Flowers for the soul

Sometimes we all need the comfort and healing that only beauty can bring - the beauty of nature as expressed in the flowers it provides.
Our backyard provides many such soul-comforting opportunities - here's a few that I found yesterday as the sun started to hide behind the trees next door.

Carey's Rose

Prayer

We've been lucky this year to have quite a number of praying mantis in the garden.  They've grown big and show up at the oddest times.  Here's one that posed for me on the umbrella on the deck - then he disappeared, winging his way across the yard.

And another view: (Looks like a skier!)

Uinta's in September

Murph and I traveled up to the Eastern Uinta's yesterday after the rain Friday.  The roads were good and not very many folks around.  Also, not many animals - other than sheep!
On the way, the maples showed their red - they looked like someone had reached down from the sky with a paintbrush and bright red paint and painted only them! What a vivid statement.
On top, the clouds were low, light was variable, and colors were saturated.  A great day for just being there plus the opportunity to capture beauty.
Here's a few of my favorites from the trip:

West Desert

Anywhere in the desert west of SLC there are innumerable photo opportunities just waiting for your eye. Lines and shadows and light and dark are favorites of mine so here's a couple of ones that jumped out at me for fun.
The B&W has reminders of old motion pictures in it for me.

Bailey's birthday party

Last Saturday, just after the sudden downpour, Bailey had her first birthday party. Lots of fun, food and kids playing.  Bailey was so energetic and seemed to be enjoying everything very much. Here she is playing with the colored balls, and Ozzie watching over her.
Also there was a former resident of Kensington Ave, Leah.  She has been to New Zealand and many other places in her young life, and I always love trying to capture her expressionful facial features.
Kensington Ave is the happening place!

Miscellany

Here's a couple of different views - one an 18 mm wide angle landscape and the other a 200mm closeup.  Is there a common style between them? - not that I can see myself, but then I am not sure I would. How about you?

Feeding time

It is the time of year when hummingbirds are moving fast and furiously; the food supply disappears in a day or two instead of a week. 5 to 10 birds are around at any time, including the rufous who attempts to dominate the feeder. There is another feeder on the other side of the yard, where the intimidated birds can get food away from the intimidator!
For the experience of a lifetime, we walk up to within a foot of the feeder and just stand there quietly. The birds show very little trepidation, often checking us out VERY closely (long sharp beaks). They do their thing right in front of us and treat us to a show and experience of all senses, being that close to them.
I've had more fun watching them this year than trying to capture them in pixels, but here's two that I got watching me. The camera is at chest level and I just fire away as they come in to feed - do battle.  This was shot at 3200 ISO, and 1/20 sec - it was getting dark.

A rufous hummer.