Surrounded by a world of green images from two of Chicago’s conservatories.
Above is a succulent from the Desert Garden in Garfield Conservatory. Below is a large fan palm leaf captured at the Oak Park Conservatory.
All photos are my own. ©Pepper Tron/Heavens Sunshine
No usage allowed in any form without my written consent.
It’s almost impossible for me to walk past a flower without pausing to take a closer look at the details within. Hiking along the same paths will probably take me a lot shorter time in a couple of months or so when the flowers have all disappeared until spring.
This flower within a flower was happily blooming at Meadowbrook Nature Preserve in Valparaiso, Indiana.
All photos are my own. ©Pepper Tron/Heavens Sunshine
No usage allowed in any form without my written consent.
Looking forward to the changing colors of fall but until then, I will enjoy the last of the yellow shades of summer.
These pretty flowers happened to be at Foundation Meadows Park in Valparaiso, Indiana.
All photos are my own. ©Pepper Tron/Heavens Sunshine
No usage allowed in any form without my written consent.
Anyone up for venturing across a crooked bridge?
I found this bridge quite by accident while exploring the Ritchie Nature Preserve in Chesterton, Indiana. It looks unstable, doesn’t it? I am always up for taking a chance and this time was no different. Yes, I made it across and back. Other than being rather narrow and crooked, it was really quite stable. Not taking any chances with my camera, I did put it away in my bag before taking a step across.
All photos are my own. ©Pepper Tron/Heavens Sunshine
No usage allowed in any form without my written consent.
In the Garden – A pretty in pink hibiscus growing at Ogden Gardens in Valparaiso, Indiana.
A yellow wildflower was featured in “Portrait of a Flower.”
All photos are my own. ©Pepper Tron/Heavens Sunshine
No usage allowed in any form without my written consent.
A floating lotus flower at Hamstra Gardens in Wheatfield, Indiana.
Another blossom was feature on “Layers of Pink.”
All photos are my own. ©Pepper Tron/Heavens Sunshine
No usage allowed in any form without my written consent.
A tiger butterfly paused long enough in the garden at Gabis Arboretum for a perfect pose.
Another Western Tiger Butterfly was featured in black & white in “Western Tiger Butterfly.“
All photos are my own. ©Pepper Tron/Heavens Sunshine
No usage allowed in any form without my written consent.
Macro Monday
Got a super early start to the top of the Dune Ridge Trail to greet dawn’s first light. Was it worth it? Absolutely! Watching a bright orange sunrise slowly pop over the horizon made for a great start to a wonderful day.
Indiana Dunes National Park‘s Dune Ridge Trail is about a mile long looped trail with a narrow climb to the top of the sand dune. It can also be combined with other trails that weave through the forests if you’d rather have a longer hike.
All photos are my own. ©Pepper Tron/Heavens Sunshine
No usage allowed in any form without my written consent.
In the Garden – Beauty in the details in Ogden Gardens.
A flower with many layers was featured in “Shining Light.“
All photos are my own. ©Pepper Tron/Heavens Sunshine
No usage allowed in any form without my written consent.
Overlooking the Great Marsh at the Indiana Dunes National Park is one of my favorite spots to greet the sunrise, a morning oasis.
All photos are my own. ©Pepper Tron/Heavens Sunshine
No usage allowed in any form without my written consent.
As I hike, I often wonder how many times I have missed the beauty in nature when a trail becomes familiar.
Nature’s beauty, among the things that money can’t buy.
Images from another trail was featured on “One Day, One Hike, One Lens.”
All photos are my own. ©Pepper Tron/Heavens Sunshine
No usage allowed in any form without my written consent.
A fuzzy bee paused from buzzing from flower to flower to feed on the sweetness of pollen in a sunflower in Peg’s Garden at Meadowbrook Nature Preserve.
A different bee was featured on “A Sunflower and a Bee.“
All photos are my own. ©Pepper Tron/Heavens Sunshine
No usage allowed in any form without my written consent.
In the Garden – Blending of colors at Ogden Gardens in Valparaiso, Indiana.
Other bright yellow flowers were featured on “Battling for Attention.”
All photos are my own. ©Pepper Tron/Heavens Sunshine
No usage allowed in any form without my written consent.
A single raindrop, on the cusp of falling down to the ground.
A raindrop reflection captured at Hamstra Gardens in Wheatfield, Indiana.
All photos are my own. ©Pepper Tron/Heavens Sunshine
No usage allowed in any form without my written consent.
A bee buzzing around in search of pollen at Ogden Gardens.
Another bee was featured on “A Thistle and a Bee.”
All photos are my own. ©Pepper Tron/Heavens Sunshine
No usage allowed in any form without my written consent.
Macro Monday
Getting a closer look at a flower blossom and seeing its tiny parts and pollen popping out from within is one of the joys of micro and/or macro photography.
This pink hibiscus was blooming this morning at Ogden Gardens in Valparaiso, Indiana
All photos are my own. ©Pepper Tron/Heavens Sunshine
No usage allowed in any form without my written consent.
Here we have the battle of two sunrises over different vistas, the tousled vs immaculate landscapes. First is a foggy sunrise over the naturally ruffled prairie along the trails at Coffee Creek Watershed Preserve.
The second image was taken at dawn at a golf course in Palm Springs, California. Having been in Palm Springs only in the winter, I have not experienced the extreme heat of summer in the desert. The landscapes on the golf course were impeccably manicured and beautiful.
Which do you prefer? Would you rather spend an early morning out on a lovely, immaculate golf course or on a more tousled trail at a nature preserve setting? There’s no right or wrong answer. Just wondering about personal preferences.
All photos are my own. ©Pepper Tron/Heavens Sunshine
No usage allowed in any form without my written consent.
Cee’s Midweek Madness Challenge – Pick a Topic: Green Landscapes
The best thing about an early morning walk along a body of water is watching a mirrored reflection of the sunrise coming up over the horizon.
This gift of the dawning of light was enjoyed at Rogers Lakewood Park in Valparaiso, Indiana.
– Henry David Thoreau
All photos are my own. ©Pepper Tron/Heavens Sunshine
No usage allowed in any form without my written consent.
At the end of life, a wildflower clings to beauty in imperfection with missing parts and wilting petals.
Found along Trail #10 at the Indiana Dunes State Park.
All photos are my own. ©Pepper Tron/Heavens Sunshine
No usage allowed in any form without my written consent.
A summery sunflower waving in the breeze and taking in the sunshine at Foundations Meadow Park in Valparaiso, Indiana.
Another sunflower was featured on “The Budding Sunflower.”
All photos are my own. ©Pepper Tron/Heavens Sunshine
No usage allowed in any form without my written consent.
Heaven’s Sunshine – Capturing the beauty of God’s creation through the lens of a camera.