The arrival of June has finally brought us some long overdue sunshine and I couldn’t resist getting out to take a few photos of the blooming hydrangeas in our yard.
I found this little guy wandering around on one of the blooms.
We’re heading into our second year in the house and these beauties have more than doubled in size.
“Beautiful Hydrangea, mighty and bold your blooms we see,
Yet soft and fragile your petals may be.
—–Donna Robinson”
“Did you know there is a “National Public Gardens Day?” I sure didn’t, but when I read about it on the Atlanta History Center website, and they said in honor of the day you could tour the Swan House Gardens…….FOR FREE….I couldn’t resist the opportunity for a photo outing. And, since it’s way more fun having a fellow photographer with you I invited my friend and sister-in-law, Janice to join me.
Front of The Swan House. This photo really doesn’t do it justice.
The driveway leading to The Swan House. We tried to get in but our “garden tour” stickers were a dead giveaway that we didn’t pay for that part of the tour!
While most of the floral was in transition (azaleas and rhododendrons had long dropped their blooms) the summer greenery was vibrant.
A beautiful trail leads the way
There was so much to see on the grounds…..there were even statues in the middle of the trail;
And, historic farmhouses which had been moved to the property for preservation,
The Wood Family Cabin. It’s original location was near the Chattahoochee River, not far from where the Creek Village of Standing Peachtree once stood.
A closer look of the Wood Family Cabin.
There were even life-size playhouses built for the original owner’s children! This was my favorite……the Victorian Playhouse.
It was such a fun outing and a great way to practice those photography skills! I was so glad I brought along a second camera so that I could use my macro lens!
Weather wise, I couldn’t have picked a better day as there was so much natural light…..no flash needed.
Inside the Wood Family Cabin
Looking through one of the cabins on the Smith Family Farmsite
Here’s to a new week with new adventures!
Until next time…
Donna
Today my sister-in-law (friend) and I went out for a photo outing at the Swan House (Atlanta History Center)…..more to come, but this is an initial favorite of mine.
Despite a few colder days in Atlanta this past week and a very rainy Sunday, I think it’s safe to say it’s finally Spring. If you couldn’t tell by all of the trees and flowers blooming, the birds and critters certainly made it known by their presence.
Happy Spring……..Enjoy your week!
Donna
Late yesterday afternoon, Michael and I had decided to enjoy the beautiful weather along with watching the birds and the squirrels feed. Because there was so much backyard activity I had my camera ready (every day there seems to be a new bird or critter). I had noticed the Hummingbird Feeders were getting low, and because it had been so long since I originally filled them, I assumed the nectar was evaporating or the bees/ants were drinking it. So, I went ahead and cleaned them out and refilled them.
As luck would have it, I had just laid my camera down on the table, when Michael pointed to the newly filled feeders! There he was our first Hummingbird of the year!
I think he was glad I had refilled the feeders because he took several sips!
I’ve read Hummingbirds have been known to migrate back to the same area each year. I wonder if this little guy is a repeat visitor?
Ruby Throated Hummingbird
If you were following me last year, you know how much I love these little fairies. Pic of the Week 071517- “God Winked” Thoughts: “Hummingbird, Don’t Fly Away”
Hopefully, as the weather continues to warm and the flowers bloom, the other Hummingbirds will be returning soon.
Happy Spring, everyone!
Donna
I couldn’t help but to get out and enjoy the Spring like weather last weekend. Clear skies and temps knocking on the high 60’s/low 70’s made it very tempting to wander out into the yard and start the prep-work for Spring planting.
My container gardens have all been emptied of the dead annuals from last fall, withered branches from other plants have been snipped, the bird bath cleaned and filled with fresh water and the garden has been cleared (for the most part) of the weeds. With the exception of fresh bark for the garden and bright, colorful plants for my containers, we’re ready for Spring! And, yes……..I’ve even filled the Hummingbird feeders in hopes they will migrate early this year!
It was also perfect for sitting outside and watching the birds and other critters enjoying the warmer weather.
A Finch and Cardinals feed together
And, of course the other little critters, “Mr. Chipmunk” and our “Squirrel Friends” were out scavenging for some food!
Unfortunately, as I write this post, the temps in Atlanta have dipped to the 30’s with rain expected most of this weekend……it looks like “Spring Cleaning” will be moving indoors. Fingers crossed, the low temps are short lived and we’ll be moving back outside next week.
Enjoy your weekend!
A couple of years ago, I wrote about how my husband has lived in Atlanta 20+ years and during that time there have been five (5) stadiums built for both the Atlanta Falcons and the Atlanta Braves Life in Black & White: “Another Stadium?”
Neither team has consistently been a champion, but the dedication of the true, die-hard fans has clearly helped sustain and evolve the teams to a new level of earning their own stadiums. And, while opening season for the stadiums hasn’t been without controversy, both opened with elaborate fanfare this year.
Today, however, the city of Atlanta imploded the Georgia Dome which has been the Falcons’ home field for 25 years. At the risk of being overly sentimental, I remember one of the first promotions I worked on at Coca-Cola was a sweepstakes for The Dome’s grand opening. The promotion was called “Roam The Dome” (I kid you not!). Basically, the winners had the opportunity to see The Dome before it was open to the public.
And so, like any true photographer I was up at the crack of dawn on a very cold Monday morning and headed downtown. Ok, so maybe my husband had to coax me a little bit into doing it…..after all, this was my first day of vacation and I could have easily watched it on local television.
Approximately 7:15a.m. EST, 11/20/17 waiting for the implosion
I was debating on heading to higher ground in the warmth of the 15th floor of my Coca-Cola office, but I wanted to make sure I caught all of the right shots and I didn’t know if I would be able to hear the implosion from inside. I opted for the top of the parking deck………along with several other photographers and families! I had hoped to have an unobstructed view, but this was the best available angle.
At just a little after 7:30a.m., with several helicopters and drones hovering high above, the implosion occurred and in a matter of seconds it was over…….just like that……..”out with the old, in with the new.”
I stayed around for a few minutes to capture shots of the new stadium after the dust settled. It looks a little bit like Darth Vader if you ask me!
Hopefully, this stadium will be around a lot longer than 25 years.
So, it’s been five (5) months since we moved into our new home. For the most part, all of the moving containers have been emptied, neatly tucked away behind closet doors or buried in the back of the storage room. Funny how all kinds of emotions and thoughts pop up when you move……especially when you look around at all of the “stuff” you’ve collected over the years. “Stuff” that you spent two thirds of your life collecting, only to find yourself spending the last one third of your life trying to give away! I wouldn’t necessarily call myself a pack rat, but I would say I’m a “memory keeper.” They are different, right?!?!?
Now that we have our own backyard, again, I’m finding one of my favorite things to do is to sit on the patio and watch the wildlife entertainment. With five (5) hanging bird feeders, two (2) hummingbird feeders, a birdbath and several ground feeders we seem to be attracting critters from all around the area.
At any given time we’ve had a multitude of squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits, cardinals, doves and a variety of finches circling around. But, the squirrels clearly own the feeders and tend to drain them fairly quickly as you can see from these morning and afternoon shots below……..
I mean, seriously! These squirrels will do anything to get to the food. Talented beyond any trapeze artist, they will find a way to conquer the feeder!
Coming in for breakfast!
You would think this guy would make it easy on himself and go for the regular bird feeders.
I guess they must really like the suet bricks!
Those back feet must really be strong!
I’ve been wondering why my flowers haven’t been growing, lately!
Checking out the drain for food!
I’m willing to bet that we’ve spent a couple of hundred dollars on sunflower seeds, already…….thank goodness Costco sells it in bulk!
Lately, I’ve been singing in my head “Changes in Latitude…..Changes in Attitude.” You know, that song by Jimmy Buffet where he sings about “…..taking off for a weekend last month just to try and recall the whole year….” We’ve had a lot of changes happening lately and one that I alluded to in an earlier post (For the Love of Photography – “More to the Story”) involves our recent move. With a slight twist of Jimmy Buffet’s phrase, we’re changing our latitude as we move from our condo on the mountain and we’re changing our attitude as we quickly adjust to living in a house again!
To say, I’m excited about the move would be an understatement. Life in a condo has its positives, but having a little extra elbow room, green grass under your bare feet and being able to crank up the music without getting a complaint letter…..well, let’s just say it’s “priceless.” But, there is one thing I will miss about our condo. I’ll miss the spectacular, every changing view where each day is unique offering up a different perspective from the day before. I’ve stretched my photography skills with this view….skills that I will continue to use for many years to come.
And so, today, as we officially close the chapter of “One Vinings Mountain” I thought it only fitting to share a few of the views from our last few weeks of “living above it all.” Enjoy!
“Life is a journey, not a destination…..you are the artist, paint what you will!”
We’re having some incredible storms tonight and I’ve had my camera in hand to capture what I can. To me, this one photo is a story in and of itself. But….there is more that I will share in the near future. For now, it is up to you to tell the story you see in this photo…….
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