My Life, my photography, my passions
Another peony garden in Elmwood, Nebraska. It was a very windy day, so no flower porn macros. Peonies normally start blooming in May and are in full bloom for Memorial Day. For this reason many graves have peonies planted so they will naturally decorate the graves.
I sometimes get strange looks as I drive around Elmwood, get out and crouch on the ground to take photographs of flowers. But, for the most part people are used to me and my camera.
So why did the snapping turtle cross the road? Why does any turtle cross the road for that matter? I don’t know, but he obviously didn’t do it so I could carry him across to the other side. If he did he wouldn’t have been so ungrateful to hiss and snap at me while I saved his shell from tires of a car. He was heavy guy, about 25 lbs and a good 18 inches in length. Didn’t want a car to hit him, so I carried him in the direction he was going, north across Holdredge Street east of Lincoln Nebraska.
There is an old wives tale that if you see turtles crossing the road it’s going to rain. (Within 12 hours of this picture it did rain by the way. ) This theory is true, or is at least true from my standpoint. In 1988 I was working a summer internship job for SafeGuard cattle dewormer in Oklahoma. We were in the middle of a heatwave and drought. Ranchers were asking me if I was bringing rain with me when I came to visit. I always had bad news for them.
Then one morning I started noticing the turtles crossing the highway, being familiar with the old wives tale I started counting them. I stopped at 73. When I stopped at the Farmers Co-op they asked the question, “Did you bring any rain?” I jokingly told them “Turtles were all over the road it’s going to pour buckets.”
That afternoon as I drove past the co-op again it WAS pouring buckets and I honked my horn as they waved from the doorway.
The next week when I stopped by they asked the same question. I could only shake my head and say, “Sorry, this morning I saw a tarantula cross the road, it’s going to be dry for a while”
So why do turtles cross the road? Probably for many reasons, it’s breeding season, it just rained and their homes got flooded and they have moved to higher ground. Or, like another blogger thought, it’s going to rain.
It was Death of a Salesman that inspired the title, but it’s not even related. My old, used, bought off Craigslist mower, bit the big one and died. A tragic death. Not only the handle broke, yeah that’s duct tape you see. But the do-hiicky that attaches to the blade think-a-ma-gig just disconnected or flew off. Did in mid mow, and I just got a whirring metal sounds when I tried to start it again.
So, I didn’t even check the internet for reviews and best prices, I went to Sears, I was so frustrated and mad and bought a new Craftsman lawn mower. Yes, it’s my first “new” lawn mower and it’s not a push mower, it’s a walk-behind. There is a difference.
Previous mower I had to push, this one is self propelled and I just hold the handle and walk behind it. Or, if I’m in a hurry a very fast walk.
I’ve decided to take pictures of as many different types and colors of peonies I can this season. I did it with tulips and daffodils, so why not. There are so many colors and it peony season, although pink is the most prevalent. Only last a few short weeks so I think I’ll go out today and see what I can find.
Post Production Photoshop Notes: Used an artistic dry brush with a pink layer at low opacity. Gave it a softer yet detailed look I liked. Below is the straight out of camera.
A simple but elegant macro of a peony. They are in full bloom right now and just spectacular.
Photography Notes: Added a warming filter, sharpened the stamens, added a pale yellow mask then erased the inside, burned the white leaves for dimension.
