Tag Archives: sun

Nature gets our attention with a Solar Eclipse.

There is so much excitement locally around the pending total solar eclipse tomorrow, Monday August 21. I was rushing around last week looking for approved viewing glasses for my kids but I was way too late as stocks were already sold out.

Some parents I know even pooled resources to Fedex a shipment of them to get here in time but due to damage in transit they could not be delivered leading to severe disappointment.

I was intrigued by this solar fascination and how the wonders of our universe sometimes stop us all in our tracks and call us to pay attention.

In a way though it also saddened me that Nature has to put on such a dramatic visual display before we really notice the world around us.

The endangered bees and butterflies, the declining forests, the melting polar caps and the death of the Great Barrier Reef all come to mind.

There is beauty and wonder around us every day! Nature is battling for survival and we need to pay more attention more frequently to what is happening in our world even though it doesn’t always happen on such a spectacular scale.

With these thoughts in mind I created the image below from the intricate detail and coloring of a single Gerbera bloom and a photo of a decorative iron garden trellis.

Nature deserves our attention – our survival depends on it.

Photo 1: Solar Celebration

Sun face and flowers

Photo 2: A Single Gerbera BloomGerbera Orange on grey

Sun scorched Roses

The exceptional heat this week combined with the persistent drought had a dramatic effect on the roses. Although they are producing blooms at quite a rapid rate the dry heat seemed to simply melt their petals yielding rather interesting effects. Some of them look like potpourri on a stem!

Photo 1: Sun scorched Rose

Rose burnt

Photo 2: Singed petals

Rose burnt 3

Photo 3: Burnt Rose trio

Rose burnt 7

Photo 4: Potpourri on a stem

Rose singed

Photo 5: Sun burnt rose

Rose burnt 5

Photo 6: Duo of sun singed roses

Rose burnt 4

Photo 7: Fried versus Fresh

Rose burnt 6

Photo 8: Sun melted rose

Rose burnt 8Photo 9: Portrait of a sun burnt rose

Rose burnt 2

 

Sun-loving Gazanias

Striking Gazanias are also native to Southern Africa and are sometimes called African Daisies. My preference is for the striped versions as those are the flowers I recall from my childhood but this little patch of white and yellow was still delightful. They only open in full sun and that is when they thrive.

Photo 1: Sun-loving Gazanias

Gazanias 2 low res

Photo 2: Patch of Gazanias

Gazanias low res

Photo 3: Single Yellow Gazania

Gazanias 5 low res

Photo 4: Single White Gazania

Gazanias 4 low res

Photo 5: Gazania Trio

Gazanias 6 low res

Photo 6: Gazanias blooming

Gazanias 3 low res

Photo 7: Gazania cluster

Gazanias 7 low res