583 New Mama

We have a new family in our neighborhood and I am over the moon smitten by them. I visit them many times each day and take photos with my 20x zoom lensed camera. Mom and Dad have two or three kids. They are Great Horned Owls and the babies have just recently become visible. The babies are SO adorable---like little puffs of cotton with perfectly round eyes and little hooked beaks. Did you know that what look like ears are not really ears at all? (I hope I got that correct.) We find feathers, squirrel tails and tufts of fur throughout the neighborhood, and everyone is hoping they keep the rabbit population at bay this summer.

166 A Gift of Still Life

A friend gave me three eggplants and a sunflower from her Chicago roof top garden. What more could I ask for? -- a beautiful flower, a new variety of eggplant, and a complimentary palette.
(Please excuse the poor quality photo. It's a gloomy day and I cannot get the colors right even with manual adjustments.)

136 Pink Rose

My Aunt Mamie grew exquisite award winning roses and I wish I had learned more from her. I know almost nothing about roses (shhh...don't tell my garden club) except that they are beautiful to look at and difficult to paint.

135 Yellow Begonia

Peach Rose

The Chicago Botanic Garden has such a beautiful rose garden. I wish I had made note of the names of the roses I photographed. They always have the most glamorous names.

133 Heavenly Blue Morning Glory

132 Florida Garden

Nasturtiums, lavender, lobelia, dusty miller.

130 Morning Glory

The morning glory flower is so delicate and only lasts one day, changing quite dramatically throughout the day. Near late afternoon, the white stripes turn to purple.

129 G'Morning Glory

My favorite flower, the morning glory.