Nature Photography by Richard L. Bowman

June 30, 2015

More Flowers in Lezhë and Harrisonburg

Late Saturday evening, June 20, we arrived at our house in Harrisonburg, Virginia, USA, from Lezhë, Albania. After a second hip surgery on my left side and recuperation, we plan on returning to Albania. In the meantime, I am trying to notice the all of nature around us. The first photo here is from a Oleander bush in a small park across the street from our store-front church in Lezhë.

oleander blooms in Lezhe

Flowers on an Oleander Bush in Lezhë (17-Jun-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

I found the Tiger Lily below at our daughter's and son-in-law's home--the home of Heidi and Holden Byler and their three-year-old daughter Sydney.

tiger lily in Harrisonburg

Raindrops on a Tiger Lily Bloom (23-Jun-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

The next four photos are from flowers around our house in Harrisonburg. Shawna and Matt Yoder who stayed in our house for three weeks before we came back to the US, had planted a number of plants in various planters on our deck. Here is the cluster of blooms from a variety of Lantana. As Wikipedia describes it, "Lantana is a genus of about 150 species of perennial flowering plants in the verbena family." I personally did not know any of that, but I do enjoy the beauty of the flowers.

lantenna at our house

A Cluster of Orange-yellow Lantana Blossoms (26-Jun-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

The flowers below are blooms from a Stella de Oro Daylily that are near the end of their day. By the way, Stella D'oro is not a flower but a brand of cookies and other snack foods manufactured by Snyder's-Lance Snacks National, LLC.

stella d'oro daylily mear tje emd of their day

Stella De Oro Blossoms Near the End of Their Day (27-Jun-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

Elsie and I cannot remember what the specific type of Daisy the plant5 is that produces these flowers, but I do enjoy them, too.

close up of a yellow daisy

Close-up of a Yellow Daisy (27-Jun-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

yellow daisy and bud

A Different Composition of a Yellow Daisy Flower and Bud (27-Jun-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

There is beauty all around us if only we take the time to notice. "So, God, please help me to be less focused on myself to see the beauty in flowers, birds and people you bring across my path today."

June 17, 2015

Roses and More in Lezhë

While we have been in Albania for the past three and a half months, I have not been able to concentrate on photographing flowers and birds. But here are the few pictures that show what I was able to capture.

Roses are just as valued here as in the US, so I'll begin with four photos of different colors. The first three photos were of flowers at Lezha Academic Center where I teach.

two pink roses

Two Gorgeous Pink Roses Blooms (8-May-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

a white rose

A Pure White Blooming Rose (8-May-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

a minature varigated orange rose

In an Indoor Planter Was This Miniature Peach-colored Rose (16-May-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

a red rose

Outside of the Baptist Church in Lezhë Were These Red Roses (31-May-15; © Richard L. Bowman)

Back during the last half of April, many of the streets in Lezhë showed these trees in bloom. I am not sure of their name. They are trimmed back fairly harshly in the winter, and there is about one meter (three feet) of the trunk below the photo.

a flowering tree along the street

close-up of a flower head on the tree

The Hydrangea bush in front of a coffee bar near the post office in Lezhë, was full of white blooms. I was thinking that they should change the soil type to make these blue. But, no, the varieties with white or cream colored blooms cannot be changed. If your hydrangea is the blue variety, you can get blue, pink or purple blossoms depending upon the pH of the soil.

a cluster of hydrangea blooms

close-up of hydrangea blooms

On the balcony at a home of one of the students at LAC, I noticed what I'm fairly sure is a red Amaryllis. The color seems a bit unusual, but it is beautiful.

a red amaryllis bloom

Also near the Baptist church, we found these Honey Suckle plants in bloom. One of the keen memories from my childhood is pulling this flower from its receptacle, nipping off the end, and drinking the drop of sweet nectar located there. OK, I still do it as an adult.

some honey suckle blooms

I am sure I will keep being awed by the beauty and variety of the flowers I find. Thank you, God!

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