Sunday, August 29, 2010

Cool as anything Ruby Roots

I have an interesting update in the life of one of my favorite succulents that I wanted to share with you. I should just explain that I received this plant a little over a year ago, from a friend of mine who told me that when one of the "petals" falls into some dirt, it grows into a whole new flower. That trick I've seen - but a couple of days ago I noticed that a whole "stalk" had fallen into the pot next to it. I went to pick it up, and look what I discovered:




Sorry for the repetitiveness, I just couldn't choose which photo I liked the best...
This plant is so simultaneously determined and easygoing! "You don't want me to stand up straight, no problem, I'll just grow sideways. Is that the best you've got?"
And it looks to me like some kind of sea creature - I think it is just so intriguing and pretty! Feel free to click on any of the photos, if you'd like to enlarge them.

In a new all-time record of laziness dumb luck, I think that this actually qualifies for three weekly memes!!
One: Shadow Shot Sunday, hosted over at Hey Harriet. These are pretty cool shadows, you must admit.
Two, Macro Monday, hosted at Lisa's Chaos - this is about as macro as my little Canon PowerShot will let me get :)
And three, good ole Ruby Tuesday, at Work of the Poet. Pink is a shade of ruby, in my book!
Do check out all three of those memes - you'll enjoy them! And have a great week! I guess I'll catch y'all on Wednesday :)

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Good Morning - Skywatch

Well, you may have noticed that I didn't post much this week :)


My family and I just now got back from our 2-day camping trip! Yes, this week we first were busy getting ready for our vacation, and then we were actually on vacation in the North. Be prepared: After spending a couple of spontaneous hours in Tsfat this afternoon, I think I have enough photographs of different interesting windows and doors for a few month's worth of Window Views... and Doors, too! But for now, enjoy this shot from this very morning - taken not long after sunrise:
What a fun couple of days! And how relaxing... and, as always, nice to be home again :)


Feel free, as usual, to click on the photo, if you'd like to enlarge it and get a better view!
And do go check out more beautiful sky-oriented photography, at Skywatch Friday. Happy Skywatching, everyone!

Sunday, August 22, 2010

JPIX - Almost Fall, 2010

Okay - ready, all? Here's my attempt at hosting JPix, the Jewish Photo Bloggers' Blog Carnival. It's organized (and usually hosted) by Leora, who generously offered to let me take a turn. But my knowledge of HTML is really limited, and so I fear that this edition is not quite as classy as usual. Still, I hope you enjoy it - I know that I enjoyed discovering all these blogs! Just one note: since I did have a bit of trouble lining up the photos, I didn't always put all of those submitted within a particular post - so once you click on the link, look around a bit, and enjoy the rest!

Here goes!
Avital went to the Jerusalem Light Exhibit



rickismom found this on her walk
Batya shows us her view of America

Leora's grandfather
Ilana-Davita found an interesting poster from way back
and some more from Batya!





Leah spent a week+ in Israel. I can't possibly
include all of her beautiful photos, so check out her
archives from April to see them all!
and after the fast

Mrs. S. shows us what she found in Modiin

Israel shows us 9 Av in Jerusalem

CosmicX gives us a Jerusalem bridge update
CosmicX shows us the inside of the rebuilt Hurva
Robin found this delicate pink leaf/petal
Leora looks at leeks - yum!
Batya found a store with lovely things
rickismom shows us her trip to Tiberias

soccer dad went to Niagara Falls

CosmicX found a pretty avocado tree
and I finally made it to the beach!















Well, that's all, folks! The next JPix (as far as I know) will be hosted by Leora, in December 2010. Until then, you can submit your favorite photos, here. Enjoy the rest of your summer, everyone! And an upcoming Happy New Year!

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Skywatch, after and before

Well, we're hot and dry again. Truly, I can't recall a more brutal August in our little country! The dry heat provides sunsets like this one from tonight - nice, but without much oomph:
And so, I decided to make this post a little more interesting, and present you with another sky photo from our trip to the beach last week. That was a bit more picturesque!
Ah, that's the stuff! As always, feel free to click on either photo to get a closer view.


And for more fun sky-oriented photography from around the world, go check out Skywatch Friday! You'll be glad you did :)
Have a great weekend, everyone!

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

ABSOLUTely my house - A ruby door

Here's something that we've laughed about for years. Do you notice anything humorous about the shape of red tile around the front door to my apartment building?

Ha! If you see it, that is... :)

Thankfully, this fits neatly into two of my favorite memes, both of which happen to be hosted by Mary. One: Ruby Tuesday, that fun weekly roundup of reddish photography. And Two: Wednesday's Window Views... and Doors, too! Go and check them out - it's a lot of fun!

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Today's Flowers, for a change of pace

Just when I thought I had found all of my local flowers, a new friend on my balcony started to bloom! 
For more of Today's Flowers, go check out that fun weekly meme. You'll be glad you did!
Have a great new week, everyone!

Friday, August 13, 2010

Skywatch Friday - better late than never

Well, I didn't have a chance to post this last night, since I was out watching the Perseid meteor shower with my kids. What fun! But we came back late, and I was so tired, and woke up late today, and so, indeed, I finally only got online now. That's okay, I'm glad that I have more in my life to do than blog :-)

Anyway, here is the sun setting at the beach two nights ago! We really have been busy :) 
As you can see, the weather has moistened up a bit - we're breezy and cloudy again. Much more comfortable!
For more sky-oriented photography, go right now to Skywatch Friday, that photo-meme with hundreds of participants from all over the world! If you'd like to travel, but are short on time and money, traveling via photo-blog may be your answer!
Have a great weekend, everyone!

Monday, August 9, 2010

Another indoor shoe - this one a ruby

I must just be on some weird kind of a shoe roll. While idling around the mall with my family a few evenings ago, my daughter and I happened across this. I remember novelty phones being fun when I was her age, but I certainly hadn't seen any for as long as I can remember. This store had all the classics: a pair of lips, Garfield, a can of pop, and this spiky ruby:
Wow! I really liked this one! Maybe I need to get out more :)

For more ruby-red photography, check out Mary's Ruby Tuesday meme over at Work of the Poet. Happy Tuesday, everyone!

Sunday, August 8, 2010

An indoor shadow

Sun-cast shadows are the best, I think. There's something about natural light that makes a photo jump out, no matter what the subject. But, theoretically, if one hasn't taken a sunny shadow shot, and one is desperate, and the sun has long since set, just theoretically, of course, one might feel the need to look around one's living room for an interesting shadow. And if one's daughter happens to have forgotten to put away her shoes, one just might be in luck!
Despite the lack of sunshine, I like the curvy stuff going on here!
For more shadowy photography, go and check out Shadow Shot Sunday, that always-intriguing meme, graciously hosted at Hey Harriet. Go on, I'll meet you there!
Happy Sunday, everyone!

Thursday, August 5, 2010

A cloud explosion

It has been HOT here in Israel this past week. Generally, in my neighborhood, summer days are hot, but the evenings always cool off. For the first time that I can remember, we had a few breeze-free nights, and they were not fun! But thankfully, as of yesterday afternoon our breeze returned. Whew! As to be expected, the wind brought some interesting clouds. I found these yesterday afternoon, just as the breeze was picking up:

 
I am doubly glad to have received both the picturesque clouds and the soothing breeze!

For more sky-oriented photography, go right now to see this week's issue of Skywatch Friday. Have a great weekend, everyone!

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Warpy Windows

We were at Jerusalem's Malcha Mall last night, where we haven't been for quite some time. Sitting in the food court at night, I looked toward the windows and discovered that without the sun shining outside, they had become mirrors. And the curved glass made them look kind of like funhouse mirrors :)


That's all, folks!


For more interesting Window Views... and Doors, too! go check out Mary's Wednesday meme. Happy Wednesday, everyone!

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Shadowy Steps

Here are some steps that I came along this past week. It's not often that I walk around outdoors during the day, since I tend to be sitting at work... but it turns out that if you venture outside, the sun presents all sorts of nice shadows. This one isn't terribly dramatic, but it does nicely provide that funky effect that I like where you can't really tell where the step ends and the shadow begins...
That's all for now, folks! My bread has cooled off and I'm going to bed. Do go to Shadow Shot Sunday, at Hey Harriet, to check out more cool shadowy photography. Happy Sunday, everyone!