Terri Webster Schrandt loves trees and today’s challenge in Sunday Stills is to capture the glory of trees and what’s over and under them. I’m using that as my jump back into this week Wednesdays’ Writer’s Quotes hosted by Terri and Birds Near Us for Lisa’s Bird Weekly. This post could also work as a second post for #TreeSquare today. Of course, it also works for Cee’s Flower of the Day post. If you look at my video carefully, you can probably see my plastic flowers from JoAnn’s Fabrics. I’ve been successful with them.
July 11, 2021 Monsoon
“Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.”
― John Lubbock, The Use Of Life
This afternoon was not the day to lounge under the trees. Most of the time there is a dry creek to view from our lounge chairs under our trees and under the roof of our patio. Very pleasant. At four it was hot and sunny. At 4:20 Vince called me to come quickly. He had missed the last two monsoons and was standing at the front door with his mouth open watching the thunder and lightening. I jumped up from writing this post and grabbed my phone and camera.
The wind probably hit 50 miles per hour and the trees shook wildly. Thunder scared the dog, and tree limbs and hail started beating against our windows. Our neighbors lounge chairs sat empty in the wind and hail.
Most of the pictures taken today with my Sony are very blurry. This first one is a beautiful blur like an impressionist painting without me adjusting it at all. My camera has auto focus, and when you click the shutter lightly before you snap the picture, it is supposed to focus. For most of these photos, it forgot how to do that.
Here is our dry creek under the trees.
Lisa’s Bird Weekly #54 – Common birds in your area seen this time of year. (7/9/21)
This afternoon before the monsoon, I was busily playing with my new Photoshop processing programs. Playing, thinking, researching, and experimenting are all ways of learning. In my book, learning is one of the keys to life.
This beauty posed for me when I was photographing in March for Sunday Stills topic Emerging. I haven’t seen him recently, but since I’m such a bad birder, I’m including him because he is in my area. Under the tree limb was a bird feeder which obviously grabbed his attention.
Squared, straightened, preset 
Squared with a high contrast filter 
Squared with a soft mist filter 
Squared, straightened with a Cinematic Style of CN09 turning the background turquoise – of course
This gray guy showed up last night and begged me to take his picture. I think he’s got a girlfriend he’s trying to impress. I would send him his photo, but he doesn’t have an email address or even a bird house address.
As you can see, I’m still playing in Bridge. I’m checking out all the presets.
Back to What’s Under My Trees
This is our third monsoon. I got hit under my eye by a hail stone as I took this video from the safety of our covered patio.
So that’s it from me today. It’s been a quiet Sunday – sort of. 🙂
Marsha Ingrao - Always Write 
24 responses to “Sunday Stills: What’s Under Your Tree?”
[…] Always Write […]
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It’s so wonderful you had some rain. I really liking your new camera photos 😀 😀 Cool video. I love your wind chimes. We don’t get weather like that here. I miss that from Denver.
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It’s fun!
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Yikes, hope your eye is okay. What wonderful #TreeSquares though, and perfect for Sunday Stills too
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It wasn’t quite my eye, right under it. It smarted, but no permanent harm done, 🙂
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oh I am so glad no lasting damage, but huge ouch for the moment it happened. You were amazing to keep filming
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Stay safe in that weather, especially in a hail storm.
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Who would have thought the little pellet would have hit me under the roof. They are wild. I stayed inside most of the time. It’s hard to resist that much power.
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Ouch – hope your eye is okay ☀️ And the pics really Tell a study
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Yes, it was just a bit of a shock! 🙂 Thanks, Yvette. 🙂
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🤍🤍🤍
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🙂 hugs!
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hugs received and sending some back
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Thanks, Yvette. 🙂
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Dry here too now. We could actually use some 🌧 …. and I never thought I’d say that! 😀
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We all need it. Some of us just get less than other parts of the country.
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We got rid of our yesterday..so happy to get back on our boat.
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No trees on the boat, LOL 🙂
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Nope! 😉
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🙂
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Oh joy, a monsoon that fills up your dry creek! That’s crazy Marsha, but your pics don’t lie! I hope that hail didn’t mess your eye up! Yeah, and what Janis said…dry as a bone here and another 99-degree day with no end in sight! Quiet Sunday indeed…NOT! Your little yellow bird is adorable. I just photographed a family of quail this afternoon. Can’t wait to share them in a post! Thanks for linking up and we got two more linkers for WQWWC today!
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WOW! That’s great. I’ll be over probably tomorrow and check them out.
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Please point the rain clouds in our direction!
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LOL. I wish I could.
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