Springtime in Virginia! Panasonic Lumix Cameras Capture it All!

April 23, 2019

#304

Gentle reader,

My posts (once I figured out how to add them) have always featured photos. This article will be mostly photos. 

Virginia is not where I ever imagined living. I was born out West and lived there in various States until graduating from high school in 1974 in Denver. We drove across the U.S. and upon reaching Richmond, my first thought was, "Why is it so hard to breathe?" Having never experienced Southern humidity. Hate it, but love Virginia.

These images were all shot in our yard. Our land is 1/5th of an acre and just right. We live on a small hill.

NOTE: If you are viewing this on a computer, clicking on any image will open a window over this one. You may click through them or use your right and left arrow keys. The photos will be larger than seen here.

All captured with various Panasonic Lumix cameras. Each feature the famous German Leica lenses. Many pictures to see!

This and the next few images are of a Cherry tree that grows between the fences in our backyard. No one would plant a tree ON the property line. So perhaps a cherry was dropped there....

Up close, the pink is less obvious.

More clearly seen in the photo above.

This is a Weeping Cherry tree that some previous owner planted next to some large quartz rocks near the top of the hill, out back. You can just see them in the center bottom.

It produces tiny black cherries. I have never researched whether they are edible for humans. I suspect the birds like them, though.

Years ago we dug a pond and created a waterfall, as you can see. We were quite successful some years having tadpoles and baby fish. Other years, the pond would mysteriously empty itself! We have never figured out why. Other pond owners have reported the same phenomenon.

The happy green mess on the right, (above) is a Corkscrew Willow which we grew from a small cutting. It must have never realized that it was a tree and thus wept. I've heard someone once said, "There is no such thing as a Corkscrew weeping Willow." Well, he was incorrect. And you have now seen it.

This image was shot with a film camera. I don't recall which one or any other specifics. I shot a LOT of film over the decades, before turning to the Digital Side.

Every year, these gorgeous Water Lillys would appear. They would only last for a day or two.

Two varieties of Butterfly Bush we planted out front never fail to do their assigned task.

Tiger Swallowtail butterflies are SO pretty!

Even though we live in the suburbs of Northern Virginia, wildlife is still present. We often see and hear raptors such as this Falcon that landed in one of our trees.

I built a shed under our deck with the posts holding it up acting as anchors. Electricity was added as well as three windows. We planted Azalea bushes around it.

We have always admired what we thought were Mimosa trees. But attempts to transplant them always failed. Finally one took. The produce feathery leaves similar to Ferns and the most interesting feathery blossoms.

Maybe you can tell us what these mystery flowers are that showed up in our yard?

Certainly some kind of Lilly. But we did not plant it!

And these?

Instead of cut flowers, I buy potted flowers for Nancy, often miniature roses. The one below is less than one inch across.

The first flowers to appear each year are these we planted long ago out front. Sometimes, there is still snow on the ground when they poke through the soil.

Nancy knows the names of so many of our plants and flowers. I'm better at identifying trees. So I can't tell you what these beauties are.

Forsythia are another early bloomer. Since these are on the far side of our house, sometimes I forget to enjoy them.

Aside from Corkscrew Willows and some other trees, we planted a deciduous Magnolia tree. It looses it's leaves in the Fall and grows pink blossoms. That's how to tell them apart from the more common evergreen Magnolia with white blossoms.

Below shows the stages of the blossoms appearing.

The photo above shows one fully open with a green new one waiting to open tucked in next to it.

Sunlight shining through the petals.

Camera lenses with excellent close focusing ability such as the Leica lenses on many Panasonic Lumix cameras really show the details God put into each flower and blossom, all  hoping to attract Bees.

Spring is truly a wondrous time of year. All of Nature is racing to get everything ready. To ignore such wonder is truly a shame. For it is fleeting.

Check out the hair-like portions of these Irises. And such colors!

These Lillys (I think they are Lillys) clearly were designed to place their pollen on the Bees.

This image below clearly shows how they all bend inward for maximum contact.

Alright, you flies! Stop pretending to be Bees!

Dogwood trees are often found in the South (south is always capitalized when referring to southeastern United States). We had planted one "guaranteed to grow". It did not. Later on, we came across someone giving away tiny Dogwood saplings and we planted them all. Only three took.

The largest of them has, for the first time, produced blossoms.

There is a tiny bug of some kind atop the center of this blossom, which is nearly four inches across.

This image shows the little fellow more closely. Just look at all that is going on in Dogwood blossoms! It resembles a fancy arrangement of cut flowers.

This photo clearly shows you where the Corkscrew Willow gets it's name. One of two that we bought and planted. The other did not survive. Willows are water loving and I planted the other one too far up the hill. This one is nearing 30 feet tall.

The image below, I shot with my Lumix G1 using a former-Soviet Industar 50-2 50mm f3.5 M42 manual focus lens. Works for me!

My wife befriended two Canada Geese at her work. They would walk or fly right up to her when she called, "Geese, geese, geese!" These are not them, but plastic ones designed to attract live ones for hunters. We do not hunt.
She has four of them. The one on the left is actually a Swan planter she painted. Two not shown are: a "lookout" and one other that was molded in white and meant to be "decorated" with silly outfits. She painted that one too. 

We created a dry creek bed in the backyard. Runoff from rain passes over this area at the base of the hill. Ms Claws the fat neighborhood cat, is not bothered by the "pet" geese. 

Moving to the front yard. Previous owners built up this area with landscape timbers and planted some things. We planted more. I had removed and replaced all of their wood since some was rotting.

Rhododendron are close relatives to Azaleas. I love the looks of their flowers. Again, Nature's efforts to make sure Bees get the pollen on them is seen below. 

Nancy also likes figurines and such, having placed many in the yard and inside the house.

A bronze fairly fits nicely in with the small flowers and variegated leaves.

While is is highly unlikely a frog would make a home inside a large mushroom. But if it did.....

We love these two kids. Typical, the guy trying to steal a kiss.

I do not remember what these tiny flowers are called. They grow on a bush we planted. They are perhaps 1/3rd of an inch across.

A Cherry blossom petal has found it's way into this orange beauty. A Lilly, I think. 

Another one Nancy planted, this in front of the Forsythia bushes on the far side of the house. Again, this is the first year it has blossomed. She told me what it is, but.....

This is a Shamrock blossom. We planted lots of White Clover seeds last Fall. These seeds must have been mixed in with the white seeds. It is about 1/2 and inch across.

These are growing in front of our mailbox post. As are these white ones below.

Quite the contrast between the rusting metal and Nature's beauty.

Another example of things showing up in our yard unannounced. Nancy thinks they are a form of Mint.

We see a number of them throughout the neighborhood, but never before this year.

She swears she did not plant these purple beauties. We don't know what they are, but we like them.

She bought three Blueberry plants last year. This year they produced these amazing blossoms. Tiny things.

This is a portion of the Japanese Lace Maple we planted right out front. The leaves are so delicate.

Nothing Spring-like about this wood we cut for kindling from branches in our back yard. I just like the way it looks.

To finish this long chain of photographs is one more of MS Claws who was hoping to be petted when we were out walking the yard and admiring the beauty. 

Quite the fatty. But she lives outdoors. She doesn't mind the snow or rain. We put out a pet container for her to sleep in. She sits or lays on top of it. Silly, sweet cat.

Thank you once again for taking the time to read my humble words and view my images. Your kind words and comments encourage me to keep making new posts.

Scott
April 23, 2019
#304