Dahlias are a captivating and diverse group of flowering plants celebrated for their vibrant and intricate blooms. These flowers belong to the Asteraceae family and are native to Mexico and Central America. Dahlias come in various sizes, shapes, and colors, ranging from small, button-sized pom-poms to large, dinner-plate-sized blossoms. Their petals can be single, semi-double, or fully double, displaying a wide spectrum of colors, including shades of red, yellow, orange, pink, purple, and white.

Dahlias thrive in well-drained soil with plenty of sunlight, typically grown from tubers planted in the spring after the threat of frost has passed. Regular deadheading (removing spent blooms) encourages continuous flowering. They are versatile plants used to beautify flower beds, borders, and gardens, while their long stems and showy blooms make them popular choices for cut flower arrangements and bouquets.

In regions with cold winters, dahlias are often treated as tender perennials or annuals. To overwinter them, dig up the tubers in the fall after the first frost, let them dry, and store them in a cool, dark place until spring. Despite their beauty, dahlias can be susceptible to pests like aphids and slugs, as well as diseases like powdery mildew and fungal infections, necessitating proper care and vigilance.

Symbolically, dahlias convey meanings of elegance, dignity, and a commitment to an eternal bond in the language of flowers. They are often used in wedding bouquets and other formal arrangements. In Mexico, dahlias hold cultural and symbolic significance as the national flower, further enhancing their charm and importance.

Due to other priorities and commitments, I was only able to get this shot up now, although this was taken a few months ago in May.

MacRitchie Reservoir is a great place to to get away from the noisy parts of the city, for some peace and quiet. During blue hour, it is surprisngly not very crowded at all, so I was able to experiment as many shots as possible in different settings without too much difficulty.

Alas, I was not able to get a good sunset that day due to very cloudy weather, but the blue hour view more than made up for it.

The gorgeous gymnast: Karine.

www.flickr.com/photos/140187525@N02/

#AdamsPhotoChallenge. (Pain)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4_bl8uTonQ

Work commitments have been such that I've not had the time to up load this from yesterday morning. Had dashed out the house, saw this turned on my heels got the camera, 4 quick shots jumped in the car off to work. Finally tonight catching my breath ...

So I set up the camera outside the stables, the parents are zooming in and out feeding the new fledglings (of which seem to be down to 4 now) it’s real hard, they are so quick, so out of about 500 phots,,,,, this one

somewhere

every time i think it i go cold

Tracy Chapman

At This Point In My Life

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViWW98U3Iao

Done so many things wrong

I don't know if I can do right

Oh, I, oh, I've

Done so many things wrong

I don't know if I can do right

At this point in my life

I've done so many things wrong

I don't know if I can do right

If you put your trust in me

Hope I won't let you down

If you give me a chance I'll try

You see it's been a hard road

The road I'm traveling on

And if I take your hand

I might lead you down the path to ruin

I've had a hard life

Just saying it so you'll understand

Oh, that right now, right now

I'm doing the best I can

At this point in my life

At this point in my life

Though I've mostly walked in the shadows

I'm still searching for the light

Won't you put your faith in me?

We both know that's what matters

If you give me a chance I'll try

You see, I've been climbing stairs

But mostly stumbling down

I've been reaching high

Always losing ground

You see I've conquered hills

I still have mountains to climb

Oh, and right now, right now

I'm doing the best I can

At this point in my life

Before we take a step

Before we walk down that path

Before I make any promises

Before you have regrets

Before we talk commitment

Let me tell you of my past

All I've seen and all I've done

The things I'd like to forget

At this point in my life

At this point in my life

I'd like to live as if only love mattered

As if redemption was in sight

As if the search to live honestly

Is all that anyone needs

No matter if you find it

You see when I've touched the sky

Earth's gravity has pulled me down

But now I've reconciled that in this world

Birds and angels get the wings to fly

If you can believe in this heart of mine

Oh, if you can give it a try

Then I'll reach inside and find and give you

All the sweetness that I have

Oh, at this point in my life

for now our children are being fashioned into commodities, if you don't believe me, just search the terms, "human capital"

If you see a married couple still in love through the

years, you may think how lucky they are.

But in marital relations, there is no such thing as

luck.

They made many compromises, they overlooked each others faults.

They forgave many mistakes, and endured many problems.

They spent years learning to understand one another.

Love has never been a matter of luck, its a mutual giving

compromise, shared dreams, care, respect, mercy and patience.

*Thank you Adrian for sticking with this bag of bones for decades....I love the new home, I love the beautiful gardens you masterfully set down, and I love you.

*No landmark, taken at our new beautiful home!

Pose is from Ardent Poses

maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/DarkHallow/192/192/1

*Back Ground Texture from ANNA LEIBMAN

Autumn in the Jardin de Luxembourg

This is again an attempt to photograph people and daily life in Paris in a way that keep the anonymity of the person. I will post soon some examples where people are recognizable. Here I was fascinated by the light on the chairs and his way of raking the leaves

There are only two options regarding commitment.

You're either in or out.

There's no such thing as a life in-between.

{ Pat Riley }

- - - - -

Thank you for all your comments, faves, visits! XO

Will catch up on your streams later. Need to finish some work. =)

Texture by Ishkamina.

Mute Swan pair on a small pond along the American River

Please don't use this image on websites, blogs or other media without my explicit permission. © All rights reserved

You can see my images on fluidr: click here

You can see my most interesting photo's on flickr: click here

It would seem that all I post nowadays is local shots of St Marys. I'm becoming a one lady wonder. Still there are worse places to point your camera.

Recently found out that a friend is backing off from photography for a while due to other commitments and I'm a bit gutted to be honest. Good friends are few and far between in this geeky world.

www.anthonyhallphotography.com

Andrea Bocelli - Cuando Me Enamoro (Live From Lake Las Vegas Resort, USA / 2006)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfU99xfo8MY&list=RDGMEM2VCIga...

#HMMM

With heartfelt and genuine thanks for your kind visit. Have a beautiful day, be well, keep your eyes open, appreciate the beauty surrounding you, enjoy creating, stay safe, and laugh often! ❤️❤️❤️

taken @ ROCHE

Avatars: Chart Man & Fog by Meilo Minotaur and Capcat Ragu

texture: Pirate Braveheart flickr

sterlingshine flickr

About two years ago, I said in my then last shot of Datai Bay (Andaman Sea, Straits of Malacca, Malaysia) that it was hard to leave the Bay, in being such a calm, beautiful place; with also the plus of both an ancient rainforest and a world top 10 beach (National Geographic).

Samsung S23 Ultra 5G Camera

Wedding Ring

1 1/8", 36 mm extension

Sometimes I get lucky. This pair did not notice me standing with my tripod. They swam up close, completely undisturbed. Their gift presentation was also a gift to me; Clark's Grebes; Aechmophorus clarkii; Santa Margarita Lake; CA; USA

500px

Flickriver

Facebook

The Commitments

*Working Towards a Better World

The year you were born marks only your entry into the world. Other years where you prove your worth, they are the ones worth celebrating. - Jarod Kintz, This Book Title is Invisible

Mature love is composed and sustaining; a celebration of commitment, companionship, and trust. - H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Cakes are special. Every birthday, every celebration ends with something sweet, a cake, and people remember. It's all about the memories. -

Buddy Valastro

A wedding anniversary is the celebration of love, trust, partnership, tolerance and tenacity. The order varies for any given year. - Paul Sweeney

Any celebration meal to which guests are invited, be they family or friends, should be an occasion for generous hospitality. - Julian Baggini

People of our time are losing the power of celebration. Instead of celebrating we seek to be amused or entertained. Celebration is an active state, an act of expressing reverence or appreciation. To be entertained is a passive state--it is to receive pleasure afforded by an amusing act or a spectacle.... Celebration is a confrontation, giving attention to the transcendent meaning of one's actions.

Source: The Wisdom of Heschel” -

Abraham Joshua Heschel

Thank you for your kind visit. Have a wonderful and beautiful day! xo💜💜

2024 was one of the hardest years of my life.

I learned so much about myself - strengths and weaknesses.

I broke myself repeatedly to form a more solid me.

I sacrificed true love on an altar of commitment.

I watched generations wither and stepped into the gap.

I gained beautiful flowers in my garden of friends.

I froze in the face of trial and closed within myself.

I created from the depths of my agony.

I screamed in silence for dreams unfulfilled.

I stepped up and made the choice - God over everything else.

I struggled out of the pit of surviving.

I don't know what 2025 holds.

But I know there will be continued pain... continued longing...continued moments of falling and picking myself back up. Moments of showing up for myself in solitude. Moments of nostalgia... and memory... that crush the air from my very chest.

And likely...Grief.

But through it all...

I will continue to persevere as best I can.

I will continue to cry out to God in my confusion and gain clarity.

I will continue to soak up the sun and dance in the rain.

I will continue to find small joys in the birds song.

I will continue to breathe in and out.

I will continue to believe.

I will continue to live.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Jeremiah 29:11

Forever is composed of Nows

Tis not a different time

Except for Infiniteness

And Latitude of Home

~Emily Dickinson

A esperança é a última a morrer...

O amor aparece quando menos esperamos...

É maravilhoso quando a vida é colorida!!...

É fabulástico o dourado reluzente!!...

:D

Particular entity

Existence affirmed

Web of belief

The image's aesthetic qualities—its colors, textures, and composition—are part of one set of beliefs, while the flower's biological properties—its species, its life cycle—are part of another.

"To be is to be the value of a bound variable." - Willard van Orman Quine

Nikon Nikkor 55mm f1.2 Reversed

Determination, commitment, focusing, balance, courage, strength. Some of the things that a daring climber must have. Now I am not a climber by any means but those are the words that came to my mind when I saw that woman climbing Cathedral Ledge. Cathedral Ledge is a 700ft tall vertical rock just a few miles away from North Conway, NH. It belongs to Echo Lake state Park and it is a quite popular destination among climbers for obvious reasons. From the top of the rock you have breathtaking views of the Saco river valley and the White Mountains. The good thing is that in order to enjoy this view, you don't have to be a fearless and experienced climber like this woman as there is a road that will take at the very top!

And here's a photo that I posted a while ago where you can see the view:

www.flickr.com/photos/rabican/26160066379/

Αποφασιστηκοτητα, δεσμευση, προσηλωση, ισορροπια, θαρρος, δυναμη. Μερικα απο τα πραγματα τα οποια ενας πραγματικος ορειβατης πρεπει να εχει. Ενταξει, ορειβατης δεν ειμαι ουτε κατα διανοια, ομως αυτες οι λεξεις μου ηρθαν στο μυαλο οταν ειδα αυτη τη γυναικα να σκαρφαλωνει το Cathedral Ledge. Ο Cathedral Ledge ειναι ενας οριζοντιος βραχος υψους 213 μετρω και βρισκεται μερικα χλμ εξω απο την πολη North Conway του New Hampshire. Ανηκει στο πάρκο της λιμνης Echo και ειναι δημοφιλης προορισμος για ορειβατες για πολυ προφανεις λογους. Απο την κορυφη του βραχου μπορει καποιος να δει την κοιλαδα του ποταμου Saco καθως και τα Λευκα Ορη (του New Hampshire, οχι της Κρητης!). Το ευτυχες ειναι πως για να απολαυσει κανεις αυτη τη θεα δε χρειαζεται να ειναι ατρομητος ορειβατης σαν την κοπελα αυτη αφου υπαρχει δρομος που φτανει ως την κορυφη του βραχου!

Παραπανω μια φωτογραφια της θεας που ειχα ανεβασει πριν καιρο

Commitment

GRIEF CAN TAKE CARE OF ITSELF, BUT TO GET THE FULL VALUE OF A JOY YOU

MUST HAVE SOMEBODY TO DIVID IT WITH.

mark twain (1835 - 1910 )

Family commitments have kept me away from photography (and Flickr) for most of the year and I am not sure that this will ease off . . .

I photographed this DLR Tunnel from a moving train one night after visiting my sister (she lives on the DLR route).

Sunday 21 June 2009; 2052 Hours

[Canon EOS 5D Mark 2 | ISO 1600 | 16mm | 0.8 seconds | F/6.3]

Killing Strangers - Marilyn Manson

Link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ult9nnjxGnA

I would have loved to see the Selkirk Mountains hidden under this blanket of cloud at Rogers Pass, Glacier National Park, British Columbia.

Rogers Pass is named after Major Albert Bowman Rogers, who was dispatched to the Selkirks in 1881 to find a route for the Canadian Pacific Railway through the "impenetrable peaks" west of the Rocky Mountains. He confirmed that a pass existed in 1882 and construction was underway through Rogers Pass in 1884. By 1885, the railway to British Columbia was complete, fulfilling the commitment made to the new province when it joined Confederation in 1871. The main rail line was operated over Rogers Pass from 1885 to 1916, when the terrible human and financial cost of dealing with avalanches finally pushed the railway company to build the Connaught Tunnel under the pass.

Thanks, as always, for stopping by and for all of your kind comments -- I appreciate them all.

© Melissa Post 2015

All rights reserved. Please respect my copyright and do not copy, modify or download this image to blogs or other websites without obtaining my explicit written permission.

Palace Theatre London The Commitments Musical

Website: www.gettyimages.co.uk/photos/cuppyuppycake?excludenudity=...

The humanly side of photography contains at least three elements:

subjectivity

creativity

human initiative

If you going to purchase a camera and lenses you should try to be a photographer; however, for some (photographers?) laziness replaces human initiative.

Thanks for the comments, faves and visits

This captivating image showcases the breathtaking beauty of autumn in a residential area of San Jose, California. The photograph captures a tree-lined street where nature's artistry is on full display, creating a stunning tunnel of fall colors.

Majestic trees flank both sides of the street, their branches reaching across to form a natural archway. The foliage is a vibrant mix of russet, gold, and lingering green, illustrating the gradual transition of seasons. The interplay of sunlight filtering through the leaves creates a warm, dappled effect on the street below.

The road itself stretches invitingly into the distance, its vanishing point drawing the eye towards modest suburban homes barely visible through the autumnal curtain. Parked cars line both sides of the street, their presence a reminder of the lived-in nature of this picturesque neighborhood.

The scene is bathed in the golden light of late afternoon, enhancing the rich autumn palette and casting long shadows that add depth and texture to the composition. This lighting perfectly accentuates the seasonal transformation, making each leaf seem to glow with inner warmth.

This image encapsulates the unique charm of San Jose's residential areas, where the beauty of nature harmoniously coexists with urban living. It serves as a testament to the city's commitment to maintaining a green canopy, providing residents with a daily dose of natural splendor right outside their doors.

The photograph invites viewers to imagine themselves strolling down this enchanting street, perhaps hearing the crunch of fallen leaves underfoot, and breathing in the crisp autumn air. It's a serene snapshot of suburban life in Silicon Valley, reminding us of the simple yet profound beauty that each changing season brings to our everyday surroundings.

Work commitments were favourable enough for me to hang on at Farnborough for this, and I was very glad that I did! Celebrity pairing of 66522 and 66721 head the 6Y48 09:02 Eastleigh to Hoo Jn engineers. One Freightliner and one GBRf 66 working a Colas infrastructure train. Privatisation at its best? Wednesday the 28th of September 2016.

This substantial Presbyterian Church in Dawson City Yukon was a reflection of the prosperity and commitment of the congregation it served. Erected in 1901, it boasted a pipe organ and carved oak pews that could accommodate 600 parishioners. The church bore the architectural stamp of the Gothic Revival popular elsewhere in the country. Together, with the spacious manse, of Second Empire design, it was one more element of familiarity in respectability in a city that was rapidly changing from its boom-town origins,

to a more modern era.

*(Note) This church is practically leaning up hill. Of course, it is now 122 years old, so I'm sure it's getting ready to lay down and rest.

Better hurry on up to Dawson City if you want to see it.

Dedicated Laysan albatross mates alternate parental duties taking turns sitting on the nest and foraging for food. Tending the nest can mean a commitment of up to two weeks or more before swapping duties and heading out to sea to feed. This Laysan albatross (Phoebastria immutabilis) nest site was in the shade of a naio shrub on the sand dunes of Ka’ena Point.

This farmer stood there for hours, on the side of the highway, braving dust and pollution, to offer free food and sweets to the passing traffic.

I salute him !

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