Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Flower love

We were in Fort Bragg (Mendocino County) last weekend and one of the great things they have there is the Mendocino Coast Botanical Garden.  Their displays are beautiful and change seasonally.  




I loved finally being able to break out the macro lens and seeing what I could do with it.  My fingers literally itched to get my hands on it again and it felt really good.







Their main attraction this time of year is the dahlia garden.  So many different shapes, sizes, and colors!  For about ten minutes, we even considered getting married there because it's so amazing.







The last place we went was the homestead flower and vegetable garden, where I'd never been before even though I've been visiting the Gardens regularly for about fifteen years.



This way out, please.

Monday, September 12, 2011

Back in the saddle

So after an incredibly complicated and stressful six weeks, I was finally able to get out with my macro lens.  We were in Fort Bragg (Mendocino County) for the Labor Day weekend and while the weather didn't cooperate from a vacation perspective, it was almost perfect for photography: cool and overcast.  We stayed at the Grey Whale Inn (highly recommended), in the Point Cabrillo Room.  Good breakfast, great coffee and a very nice house cat named Sweet Pea.

I was able to get out into the garden of the inn on the afternoon that we arrived.  It's a combination flower-vegetable garden, with bits and pieces of sculpture scattered in various places. 


Late summer in a vegetable garden doesn't often yield interesting results, especially if it's been raining, but I was able to find a few odds and ends.







There were also edible and non-edible flowers and plants, and some sunflowers that looked like they were on their last legs, but beautiful, nonetheless.



It felt really good to get behind a camera again, and now I just need a little more practice.  Anyone want to go for a walk with me?