No Words, just photos

Nature Shots, i'm in love...with my camera

I decided to post a few nature shots today. Yippee! Aren't we excited? Who knew you could find photo ops like these within the five boroughs?

This one I took at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden


I took this shot on my lunch break, it had just stopped raining.


Cherry Blossoms


Some Fern Fronds that my Friend in Brooklyn absolutely loved!






I still have a lot to learn, but I think my camera and I are settling in nicely together.

-Bitter

Urban Jungle vs. Spot in the Country

This type of tulip is my favorite. Taken at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.


When I was young, I used to tell my sisters (I have lots) that I wanted to live on a farm. It was a dreamy place. Wide open spaces, green growing things, lots of plants and gardening, maybe a pond. I imagined a large kitchen where I could cook to my hearts content, and a conservatory where I could grow plants year round. Stone or slate floor, water features, nooks where I could curl up with a book and read, and flowers, lots of flowers. My imaginary dream place was wonderful.

And then my sisters burst the bubble, or tried their best to disillusion me. Farms, they insisted, weren’t what I wanted. Think Iowa or Kansas, endless rows of corn, or Idaho potato fields. Or maybe a pig farm, or places with lots of chickens, etc. I have to admit they were right, a barnyard full of animals didn’t quite fit in the picture, and neither did rows of corn. (Not that there is anything wrong with either of these, it’s just not for me.) I wanted to dig in the dirt and grow things that I didn’t have to turn around and sell.

What I wanted was a ranch. But then they did their best to tell me I’d have to get up early to take care of the horses or milk cows, or feed livestock. So I told them I wanted a ranch without animals, maybe I’d have a horse, but I’d hire someone to take manage the stable. They laughed and I stopped mentioning it.

But after all these years, part of me still dreams of that spot in the country where I can spread my arms and feel free, rolling green hills, trails through the woods, gardening, and riding horses. Complete with a professional kitchen where I can cook and a state of the art conservatory incorperating AeroGrow's technology.

So when I read The Pioneer Woman’s blog, which is a favorite of mine, it stirs my soul. And I wonder why I live in an urban jungle where the only plant I can grow sits on my desk at work.

Then I remember that I can’t get a job in the middle of nowhere to fund my ranch without animals; that I absolutely love the bustle of the city and instant take-out food from any ethnic region of the world; and that ranches in OK, MO, and TX have ticks. I can’t stand ticks. Ticks alone are enough to make a city girl sty in the city. I guess Central Park will have to do.

Fairway, like no other market

So there I was, minding my own business waiting in the check-out line of the local Fairway, when my cell starts ringing. I pulled out my phone, saw it was The Mother of Boys calling, then shoved it back into my purse. I'm sorry to say I didn't pick up.

Hey, I was almost to the register, and here in The 212 if you're not ready to speedily check out at the register, you get dirty looks and sometimes mean verbal prods. And when I say speedy, I mean speedy. They have a cable connection hooked up to the registers and so not two seconds after you've swiped your card, the approved/declined message flashes across the screen. Talk about fast.

I called The Mother of Boys back and walked, with my heavy groceries, huffing and puffing, over to Central Park West, where I sat and chatted with her about the current WIP that she's editing. She's very excited about the story and both she and The Professor can't wait to get their hands on next installment. Too bad it's still in my head...

-Bitter

Clarification: You get dirty looks and verbal prods from other customers, not the employees. The employees are too busy restocking the shelves and ringing up your stuff to give you dirty looks...

Brooklyn Botanic Garden

I was driving The Awesome Co-Worker crazy. Or at least that's what I knew she was thinking, but didn't say. She didn't say it, because The Awesome Co-Worker happens to be super nice as well as being awesome.

All last week I vacillated between buying a camera and not buying a camera. On Thursday evening, I finally gave in and went shopping. Down to B&H I went, wallet in hand, debit card swiping. (So much for paying double on that one bill.) I've been happy as a clam ever since.

Here's a sample of what I've been up to. This one's probably my favorite. Which one's yours?

This one was particularly beautiful! All frothy white and goodness.

These cascading blossoms were breathtaking. I have another photo I'll post later in the week showing the drape of branches.

So whadayuthink? Was it money well spent? Scratch that. (The frugal ones in my family will say no.) Which one did you love?

-Bitter