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One picture in a note on the image! :D Other notes too! :) These beautiful flowers are growing all over our meadow right now and I absolutely love how there are "flowers within the flower" in the center! Socrates ( 469 BC – 399 BC) was a classical Greek Athenian philosopher. Credited as one of the founders of Western philosophy, he is an enigmatic figure known chiefly through the accounts of later classical writers, especially the writings of his students Plato and Xenophon and the plays of his contemporary Aristophanes. Many would claim that Plato's dialogues are the most comprehensive accounts of Socrates to survive from antiquity. Wikipedia: Socrates Explored on June 22, 2013. Highest placement, page 5.

Today I was on a MISSION! There is one place on our property where wild sweet peas bloom, and I didn't discover them until last year. In fact, I took lots of pictures then but never posted any because they got buried in the zillions of pictures I have which may never get any attention from me. However, I really wanted to feature these beautiful flowers for my 365 and I would have been really sad if I missed them. Today was the day, and I successfully refused to be distracted by anything on the way! When I got there, the sun was still low enough to make the blossoms glow warmly, and I was just enchanted by them. They grow in heaps on the forest floor, and climbed up the trees and bushes. Here and there the sun shined through and shafts of light played upon the hot pink blossoms. What a delight. I took many, many pictures, and I processed six of them, but tonight I only have time to share two. The other picture today is a fun capture of a frog that Steve caught in our shop sink the other day. He brought "Sinky" over to Angel's Pond and I got a couple of fun pictures, one of which I'm posting tonight! :) Wilma Glodean Rudolph (June 23, 1940 – November 12, 1994) was an American athlete and an Olympic champion. Rudolph was considered the fastest woman in the world in the 1960s and competed in two Olympic Games, in 1956 and in 1960. Wikipedia: Wilma Rudolph Explored on June 23, 2013, best placement, page 3.

1 extra picture is in a note on the image! A couple of weeks ago I shared a picture of a toad that lives next to Lucky's Pond. When I first saw it that morning, it was taking a bath in the pond, and when I came along, it pretended to be a lumpy rock in the pond. However, when I got back with my camera, it had jumped out and was in its sleeping spot, where I took its picture. TODAY, however, I had my camera with me when I noticed the toad playing scrub-a-dub in the pond, and I was able to get this picture to show all of you, complete with reflections of the toad, the sky and clouds too! And if you look carefully, you'll see the reflection of ME in its eye as I took the picture!! John Anthony Burgess Wilson, FRSL (25 February 1917 – 22 November 1993) – who published under the pen name Anthony Burgess – was an English writer. From relatively modest beginnings in a Manchester Catholic family in the North of England, he eventually became one of the best known English literary figures of the latter half of the twentieth century. Wikipedia: Anthony Burgess Explored on June 24, 2013. Highest placement, page 3.

How I adore poppies. I simply LOVE these flowers! From their lacy leaves to their ridiculously hair stems and flower pods, to their incredible blossoms, to the seed heads, I am KOO KOO FOR COCOPUFFS for these flowers!! They are AMAZING!! *Janet loses it and begins bouncing off the walls in excitement* Last year I planted a bunch of wildflower seeds in a metal tub in the front yard, and for the first time I got the pleasure of discovering poppies among the many different flowers. I was beside myself with happiness and got some very nice pictures! This year I planted a bunch of new seeds but I didn't know if any would grow because the seeds were old. However, I was assured by many that poppy seeds are very resiliant, so I waited with anticipation! Two days ago I was watering the sprouts and growing plants when I spotted a POPPY POD!!! There is NO MISTAKING these flowers! Seriously, get a shave buddy, you're covered with stubble! :D This morning I went out between rain showers and took a bunch of pictures...which...I was unhappy with. So, I went out and took MORE, this time with my macro flash in order to get a low-key image. MUCH better. I actually ended up working with two exposures of the same image and putting them together to get the depth in tone that I wanted. I hope you like it! :) You'll be seeing more pictures when this beauty opens up! :D (Oh, and by the way, I spotted MORE of them too, hooray!!!) Proverbs: Nothing defines a culture as distinctly as its language, and the element of language that best encapsulates a society's values and beliefs is its proverbs. Many proverbs have been absorbed into English having been known earlier in other languages. The list linked here is specifically of English proverbs and the dates given are those when the proverb first appeared in English. English Proverbs Explored on June 25, 2013. Highest position, page 2.

2 more views in notes above! :) I can't tell you how often it happens that I leave the house with a clear idea of what I plan to take a picture of and I get distracted along the way by something totally different! This morning I was planning to see if I could capture Sweet Pea tendrils...but half-way across our smaller meadow, I spotted something red on a stem and had to stop and take a closer look. At that point I forgot all about the tendrils and I lost myself behind the lens! Can you blame me?!! WOW!! Check this gorgeous beetle out! It's called a Red Milkweed Beetle, and is a type of Longhorn beetle. Polly Jean Harvey MBE (born 9 October 1969) is an English musician, singer-songwriter, composer and occasional artist. Primarily known as a vocalist and guitarist, she is also proficient with a wide range of instruments including piano, organ, bass, saxophone, harmonica, and most recently, the autoharp. P. J. Harvey Explored on June 26, 2013. Highest position, page 2.

3 more tendril pictures can be found in the notes above! :) Yesterday I planned to take pictures of Sweet Pea tendrils but a beautiful Red Milkweed Beetle stopped me in my tracks. This morning I was determined to get to my destination! I'd been waiting for the rain to stop and finally it looked like I could sneak out for a photo session, so out I bounced with my camera in hand! Well, no longer than five minutes after I got to the sweet peas, the rain began again, heavy drops plopping onto the vines, splashing onto my camera, and spattering my glasses. However, I decided to stay as long as I could because I hoped that I might capture the droplets on the tendrils, and indeed I did! This picture actually shows the least amount of droplets, but how could I not choose this for my picture of the day? It shows perfectly how I feel about tendrils, and about this very special place, the only spot on our 26 acres where these wild sweet peas grow! This area is magical, a dark spot in our lower forest where only beams of sunlight shine through the trees, and it is here where I also find many of the special mushrooms that I've shared. How lucky it was that I captured the mood of this place without knowing it...only when I saw this on my computer did I discover how special this image was! :) Explored on June 27, 2013. Highest placement, page 2 (#31)

These glowing, golden parachutes (pappus) are specially modified parts of a flower called "sepals." They are able to catch the lightest breeze and lift up into the air, carrying the seed as far as a mile or more away from the parent plant! No wonder we find dandilions (and goatsbeard) everywhere! :D Explored on June 28. Highest position, page 2 (#50).

4 more pictures can be found in notes above! :) You can also find me on Facebook ! Doing a 365 Project has been one of the most rewarding challenges I've ever attempted, but it has its frustrating points too. For instance, I can only pick ONE main picture for each day (collages aren't the same thing!), and sometimes I'm very lucky and manage to get several star-performers. It can be really maddening, and though I can choose to share those pictures that day also, the Picture of the Day will always diminish the other images. ARGH! :D Today is my Goatsbeard Seed exhibit, with my Picture of the Day and FOUR star performers from another day. ( This is the picture that made the pick that day and it included a series of its own! ) I decided that in order to get these pictures the attention they deserve, I would find another goatsbeard for my Picture of the Day and show all my pictures then. And so, I present to you, Goatsbeard Seed Day! :D I hope you enjoy them! :) (There are 4 other pictures following this one!) Joseph Addison (1 May 1672 – 17 June 1719) was an English essayist, poet, playwright and politician. He was the eldest son of reverend Lancelot Addison. His name is usually remembered alongside that of his long-standing friend, Richard Steele, with whom he founded The Spectator magazine. Wikipedia: Joseph Addison Explored on June 28. Highest position, page 2 (#36).

2 more pictures in notes above! :) What a surprise I got when I went outside to see how my poppy bud was doing! I whooped in delight when I found it completely open in the morning sun, and a gorgeous, glorious, ruby red! My very first red poppy! I stared in rapt joy at this delicate blossom before I watered the garden, and then I took pictures. So, the droplets you see were not from rain, but I certainly loved the way they made the petals look! Today was the hottest of the year so far, topping out at over 100 degrees. At the end of the day, I was not surprised to find that this beautiful poppy was fried by the heat, its petals curled up and shriveled. How happy I am that I got pictures of it this morning, so that its beauty will be remembered! Philip Dormer Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield PC KG (22 September 1694 – 24 March 1773) was a British statesman and man of letters.He was born in London and was known as Lord Stanhope until his father's death in 1726. After being educated at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, he went on the Grand Tour of the continent. The death of Anne and the accession of George I opened up a career for him and brought him back to England. His relative James Stanhope, the king's favourite minister, procured for him the place of gentleman of the bedchamber to the Prince of Wales. He was a Whig. Wikipedia: Lord Chesterfield (Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield) Explored on June 29, 2013. Highest position, page 1 (#26).

A couple of months ago, a gardening friend of mine surprised me with four flower seedlings! At the time, she'd forgotten the page that identified each species, but I told her that I would rather they be a surprise! Week after week, I've been watering them and watching them grow. One of them was nearly killed when a deer ate most of it, but to my delight, it's grown from the stump that was left and is now vigorous and doing well. In the past couple of weeks, another of the four seedlings began forming buds, and in the last two days, the buds are getting very close to opening! This morning I peered closely at the upcoming blossoms and after a gasp of of delight, I turned and ran into the house for my camera! PICTURE DAY HAS ARRIVED FOR ONE OF ROBIN'S PRESENTS TO ME!! Before I could take pictures, I needed to bring wire clippers with me. These flowers are in our metal tub, which is completely caged in to protect them from the deer. Just after I'd planted the seedlings Robin gave me, and before we made a metal fortress, a deer came and mowed down everything in the tub--it even hopped up and walked all over it to get to the far side, leaving deep holes and dead sprouts everywhere. I was so upset! Steve helped me cage in the whole tub with fencing and mesh. Today I removed the zip ties that secure the top so I can open it up like a lid and I am now free to take pictures of my protected flowers! It was so nice to get in there to take an unobstructed look at the lush flower bed there, and the flower I'm showing today will the largest of them all so far! I don't know what it will be...chrysanthemum? Zinnia? (Leapfrog and Erin are betting that it's a Black Eyed Susan! :D) I don't know, but it's already GORGEOUS!!! :D :D The plant has many blossoms on it too, so hopefully I'll be enjoying flowers for some weeks! HOORAY FOR FLOWER PRESENTS!! THANK YOU ROBIN!!! :D Maya Angelou (born Marguerite Ann Johnson; April 4, 1928) is an American author and poet. She has published seven autobiographies, five books of essays, and several books of poetry, and is credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning more than fifty years. She has received dozens of awards and over thirty honorary doctoral degrees. Angelou is best known for her series of autobiographies, which focus on her childhood and early adult experiences. The first, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969), tells of her life up to the age of seventeen, and brought her international recognition and acclaim. Wikipedia: Maya Angelou Explored on July 1, 2013. Highest placement: page 2 (#38).

1 more picture in a note above! :) My, how plans for my 365 image can change! This morning when I went out to water the garden, the light was just beautiful and the newly blooming chicory blossoms were positively glowing. I ran inside for my camera and proceeded to take bunches of pictures. In fact, I looked through them on my computer and had my picks of the day chosen. Before I began working on the images, I decided to go down to our garage to hop on the orbital trainer and watch a bit of Lonesome Dove. However, in the quiet parts, I kept hearing small noises... scratching? Bumping? I stopped the video and listened again. *Scratch, rustle, bump* What the heck could it be? I angled my head up and wondered if one of our dogs was scratching at their bedding. *Screech... scratch*...no, that sound was down here...but...where? I got off the orbital trainer and began looking around, listening for the noises. I thought that maybe a mouse was digging a hole somewhere since we have had them in the garage before. *Scratchhhh* AH HAH!! It must be the box by the refrigerator! Moving quietly, I leaned down to look inside the box. Imagine my surprise when I discovered not a mouse, not a rat, but a juvenile TOAD trying to climb out of the box that it somehow managed to jump into!!!! I could hardly believe my eyes!! The next thing that hit me was the fact that if I hadn't heard this toad scratching on the side of the box, it would have died without question because it couldn't get out. That would have broken our hearts...I was overcome by relief and joy that I found this guy before he was too exhausted to make any noise!! WHEW!!!!! Cooing softly at the frightened and exhausted toad, "Little fella, that's no place for you!" I gently picked it up out of the box and noticed that it was positively COVERED with dog hair, YUCK! Poor guy! So I brought it inside and held it under the sink while I removed all the hairs and assorted lint stuck all over. As I cleaned my adorable little buddy up, it began trilling at me! I giggled in surprise at the cute noises it was making! Finally, the toad was clean and ready to be released...but not before I got a couple of pictures!! :D Once I took a few images, I brought the toad out to Angel's Pond and placed him on the rocky beach area to recuperate. There's a ramp to climb out if he can't hop out. I checked a couple of times today and he's hanging out in the water under the ramp where it's cool on this very hot day. I expect he'll hop out when it gets dark, as these toads are nocturnal. (By the way, this is a smaller toad than the one I've taken pictures of, it was actually in the other wading pool that I call "Lucky's Pond"! :) I thought it was really funny that there's now a toad in each pond! :D When Steve got home from his trip into town, I told him what happened and we were both so happy that I'd found this beautiful toad in time to save it!! HOORAY FOR HAPPY ENDINGS!!! :) :) :) Soichiro Honda (November 17, 1906 – August 5, 1991) was a Japanese engineer and industrialist. In 1948, he established Honda Motor Co., Ltd. and oversaw its expansion from a wooden shack manufacturing bicycle motors to a multinational automobile and motorcycle manufacturer. Wikipedia: Soichiro Honda Explored on July 2, 2013. Highest position: page 3 (#63).

3 pictures in notes above! :) After examining the plants that sprouted from the seeds I planted a couple of months ago, and I am thrilled to announce that there are no less than a DOZEN poppy plants of various sizes! This morning I stepped out of the house and all I could see was this new, gorgeous poppy that had opened up overnight!! It is entirely different than the red poppy that bloomed a few days ago, and it has two layers of petals which are edged in cream! The color is also unique! It's not pink and it's not red, but a bit of both, and extremely beautiful! This picture was taken soon after the sun crested the hill behind our house, lighting up the colors and making the petals a brilliant hot pink-red! WOW!! Today and tomorrow are very special because they mark the halfway point of my 365 project!! I'm overjoyed that I've made it this far and also that I'm still excited for each day's new Picture of the Day! It's been a challenge to keep myself from overdoing it and burning out, but I'm doing fine with my self-imposed restrictions. It was a smart plan, but I still find myself very annoyed when I want to keep taking pictures but I force myself to stop. It's necessary but still annoying! :D Dorothea Lange (May 26, 1895 – October 11, 1965) was an influential American documentary photographer and photojournalist, best known for her Depression-era work for the Farm Security Administration (FSA). Lange's photographs humanized the consequences of the Great Depression and influenced the development of documentary photography. Wikipedia: Dorothea Lange Explored on July 13, 2013. Highest placement: page 1 (#23).

1 picture in a note above! :) Oh MY!!! What a flowery-fabulous morning it was! Lots of brand new poppies to enjoy, and I've been watching the flowers that my friend Robin gave me...today the buds are looking like a dozen hairy fingers stretching outwards and toward the sun! Makes me wish I had them on time-lapse, how amazing it would be to watch the petals wiggle and move! I took lots of pictures but I like the way this one turned out with the bright yellow blossom in front and another fading off into bokeh behind! By the way...if this is a Black Eyed Susan, I guess the center changes color over time, because right now it's a pale cream color in there! :D I don't doubt your wisdom though, so I'm eagerly keeping an eye on those centers to watch the color change! Hmmm...I wonder if I should take transitional pictures to show this change! :D Yesterday and today mark the halfway point of my 365 project and though I mentioned this already yesterday, I do want to encourage you to consider this challenge, because it's really fantastic as an educational tool, and also teaches discipline on many levels. I've made a lot of friends through this project as well, and I have no regrets for taking this on! Luther Burbank (7 March 1849 – 11 April 1926) was an American botanist, horticulturist and a pioneer in agricultural science. He developed more than 800 strains and varieties of plants over his 55-year career. Burbank's varied creations included fruits, flowers, grains, grasses, and vegetables. He developed a spineless cactus (useful for cattle-feed) and the plumcot. Wikipedia: D Luther Burbank Explored on July 4, 2013. Highest placement: page 3 (#70)

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!!! Today has been a blur and I'm running as fast as I can! This image is in response to an invitation to a new group on ipernity called Bokeh Thursday, and the theme this week was "Clothespin". I wanted to try something different than what I've seen in the past, so I tried stacking a few and putting some sparkly tinsel in the background to add some colorful bokeh in addition to the bokeh of the clothespin itself! I hope you like it! In about 30 minutes, Steve and I will be leaving to go take firework pictures, but I won't be back soon enough to put one up for my 365, which is why I'm in such a rush to get this done before we leave! :D Emile Cioran (8 April 1911 – 20 June 1995) was a Romanian philosopher and essayist. Wikipedia: Emile M. Cioran Explored on July 5, 2013. Highest position: Page 4. Explored on Flickr on July 4, 2013. Highest position: #180.

1 text note and 1 more picture in a note above! :) Steve and I live in sunny southern Oregon, and it gets very hot here during the summer. Therefore, if anyone wants a garden, daily watering is vital. Every morning I go out to visit the flowers and I usually take pictures before I water them because it seems a little bit like "cheating" to sprinkle the flowers before taking pictures but I also think it's fine as long as you tell people that you did it! :) (On the other hand, I think that removing things like sticks, dirt, postprossessing elements out of the image is fine and often necessary. What do you think? :) ) Our water is very "hard" and will leave spots on the petals when they dry, so if I hope to get pictures of the blossoms, I must take pictures before I water them, since it's next to impossible to keep water off the plants. (I really should see about putting in a drip system!!) Also, even though I have the setting at a light "shower", the flowers will often fall over. When I saw this flower, I first thought, "Awwww, darn it! And THEN I took a closer look and immediately dropped the hose and ran into the house for my camera! :D Laozi or Lao Tzu; also romanized as Lao Tse, Lao Tu, Lao-Tsu, Laotze, Laosi, Laocius, and other variations) (fl. 6th century BCE) was a philosopher of ancient China, best known as the author of the Tao Te Ching (often simply referred to as Laozi). His association with the Tào Té Chīng has led him to be traditionally considered the founder of philosophical Taoism (pronounced as "Daoism"). He is also revered as a deity in most religious forms of Taoist philosophy, which often refers to Laozi as Taishang Laojun, or "One of the Three Pure Ones". Wikipedia: Lao Tzu Explored on July 6, 2013. Highest position: page 1 (#20). Explored on Flickr on July 5, 2013. Highest position #278.

3 more pictures in notes above! :) Well, I finally know what this flower's name is, it's called an Irish Eyes Black-Eyed Susan! My friend Robin, who gave this plant and three others to me a couple of months ago, let me know what this was called, and what a surprise! Who knew this flower came in different variants? I certainly didn't! I am especially delighted with this unusually colored flower because I am attracted to less common things--in this case, a Black-Eyed Susan with a green eye instead of black! COOL!!! :D I wonder if these flowers are getting a snooty attitude with all the pictures I've been taking of them! Since they've formed as buds, I have been out there nearly every day taking countless pictures while they've matured into these truly magnificent blossoms. Today I had a great time taking pictures of the two flowers which are most mature, and I have three other pictures to share today. What a fabulous reward for my minimal care of providing water and protection from the deer. Such a special gift to me. Thank you Robin!!! I look forward to taking pictures of the flowers from the other three plants as well! :) Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (born 18 July 1918) is a South African anti-apartheid revolutionary and politician who served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. He was the first black South African to hold the office, and the first elected in a fully representative, multiracial election. His government focused on dismantling the legacy of apartheid through tackling institutionalised racism, poverty and inequality, and fostering racial reconciliation. Politically an African nationalist and democratic socialist, he served as the President of the African National Congress (ANC) from 1991 to 1997. Internationally, Mandela was the Secretary General of the Non-Aligned Movement from 1998 to 1999. Wkipedia: Nelson Mandela Explored on July 7, 2013. Highest placement, page 3 (#75).

2 more pictures in notes above! :) Today was Steve's Sunday Lunch Ride and it happened to be my favorite bike ride too, which is out in the beautiful Applegate Valley. 30 miles of beautiful farm country and wineries, forests and meadows, and very few cars. Absolute bliss! At one point the six of us rounded a curve and found ourselves staring at a garden of the most gorgeous coneflowers any of us had ever seen! Although I'd taken a bunch of pictures at our lunch stop, there was no way to resist these incredible flowers and I spent about 20 minutes taking about 200 pictures, and actually, I could have spent hours there, what a TREAT! I haven't even looked at all the pictures I took, but I'm sharing three that I really loved, and which are basically straight out of the camera! I hope to share bunches of other pictures, I got so lucky with countless winners, HAPPY DAY!!! :D Democritus (Greek: Dēmokritos, "chosen of the people") (c. 460 – c. 370 BC) was an Ancient Greek philosopher born in Abdera, Thrace, Greece. A pupil of Leucippus, he was an influential pre-Socratic philosopher who formulated an atomic theory for the universe. Wkipedia: Democritus Explored on July 8, 2013. Highest placement, page 2 (#40).

3 more pictures above in notes! :) The poppy show is still in full swing over here, and this morning I was beside myself with excitement when I bounced outside to see what had bloomed. I'd been waiting for a certain flower to bloom and today was the day!! To explain, on the 4th of July, Steve and I had to be out of the house by 8:00 and I had absolutely no time to take pictures that morning. I just about cried when I saw that an enormous pink poppy had opened up and was positively glowing in the morning light. However, I knew that plant had several other bud-pods growing and I would get another chance to take pictures. This morning another one opened up and I was so excited and happy!! Audrey Hepburn (born Audrey Kathleen Ruston; 4 May 1929 – 20 January 1993) was a British actress and humanitarian. Recognised as both a film and fashion icon, Hepburn was active during Hollywood's Golden Age. She has since been ranked as the third greatest female screen legend in the history of American cinema and been placed in the International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame. Wkipedia: Audrey Hepburn Explored on July 9, 2013. Highest placement: page 2 (#43...) Explored on Flickr, July 8, 2013. Highest placement: #369.