Today's Flowers

Just down the road from me is this field of yellow. Just a few months ago cattle were grazing in this field. Since taking the photos I noticed this week it is being mowed down. It was certainly beautiful for a little while.

To see more beautiful flowers please click on the badge at the beginning of my post and join our host Luiz Santilli, Jr. as we gaze at beauty from around the world.

Farewell Project Yellow - When the Yellow's Gone

(click to enlarge)

Dandelion Wine

Where has the time gone...it seems to fly so fast

One moment you're having fun, the next its come to pass

Days turn into yesteryear, old friends find their own way

Until the moment you leave...I wish that you would stay...

So here's to you, all our friends, surely we will meet again

Don't stay away too long this time

We'll raise a glass, maybe two

And we'll be thinking of you

Until our paths cross again...maybe next time...

Let's laugh at the memories, and talk all afternoon

Let's remember the moments that leave us all too soon

We'll smile at the pictures still lingering in our minds

When you're reminiscing, then all you need is time...

Tracing faded photographs, a scrapbooks lonely charm

Pressed flowers and dreams we had, our fingerprint on time

The first moment we ever met, when your eyes met mine...

I remember the summers of Dandelion Wine...

Thank You Anna!

Project Yellow: A Big Yellow Post-It Note

I don't know; but I suspect just "Stay Away" would suffice!

Under no circumstances should you stay away from Anna's Project Yellow. Hurry on over and check out other project yellow participants. Anna will welcome you and so will they! Oh yeah, thanks for coming by here too; you're welcome anytime!

Project Yellow: Crazy

If you're here from Anna's are you CRAZY with all this yellow yet and don't you just love it? Her Project Yellow has taken hold of us and refuses to let go!

My yellow CD is a collection of country instrumentals I bought a few years ago to sing along with. No, I don't think I could win an American Idol contest even if there was one for my age group. But, I was in school choirs from fifth grade through high school and one time the director of music at college caught me singing as I came out of the student union one day and said I should be singing in the Christmas Cantata. So, yes, I love singing and I can pretty much carry a tune!

This CD is filled with really wonderful country classic love songs like Roy Orbison's - Crying, Anne Murray's - Could I Have This Dance, Willie Nelson's -You Were Always on My Mind, and Kenny Roger's - Lady. Then there's I Fall to Pieces, She Believes In Me, If Tomorrow Never Comes, and an all time favorite - Patsy Cline's CRAZY.

So if you're up for it grab a sheet of lyrics and a mic and come sing along with me!

Still CRAZY for more yellow? Head on over to Anna's Project Yellow post for more participants!

Project Yellow: Park Within the Lines, Please

"Don't Get Too Near the Forsythia Bushes"

Found this in a Kentucky Fried Chicken parking lot on Friday afternoon. Did I have lunch you ask? You bet - the only chicken I really like. After all, "it's finger lickin' good!" Are you hungry now? Well, go ahead, pull in - looks like the parking lot's empty!

Remember to stop by Anna's for more Project Yellow participants!

Project Yellow : We've All Been Mellow Yellow

Anna had previously said that today would complete her Project Yellow. She has inspired all of us to look at life a little differently this past week. To look around us, see the unexpected, and celebrate the ordinary. In doing so she has brought us all together for one amazing week - how cool is that! And...she has decided to continue into next week as well. So the fun continues......keep looking and stay Mellow!

To dear friends and new friends who visited here this week - a big thank you with A Big Smile!

Sky Watch Friday and Project Yellow : Somewhere Over the Rainbow

I Jumped Across a Rainbow

I jumped across a rainbow
And left my ego here
Exposed to its reality
As nothingness and fear. I needed all my courage
To take that giant leap
For hypnotized in human dreams
My mind was fast asleep. But when that rainbow beckoned
I walked right through the night
I jumped across the rainbow
And fell into the LIGHT!
~Evelyn Stark

For more Skywatch Friday participants please visit Tom here.

For more Project Yellow participants please visit Anna.

Project Yellow: Take Three - The Flowers of the Field

The Flowers of the Field

The flowers of the field

are but lonely stems

That wear pretty hats

to keep the sun from

reaching their slender souls.

When I took this picture and especially after downloading it the above poem came into my mind. I wrote that poem years ago in college. It was chosen by one of my English professors to include in the college literary magazine. I was honored and humbled to be included.

Fast forward a year and my roommate at the time had to take an English Lit class. It turned out her professor was using the previous year's literary magazine to teach poetry. She (Mary) came back from class one day and told me I wouldn't believe what the professor had said about my poem. It turns out he thought the poem was unique. Ok, he's getting points right off the bat! But wait, he says the flowers aren't the thing on top - what? He continued to say the poet was putting up a good front and could be too fragile inside. Points all lost - out the window they went. I was furious.

I had sat on my parent's front porch, my legs stretched out and feet firmly planted on the porch banister - pen and paper in hand. Looking out at the wide open hillside in front of me and my Mom's flowers in the yard, I penned a little short poem about the makeup of flowers. I looked at the stem, the flower and what it looked like, threw in a few poetic type words, voila - a poem.

What did I get for this - a room full of students,who either knew me or could easily find me, thinking I was some kind of fragile being holding it all inside! I would of confronted him; but there weren't that many English professors on campus at what was primarily an engineering school. I knew I just might need a class he taught. So, I let it go; but it still haunts me all these years later.

Everything we write is subject to interpretation. Those interpretations are as numbered and varied as the people who read what we write. But....he was so far off the mark!!

Remember to check Anna's for more Project Yellow participants!

Wordless Wednesday: Project Yellow - I'll Have Mine With Mustard Please

(Sorry, just a few little words: check in at Anna's for more Project Yellow posts!)

Project Yellow: Yellow Against Blue

While blog surfing Sunday night I noticed one of my favorite bloggers was participating in a challenge begun by Anna of Anna Carson Photography. Anna's blog is a photo-a-day blog. Having recently completed a Project Red she is now beginning a Project Yellow where she will try to find all things yellow to photograph and share. She has encouraged any of us who might want to take the challenge to join her everyday this week or just one day; whatever works for you.

I thought this would be fun to do so I'm going to try to participate this week. My photography skills in no way compare to Anna's but I think it will be a fun challenge to see what yellow subject matter I can find. If you want to participate let Anna know in the comments, invite others, and link back to Anna.

My first yellow take is from the forsythia bush in my front yard. Everywhere I went today they were in full bloom. It was such an amazing contrast to the bare branches of last week. I actually took two closeup photos I really liked so I'll post the other one later in the week.

Now, I'm off to find more YELLOW to brighten my day!!