Tuesday's Flower 11-15-16

Copyright 2016 AJ Horton

Hello and happy Tuesday.  It's a wonderful day to look at a beautiful flower.  

I hope you had a terrific Tuesday.  Thank you for looking.  See you tomorrow.

Thursday's Little Purple Flower 10-27-16

Copyright 2016 AJ Horton

Hello and happy Thursday.  As I've heard it said, "Today's a great day to have a great day", and so I did.  Now I'm tired and I want to look at something lovely, and rest.  I found what I want to look at and now, I'm sharing that with you.  Looking at this little flower had me in a trance like state for a while.  Then again, I might just might be really tired and unable to move.  Haha

Anyway, I hope you found something beautiful to look at today.   Thank you for looking.  See you tomorrow.

Saturday's Little Joy 10-22-16

Copyright 2016 AJ Horton

Hello and happy Saturday.  I just want to you relax tonight and enjoy my little, teeny, tiny flower with water droplets on it, little, pepper looking yellow stamen and white, oh, so delicate petals.  These little plants with flowers are less than 4 inches tall and bring great big joy to me.  Sometimes it's the small things in life that mean so much.

I hope you had joy in your life today.  Thanks for looking.  See you tomorrow.

Tuesday's Pointy Flower 10-18-16

Copyright 2016 AJ Horton

Hello and happy Tuesday.  I thought I'd show a fun looking little flower tonight.  It looks like it has a lot of points, but they're not sharp, so no pain if you touch it - haha.  Sometimes, like this flower, there's many points in a conversation, many points to be made in a day, or at work.  Sometimes people say, "you missed the point", or "the point is.....".  There are just many, many points all around us.  And now, there are many in the flower.  Sounds about right to me.

I hope all your points were heard today.  Thank you for looking.  See you tomorrow.

Thursday's Surprise on a Tree 08-25-16

Copyright 2016 AJ Horton

Hello and happy Thursday.  I was wandering around the yard and look what I saw!  It's flowers coming out of the trunk of the tree.  I am not sure what kind of tree and flower this is, but I like it.
It's not often you find a surprise on a tree.... well, yes it is.   Sometimes, though, surprises come along even when you're not looking for them.  I guess that's why they're called surprises, haha.

I hope you enjoyed some surprises this Thursday.  Thank you for looking.  See you tomorrow.

Tuesday's Refreshed Flower 07-26-16

Copyright 2016 AJ Horton

Hello and happy Tuesday.  It's very hot today and I'm feeling a little delicate like this flower.  Although we've been promised a little rain, so far this little flower is the only one who's felt the rain, or maybe it felt the morning dew.  It looks refreshing, though, so I can't wait.  I want to go dancing in the rain, maybe even singing in the rain -  unless it's thundering and lightening - in that case I guess I'll just sing and dance inside the house.  Either way, a little rain would be refreshing today.

I hope you had a refreshing Tuesday.  Thank you for looking.  See you tomorrow.

Wednesday of the Mimosa Tree 06-08-2016

Copyright 2016 AJ Horton

Hello and happy Wednesday.  Today I noticed these funny looking, even fuzzy looking at times, flower-ish blooms on this weird shrub looking tree at my neighbor's driveway.  As it turns out, that weird looking tree is a Mimosa.  A quick check of the internet let me know that the Mimosa tree was first introduced to the United States by French botanist Andre Michaux in 1785 when he planted the tree in his personal botanic garden in Charleston, South Carolina.  The Mimosa tree is actually native to the Middle East and Asia.  To learn more of the Mimosa tree check out:  http://thedailysouth.southernliving.com/2009/06/29/mimosa-the-wonderful-weed/.  The author tells you the good and bad of this tree.

I hope you had a wonderful Wednesday.  Thank you for looking.  See you tomorrow.

Saturday's Surprise Flowers 05-21-16

Copyright 2016 AJ Horton

Hello and happy Saturday.  I think these little flowers are nothing more than weeds, but they sure are intriguing.  I searched the internet for their name but I found nothing that compared.  Help me out if you can,   If they are not weeds, they are very small wildflowers, I guess, that grow about 4-5 inches tall,  They are in sandy soil.  I'll include another picture below so maybe, if you've seen them before you can tell me what they are called.  It was very nice to find this surprise while walking the dogs in the rain this morning.  It was my "reward" for going out in the rain that I'm now sharing with you.

I hope you had a nice and rewarding Saturday.  Thank you for looking.  See you tomorrow,

Copyright 2016 AJ Horton

Monday Love 05-09-16

Copyright 2016 AJ Horton

Hello and happy Monday.  I'm thinking a little love is in order today.  I have for you a flower from the hibiscus that my sister, Toni, and I bought to pay homage to our mother, to her life, to her love of life, to her beauty - inside and out - to her adventurous spirit, and to all the love, laughter and adventure she brought to our lives and to those knew her.

I've always liked the hibiscus flowers, but I just never looked at them closely until now.  There's more to them than just a pretty flower.  They are beautiful - inside and out - just like our mom. 

I hope you had a beautiful and love filled Monday.  Thank you for looking.  See you tomorrow.

Saturday's Dogwood Flower 03-26-16

Copyright 2016 AJ Horton

Hello and happy Saturday.  Today, the day before Easter, I have for you a Dogwood Flower.  This is the state flower of North Carolina.  The Dogwood Tree is part of an Easter Legend that states:  

  “When Christ was on earth, the dogwood grew

   To a towering size with a lovely hue.
   Its branches were strong and interwoven,
   And for Christ's cross its timbers were chosen.

   “Being distressed at the use of the wood,
   Christ made a promise which still holds good:
   'Never again shall the dogwood grow
   To be large enough for a tree, and so,
   Slender and twisted it shall always be,
   With cross-shaped blossoms for all to see.

   “'The petals shall have bloodstains marked brown,
   And in the blossom's center a thorny crown.
   All who see it will think of me,
   Nailed to a cross from a dogwood tree.
   Protected and cherished this tree shall be,

   A reflection to all of my agony.'”

It's a beautiful poem.  I've heard it all my life and I love looking at the Dogwood Tree and its flowers.  The trouble with legends is that sometimes, they are not true - as is the case here.  Apparently, on all the websites I visited that told of the story, they verified that the Dogwood Tree has never grown in Israel, so the Crucifixion cross could not have come from the Dogwood.  I don't care.  It's still a moving poem and I will continue to think of it every time I see a Dogwood Tree and its flowers.  Maybe the tree will seem a little prettier now that I know the truth.

I hope you had a beautiful Saturday.  Thank you for looking.  See you tomorrow.

if you want to check out the sites I went to for the information, look at http://www.creationtips.com/dogwood.html, and/or http://www.gardenguides.com/93373-history-dogwood-tree.html.  There may be other sites as well.

Flower Power Friday 03-18-16

 

Copyright 2016 AJ Horton

Hello and happy Friday.  I have some flower power for you today.  Spring is in the air and the trees are flowering, the bees and butterflies are flying and spreading pollen just like the wind.  While it's a beautiful time of year, many of us have allergies during this most beautiful and renewing time of year. So, with allergies, beauty and pain go together.

 

I hope you've had a beautiful and non allergenic Friday.  Thank you for looking.  See you tomorrow.

Winter Rose Thursday 12-10-15

Copyright 2015 AJ Horton

Hello and happy Thursday.  As I was walking my dogs this morning I happened by a rose bush that, in most other Decembers, would not be blooming,   Yet, here it is, one single bloom on the entire bush.  You know I feel very fortunate to see this.  I, of course, come back later without the dogs and snapped away.  This morning, when I was unable to snap the photo, it was just a little bud.  Now, this afternoon sans dogs, it has blossomed into this beautiful flower.  In this day and time when there's so much "stuff" going on in the world distracting us from the wonder of this great earth, it's good to know that, once in a while, when we least expect it, something pops up and says, "hey, look at me, smile and enjoy."

Please take a moment to enjoy the beauty that you find in nature today.  It's worth the look.  After all, we have to recognize and enjoy our blessings whenever possible.

I hope you had a terrific Thursday.  Thank you for looking.  See you tomorrow.

Tuesday's Blessing Flower 11-10-15

Copyright AJ Horton

Hello and happy Tuesday.  We had a little sun today so I found a little flower for you.  I looked on the internet but couldn't find a name for this little jewel.  It bloomed up from the shallow water amid the lily pads.   It's very delicate and I was afraid to kayak too closely.  Hurting this beauty would make me sad.  And who wants to be sad on Tuesday?  Especially when I have this little paper thin blessing.

I hope you had a terrific Tuesday with many blessings.  Thanks for looking.  See you tomorrow.

Flower Power Monday 11-2-15

Copyright 2015 AJ Horton

Hello and happy Monday.  There's been a lot of rain lately and I'm kind of tired of it.  I do realize that we need the rain.  Although it's like that song sung by Karen Carpenter of the Carpenters that goes, "Rainy days and Mondays always get me down".  I know she's singing about two different days - or is she?  So what happens if the rainy days are Mondays; are we doubly "down"?  Well, sometimes I am.  But then I look for beauty, and I usually find it.  This time it is a flower - an azalea.  This azalea shouldn't be blooming this time of year.  Azaleas usually bloom in spring.   I am glad that this particular shrub of mine decided to give me a couple of blooms in the fall.  I am glad for the beauty of the flower and I love the color.  I am glad for the rain that nourishes this plant and leaves drops on my flower for me to take a lovely photo.  I am glad that I am no longer "down" on this rainy day AND Monday!  

What about you?  Do rainy days and Mondays get you down?  If so, remember all the beauty in your life around you and become lifted up.

I hope you had a lovely Monday.  Thanks for looking.  See you tomorrow.

Clover Flower Friday 10-16-15

Copyright 2015 AJ Horton

Hello and happy Friday.  Today, as I was working in my yard, being more physical than I wanted to be on a Friday.  I was even using power tools!  Ha.  Anyway, as I stood up to stretch my back, I looked down and to my left and look at what I saw.  This is a flower from clover.  It was the three leaf clover kind.  I didn't see a four leaf clover, but I did see a five petal flower.  And I am fine with that.  I found a little bit of unexpected joy so I ran in to grab my camera so that I could share this little, delicate piece of joy with you.

I hope you had a fantastic Friday.  Thank you for looking.  See you tomorrow.

Wednesday's Vine and Flower

Copyright 2015 AJ Horton

Happy Wednesday.  Today I'm back to the flower.  While it looks like this vine leads to and produces the flower, I think not.  The vine is just coincidentally there for the morning glory, or maybe it's the sweet pea flower.  I do like the way the vine leads to the lone flower.  I hope you do as well,

I also hope you had a wonderful Wednesday.  Thank you for looking.  See you tomorrow.

Wednesday Weed 9-30-15

Copyright 2015 AJ Horton

Happy Wednesday.  This Wednesday I have for you a beautiful weed that grows in my yard.  I guess it's a flower weed.  Ha!  It's my favorite color and I hope it comes back next year.  It just proves that there is beauty in everything.

I hope you had a beautiful Wednesday.  Thank you for looking.  See you tomorrow.

Tuesday Butterfly 9-15-15

Copyright 2015 AJ Horton

Happy Tuesday.  I'm feeling like this butterfly tonight.  I'm feeling the little guy is saying, "I'm tired, I'm just going to stretch out and lie here for awhile".  Or, maybe it's not tired - maybe it's hugging the flower in an effort to say "thank you".    After all, gratitude is the best attitude, right?  Flowers and butterflies are always a great gift.  Well, wait a minute - now, I'm feeling a little less tired.  I guess I perked up a little.  Talking/writing it out really helped.   Whooohoooo!

I hope you had a terrific Tuesday.  Thanks for looking.  See you tomorrow.

Flower Power Wednesday

Copyright AJ Horton

Hello on Wednesday.   It's the middle of the work week for most of us.  Yay!  So, I have a flower to share.  I found it on a kayaking adventure.  The pretty color, shape and delicate petals beckoned me to visit and make a photograph.  We all need to stop and enjoy the flora as often as possible.  As far as I'm concerned, it's one of the things that help to make life enjoyable.

I hope you had a wonderful Wednesday.  Thank you for looking.  See you tomorrow.

Tuesday's Texas Star

Copyright 2015 AJ Horton

Hello on Tuesday.  What I have for you today is a hibiscus,  This isn't just any hibiscus though,  It's also called a Swamp Hibiscus, Scarlet Rose Mallow, Scarlet Hibiscus and, my personal favorite, "Texas Star" Hibiscus.  Calling it the Texas Star Hibiscus is appropriately named since the inside looks like the Texas Star.  This is a perennial plant that likes sunlight and well drained soil. While this photo is pretty, these flowers are even prettier in person.  Check them out for yourself when you get the chance.

I hope you had a terrific Tuesday.  Thanks for looking.  See you tomorrow.