I thought about this Quest longer than most, and at first wanted to take pictures of my cakes or something else that I make, or maybe my flowers, but when it comes right down to the nitty gritty, I love my house, and the land around it.   So here goes. 

 

This is the view you will get as you drive up our gravel road to our lane.

 

Standing under our big walnut tree, looking to the north.

 

Looking to the west, a couple of the large sycamore trees that we have in our yard. 

 

Sweet corn tasseling in our garden.  We will have fresh green beans and zucchini for dinner tonight.

Happy July, everyone!  Where is time going?  Thanks to my country cousin, Country Cinderella, for a tip about Art Fire.  It's another place to sell handmade creations.  I got my shop up and running last night, but it needs a bit of refining.  I have to get a banner and correct a couple of typos.  I was tired last night.  I'll let you know how it goes. 

 

I was doing some more experimenting with white balance settings last night.  This is what happens when you have your camera set on auto or whatever to take a normal shot, then change the white balance to tungsten.  Amazing!  This is a wine red day lily. 

 

This one isn't in focus, but I love the color. 

 

I had stayed out late last night waiting for the sunset, then I got so preoccupied with white balance shots, that I almost missed it!  This one would be better if I lightened up the foreground a little bit. 

I think I know what I am going to post for this week's Photo Quest, but first I need to go fix my Art Fire shop. 

I'm having a hard time remembering what day of the week it is.  I usually don't have this many days off in a row.  I got interested in some programs on TV last night and didn't get back to the computer.  I have been doing more cooking since I've been home, including a lovely pasta salad yesterday.  I had looked at recipes until I was blue in the face, but in the end, I just winged it, and if I may say so myself, I've never made or eaten a pasta salad that I liked better.  Here's what it looked like.

 

The volunteer petunias were looking pretty this morning. 

 

Nothing new blooming today.  I did get one rather good shot of the zinnias.  I'm put some meat in the oven to make BBQ, but first I want to get a listing on Etsy. 

 

I finished a table runner last night.  It has taken me a long time to get my work space squared away after our basement was flooded.  I did get rid of a large lot of boxes that were just taking up space.  Everything looks better now and my stash is better organized.  I think I will feel better when I get to sewing again. 

 

Anyway, here's the table runner.  It's make entirely of squares that I had already cut out and/or were left over from other projects, except for the backing, and that is cut from small pieces of fabric that someone gave to me. 

 

You can check out more pictures at www.countrybydesign.esty.com.

 

 

 

I took my camera into work this morning, but this was the only photograph of a cake that I was able to take.  We were really busy, and I didn't have time to do any creative work, only orders.  This is one of our more popular designs, although this one turned out better than most of them do.  This one is on a half sheet cake.  It is hard to get all of this on a cake half this size, which most of them are. 

We had a storm come through about 10:00 last night with a lot of wind and lightening.  We ended up with an inch of rain, and much cooler temperatures.  So, when I got home from work today, I went out and started pulling weeds.  I ended up with two big piles.  Some of them had been there for awhile.  Guess it has been so hot that I didn't look long enough to see them.

 

After all the weed pulling, I grabbed the camera while there was still a little bit of sunlight.  I have never taken a shot of the petunias in the wagon from this angle before.  I always shoot toward the house. 

 

Here's one of a single red petunia that the sun was hitting just right.  It is so much easier to get a good steady shot with the tripod.  Then you can just concentrate on getting the lighting and compostion right and don't have to worry about holding the camera still.

 

My four-o-clocks have just started to bloom.  I'll have to come out again tomorrow evening and see if the luna moths have arrived yet.  I never see them until the four-o-clocks bloom.  Do four-o-clocks bloom at night because they need the luna moth to pollenate them?  The stamen are just loaded with yellow pollen.  Why is most pollen yellow?  Does the color attract insects?  It does almost seem to glow. 

I've been up since 5:30, so I think I'll call it a day.  Check back tomorrow for more news from the country!

I wanted to go outside this evening to take some more pics and/or do some work on the flower beds, but it is still too hot.  Then I remembered that I still had some photos take I wanted to post, so decided to do that first and then see what if felt like outside. 

 

Here's how my rag quilted place mats are going.  I'm really going to like this set. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here's another shot of my volunteer petunias.  Someone suggested that it looks like water color.  I think they are right.  I love the way the edges are just a shade lighter, like a border.  I also like the simple scalloped edges. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I went out with my watering can late yesterday, then came along with my camera.  These dark red day lilies are beautiful this year.  Most be all the rain we have gotten so far.  They are huge, too. 

 

I had taken the photo of the day lilies with my tripod.  When I walked over to the garden, I snapped the camera off and took this one hand held.  Then just to see if I could tell the difference, I snapped the camera back on the tripod and took another shot.  See if you can tell the difference. 

 

 

Left the camera on the tripod and went over to the row of zinnias.  My batteries were dying, so I couldn't preview an of my shots.  My screen was blank, so I really was shooting from the hip.  Here is one of my zinnia shots.

 

 

I've always loved night time photography, but never could hold the camera still enough to get a decent shot.  Went out about 9:00 pm last night and got this shot of the moon.  It isn't perfect, but it's by far the best I've ever done. 

Another hot day out here in the country.  This photo is from early this morning.  We had watered the garden last night and I turned the hose on the flower bed this morning.  I have never had much luck taking photographs of water, but I took my tripod out and gave it a try anyway.  I tried different manual settings, but like this one taken on auto best.  Too many things going on for me to figure out.  The hydrant leaks like a seive so water was flying everywhere. 

I've been working on the computer all day, downloading photos, etc.  Too hot to do anything outside. 

I wasn't sure I wanted to go out this morning to take pictures, then my hubby came in and ask me to come pick him up at another farm.  He was going over there on a tractor.  So I picked up my camera and went out to see what I could find while I gave him a head start. 

This is another one of my volunteer petunias.  Nothing spectacular, but I like the simple shapes and faded colors. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is one of the orchid petunias that will open today. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These dark red day lillies are looking great this year.  There was just a hint of sunlight backlighting them.

 

My Shasta daisy plants are finally getting with it.  I should have blooms for several weeks now. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I really like the color in the center of this day lilly.  The petals are the color of wine and the center is a bright lime green.  At least that's what we call in when we are putting it on a cake.  I think it is actually chartreuse.  Although, chartreuse is a pale color, and these center's are bright.  Limes are a darker green, at least the ones I've seen.  Guess I need to get out a new box of Crayolas! 

I had someone ask me if we had anything in lime, and all I could think of was the lime green icing.  She was looking    for something like key lime pie or cake filling! 

 

This little apricot day lilly is the only other color that is blooming right now.  It got washed out by the bright sun. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here's my pot of pink petunias that I keep in the bird bath.  Which reminds me.  I need to go water everything in pots.  Just a couple more stops on my morning tour. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I planted this bright orange zinnia in the garden.  I like the tiny grasshopper! 

 

I really like the rosy red color of this zinnia.  I've never noticed the little yellow florets in the center before.  I just look at things much closer when I have a camera in my hand, and especially when I enlarge them to see all the details. 

End of tour for today.  Thanks for joining me! 

I actually got my tripod out yesterday afternoon before everyone left so I could fiddle with it a little bit.  I got some really cute shots of our youngest grandson.  It's amazing how much easier it is to take pictures when you don't have to worry about holding the camera still. 

 

Here are my red and white petunias in the wagon in front of our house.  I went out this morning and got most of the grass pulled out.  I also picked our first batch of green beans, and did some work on the big flower bed.  By 9:30 am it was so hot that I couldn't stand it!  Didn't go out to do anything in the yard the rest of the day. 

 

My dark red day lillies have just started blooming.  Some of the smaller orange ones are blooming, too.  I should have gone back out this evening, but it was just too hot. 

I did do something this afternoon that I haven't done for a long time.  I went into town to donate blood.  I used to do it all the time, but then it didn't work out with my work schedule.  I don't have any trouble with the needles, etc.  It's the tape they put on your arm that I can't stand.  I was pulling it off as I walked out the door!  They almost didn't let me donate.  My iron level from my left hand was only 11.8, so I had to wait a few minutes and try again with my right hand.  12.5 this time.  Guess I'm going to have to eat more raisins!  I did get some good news.  My blood pressure was 110/76, even after getting out in the heat and sitting around for half and hour or so waiting. 

I have to work late the next two days, so don't expect much from me in the blogging department.  Toodles!

Since I'm using a Canon Powershot A540, I had my choice of two night scene settings.  All of these were taken with a tripod with white balance on "auto".

You can't quite see it unless you know where to look, but this shot did pick up the dusk-to-dawn light at our neighbors house.  f-stop:  f/32.  exposure time:  1/10 second.  max aperture:  3.34375

 

It was almost dark when I took these.  I'm amazed at the way they turned out.  Neither one of them are edited at all.  f-stop:  3.2.  exposure time:  1/6 second.  max aperture:  3.34375

 

I've always wanted to be able to take a picture of clouds like this with the setting sun shining on them, but had never been able to.  I did edit this one just a bit to lighten up the foreground.  f-stop:  f/2.6.  exposure time:  1/80 second.  max aperture:  2.75.  I wanted to add a bit more pink to the clouds, but it looked too fake. 

Here is a picture of the picture that I gave my hubby for Father's Day.  It's one of our granddaughters that I took the last time they were here.  I doubled matted it in off-white and framed it in black.  It really looks nice. 

We had a very nice day yesterday.  Our two youngest kids and their families came out, along with our oldest granddaughter.  Our youngest daughter and her husband brought their two "babies",  their Siberian huskie puppies.  We had a lovely relaxed afternoon.  I had made a potato salad in the morning, and some really yummy cheesecake bars.  I put some baked beans in the crockpot, and we had leftover pasta salad and black bean salad.  Our son grilled some chicken and hot dogs, and we used paper plates.  It was great!

Then, after everyone left, I got out my new tripod and tried it out.  It's pretty cool.  I'll post some of the shots for this week's Photo Quest.