The weekend is here yet again. TGIF! In truth, Fridays aren’t as magical as they were use to be with DH out of work. For us every day feels like a Friday and while we have this opportunity, I’m going to soak up every minute while it lasts. Eventually, he will get that break that he’s looking for in an Electrical Engineering job in Knoxville and then life will fall back in place.
I snapped these photos in Highlands, North Carolina. You may might recall my recent photo share of Ebbing, Missouri. Earlier on that day, we were in Highlands. It was a beautiful day, as you might can tell with the blue skies visible in the upper left corner of this photo and the rhododendron were at peak. 
Usually, we catch these magnificent blooms past their glory days, so it delighted me to get the chance to photography the flowers with my Nikkor 105mm macro lens.
The colors look fabulous! The details the macro lens picks up is so unreal that it blows my mind. My composition needs a little work. Unfortunately, my brain speeds around like a zap of light revealing my short comings in photography. Practice makes perfect and I’m all for improving my technique behind the camera.
I’m linking up with the amazing global SWF community and invite you to join the fun. How’s your sky view shaping up?
~All images captured with my big girl camera ~ Nikon D7000 & preferred lens Nikkor 18-105mm zoom, unless otherwise noted.~
Now, I’m joining Lexa in Celebrate the small things.
I’m celebrating…
- the good news of DS’s new job. It sounds like he not only found one fantastic full-time job, but two. I don’t know how he works long days with little sleep and yet he does.
- getting to see in person for the first time white squirrels. I’m not making this up. I have photographs that prove they actually exist. Check out this past Not-so-Wordless Wednesday post for yourself.
- summer’s unofficial kick off. I’m not celebrating the hot weather, but I am celebrating the longer days. I love, love, love have all that extra daylight in the evening!
What are you celebrating?
Join the party below!
Let’s begin celebrating with Friendship Friday and Friday Features linky parties where you’re sure to make new friends and get lots of inspiration!
That’s a wrap for now, but if you like music then I invite you to come back Monday for Mewsic Moves Me. Until next time, have a fototastic weekend!
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Those blooms are gorgeous!! I need to get one of those for my garden. Once my big tree comes down and I have more sunlight, maybe I will plant one of these. Because that purple is such a happy colour! 🙂
This is a great time of year in Tennessee, but then it’s always great in Tennessee. I think I’ll be in Maryville the first week in August. Still finalizing plans.
Arlee Bird
Tossing It Out
Great pictures.
I love rhododendrons! They’re like big fluffy snowball flowers. I’m very happy for your son and I hope your husband gets some of that good luck coming his way too. Mine is still out of work also. The tourist industry in Egypt isn’t recovering well from all the problems. But like with you taking pictures and enjoying the great outdoors and me with my books, it’s good we have other things to put our energies into besides worrying. Have a lovely weekend!
Beautiful macro shots, and congrats to DS!!
Thanks Peter! DS is pretty excited to have these jobs. I hope everything works out for him. I don’t know how he does what he does, but he’s young and invincible, right? lol
beautiful flowers.
Thank you, my friend for stopping in for a peek. Have a glorious weekend!
Beautiful flowers. I liked the white squirrels earlier in the week, too. I’ve never seen them in person. I have a philodendron in my backyard–at least that’s what my friend says it is. I have no idea.
Love,
Janie
Janie, the white squirrels are cute and I’m eager to go back to Brevard to catch another glimpse. I didn’t know what a philodendron is, so I checked on Google. All the images show a leafy green plant with no blooms. Do they not have flowers? I’m not a plant/flower person. I would love to have a rhododendron in our yard, but I’ve read they don’t transplant well and I think our climate is too warm for them anyhow. However, as I mentioned earlier our neighbor has one or what appears to be one and it does well. Oh well, if I see them out sometime I will have to ask about it. Have a good weekend!
Such great pictures! The colours are amazing and the distinct petals-so cool. I have to listen to the BOTB on the weekend-busy week
Thanks, Birgit. The Rhododendrons were simply gorgeous. I wish we had some of these on our yard, but I know they don’t do well usually in lower elevations. Oddly, a neighbor has a nice looking plant. I’m not sure how it is theirs took. I may have ask what their secret is. ?
Lovely rhododendron photos! I have a small one, and it’s just now blossoming. So beautiful. Congrats to your son on his new jobs! I used to be able to go without much sleep but not anymore. I hope your husband finds his perfect job soon. I’ve never seen a white squirrel. How unusual. Yes, I love all those extra daylight hours, too. Happy weekend and happy summer!
Lori, oh you have a rhododendron plant! Awesome!! I hear you about the sleep thingy. I have never been one to function well on little sleep, except when the children were small and that amazes me. I reckon God gave me the energy to pull those long nights and even longer days off. Of course, I have black holes in my memory due to sleep deprivation, but I got the job done. lol
Hi, Cathy!
It’s ironic. Last night at midnight I tried to visit your blog as usual, but kept getting trouble messages saying your blog is not in service. I tried half a dozen times to log on and it simply wasn’t available. I’m glad I didn’t miss these stunning macro size Rhododendron blooms. They remind me of home and my childhood in Pennsylvania. My dad, in addition to being a nature photographer like you, would have made a great nurseryman, because he carefully selected, planted and nurtured many interesting varieties of flowers, plants, shrubs and trees on our property. Rhododendron were plentiful around the foundation of the house.
Singer/songwriter Mac Davis invited us to “stop and smell the roses.” When you examine the detail of these Rhododendron blossoms in the macro size enlargements, you realize that there is an awesome unseen world at that scale – incredible beauty that we rarely notice as we hurry through the busy day. Thank you for revealing it to us in these pictures snapped in Highlands.
Thanks for sharing the celebratory news that your son has two great jobs. I hope your husband soon finds what he is looking for close to home. Last evening for dinner Mrs. Shady made a New England seafood boil – lobster, crab legs, scallops, corn on the cob and red potatoes. It was delicious. Every day I celebrate the fact that Mrs. Shady loves to cook and is so good at it.
Have a wonderful weekend, dear friend Cathy!
Tom, I guess Arvixe (my blog host site) was doing maintenance. That drives me nuts when I can’t visit someone’s site, so I know it frustrated you, too. Mac Davis now that’s a name from the past. I remember his TV variety show in the 70s. I loved watching stuff like that as a kid. Macro shots really do capture the details in any subject quite well, especially those with a lot of intricacy. Oh man, Mrs. Shady made you a feast. My question is why didn’t we get an invite to this meal? lol I’m telling you after I read your wife’s menu I was ready to get in the car and head to Maine. That’s too far to drive, but we have a couple of Red Lobster’s in town. Have you ever had a lobster or crab roll? YUM, those are delicious! I haven’t had supper yet, as you can tell. So, I’d better move on to the next commenter before I eat my keyboard. You have an excellent reason to celebrate a wife who works outside the home who finds time to cook a fantastic meal. She must be Superwoman! 🙂 Have a good weekend, my friend!