Southwest Spring

Once again, time has flown by faster than I can keep track! Last time I posted, it was just after it had snowed. Today, we're in the 70's and bright and sunny. Supposed to change again soon, but in the meantime, it's time to share some spring photos, so you can see what blooms in high desert southwest gardens. I hope you enjoy them:-)

"Blossoming", Painted Lady Butterfly on plum tree blossoms.

"Behold"

"Blooming Butterfly" In all the time I spent photographing fruit tree blossoms in California, I never saw butterflies on them. It was warmer there than here, so they were definitely out. However, my theory is that they stayed away because of all the pestcides, which leads me to my next photo and lightbulb moment...

"Peachy", peach tree blossoms smell divine! Okay, that might sound like something I should have known since I stood in orchards with hundreds to thousands of trees. The whole air should have been perfumed, right? It was with the orange blossoms, but not the peach or nectarines. To be honest, the only thing I ever smelled was a chemical scent. Until I met this tree in someone's yard, I had no idea how delicious the scent was, and I was blown away.

"Sunny Side", can't ignore the daffodils!

"Sun Stars"

"A Graceful Nod"

"Plum Pretty"

I hope spring has been just as beautiful in your corner of the world!

Wednesday Wings The Beautiful but Elusive Hooded Oriole

This is the third Spring that we've had a Hooded Oriole pair return to our hummingbird feeders. They arrive with a bang - you can't miss their raucous call! Yet, despite the fact that they always announce their presence, they're very shy, and leave at the slightest disturbance. I can't blame them, but it's made getting good photos of them a definite challenge. I've only been able to try from inside through a window. So far, these two shots are about the best I've taken. Not the greatest, but they show how gorgeous these birds are:-)

Mrs. Hooded Oriole

We take the guards off a couple of the feeder slots to give them easier access. I think that's part of what's kept them coming back. We're so happy to have them! They're a definite bright spot around here. They'll be here for a little while, nesting and such, then move on again. In the meantime, I'll keep practicing sneaking up on these wonderfully vibrant visitors, and getting some outside shots (fingers crossing!).

Mr. Hooded Oriole

If you're interested in more info about Hooded Orioles, check out All About Birds, a wonderful bird id site! You can even listen to their song. It's a lot prettier than the noise they make when they land at our feeders, but I love that sound, too - it always makes me smile:-)

Blossoms!

If pink and white flower blossoms are your favorite, then this is the post for you! It doesn't seem to matter how many photos I take of these beauties, I can't get enough:-) This first photo was actually taken by my mom, Nancy, and edited by me. She realized she could see a different perspective from where she was sitting in the car, said how good her view was, and so I handed her the camera. She was right - look at this gorgeous view, and what a great photo!

"Pink Path"

"Pink Think"

"Pretty Pink Petals"

"Light Up"

"Soft and Bright"

"Delicate"

"Reach Out"

"Bright Beauty"

"Clouds of Pink"

"White Light"

Sanity

Okay, it’s past time to put up some positive images on my blog! I shouldn’t have left it so long, but it was hard to think of what to do after that last post. I’m proud of what I wrote, but it definitely wasn’t the cheeriest of posts.

So, for this post, I’m going to put up some of my favorite images from the past year from the wonderful drives my mom and I have taken. Last October, when it had finally cooled down, we took a drive up into the foothills. This led to the discovery of a whole new world around us – the foothills are much more like the California we remember. It’s been wonderful to find the beauty and serenity that exists up there. It’s where we go to regain our sanity and perspective:-) We have a special road that we discovered, and there’s always something magical to see.

Right now, though, it’s been too hot, and everything’s dried out, so we haven’t gone for a while. However, I’ve taken so many photos, I can relive the experiences over and over. I hope you’ll enjoy these as much as I do…

Getting started - the foothills, March, 2009

"Bird on a Wire" - Savannah Sparrow

"Poppies Poppin' Up!", March, 2009

"Golden Girl", June 2009

Lovely lone lupine, March 2009

"Just the Two of Us" - California Quail couple, March 2009

"Dare to be Different!", late March, 2009

"Moo-ther and Child" - Happier California Cows who get to be cows, Jan. 2009

"Reaching Out" - "Grass Nut" native wildflower, April 2009

"Ladybug Love" ;-) April, 2009

One of the absolute best-ever sightings - a bobcat! Late March, 2009

I hope you've enjoyed this little journey as much as I did:-) I have so many photos, it's hard to choose - these are some of my absolute favorites, though. That bobcat was spotted just as we rounded a corner. We stopped a little distance away, and I quietly opened my door, stretched around, and started shooting. S/he was still a little ways off, and didn't notice us for the longest time. It was quite an experience, and an honor. Nature is so amazing, and getting back to it feels soooo good!

More to come!

Why I Believe Law of Attraction and Abraham-Hicks Are True

I felt compelled to write this, and to affirm my beliefs. It initially started as a series of thoughts, but I then decided to make it my next blog post – about time:-)

I believe in the information being presented by Abraham-Hicks. The main reason I believe is because it’s saying we are responsible for our lives, for our well-being. It’s not fate, destiny, karma, luck, it’s us. We ultimately choose whether we go up or we go down through the power of our thoughts and beliefs – that makes incredible sense to me. I’ve seen firsthand what constant thoughts of worrying, fear, and self-doubt create – a pretty miserable existence. I’ve also seen what happens when I start to lift my thoughts and focus on the things that bring me joy – I feel a lot better, and the world is a lot brighter.

Right now, though, I still have trouble focusing on that better, brighter world. The world that was created through fear and pain still haunts me. Learning to value myself is often the most difficult “task” of all, as I still assign blame to myself for past happenings. I think doing that is another way to stay stuck. To concentrate on the past keeps me right there in that realm, not allowing me to move forward. Yet, that past brought me to this present where I have the knowledge to improve and to be the person I believe I can be.

What I’ve been reading from Abraham-Hicks is teaching me so much. It’s not always easy to apply what I’m learning, and it isn’t instant, but I still believe. If nothing else, it feels so much better to concentrate on what I want than worrying about what I don’t want or what I fear will happen. Right now, I’ve been a little more in that fear place, and worrying a lot about finances and the future. Both my mom and I are hurting from the loss of both of her parents in less than a year, and feeling lonely, too. I sit here writing this, and tears are coming to my eyes. I don’t want to admit that I’m in “that place”.

Yet I haven’t given up hope, and I do still believe. I know the Law of Attraction works, and I feel the truth in every page I’ve read from Abraham-Hicks. I know that both my mom and I are beautiful, talented, good people with so much to share; and we deserve to have wonderful things manifest in our lives. We will get there; we just need to allow ourselves grace and time to heal and to create what we want.

I love knowing that we can and will make it better.

The two Abraham-Hicks books I have now and recommend are Ask and It Is Given and Money, and the Law of Attraction.

Photo above taken yesterday. The orchards in central Cali have been blooming like crazy:-)