Up Close

 This morning I went out onto the balcony with my camera and sat very still. Luckily, hummingbirds aren't terribly skittish and they eventually came to the feeder.

Summer Hummers

I added a hummingbird feeder to the balcony; it didn't take long for them to find it. The problem is that I'm trying to photograph them through a door window and it's double pane. Never going to get a sharp image. But they're enjoying the nectar.

Sunrise

Moonshine, Hibiscus and Brushes

The moon is waning. There were too many clouds on the night it was full. Everybody wants to shoot the full moon but all moon phases are interesting. 

Still blooming, grateful.

Morning sunlight on my desk.

Too Darn Hot

The blistering heat of summer continues. One month until I go to the beach, barring hurricanes and COVID.

The storm has passed... for now.

Toothpicks, a prompt for "wood" in an Instagram project #augustbreak2021.

We are back to wearing masks in public places. I don't mind if it keeps me from getting sick and prevents me from spreading it to anyone else. Why won't people get vaccinated? 

Weekend

 Saturday, my Luna Hibiscus bloomed all over the place. These blooms are as big as my face!

Sunday, the sunrise was spectacular.

Hibiscus

Photographing them and painting them too.

Two parks and a marina

The weather is mild so I set out to explore a new park. It was full of sports stuff but nothing very 'scenic'. On to Lake Wylie in South Carolina; not much boat activity there. The sky was overcast, also not photo-worthy. The McDowell Nature Preserve was on the way back home so I stopped there... getting desperate. Except for the Crepe Myrtle trees, it was blah there too.

A Reprieve

I miss my door. I used to put colorful things in/on my windows. I'm trying to figure out how to do a little bit of color in an apartment...

We're having a bit of a Reprieve from the heat. It's in the mid sixties this morning and I'm watching the sunrise from my balcony. It won't last long, back to the nineties next week but in the meantime - it's wonderful. 

Belated

Celebrate (no willpower). 

Hibiscus

Later

I had to share this, and to save it to read over and over.

LATER

BY BOUCAR DIOUF

The day barely started that…

It was already 6:00 pm… 

Barely Monday and it was already Friday… 

and the month is already over… 

and the year is almost done… 

and already 40, 50 or 60 years of our life have passed… 

and we come to the realization that we have lost our parents, friends, and realize that it’s too late to turn back time…

So… 

Let’s try regardless, to fully take advantage of our remaining time… 

Let’s not stop looking for activities that we enjoy… 

Let’s put colour in our cloudy days… 

Let’s smile at the little things in life that put some balm in our heart.

And regardless, we must continue to take advantage or the serenity with our remaining time. 

Let’s try to eliminate the “after”… 

I’ll do it after… 

I’ll say it after… 

I’ll think about it after…

We leave everything to later as if “after” was ours. 

As what we don’t understand is that: 

after, the coffee will be cold… 

after, priorities change… 

after, the charm is gone… 

after, health has gone… 

after, the kids grew up… 

after, pour parents get older… 

after, promises are forgotten… 

after, days become nights… 

after, life will be over… 

and after, it’s often too late.

So… 

Don’t leave anything for later… 

While we’re always waiting for later, we can lose the best moments, the best experience, the best friends, the best family… 

The day is today… The instant is now…