A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME MIGHT BE A CISTUS

I did two whole days without going near a flower but could not resist a shot of the wild cistus, also known as "rock rose" because the petals resemble those of the wild rose. Also, I am not yet over wanting to do pics such as the more experienced photographers do, sharp focus flowers with dark, out-of-focus backgrounds.

These grow wild here and banks of them cover the hillside. One year our helper came along with his weed zapper and demolished a whole hillside of them whereupon I sat down and cried. Of course they are common but that does not mean they are not beautiful and they do no harm. They have re-established themselves elsewhere but I can no longer look out of the windows and see a white hillside interspersed with wild, yellow broom. Men!

These flowers are, officially, cistus laurifolius. They were, and perhaps still are harvested in Spain and used for essential oils and in soap. They are native to the Mediterranean.

I tried this shot as well because it looked so peaceful in the early morning sun. Alas, the sun was too bright on the lawn and I am not clever enough to correct it. Still, it has "The Cloud," my Doberman, surveying all that is hers. Tuscan Morning