365 Alternates

One is the loneliest number that you'll ever do Two can be as bad as one It's the loneliest number since the number one No is the saddest experience you'll ever know Yes, it's the saddest experience you'll ever know `Cause one is the loneliest number that you'll ever do One is the loneliest number, worse than two It's just no good anymore since she went away Now I spend my time just making rhymes of yesterday One is the loneliest, number one is the loneliest Number one is the loneliest number that you'll ever do One is the loneliest, one is the loneliest One is the loneliest number that you'll ever do It's just no good anymore since she went away (Number) One is the loneliest (Number) One is the loneliest (Number) One is the loneliest number that you'll ever do (Number) One is the loneliest (Number) One is the loneliest (Number) One is the loneliest number that you'll ever do YouTube video: One (Is The Loneliest Number) by Three Dog Night ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "One" is a song written by Harry Nilsson and made famous by Three Dog Night whose cover in 1969 reached number 5 on the Billboard chart. The song is known for its opening line "One is the loneliest number that you'll ever do." It appeared initially on Aerial Ballet, Nilsson's third album. Wikipedia: One (Is the Loneliest Number)

Looking closer at my little friend, I saw why it had not run away. Trembling as it stood covered in frost, I saw that its mate had died, and had only a stem left. I sighed sadly and left her to grieve in peace. I heard her whisper in sorrow, "One is the loneliest number..." Confucius (551–479 BCE) was a Chinese teacher, editor, politician, and philosopher of the Spring and Autumn Period of Chinese history. The philosophy of Confucius emphasized personal and governmental morality, correctness of social relationships, justice and sincerity. His followers competed successfully with many other schools during the Hundred Schools of Thought era only to be suppressed in favor of the Legalists during the Qin Dynasty. Following the victory of Han over Chu after the collapse of Qin, Confucius's thoughts received official sanction and were further developed into a system known as Confucianism. Wikipedia: Confucius

One of my Flickr friends, Stephanie Calhoun who is also part of the 365, has a specialty which is adding textures to many of her images. They are simply amazing to see, so beautiful and perfect, and they are so inspiring that I wanted to try this too! I'm on the fence about my opinion but tired of trying new textures out...what do you think? Anyway, it's a start! Thanks to Kirsten Frank Art for the texture, and to Stephanie Calhoun for giving me the inspiration to try this for myself! Paul Mark Scott (25 March 1920 - 1 March 1978) was a British novelist, playwright, and poet, best known for his monumental tetralogy the Raj Quartet. His novel Staying On won the Booker Prize for 1977. Wikipedia: Paul Scott

This is one of the many images of frosty teasel that I got this morning! I have found that it can be quite a challenge to find the right angle and depth of field for macros of these wonderful seed heads, but I always relish the opportunity to work at getting better with my skills! Jewel Kilcher (born May 23, 1974), professionally known as Jewel, is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, actress and poet. She has received four Grammy Award nominations and has sold over 27 million albums worldwide. Wikipedia: Jewel

This is my third pick of the day, an immature teasel head which toppled over before drying up, with a mature head in the distance. Helen Keller (June 27, 1880 – June 1, 1968) was an American author, political activist, and lecturer. She was the first deafblind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree. The story of how Keller's teacher, Anne Sullivan, broke through the isolation imposed by a near complete lack of language, allowing the girl to blossom as she learned to communicate, has become widely known through the dramatic depictions of the play and film The Miracle Worker. Wikipedia: Helen Keller

This lovely family of mushrooms was very happy to pose for me, and I thought this image was very glamourous! William James Durant (November 5, 1885 – November 7, 1981) was a prolific American writer, historian, and philosopher. He is best known for The Story of Civilization, 11 volumes written in collaboration with his wife Ariel Durant and published between 1935 and 1975. He was earlier noted for The Story of Philosophy, written in 1926, which one observer described as "a groundbreaking work that helped to popularize philosophy". Wikipedia: Will Durant

Another leaf treasure! I love to find leaves caught on the way down to the ground. This is a a Black Oak leaf, caught in the stems of a poison oak bush. I find it so amazing that leaves can become stuck this way, but I see them often! John Keats (31 October 1795 – 23 February 1821) was an English Romantic poet. He was one of the main figures of the second generation of romantic poets along with Lord Byron and Percy Bysshe Shelley, despite his work only having been in publication for four years before his death. Wikipedia: John Keats

I found these leaves laying on a board that was floating at the edge of the pond and thought they made an interesting image. Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 1854 – 30 November 1900) was an Irish writer and poet. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of London's most popular playwrights in the early 1890s. Today he is remembered for his epigrams and plays, and the circumstances of his imprisonment which was followed by his early death. Wikipedia: Oscar Wilde

Isn't it so very sad? This poor tennis ball is now floating mournfully in our pond with melted dog slobber on it. Zoe has long-forgotten her beloved ball, since she has plenty of others, but every time I see it, I have to giggle at the memory of Zoe's face as it rolled out onto the ice a week or so ago. I wonder when she'll get it back?! :D (By the way, I made this a selective color piece)

This is the edge of a bearded iris leaf which I found this morning in our front yard. So many fun droplet shots to find, I could have spent all day taking pictures!! David Herbert Lawrence (11 September 1885 – 2 March 1930) was an English novelist, poet, playwright, essayist, literary critic and painter who published as D. H. Lawrence. His collected works represent an extended reflection upon the dehumanising effects of modernity and industrialisation. In them, Lawrence confronts issues relating to emotional health and vitality, spontaneity, and instinct. Wikipedia: D. H. Lawrence

Here are droplets clinging to the edge of our front porch roof! I really wanted to get closer to enhance the bokeh, but I couldn't get high enough and didn't want to risk falling off if I attempted to stand on the railing! :D I hope you like it! "Pepper Giardino" seems to be a pseudonym for an anonymous person or maybe a group of people use this name. This "person" is the source of many wonderful, inspirational quotes, used widely across the internet. Though I searched in every way I could think of, this "person" does not seem to actually exist! There is no biography information, no books, no websites, only quotes. If you happen to find any factual information about this "Pepper Giardino", I would love to know more!!

This is dried sap oozing from the tip of a tree branch where a leaf bud is forming! I was looking for droplets of water and noticed tiny, fiery glowing from the end of a few of the branches and took a closer look. The light looks like it's coming from within! I've never seen this before, such a pretty surprise! Albert Einstein (14 March 1879 – 18 April 1955) was a German-born theoretical physicist who developed the general theory of relativity, effecting a revolution in physics. For this achievement, Einstein is often regarded as the father of modern physics and the most influential physicist of the 20th century. While best known for his mass–energy equivalence formula E = mc2 (which has been dubbed "the world's most famous equation"), he received the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics "for his services to theoretical physics, and especially for his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect". The latter was pivotal in establishing quantum theory. Wikipedia: Albert Einstein

This is my alternate for the day, a wild pea pod which formed this spiral as it dried and split open to release its seeds. Julia Margaret Cameron (11 June 1815 – 26 January 1879) was a British photographer. She became known for her portraits of celebrities of the time, and for photographs with Arthurian and other legendary themes. Wikipedia: Julia Margaret Cameron

Here is a leaf in our bathroom with a droplet of condensation on one of our house plant's leaves! It's just above a floor vent and next to the cold window, so there are droplets on it most of the time!

This was my other pick this morning, another sporophyte speaking to an enraptured audience! The Gettysburg Address is a speech by the 16th U.S. President, Abraham Lincoln, considered one of the best-known in American history. It was delivered by Lincoln during the American Civil War, on the afternoon of Thursday, November 19, 1863, at the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, four and a half months after the Union armies defeated those of the Confederacy at the Battle of Gettysburg. Wikipedia: Gettysburg Address

From the archives, I took this picture just a few days ago. I was down at the front gate and noticed this leaf laying on the cement, covered with silvery droplets. I was going to turn this image into a textured piece, but after fooling around with it for a while, I decided that it looked best without a texture. I hope you like it! :)

This is my alternate shot for today, it was hard to choose which was better for my 365 pick...what do you think?

This is my other pick for today, a family of very unique individuals who were only too happy to squeeze together for this perfect picture! :) I started humming the theme to The Addams Family while I took their picture, and admired the sparkling web clinging to the daughter! If you'd like to listen to their song, click on the You Tube link: The Addams Family Theme They're creepy and they're kooky, Mysterious and spooky, They're all together ooky, The Addams Family. Their house is a museum Where people come to see 'em They really are a scream The Addams Family. (Neat) (Sweet) (Petite) So get a witches shawl on A broomstick you can crawl on We're gonna pay a call on The Addams Family. (Strange) (Deranged) The Addams Family is a group of fictional characters created by American cartoonist Charles Addams. As named by Charles Addams, the Addams Family characters include Gomez, Morticia, Uncle Fester, Lurch, Grandmama, Wednesday, Pugsley, Pubert Addams and Thing. Wikipedia: Addams Family