Pictures for Pam, Day 204: SSC: Angel with Wings Dedicated to Marie-claire Gallet

(+6 insets!) (view large for a more hypnotizing view!) :D

This picture is also dedicated to our dear friend on ipernity, Marie-claire Gallet. She is ill with a recurrence of cancer and I am hoping for a fast and successful recovery!

Today I looked outside and it was just SO BEAUTIFUL! The warm sun coming up over the hill made everything it touched erupt with light and I knew I just HAD to take my camera out with me on my morning walk.

Also, I just couldn't take the PRESSURE ANYMORE! Pressure you ask? What pressure? Stepping outside, my eyes were immediately drawn to a glorious patch of poppies which were positively glowing in the early sunshine. It's almost as if every one of those blossoms was singing a siren's song out into the heavens and I could hear every note! It didn't matter that I have countless unprocessed poppy pictures in my archives. I simply could not resist another day of their overwhelming gorgeousness and beaconing calls.

I was immediately swept away into a dream of photography, surrendering to the luscious beauties posing before me. Their flamenco-like petal-dresses swayed and danced in the breeze, offered in so many lovely colors and combinations.

I was not the only one hypnotized by their grandeur. Bees of all kinds buzzed and crawled drunkenly over the flowers in droves, stumbling over one another, completely out of their minds with desire. How familiar this scene was to me, I thought with a big smile on my face, and I watched them joyfully while I took pictures.

I learned how poppies affected bees back in 2014 when I planted a garden for my first time. I scattered countless poppy seeds in the beds to be sure that if nothing else sprouted, at least I'd have poppies. Sprout they did…hundreds of plants all over the beds with so many flowers that I simply couldn't believe my eyes! For months, every morning would be another show with new blooms. And, as I walked to the garden, the sound of bees preceded me, getting louder and louder as I finally entered the garden. The bees were EVERYWHERE! Even though I wasn't worried about them, I soon discovered that I might as well be invisible because they couldn't care less about me. And what a wonderful feeling, to know that the seeds I planted grew into flowers which were feeding all those bees. To this day, every time I see bees falling all over themselves at poppies that I had something to do with…it makes me feel overjoyed. :)

Oh yeah…did you know it's Saturday? Specifically SATURDAY SELF-CHALLENGE! And today's challenge is "Shadows". Ok, so when I first saw the theme I immediately thought about the cool shadows I see on our window blinds and walls when the sun shines through the trees. I do love shadows. In fact, they stop me in my tracks so I can appreciate them! But today my initial idea got tossed out the moment I was bewitched this morning by the poppies. Even as I was being magnetically drawn to those glowing blossoms I could see the shadows through their translucent petals. Shadows? I'll give you shadows!

My main picture is called "Angel with Wings," and when I saw this poppy I couldn't help but say out loud, "OOOOOH, LOOK AT THE ANGEL WINGS!! I got one picture that also showed the shadow of a bee crawling around between the "wings" but I thought this picture was better without the distraction. I have six insets to share as well, and you'll see a bee in flight in two of them! I really had to force myself to stop processing pictures…I got so many lovely images that I want to share but I think this is enough! :D

Pam, remember when we went in on poppy seeds together?! That was such fun! I still have poppies reseeding themselves from 2014! What about you? Did yours reseed too I hope? What wonderful flowers they are. Sending my love and *HUGGGGZZZZZ!!!*

Explored on 6/1/19; highest placement, #1.