To put it mildly, you go to neat places.

Marsha, these are beautiful. I especially love the sunflowers--the brilliance and the boldness to me of the sunflowers just screams LIVE LIFE WELL.

wow! great colors Marsha! wonderful shots.

I've added your post to the bottom of my Susan post. I hope I have them all now.

Thank you all. I love color. (And saturation, eh, Barry?? :-)

These are lovely, Marsha! I especially love the Nootka rose - they've come to mean Northwest summer for me. I wish you could embed its perfume :)

And the sunflowers! Have never seen that variety, petals as long as a lop-eared rabbit. Love 'em!

Honey, you are not at all late to the party. You are just on time. For anyone having the pleasure to watch these photo collections unfold over time, it really is a job, like a meal where they keep bringing out course after course of gourmet delicacies. You need a little time to savor them, some moments between to sit back and feel contented.

You may not be a professional, but you definitely have an artist's eye. Add me to the list of people who can't get enough of color, that deep saturation, the take-your-breath-away color combinations. I love the way the sunflowers' petals have grown all soft and drapey, and seem to be waving in a gentle breeze.

Thank you many times over for your sweet contribution to the "Hell with cancer, I have better things to do" celebration!

Now I have to veer off topic for a second and tell you that the "MB" in my screen name MB Suzie stands for Madame Beloved. This is what my surrogate children call me. Some of their real parents even call me this now. It is short for Madame Beloved Dictator, the name I took when my son was in 7th grade and I often had a house full of unruly boys. So I fully appreciate your title!

Beautiful, Marsha! Mt. Shasta is one of my favorite spots. My wife and I go almost every year to a week-long yoga retreat at a hot springs near Weed. Just magic. Looks like it's never to late to join this party.

I love the bridge. Great photos.

Now I have to veer off topic for a second and tell you that the "MB" in my screen name MB Suzie stands for Madame Beloved.

Going even further off-topic (and I intend no connection to your nickname, Susan!), this reminds me of a passage I recently came across in Robertson Davies's Leaven of Malice, which I'm rereading. One of the characters is recalling a cartoon from Punch, in which a young mother is talking to her toddler: "And what does Mommy call her darling?" "Blubadub." "That's right! Beloved Dove."

Approximately. But now I love the name Blubadub. Too bad there are so few opportunities to use it.

Yes, colors, colors!!

I was late to the party too - sometimes sleep IS necessary........

Sunflowers like that always remind me of post-coital exhaustion.

Beautiful.

Awesome! I LOOOOOVE the little bridge!! :)

Now if I may correct the typos in my comment (brain is shorting out apparently) what I thought I was typing was that it is a JOY to watch these photos unfold over time.

And, Ms. Priddy! Why, I do declare! I will nevah look at sunflowers quite the same again. (Hee.)

gorgeous. thank you. I love the bridge. and I love the Mt. Shasta one.
oh, I pretty much love them all - what an incredible collection of color and texture.

Oh, pshaw. You're all too kind. I am just the "see-er" of pretty things and hope they bring cheer to the "hell with cancer" party. I've got a bunch of fall shots I'm readying (in my mind, anyway) for a post in the next week. Maybe we could all "fall" into a better mood if we put up our best shots of the leaves and colors of the season?

Oh, and ePriddy...love, love, love your analogy...you wicked girl, you!!!

I will not believe it is just me.

They just look so wiped out and happy.

A cleaner analogy, for children and the shy:

like a dog lolling his tongue in the breeze after a hard game of catch.

(still dirty, isn't it?)

Ain't nothing dirty about it, ePriddy. Birds do it. Bees do it. Dogs with lolling tongues do it ;)

I would love to be looking for lizards under that foot bridge right about now.

Beautiful! I especially like the last 3, they feel like Oregon. Isn't it cool when you see the mountain poking up through and above the clouds? It's also very cool to be on the mountain, looking DOWN at the clouds! Thanks for sharing. :)

Great shots and thoughts!