, it was a 20x30 metallic print on a floatmount with a glossy laminate. The piece is for sale if you are interested and, as always, prints of any size are available.

Beginning to End by Jay Scott

One of Our Yard's Nicer Features

It has been a few years since we landscaped our yard. Since then it has had its ups and downs. Mostly downs. Dead cedars, dead rose bushes, unremarkable double flowering plum, moth infested kohlrabi, mediocre tomatoes (except that one excellent crop of cherry tomatoes). Yes, the silvermounds grew like weeds along with the snapdragons and other beautiful annuals.

But one dead clematis was followed by a second one that thrived then suddenly rotted. We cut it back and it began to grow beautifully again, then rotted. The stick not yet removed by the workmen is all that remains.

This year it will be a vine of hops or Virginia Creeper or something very invasive to grow mightily beside our slowly recovering Linden tree.

One thing that has not let us down is our Thunderchild crab apple tree.

Thunderchild - 4 by Jay Scott

This year was exceptional. We made sure to get out and shoot them before three days of wind and rain claimed the nicest ones. I say we because without Angie's help and breaking the wind with a reflector there would be no in focus shots as the gusts brought in the moisture of the next few days.

Thunderchild - 2 by Jay Scott

It is a shame how briefly beautiful spring blooms such as these last. But I suppose that without them, and their getting out of the way, the fruit will not have time to grow, ripen and be ready for the next season of photos.

Thunderchild - 3 by Jay Scott

We both hope that the yard continues to grow in beauty and fullness. I'm anticipating a new variety of vine and some lilies this year. Always happy with Angie's choice of annuals and the opportunity to continue using this excellent new macro lens that is carrying its weight very well.

Thunderchild - 1 by Jay Scott