Just a flower...

It was another sweltering day with temps pushing 90 again, so time outside was limited to short bursts.  I did find some interesting insects to poke my lens at, and enjoyed watching the various yard birds ... but ultimately, decided on a flower for today's blip.  I bought several of these little African Daisy plants early in the spring and am delighted with their prolific blooms.  And with all the great texture, they are very accommodating for macro photos.  I tweaked it a bit in LR to bring up the luminance and decided it benefited from a tight square crop.  Just playing around, really.

Other highlights today were visits from the bluebird parents who show up whenever I put out mealworms; a pair of tree swallows checking out the recently vacated bluebird box; and a very happy pair of beetles.  Three photos starting HERE on Flickr.  And, it seems that the chickadees are still sitting tight in their nest box.  I covered the opening today and carefully slid open the wooden panel to look through the viewing window...and saw several little faces peering back at me!  I am surprised it is taking them this long to fledge, but perhaps tomorrow will be the big day for them.  

We had a great time last night with our neighbors - always lots of laughs with them.  Tonight, we are having a quiet evening at home, cedar planking some salmon, maybe eat on the deck if it cools down just a little.  

Tomorrow is our country's Memorial Day, a day to remember and honor those who have died serving this country.  Although the intent of the holiday is somber, it seems that for many people Memorial Day means barbecues and the unofficial start of summer.  Nothing wrong with that, of course, but I do plan to take a few quiet moments to reflect on those who've given their lives for the freedoms we sometimes take for granted.

Thankfully, it is supposed to be a bit cooler tomorrow!

Happy Sunday, people.