Magnified

Before I broke down and bought a macro lens, I shot for a few weeks with an Opteka magnifier my daughter had given me years before. It screws on to the front of the lens just like a filter or polarizer. As I continued to use it, I began to realize that I would always love macro. And that's when I bought the 100mm macro.

These are some shots I took with the Opteka magnifier in the month of June.

May Flowers

It's good to be back blogging again. A big, hearty THANK YOU to the wonderful souls that are still here visiting.

The orange bokeh in the background is from some rather large day lilies. It looks like the
coneflowers are rocking out to a day lily concert. 

Female Eastern Pondhawk

Processed with a Shadowhouse Creation texture called RC-9.
Sorry, after an extensive search, I can't seem to find the link to this texture.

For those of you who prayed for, worried over, and asked about my eldest son, I have good news: he is in his fourth week of college at the University of North Texas in Denton. He has some significant physical challenges from a 6-story fall 13 years ago, but he told me that he's determined to make straight As. I'm very, very proud and pray that he will meet his goals and stay on this path. No more detours, JB!!! Many thanks to all who have inquired about him over the last two years and for your prayers. Blessings are starting to flow and it certainly is welcome a relief. Thank you, God!

Choose Mother Nature

On Saturday Double D and I took an afternoon stroll around the State Capitol and its surrounding lakes and grounds. Rain is predicted for the rest of the week, so it was imperative to take advantage of the pleasant weather. I'm so glad Double D is down with all this nature stuff because it would make me sad if I could not share my passion for flora and fauna with him. We saw so many groovy things on our walk. Come see!

Robins were in abundance.

The scent from the rose garden was heavenly.

This cedar tree reminded me of something from Van Gogh's paint brush.

Squirrel nibbling on a late afternoon snack.

I came across this sign and thought it would make a good title for my post.

Nutria swimming. I love the psychedelic blue and silver swirls in the water. Groovy, right?

A young hawk perched in the shade of an oak tree about 10 feet from where I sat. Stunned, I watched
as he clumsily went after a blue jay. A big brouhaha ensued. Naturally, the blue jay went ballistic, warning
all the birds within a mile radius. As quickly as it started it also ended, with everyone settled down and back
into their normal routines, going about their business as though nothing ever happened.

A type of magnolia. If anyone knows the type, please share.

Nutria and her baby. There were three babies total, but they would not come together for a family portrait. :)

On a more serious note, the nutria population is damaging the Louisiana coastline (and other coasts) to a significant degree.
If you're interested, more information can be read here.

Thank you for blessing me with your visits and comments; they truly brighten my day!

Sharing with Our World Tuesday.

UPDATE: Thanks so much to Hilary, of The Smitten Image for selecting this post in her Phine Photography category! It's always an honor to be chosen. Please visit Hilary's blog and the other POTW recipients.

Love

1 Corinthians 13:4-8, 13
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails... And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.