More Wednesday Wings

Is it really Wednesday again? ;-) Here are a few of the winged creatures I've met in Utah so far. If any of the id's are incorrect, please let me know.

"Petal Wings", Variegated Fritillary (Sphaeralcea coccinea)

"Suspended", Variegated Meadowhawk (Sympetrum corruptum), a familiar sight in Cali, too:-)

"Tip Top", Northern White Skipper (Heliopetes ericetorum) on Globemallow (Sphaeralcea coccinea)

Fireworks!

On the 4th of July, there's always a nice fireworks' show here. We used to live almost across the street from it, so didn't really have the urge to battle traffic for a closer view this year. I had my hopes set that I'd be able to see them from our new place, and I was right, yay! They truly are magical to watch:-)








It had been about four years since I've photographed fireworks, so I scanned the web to refresh myself. I used a tripod and wireless remote, and I went with Bulb, ISO 100, f16. The settings were good, though I've brightened the photos some. However, my hand/eye coordination, not so much, lol! I missed a lot of shots by either being too soon or too late. There's always next year, though... Hope you enjoy the photos here, some of the best of the bunch, and I also hope you enjoyed a great 4th if you're in the U.S.!

Happy Fourth and an Update

Scarlet Gilia or Skyrocket, Ipomopsis aggregata, happened to see the light through these beauties against the dark background - so striking!

Happy 4th of July!!! It's been ages since I've posted, I know. However, the past couple of months were filled with some major changes. Almost four weeks ago, we moved back to southern Utah:-) It was something we'd been thinking about on and off for a while, and things just suddenly came together and made it possible for us to do it. If you've been following my blog, you know that it was a very unhealthy area where we were in central California. We'd moved there to reconnect and help my grandparents, who'd passed in '08 and '09, respectively. We'd been a bit stuck on how to to move forward after they passed. We had a home, but not one where we wanted to live, so it was definitely a mixed blessing. We kept thinking about different areas, trying to decide what would be best. As much as we love the Pacific Northwest, the idea of moving somewhere again that we didn't really know anyone held little appeal. Plus, we weren't sure if we could do the long, dark, wet winters anymore. At the same time, this area, where we used to live, kept sticking in our minds. We know people here, and it's peaceful and beautiful. Having lived here for four years, we know the pluses and minuses. It's a weird little town in some ways, but we're not exactly the most normal people;-) Most importantly, it felt right. So, when an opportunity presented itself, we finally decided to go for it!

We're still settling in, but I have been taking some photos (like the wildflowers here). I still have lots of photos to process from our Cali foothill drives, too, so plan on sharing lots of different things. I'm looking forward to getting my blog going again, and hope you all will come along for the journey!

"Carefree", Flatbud Prickly Poppy, Argemone munita. Caught a flash of bright white as we were driving, and had to back up and see what it was - looks like the original tissue paper flower:-)

"Beauty in Blue", I believe this is Low Larkspur, Delphinium nuttallianum (nelsoni). This particular stalk was bent over, and I loved the way the flowers were looking up - also love, love, love this blue!