suburban shadows

please click on photo to see shadow details


I have always liked this house and yesterday while driving home the sun was shining and the sky was blue and there I saw my shadow shot for hey harriet's shadow shot sunday meme. please go here to check out other shadows. I hope everyone is enjoying beautiful weather this weekend.

can you see the mummy?

please enlarge this photo by clicking on it if you can't. I had about two seconds to take this photo while waiting in traffic the other day. I felt lucky that I caught this little guy. I have one just like it that I put outside my door on halloween. what is the oddest thing you've ever seen in traffic?

farmingdale sky revisited

please click on photo to see leaves on tree up close



remember this tree I posted from last winter? carol from photo phase had left a comment saying that she'd love to see it again in the spring so, this is for you carol. I hope you like it. I also hope you all check out the other skywatch photos from around this wonderful world of ours by clicking here, I for one find it hard to believe monday will be june 1st! so, do you have any plans for this last weekend in may?

special thanks to klaus and his team of helpers, sandy, wren, fishing guy, ivar and louise for making skywatch possible.

more nature out east, specifically, in amagansett

photo courtesy of ian, thanks ian


though my son ian was doing the picture taking here, I couldn't get this beauty to turn around no matter what type of noise I tried to make. she seemed to purposely ignore me. I know... I'm being paranoid! whatever the case may be, she was still quite breathtaking as was this view.

southampton ducks

please click on photo to see smiling ducks up close

they look so happy, don't they? perhaps it's because they live in southampton, my favorite town out of all of the hamptons. you can always count on seeing at least a duck or two hanging out by the side of pond lane enjoying the breeze off the lake. this post is part of the abc wednesday meme thanks to mrs. nesbitt and today's letter is the letter S. please go here for more S representations.

first beach trip

please click on photo to see more interesting detail

here on long island many people think of memorial day as the "official" start of the summer season. some celebrate the long weekend with a barbecue or a trip to the beach while others are busy working. sunday I visited one of my favorite beaches in southampton. it was too cold to go swimming & I was too lazy to go for a walk so I opted for a nap on the beach instead. I don't often take naps during the day so it was a nice treat for me. if you'd like to see what is happening in other parts of the world, please visit the meme, "that's my world" here, thanks to klaus and his team, sandy, wren, fishing guy, ivar and louise.

thank you veterans

born in manhasset on long island, frank pendick, a WWII veteran was an army ranger who fought the germans in north africa and italy and he also took part in the d-day invasion. he was awarded both the bronze star and the purple heart. thank you too uncle frank.

in memoriam

"A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself."~ Joseph Campbell

more washington square park

please click on photo to see more detail

children playing in the shady green grass, running, laughing, having fun, the trees acting as their canopy. it was nice to see happy children outside on a beautiful day.

sky at the "new" washington square park...

please click on photo to see old glory in the sky



in manhattan. recently the great photographer ken mac from greenwich village daily photo has been taking beautiful shots of the partially renovated washington square park. his photos are so pretty I thought, I'd love to go there and see the park this spring. so when by a quirky coincidence my hubby asked to meet our son and I there for lunch yesterday, I jumped at the chance. the weather was in the 80's and the sky was blue, a perfect day for a meet up at the park. if you want to see mr. mac's spectacular photos, please go here. if you'd like to see other skies from all around the world, please go here. happy friday everyone!

poppies in may

earlier this month I posted a poppy picture from last summer's garden. I had written what I would imagine I would find when this years bloomed. I was so completely wrong. just look at these! the sun was shining so brightly when I snapped this photo. I have never seen this little patch in my garden so beautifully illuminated like this before. and I almost didn't check the garden yesterday morning! it makes me shudder when I think of how close I came to missing out on this display of beauty. I hope you like them as much as I do. happy thursday everyone.

r is for red rabbit

please click on photo to see band up close

red rabbit is the name of a song by the indie rock group the shins. they sang it beautifully monday night while they were performing at terminal five in manhattan. if you ever have the chance to see a show there, I suggest you try it. it's a small venue with lots of standing room as well as seating on the second and third balcony. my fellows and I got there by six in order to secure a place by the stage. while riding around the block looking for parking, half of us spotted James Mercer (lead singer, songwriter) leaving his bus, which was an exciting surprise-we were literally inches away! and yes, we easily found parking on the street, though we had to sit in our car until 7 pm lest we wanted it towed. please go here to hear the wonderful song red rabbit.

thanks to mrs. nesbitt, this post is part of abc wednesday. please go here to see what others picked for the letter R.

fog in may

please click on photo to see foggy details

despite the recent bursts of sunshine, we have been experiencing an inordinate amount of fog in the morning hours. I don't mind the fog because it makes me feel like I am in one of the lovely new england states. this photo was taken on the northern state parkway. for more interesting photos of what is going on in other parts of the world, please go here and visit the meme, "that's my world" hosted by klaus & his team, sandy, ivar, wren, fishing guy and louise.

bridal bouquet

I don't know what the "official " name of this shrub is but the "unofficial" name is bridal bouquet. and at this very moment these shrubs are flowering all over long island. what is your favorite flowering shrub?

sunny weather

please click on photo to get an up close view of the bricks



after all of my complaining about the rain and cold weather over the last month or so I thought I should acknowledge the abundant sunshine we enjoyed this last week. as you can see by this photo, the sun did a nice job of saturating the colors in this landscape. today is shadow shot sunday thanks to tracy over at hey harriet's blog. tracy also happens to be celebrating one year of shadow shot sundays. congratulations tracy! please go here to check it out. happy sunday everyone.

traffic

please click on photo to see traffic up close

we have a lot of traffic here on this island. I've overheard people who live here say we have rush hour all day long. this photo was taken at approximately 3 PM, the very beginning of rush hour. I am always amazed at the seemingly endless supply of huge semi trucks that travel our roadways. I may have stated before that out of all the vehicles on the roads here, the semis seem to be the safest drivers. time and again I notice their awareness of the vehicles around them giving others the right of way whenever possible. I actually prefer to ride with them on the long island expressway because they seem to temper the speed demons a bit. the parkways don't allow semis and the cars all appear to be traveling eighty miles an hour. how is the traffic where you do most of your driving?

whitestone bridge

please click on photo to see clouds up close


I could barely contain my excitement as I was driven over the bridge last saturday on my way home from connecticut. just look at this sky! to see more beautiful skies, please go here, thanks to klaus, and his team sandy, ivar, wren, fishing guy and louise. happy friday everyone.

willy nilly in bayshore and giveaway winner

I haven't been to bay shore in years so I was pleasantly surprised to see some new shops (at least to me) when I drove down main street. I think it was the name that drew me into this establishment. once inside, I found willy nilly had things you don't see everywhere else. an added plus was reasonable prices. it was refreshing. so I will definitely be back there soon.

& now for the big moment. it was only until writing out all the names on separate pieces of paper and mixing them up inside my son's magicians hat (for added good luck) did I ceremoniously have my dear child pick one fine and lucky winner & yes! we do have a winner! the $50 photofinder gift certificate goes to...drum roll please...Tracy ! from shadow shot sunday fame and founder of the exquisite blog, hey harriet. congratulations miss tracy! yay! I am so happy for you!
and thanks for playing along everyone. I really appreciate all of your comments and participation. it wouldn't be much fun without you.
: )

Q is for quality and the last day to enter my giveaway!

click on photo to see priscilla and dr mauro with her capable assistant on the right



have you ever had the opportunity to watch a doctor work with a patient in such a way that it left you feeling inspired? this is my experience when we take our precious priscilla to see dr. mauro over at southgate animal hospital. there is nothing better than feeling like you are giving your loved one the care that they need by a skilled professional who is passionate about what they do. doctor mauro clearly loves animals and if you watch her as she takes care of them you will find it a relief to know that she will do everything she can to help your beloved.
this post is part of abc wednesday thanks to mrs. nesbitt. please go here for other representations of the letter Q.
today is also the last day to enter my giveaway so please go over here and leave a comment so you won't miss out. or, you can email me at lily.hydrangea@gmail.com
Good luck everyone!

us open farmingdale, new york

this spot is only a little ways down the road from where I took a similar photograph last winter here. & over here is another picture of the golf course from last june. now it is spring and it is almost time for the us open. just beyond this fence you are looking at the bethpage state park black course. you can also plainly see the large tent like structure in the background. dozens of these temporary structures have been popping up all over the golf course. this is a pretty big part of what is happening on long island right now as the bethpage state park readies itself to host the us open right here in farmingdale. if you'd like to see more of what is happening in other parts of the world, please go here thanks to klaus and his team over at the "that's my world" meme.

and please don't forget to enter my give away here in the comments from last saturday's post. I don't want you to miss out! if you are having trouble leaving a comment, email me with the word giveaway in the subject line at,
lily.hydrangea@gmail.com

the lilacs are blooming

please click on photo to see lilac details up close


I don't know which is better, the lilacs lovely scent or their sheer beauty. then again, why should we have to choose when we can enjoy both. right now lilacs seem to be blooming in every neighborhood on long island. the saying goes, "april showers bring may flowers". unfortunately this lilac in my backyard doesn't have many flowers left after the pummeling rain we had last week!
I don't want you to miss out, so don't forget to enter my give away here! or, if you are having trouble leaving a comment, email me with the word giveaway in the subject at,
lily.hydrangea@gmail.com

blackberries and forget me nots

please click on photo to see shadows up close


it's hard to believe after all of the cold and rain and wind, it is actually may 10th. remember this same bird bath in january? this post is a part of the shadow shot sunday meme. please go here if you'd like to see more shadows, thanks to tracy over at hey harriet's.
and don't forget, if you'd like to enter for a chance to win my photofinder giveaway, please leave a comment on saturday's post. also, I am extending the giveaway until midnight thursday just in case I missed anyone who may have been out of town visiting their beloved mother this weekend.


to any readers who happen to be mother's, happy mother's day!
"There's nothing like a mama-hug."~Adabella Radici

suburban still life...& give away!

notice anything familiar in this "still life"? hanging on the wall is a photofiddle of one of my recent photographs from long island daily photo. photofiddle is an internet company that takes your favorite photos and turns them into artwork. I sent them a jpeg of my original orange poppies I just recently posted here and within 24 hours they sent me a bunch of previews of different styles of art from which I could choose. I picked the deep sponge image which is what you see in the above picture. When I showed it to my son he said it looked psychedelic and thought it would make a cool album cover. we decided it looked perfect against the green walls in his room.

if you would like a chance to win a $50 gift certificate from photofiddle, please leave a comment here. I will pick the winner this coming monday. it might make a nice father's day gift! also, photofiddle extended a 15% discount to all of my readers. just type LIPHOTO15 into the promotion code box and click apply when you get to the shopping cart page.

skywatch over cvs

please click on photo to further inspect the puffiness of the clouds


I thought the sky added a touch of beauty to this otherwise typical long island landscape. this giant 24 hour cvs was just built right around the corner from winthrop university hospital in mineola on jericho turnpike. if you'd like to see more skies from all around the world, please go here thanks to klaus and his team, sandy, ivar, fishing guy, wren and louise.
also, please visit me saturday since I am hosting another giveaway compliments of photofiddle. they have generously created a piece of artwork from one of my long island daily photos and they've offered me a $50 gift certificate to give away to one of my readers. I should be receiving the canvas today so I will be writing about it and offering the gift certificate on saturday. I am hoping you will come back to check it out. until then, tgif!

this is not the rainforest

this is the grass in my backyard. don't ask me how the lawn mower is going to cut this down. it has been raining so much these last few days that when I remarked to my neighbors how glorious it was when the sun came out they both replied, "yeah, but it's going to rain again later today." I got the feeling they didn't want to get their hopes up as if the sun being out was just a fluke and we shouldn't go and get all used to it and start expecting it everyday. we did have some drizzles on and off yesterday but mostly it was quite sunny. in fact I expect after all that sun and last night's rain, this grass will be twice as high by this morning.

p is for poppies

please click on photo to see the sunshine on these poppies


with all the rain we've had I decided to pull something bright and colorful from the archives. these poppies grow in my garden and every year I look forward to their bloom. I imagine when the sun finally does make an appearance this is what I'll see. this post is part of abc wednesday so if you'd like to see more representations of the letter P, please go here, thanks to mrs. nesbitt.

gold fish at hick's nursery

photo courtesy ian


I took a bunch of photos of these pretty gold fish but none of mine came out as nice as this one taken by my son. this photograph reminds me a little of a flat screen television set. only, this is by far much more interesting. I love what is happening in the different reflections and I love the complimentary colors. if you click on the photo to enlarge it you can see how the fish seem to be looking directly at the photographer.

more evidence of spring

I love this part of spring when the first buds from all the different trees fall off and litter the ground leaving a carpet of color on the sidewalk and grass and in this case, the street as well. this also happens when flowering trees lose their petals. the other day I passed a lawn coated with large pink petals. it was so pretty.

long island marathon

sorry I am so late with my post this sunday. I was at the long island marathon early this morning and I wanted to post a picture of today's event. though I didn't run the marathon, I did run the 10K event. it was my first race and I have to say, I am definitely hooked. don't these runners look great? what is your favorite form of exercise?

chaminade spring concert

please click on photo to see stage up close


last night was the first of two concerts at the high school. I thought it was excellent. tonight is the second. the gold band and the gold glee club will be performing. it's only $5 a ticket. where else can you go for such quality entertainment for such a low price? the concert starts at 8PM

skywatch in may

technically, this was taken in april, last friday to be exact. I was sitting in the parking lot at my son's school in old westbury. it was a beautiful evening. but today is the first day of may so, happy may day everyone! if you'd like to see more beautiful skies from all around the world, please go here, thanks to klaus and his team sandy, ivar, wren, fishing guy and louise.