stormlight

[OT from cottage renovations]

a fast moving storm blew through in the afternoon, providing diversions both before and after. 

immediately prior to its arrival Meg was across the Circle, sniffing at something very interesting.  thinking that she might be better off taking shelter I went over to try to encourage her to return home.  she decided that the discussion was really about a diffent topic, which could be summarised as "you can't catch ME".  I had at least more or less herded her in the general direction of home: a tremendous crash of thunder as lightning struck somewhere VERY close by served more to spook her than to get her to come in.  thinking that a bit of rain might bring her to her senses I came inside myself but relented after only a couple of minutes. 

yes, she came back in.  but don't let's talk about whether I got wet and if so how much. 

its other effect was, of course, stormlight. 

(click through these thumbnails for higher resolution images)

---

Bittersweet Cottage garden

the False Spirea has come into bloom.  I haven't paid it much heed lately but under this light it was needing to be photographed. 

Astilbe


Malus coronaria

the crabapple is putting forth its miniature fruit: they are perhaps a half or a third the size of a dime (but larger than a sprug).  there's not much in this image to indicate scale until you note the relative size of the dangling water drops. 

---

Knott Park

Hydrangea

whenever it rains the hydrangeas are always glad of the water but the weight of it on their leaves always makes the whole plant droop down immediately.  this leaf was an exception, standing straight up from the rest of the bush.  it's a part of the row of hydrangeas featured in this space back on 8 June.