Gingko trees, goldfinches and the sun

I've always liked yellow; its bright, clean look, and how you can almost hear the color trying to mellow even your toughest day. And it's the eye's seasonal alarm clock, reminding us that things are about to change.    Yellow daffodils and bright forsythias signal that it's time to put away the skis and rock salt-- spring is here. That was six months ago, and today the almost electric yellow maple and gingko trees are gently prodding us once again to take down the porch swing and button up for winter's hibernation.

. Yellow shines with optimism, enlightenment, and happiness. Shades of golden yellow carry the promise of a positive future. Yellow will advance from surrounding colors and instill optimism and energy as well as spark creative thoughts.  From http://www.squidoo.co/allaboutyellow

 Yellow is light, joyful. The sun is yellow. Goldfinches are yellow.  Sunflowers.  The yellow brick road.  A Yellow Submarine.  Glowing Peace rose, black eyed susans, marigolds, coreopsis. It's a color, an outlook and a mood.

Just playin'

Photoshop is a graphic artist's workshop, with all its tools and effects. A barn near Hanover was pretty, but needed 'something', so I tried to make it a painting with PS. Unhappily, it often happens that a scene seen through my eyes is so superior to whatever I'd get with a camera-- no matter how much time or resources I put into it.  It's frustrating...

Ah, 'tis the rose

  
If I had a rose for every time I thought
 of you, I'd be picking roses for a lifetime.

 The rose, in all its graceful and mellow, or electric and startling colors can be a burden if you don't enjoy getting your hands dirty. But it's only work when you'd rather be doing something else. In the scorching days of summer, I tend roses like some people tend their children.


For a list of all the different meanings of the different colors of roses, click here.  For more information about roses, check with the American Rose Society.

Roses are a hobby, and I tend about 10 bushes of mostly hybrid tea roses, which are generally the largest flowered, most common. The grandiflora and floribunda are loaded with more blossoms and therefore more color, but flowers aren't as big. The low-care bush roses are becoming quite popular because they don't require constant 'supervision' and a watchful eye for bugs and disease.

The photos above are of a Mr. Lincoln, right, a Pristine in the center, and an unknown grandiflora at left.

I'd rather have roses on my table
 than diamonds on my neck.