A new set of close-up lenses

Well I went out photographing around the yard with my new set of closeup lenses, I has a whole lot of fun doing it also.

A dandelion in seed.

Buttercup blossoms

A leaf from a Quaken Aspen tree

An empty nester dandelion

And finally a closeup of a yellow pansy

Birds and Blossoms, Just a little Saturday fun

So I was working in the garden last Saturday when I heard a loud noise in the trees above my head. There were two woodpeckers just making a big disturbance. I grabbed my camera and started shooting. I then went around the yard and took a bunch more while I was stopped. It was nice and relaxing.

Welcome to Leilah Poulson born 5/5/10

Or that could be 5+5=10 for an easy way to remember her birthday. Our new sweet daughter of Hayden and Cheyenne Poulson

Leilah

Or that could be 5+5=10

Some fun things in the Great Basin National Park

As you drive toward the Great Basin these are a couple of the sights along the way.

A few more from the trip home.

We saw this lone Elk while nearing the Great Basin National Park and I thought it a bit odd then a half mile later spotted several others.

We spotted this heart on the side of the mountain leading up to the park, I guess it wouls actually be part of the park. Seems to show up really well due to the snow.

Some shots of a stream in the park.

I couldn't believe it.

Decided to take a different, slower route home from California Monday and was surprised by what I saw. I wasn't surprised by the windmill which I stopped and photographed but just up around a few more turns I couldn't tell what was in the old cottonwood near the road. I had to stop and photograph it especially when I found out what it was.

It was a tree full of shoes and some in the ditch under the tree also that had more than likely fallen out due to rotting shoelaces and the weight of other pairs hanging on them. I don't know how a lonely stretch of road could get so many shoes donated to it but I have the feeling there were a bunch from people just passing by that thought it would be fun to leave their's there and then I would guess that there are some multiple donators. (I also wonder how many later regretted the toss of their shoes into the tree.) Whatever it was an interesting tree full of shoes and I would just love to know who and how it was started.

Then there was one other fun sighting. We had stopped in Austin, Nevada for a potty break and while there a local came out and could see I was photographing some of the fun things in their small town and quickly pointed out a church steeple that had been used for target practice. Look closely at the bottom of the ball.) This was a fun road to travel even though it was lonely.

Oakland LDS Temple and grounds

I love the temples of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This one in Oakland is beautiful just as each of the rest of them are and while we were there photographing an LDS wedding it was interesting to see that there were people who were not members of the church getting wedding pictures taken there as well and why shouldn't they since the temple and the grounds are so beautiful. Here are just a few of the images I recorded before going into the temple for the wedding.

I am focused on the Temple spire in one image and the flowers in the other image.

I thought it quite fun to see the similarity between the dead branch of the tree (below)

and the snail in the flowers (above).