The Final Day

taken:
day ninety three
09.21.2014

Well this is it, the final day of my Days Of Summer 2014 Photo Project. It was another wonderful season and here I leave you with a pop of pink frilly cosmos, one of my favorite flowers.

I do believe this will be my last summer photo project. My fourth and final one. These projects have taught me so much and have been deeply fulfilling. Four summers ago I forced myself out of my comfort zone and took a leap. If not for taking that leap I would not have come this far. I'm so proud of what I accomplished and when I look back at all my photos, I smile.

I'm grateful for those of you who stood by my side, cheered me on and gave me kind blessings along the way. You are my sunshines! 

I definitely still plan to publish to my blog from time to time. Just not with the pressure of doing a photo a day. I also hope to still sell my prints online and who knows what other exciting things may come.

Thank you to all who have followed along this summer! Your support warms my heart and gives me the encouragement to maintain this little online space of mine.

Mother Nature's Perfection

taken:
day ninety one
09.19.2014

It's all prefect. So prefect that it seems like someone staged it, the perfect cosmos blossom, the perfect sun flare from above, the perfect water droplets clinging to the stem. Aside from planting the cosmos seed, I didn't have a hand in the perfect moment, but Mother Nature sure did. There's no double that it was Mother Nature at it's best. I was just there to capture it.

The Golden Hour

taken:
day eighty seven
09.15.2014

The golden hour; the hour just after sunrise or just before sunset when the sun is lower in the horizon, when sunlight is softer. One of my favorite times to snap photos. This 'snow puff' cosmos is basking in the golden evening sun. I love the halo effect of the setting sun when the subject is backlit by the sunlight.

Fields Of Cosmos

taken:
day eighty four
09.12.2014

I have a vision that all empty land could be filled with fields of cosmos. What a beautiful word that would be.

Glimpse Through

taken:
day seventy four
09.02.2014

A glimpse through the cosmos petals reveals a tiny little bee wing.

Glowing

taken:
day seventy one
08.30.2014

A 'bright lights' cosmos glowing in the morning sun after a shower from the garden sprinkler.

I'm Not Afraid Of Bees

taken:
day fifty nine
08.18.2014

I'm not afraid of bees. Not one bit. When I'm in my garden they buzz inches from me and I'm simply fascinated by them. Wasps and other stinging meanies, well, that's another story. I can live without those nasty guys. But beautiful pollinating bees, I adore them.

Center Of Attention

taken:
day fifty seven
08.16.2014

It's just a given that cosmos end up being the center of attention this time of year. The 'picotee' cosmos are filling my garden with glorious petals of white with striking pink edges. 

More To Come

taken:
day fifty six
08.15.2014

Another darling cosmos. There's more to come, I'm sure of it.

Tenderness

taken:
day fifty five
08.14.2014

As usual this time of year the cosmos are rippling through the garden with ambition and tenderness. Always one of my favorites. 

Exquisite

taken:
day fifty four
08.13.2014

An exquisite 'eastern tiger swallowtail' butterfly enjoying a pretty pink cosmos. I love having these beauties visit my garden!

The Best

taken:
day forty seven
08.06.2014

A tipped look at the graceful petals of a 'bright lights' cosmos. These cosmos, they're the best! Truly the best. They're vivid and dynamic and just plain cheerful. A garden is not a happy garden without a 'bright lights' cosmos to cheer it up.

Snow Puff Cosmos

taken:
day forty four
08.03.2014

This is my first year growing these, 'snow puff' cosmos. They are sweet and delicate with layers of frilly white petals. I enjoyed them in the garden and I do believe I'll be growing these again year after year.

Here Come The Cosmos

taken:
day eighteen
07.08.2014

The wait is over, here come the cosmos! This cosmos bud is one of the first of hundreds more to come this season. Behold a summer garden bursting with cosmos in shades of pink, white, orange and yellow. This cosmos is one from seeds I harvested from last summer. It's so fun to carry on a bright and cheerful legacy from gardens of the past.

Tried And True

taken:
day eighty seven
09.15.2013

Here we are, entering the last official week of summer. Only 6 more days left! Most people have already moved on from summer. Welcoming cooler weather. Decorating for fall. Harvesting what's left of the garden. I'm also accepting what can't be avoided.

The cosmos are still so full of life. But it's time to start collecting their seeds to save for next year. Every year I vow to plant more cosmos. And I do, I always plant more, plotting out more and more space for them with each passing year. They're my tried and true flower. They never fail me. If I could have a whole lawn filled with flowers it would be overflowing with cosmos. They're definitely one of my faves. Although, if you know me well,  there's a good chance I've said that about most flowers...ha ha. :)

Petals Like Chiffon

taken:
day eighty two
09.10.2013

Cosmos. 

Late summer is brimming with these delicate blooms.

So airy and soft.

Petals like chiffon.

Flowing, swaying with the breeze. 

A flower with a tender spirit.

Taking Flight

taken:
day seventy four
09.02.2013

A busy bumble bee taking flight after visiting a white cosmos bloom.

Wavy

taken:
day sixty six
08.25.2013

I love the wavy petals of this graceful 'picotee" cosmos bloom.

Photogenic

taken:
day fifty five
08.14.2013

Just another beautiful cosmos blossom. This one, a 'picotee'. Cosmos are very photogenic. I can't help but snap dozens of photos of them every day or so. You might say I'm obsessed with these graceful and lovely beauties!

Fluke

taken:
day fifty one
08.10.2013

I just might have a thing for these tiny bees OR maybe they have a thing for me? They seem to always be around these days when I'm out exploring. While I was snapping some shots of this 'bright lights' cosmos, this tiny bee landed for one single quick moment and it just so happened that the focus was dead on. I literally had one split second to press the shutter before it flew off. I love little flukes like that!