Abstracts

There is a spot, in the backyard of my workplace, where a whirlwind tends to trap bits of paper and other windborne trash. The other morning, however, these feathery seeds had fallen in the wind trap and formed a beautifully textured mound of fluff. PIP added: I added a PIP to show the b/w version, which, even with enhancements, looks drab and uninteresting in comparison to the color version. This surprised me and all I can figure is that the contrast between the warm furry seed heads and the cool white of their feathery tails adds an interesting element, which is missing in the monochrome.

A couple of days of gusting winds knocked off the inflorescences from a neighbour's tree and they ended up getting caught in all sorts of places around the garden. I was fascinated by their colors and shape and took a few photos (see also pips). If anyone knows what this tree is called, I would very much appreciate the info!

A detail of the east door of Florence's Baptistry, known as "the Gates of Paradise", with its protective fence. I have been wanting to take this picture for a long time, but it's normally impossible because of the crowds of tourists admiring them.The other day, biking to work earlier than normal, with hardly anybody around, I finally had them all to myself in decent light! :) In the pip, the whole door. HFF everybody and a great weekend!

Sunbeams, shadows and reflections as the sun peeks over the neighbourhood roofs in the morning. I really need to clean this mirror better, but the wipe streaks made for an interesting effect ... ;) I think it does better on black.

My rescue hydrangea is just about ready to bloom! (I think this does better on black)

Some leaves I picked up in the fall and forgot inside a basket. They lost their bright fall colouring but I liked the more somber winter palette.

Frost on the lawn. Mother Nature at her most artistic, down to the smallest detail ...

Hoarfrost crystals decorate leaves of grass in a field

Hoarfrost turning the grass in the lawn into lace!

In parks and condominium gardens and yards, vegetation took over undisturbed during the 2 month lockdown and the slow reopening has not yet included mowing and trimming. I liked seeing these poppies and tall wild grasses by the backstairs of this office building. HFF!

Left in peace during the lockdown, wild grasses were allowed to "go to seed" all over the city. Here they catch the sunlight from the side beautifying a very plain garden fence. In the Pip, another take on the same fence in black and white. HFF!

A wild flower grows gracefully next to a step in the building where I work, taking advantage of what little nourishment can be gleaned from windblown dirt collecting in the corners.

Another take on this colourful vine that adds bright pink to the fall color palette.

In its own somber way, even winter can be colourful! This is the bark of a platanus tree decorated by lichen.

A sudden downpour caught me on the Lungarno as I rode my bike home. I remembered Palazzo Corsini has a wide covered entranceway and reached it just in time to avoid getting drenched. A work crew was putting up a glass covering over the Palazzo's courtyard and the rain distorted the translucency, blurring out the facade of the building.

More light games by the afternoon sun in the kitchen

If you can guess what this is going to be, I'll give you the recipe! :) Later addition: Here's the recipe I promised: 1 cup all purpose white flower, 1 cup corn flower, 1/4 cup sugar, 3/4 cup raisins, 5 dried apricots chopped up, the peel of 1 orange, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, a dash of nutmeg, 3 teaspoons of baking powder, a pinch of salt - mix well, then stir in 1/3 cup of oil (I use extravirgin olive oil, but you can use any oil you like), the juice of the orange, 1 cup of milk (or soy milk or oat drink, if you have issues with dairy products),1 egg (optional - if omitted, add a little more milk). Mix well and quickly pour into a greased and flowered cake dish. Bake for 25 minutes at 225 °C - Enjoy!

Detail of the side of Florence's Duomo on an overcast morning with almost no shadows. While the polychromous marble is beautiful in color too, the black and white seemed to work better with this abstract.