Greetings.
A big summer day is brewing—the sun is high in the sky. I love summer. My hubs often says I’m solar powered.
While grabbing some rays, I recently photographed this grapefruit-sized flower high up on a trellis. I love its “Jurassic” nature. Apologies, I have no idea of the name of this flower (if you know, please enlighten me). Every time I see it I think of dinosaurs. In person, it looks prehistoric to me.
And, it’s gorgeous!
I think it’s a miracle.
For today, I’ll keep this post short and sweet so you can get about the business of enjoying your day.
If you care to share, what have you seen lately that is a bit odd or unique but seems beautiful to you?
(Another example: I’m fascinated with bags floating in the wind, like Windy.)
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Hi Lori,
It seems to me a flower made out of cloth of some fancy kind. What is the size? Unfortunately the picture doesn’t show that.
“What have you seen lately that is a bit odd or unique but seems beautiful to you?
My wife, but don’t tell her!
Raul
Alien Ghost´s last [type] ..Role Reversal Guest Post
Hi Raul,
Ha ha, too funny, “Don’t tell her.” I think that is amazingly sweet, your comment. (The flower was about the size of a grapefruit, Raul. Huge! Gargantuan! Other-worldly!)
That’s what I love about it, too, it looks like it’s made out of cloth. Good catch!
Great to see your smiling alien face, Raul. By the way, I keep forgetting to say that I love the photo of you and the car on your About page.
Awesome!
~xo
I’m still laughing at Raul’s comment! Raul cracks me up! If I said that about my wife, she’d focus on the odd or unique bit, forget that I said she’s still beautiful bit, and kill me ten times over!
Actually, Jurassic Flower is a fitting name for that, Lori. It kinda looks like its petals are flesh, and that it will eat you Triffids style if you get too close! Don’t be fooled by its bright, sunshiny colours, kids!
I think the oddest thing I’ve seen lately is a modern, white and purple building that I pass in the bus on the way to work. It looks like something out of science fiction, and kind of reminds me of the architecture I’ve come across in one of my Metroid Prime videogames. I know… kinda lost on everyone else, but seeing this building in such a mundane everyday setting just fuels my imagination every time. Beautiful that.
Hi Tony (Mr. T.),
How’s my favorite comic artist?
I know, Raul is FUNNY!!! (You otta know!)
Thanks for liking the name — I think of them that way for sure. Yeah, and for some reason I’m always hesitant to touch them, like the pollen will sting me or something! Rad, totally rad. (Did I just give away that I’m a teen from the ’80s??)
The building you describe sounds delightful, Tony. I bet I’d like it, too. For some reason I bet you find beauty in the most amazing places — where others wouldn’t think to look.
Great to see you again, Mr. T.
~xo
P.S. Tell Cassy hi and give her a big hug from me, would ‘ya?
Lori,
Life and the things that nature creates – so amazing. What can start as a simple seed, becomes THIS!! How awesome is that, anyway!! And really – hard for me to fully grasp – just how possible this is.
Odd or unique? A large overflowing puddle of water in the driveway of a local business. We have had so much rain this summer, and the parking lot is partially flooded. And this look gives it the feel of more like a swampy area (in a cool way) instead of just a parking lot. The whole area isn’t flooded, but there’s a sizable area that is….
Lance´s last [type] ..Sunday Thought For The Day
Hi Lance (marathon man),
Amazing, isn’t it? And, these flowers are HUGE. I mean, gargantuan. Like Raul mentioned, I should’ve captured the shot with a bee or bug or something so you could get perspective. I need much more practice with my photography.
Lance, I LOVE the image you’ve drawn for us. Beware the Swamp Thing! ha ha
No, really, it’s things like that, which give me so much respect and appreciation for nature. And, wow, you have the depth and perspective to see it as a cool thing instead of just another flooded spot.
I wonder if anything interesting will grow there in the puddle? Let me know.
Have a beautiful day, Lance.
~xo
This is the second time this week I’ve heard someone say they were solar powered. That’s an odd synchronicity, but I think there is a lot of truth to us being solar powered.
To share a bit of beauty that I noticed the other day. I was in the pool wearing a pair of googles, playing and swimming with my daughter. I took a minute to float face down and watch the sun shimmer and sway across the bottom of the pool. It’s really a beatiful sight.
Eric | Eden Journal´s last [type] ..Personal Development Campfire – Open Call
Hi Eric,
I love what you doing over at Eden Journal — I’ll stop by to check it out again. Sounds great!
That’s cool you saw someone else say the solar comment, too. When my hubs says it, he always makes me laugh, but it’s so true. I feel I have much more energy when the sun is shining.
Eric, you’re singing my song today — I LOVE swimming when I can and I never get tired of seeing the glimmering shimmer from the water. It’s beautiful, isn’t it?
Hi Lori – What a stellar photo. I love staring at that flower, whatever it is. The odd things that I find beautiful these days are the praying mantis (manti?) in my garden. Definitely quirky, with a touch of the alien about them. But I love them. And I always rescue them if they seem to have traveled off course. Happy summer day! xox
Patty – Why Not Start Now?´s last [type] ..Meaning Mondays- Life As Collage
Hi Patty,
Thanks for the compliment about the photo. What I’m slowly learning is that if I just take 5,000 photos, one is bound to look good! LOL (Even still, I used some Photoshop magic to spice it up.)
Praying mantis (manti?) are other-worldly to me. When I offered to make Jay’s blog header (do you know Jay of Porsidan.com? He’s awesome, check him out…) I included a mantis because I think they are spiritual creatures, with those other-worldly eyes.
OK, you’re officially now the Praying Mantis whisperer in my book. he he
Have a great day, Patty!
It really is beautiful, and I like the quote a lot as well. I remember the movie American Beauty and the guy who was filming plastic bags in the wind, but I didn’t know that there’s a whole blog dedicated to a bag. That’s just awesome.
Petteri´s last [type] ..Continuing the Road Trip to Venice- the Floating City
Hi Petteri!
Welcome to my sand box, always a pleasure to have you here. (I’m LOVING your blog, Petteri! Thanks so much for posting about your travels in Europe alongside all the beautiful photography! You’re feeding my soul.)
Thanks for your kind words here, I felt I needed a bit of art therapy that morning so I thought I could post it in case it may touch someone else, too.
Also, that’s where my interest started — but I could never remember the movie I had seen the amazing scene with the floating bag. You’ve just solved a life-long mystery for me, Petteri. A – ha! It was American Beauty (I loved that movie, by the way.)
Awesome = you. Keep up the great work.
What a cool flower…I love it that you’re solar-powered! Also how you wrote on the photo. I’m going to learn that I swear~
Oh in Vegas every place I turn I see unique and oddly beautiful. It’s been fun seeing people this way vs my usual Vegas judgement. My girls would say I’ve “lightened-up!”
Thanks for sharing your Sunday glow! Hugs. Tess
Hello Lovely Tess,
I’m glad you liked the flower and my added goodies. You will learn this, Tess — I’ve never seen you not do something you set your mind to. It’s all software, babycakes. Not difficult and quite fun if I dare say myself.
Hey, and way to “lighten up!” Whoo hoo!
I’m glad I could share my glow with you — and it’s a post I can come back to when my day is dreary and grey as it’s bound to happen again. I love summer. Can we keep it forever?
~xo
hey Lori,
Beauty is in the smallest things, sometimes. I’m always mesmerized by interesting clouds. The weather pattern up here makes for some spectacular displays. Hehe, just this morning there were two giant clouds near the mountains of Anchorage that resembled… well let’s just say they resembled a part of the female anatomy.
Thanks for sharing the cool picture!
Hope all is well with you, dear.
George
Hey George,
How’s my most favoritest kilt-wearing bagpipe-playin’ hitcher-pickupin’ writin’ machine?
Ha ha, too funny. Why can’t those clouds behave? I tell ‘ya — it’s always something. he he
Glad you liked the photo. Those flowers are something else, really. I want to sleep on one like a pillow. (I know, I’m a goof ball.)
All’s well, I’m hanging in there. Have a great day and I’ll see you soon, GC.
~xo
Funny these flowers are blooming here too even though it’s winter in Australia so we are connected by that. They are wonderfully wierd and strangely beautiful.
I bet you thought I’d forgotten you, Lori. No way:) So happy to see you’re still at it. Keep up the great work!
Annabel Candy, Get In the Hot Spot´s last [type] ..Would you Travel 1-846 Miles for this Man
Hi Annabel,
Hey, a superstar visited my blog! Who hoo!
I’ve been following you and all your adventures, Annabel — it’s been quite a treat to see your growth and travels.
I very much appreciate you popping over here — and wow, very cool that you have these flowers in your part of town. I think they’re other worldly and can’t seem to get enough of ‘em. It really makes the world much smaller to share this moment with you. Next time I see one, I’ll give it a wink and sent good thoughts your way.
Thanks for your encouragement — my blog is my little labor of love so your kind words mean a lot, Annabel. Keep up the great work, too.
~xo
I am sorry that I do not know that flower for you! I can try and ask some gardener friends to pop over and take a look, though. Let me work on that.
(Plant i.d.s are like murder mysteries to the garden-blog community. They must be solved!)
As for something odd but beautiful that I saw recently, I’ll have to go with a leaf that fell from the nearby tulip poplar. Due to the drought, this giant tree has been shedding its leaves (leaf surface area is a liability in drought, because each pore releases moisture into the air all day long). The leaves are turning brown, generally, but some detach when still mostly green. This fallen one I came across was green, but with a strange shape browned-out in the center of it — and it looked just like an alien to me. A real classic “visitor” drawing that startled me to find, drawn by the hand of Mother Nature.
Of course, being me, I thought it was symbolic of how I still feel I don’t fit in here — plus, my old highschool era nickname was Alien. (Long story, but let’s just say it’s meaningful.)
Meredith´s last [type] ..tilt focus- week 31
Hi Meredith,
Happy Blog Birthday! Woo hoo! You’re reached a milestone and I’m tipping my hat to you today. Er, well, I really don’t have any hats, but I’m celebrating at any rate.
Thanks for looking into finding the plant species. You’d think I’d know better — I’m married to a plant biologist for goodness sakes! I just didn’t think to ask him. Thanks for offering to activate your tribe! (I love that!)
Wow, what a story, Meredith. Thanks for sharing about your visitor and what that means to you.
You know, I bet you’d be awesome to have over to my place for dinner or to just hang out. You use a classic story-teller framework around many of your comments and I bet we could talk for days on end. I’m loving your internet presence and the warmth you bring everywhere you go, Meredith.
Thank you and keep up the great work!
~xo
Hi Lori .. I think it’s a yellow moonflower – we had one in South Africa – huge yellow trumpet flowers ..
I’ve found this picture on the net:
http://www.douggreensgarden.com/garden-pictures-9.html it’s about 1/3 of the way down ..
Now for a thing of beauty .. the skies recently have been lovely with a variety of clouds and colours against the ciel sky .. white, yellowy, creamy, tinged with pink, salmon, apricot hues in the sunset .. sun rays bursting through in the morning ..
Lovely picture and the fact you can write on it too .. another lesson learnt .. and one for me to do sometime .. have a great week & thanks for your ideas over the weekend .. I seem to be ok now! Happy solar days .. Hilary
Hilary´s last [type] ..Painted Ladies of the World who stop trains A year later!
Hi Hilary,
Hey — look at you, adding a link in a comment! Whoo hoo, you’re a techie — I knew it!!
I’ll check the link again, and see if I think it matches. It’s groovy you searched for me. Thanks, lovely. I’m not sure that’s the same flower, though — hmmm — now I’m going to have to do more searching, too. Maybe Meredith will know, too. Or, like I told her I could break down and ask my plant biologist husband. (LOL)
Thanks for you note about my photo and my graphic design additions. I actually worked as a part-time graphic designer/desktop publisher a few years back where I learned a lot. I’m self taught so I feel I’m always catching up. I still have so much to learn.
Bee good and have a great day, Hilary!
~xo
Hi Lori:
Wow, great thought-provoking question and awesome picture. Here’s mine: about 15 years ago, our company gave all of us a plant. I got a ficus plant with a little saying attached “you are the seeds that make us grow.” I’m no longer with that company but, believe it or not, I still have that plant…except its almost a tree! It’s not particularly odd looking, but I really dig that plant and have a sense of pride for taking care of it all these years. As always, I enjoyed your post!
Tim´s last [type] ..The Magic of Diagramming Sentences
Hi Tim,
It’s always a pleasure to see your smiling face, Tim. Thanks for popping over here.
I love your plant story. What a cool idea of an employer, too, to give a plant. I’ve received blankets, t-shirts, coffee mugs and such, but it seems to me something alive and so meaningful would be treasured by me, too.
Plus, this says a lot about your candor, Tim. You’re a nurturing, caring, and graceful man. I’m happy to know you, Tim.
~xo
It’s quite amazing how the oddest of things can inspire you!!!
From my window, I watch the helicopters hovering outside, and wonder, don’t their “wings” ever get tired?!
And I love to watch the clock when a minute is near completion, and the minute hand sloooooowly drags itself to the next position, and sets itself there with almost a “thud”..
Such odd things… yet…thye kinda make you think and look at them in awe
Kavita´s last [type] ..Just until…
Hi Kavita!
Thanks doubly-over for visiting — great to see your beautiful avatar!
You are sooo creative. What a delicious way to describe the minute hand dragging itself to the thud. I can imagine you have a truck load of creativity brimming and bubbling to the edges of your imagination. I’ll see you again real soon, Kavita! Thanks for your support and lovely comments over at T’ville!
~xo