Macro Monday 06-01-09

Macro Monday - hosted by Lisa







Clematis

Monochrome Monday - 06-01-09: Carnival

Monochrome Maniacs explore black and white.

Today's Flowers - 05-31-09: Poppies

It's spring and the flowers are bursting open everywhere I look. Here's a weekly meme just for the flowers! Today's Flowers hosts can be found here.





This week: poppies, Oriental and California style.

Weekly Winners - 05-31-09

Weekly Winners is hosted by Lotus - Sarcastic Mom.


Some of my favorite photos from this week.

I made reference to having access to the carnival grounds the other day when there were no people there. It was closed on Wednesday, but there was an entrance that was open, no signs indicating I wasn't free to enter, so I did. I spent about an hour wandering around taking photos until a couple of security guards spotted me and quickly escorted me out. But not before I got what I came for!



Self-portrait. Fun with mirrors.


This is one ride I think I'd still enjoy going on.



Some of you wanted to see the carousel in color after my sepia post of it last week:



I love being in the right place at the right time WITH my camera. This was in front of the World Trade Center, Portland. I'm used to seeing young folks play hackey sack in Portland, but they're generally not in dress shirts and ties.





Allium now in full bloom.



This one bears repeating. Ms. P explores everything.

Shadow Shot Sunday 05-31-09

Visit other shadow shooters via Hey Harriet's site.






It's a little hard to tell which is shadow and which is substance.

Round Robin - Growing

Our Round Robin challenge this time is GROWING.







New growth.

Camera Critters - 05-30-09: Goose Families

This meme is all about photos of animals/critters.
Visit the Camera Critters website for more wonderful critter photos.








There are a lot of Canada geese that live around the downtown waterfront area in Portland. These families were swimming along the seawall while I was above them on the promenade.





I hadn't noticed the aggression posturing of the parents until I downloaded the photos. I was concentrating on the beautiful goslings.

PhotoHunt - Book/s

This week's PhotoHunt assignment: BOOK/S

Ahhhh, summer reading.

Looking at the Sky - Friday 05-29-09: Sling-Shot

hosted by Tisha






At the carnival -- one of those bungee jumping rides, called The Sling-Shot - specifically designed for the insane - against a lovely Portland spring sky.

Color Carnival - 05-29-09

Martha has a new meme!



On the midway. Don't those flags look like Halloween candy corn??

Photostory Friday - Young'uns

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

I often have photos of babies and toddlers and toys here on my blog, and some of you may wonder who all these children are! Well, they are "borrowed babies." My partner Laurie does family child care here at our home 4 days a week, so there are often two, three, four or five wee ones around. I have the best of both worlds: I can spend as much or as little time with them as I want. They are forever teaching me about life, especially being in the moment!

This is the first week the weather has been grand enough for them to be outside for the majority of the day. They've been exploring grass, flowers, sand, water, bubbles -- pretty much whatever they come across.

Laurie and Ms. P enjoy a game:


M is enchanted by Abi's bubbles:


Collaborating on waterplay:


Ms. S does a foot rinse:


J. loves him some water!!!


Ms. P spent quite a long time trying to figure out how to get the water to stay on so she could put both hands under the hose. She finally settled for one at a time.


Future engineers? M and J stack cups:




Ms. S gets her sun hat just right:


Ms. P tries out many things with her mouth; here she explores grape leaves and stem:

Nature Notes 05-28-09: Anticipation

Nature Notes is the brainchild of Rambling Woods who challenges us to "look at something you might never had paid attention to..a flower…a plant..an animal…What changes are taking place?..Is your garden starting to come to life again?"



One of the plants I monitor closely in spring and summer is the artichoke.



The foliage is quite impressive and spiky - it's related, after all, to the thistle.



Way down inside there appears to be a kind of nest...



...and this is the treasure it's nurturing. Mmmmmmm, artichoke!



Right now they're about the size of a ping pong ball. I hope we get to them before the aphids do.
.

Sepia Scenes 05-27-09: Carousel

Sepia Scenes is hosted by Mary T, who also hosts the fabulous Ruby Tuesday.







I had a vacant midway all to myself at the Rose Festival carnival. Lots of opportunities for up-close photos (until I was escorted off the property - oops).