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Friday, July 1, 2016

Refreshing colors of the rainy season


The colors of June: blue and green, in this post published in 2014,
I wrote the impressive colors of June are green and blue. 
The green colors deepen more and more with each rain, and in the lull in the rains, 
the blueness of the sky is so beautiful and dazzling to eyes.  
When it gets quite sweltering in July, the latter half of the rainy season,
 the color white brings coolness and freshness.  
When I walked around the Kobe Botanical Forest (Kobe Municipal Arboretum), 
blue, green, and white were especially appealing to me.

Lacecap hydrangea, or Hydrangea macrophylla, native to Japan
Hydrangeas bloom later at the higher altitude.  
Many bright, deep blue hydrangeas bloom in Mt. Rokko influenced by its acidic soil from granites.



I have always been mesmerized by reflections on water. 
All green reflections of this season is so special and enchanting.  
Mirror reflections are perfect, but I prefer distorted images
with ripple-effect caused by the breeze.

Watercolor

Abstract


Dreamy

Annabelle, the best known variety of Hydrangea arborescence, is from the eastern US.   
The ornamental flowers are white with slight tint of green at first, becomes white, 
and changes into lime green lastly in two weeks.




Sudden appearance of a lizard was a total surprise.
I enjoyed photographing him doing hide-and-seek in Annabelle flowers.




Enjoy your July, my Friends!
No matter how the weather is, you'll be able to find something pleasant around you.

Linked to 

43 comments:

  1. Dear Yoko, I'm happy to be the 1st commenator!
    There're 2 of us, mesmerized by reflections on water. And the two of us were obviously writing to the blog at the same time. Happy days ahead, take care!
    Leaving tomorrow for vacation, will try to keep in touch with you. Happy summer!

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  2. Brilliant series you have, the reflections and the flowers, excellent Yoko.

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  3. Beautiful photos! I like the ripples in the reflections.

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  4. Yoko, your reflection images are fabulous. Beautiful flowers and small visiting lizard, it's always special when a creature appears unexpectedly like this.

    Happy weekend!
    Ruby

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  5. very pretty flowers and fantastic reflections. I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

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  6. Such lovely blue blossoms mixed with green of summer. I so enjoyed seeing them. And a surprise lizard, i love when things like that happen. Seems we both are enchanted by the water, reflection, light and movement. So beautiful. The final water image with the tree trunk in the upper left corner has lovely reflections, yet it was that trunk that made me want to see more.

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  7. the lizard made me smile. :) lovely hydrangea and beautiful watery photos.

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  8. Beautiful shots here Yoko, the ripples on the water and the soft blues are just stunning. - Tasha

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  9. Wow Yoko, your photos are gorgeous, refreshing and captivating!!! :)

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  10. What magical shots of blue and green!

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  11. Hortensia är en helt otroligt vacker buske. Den blå gillar jag verkligen men hos mig blir den rosa beror på min jord. I år har jag fått en vit som är så vacker några nya knoppar har den åxå. Vilken söt liten ödla du fångade på dina fina bilder.
    Ha det gott i juli vår högsommarmånad
    Kram Meta

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  12. I very much love the blue and green color combination. When I was a child, I was taught that blue and green do not go together, and in my heart I did not agree. When I was about 20 I sew myself a dress by hand, in blue and green fabric. I was crazy about that dress and wore many summers.
    White is a gorgeous medium in painting and other art forms, especially for highlighting, and of course we learned that from nature. Thank you for your wonderful post and your marvelous photos Yoko. :-)

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  13. Dear Yoko - the blues and greens are so refreshing, the cooler colours before the flamboyant colours of July and August.
    Your collection of reflections are spectacular - such a joy to see.

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  14. こんばんわ。
    色々とカメラの絞りを変えて、楽しんで撮影してるのが分かります。ブルーも美しいけれど白いアジサイが一番すきです。突然のトカゲの出現にビックリしたでしょう。モザイクの中のトカゲ、花から顔をちょこんと出してる写真はいけてます。可愛い写真だと思います。Have a good Sunday!

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  15. Hello Yoko! What beautiful and magical images; a delight for eyes, a lovely way to show so much beauty! these blossoms in various colors, especially the blue ones are so gorgeous! a very special blue of petals... and the instants with reflections are stunning!
    thank you for sharing them with us and a happy weekend to you!

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  16. It's always a plesure to visit your blog and see your gorgeous photos !!!
    Have a lovely weekend !
    Anna

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  17. ه.♩♪♫
    Imagens super lindas... os reflexos são espetaculares!!!
    Bom fim de semana!
    Beijinhos.ه♩♫♪

    ♫♪ه° ·.

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  18. photos full of beauty and feeling. Love them

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  19. Reflections on water invite us to look closer, I think - perhaps we see a story within a story. Your Hydrangea blossoms are so fragile and lovely. They seem lit from within. I like your little visitor, too! It's raining at my home - a good day to read and curl up by the fire.

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  20. Woooow, Yoko! This post is... Amazing, beautiful, fabulous, wonderful...? However much it looks for the adjective, I am sure that I will not meet on it. The sensibility that parts with your photographies and your texts congratulates me. To the pleasure that provides everything here found supreme, in a special way, the blue color of the hydrangeas of the mount Rokko, since it does not abound in the nature and does not stop being the whole novelty. And what to say to you of your game of capture with the small lizard. How do not I go away happy of your virtual place?

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  21. Hello Yoko!
    Amazing photos. In your brilliant photos is a lot of love.
    I am delighted with them.
    Have a nice week.
    Lucja

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  22. All the pictures are beautiful, as usual, and I particularly like the reflections. The water looks so clear!

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  23. こんばんは。Surreal、Dreamy 素敵ですね。今、カナダにいます。こちらでは、薔薇と紫陽花が同時に咲いています。5日の夜、帰国します。

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  24. The rain leaves bright and clean colors. Yoko
    Fantastic reflexes and beautiful contrasts !!
    Besos.

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  25. Greetings, Yoko! And thank you for your good wishes. Lois Anne and I also wish for you and your husband a wonderful and refreshing summer. I was delighted to read all of your comments and delight in the fact that you took the time to visit our blogs and share your reactions.

    As always, I thoroughly enjoyed this post again! I do believe I remember it from a couple of years ago. The colors are super and your photos are always filled with a mystical aura that surrounds and blesses the flora and fauna that present themselves to your lens! That lizard must have been a fun surprise. I also have great affection for reflections! It's hard to beat a photo with a good reflection...and you've got some beauties here.

    Take good care! Hope that all is well with you and yours!

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  26. Unas maravillosas fotos y hermosos reflejos interpretados muy bien, como si fueran cuadros. Preciosa entrada. Muchas gracias. Besetes.

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  27. 同じ色、、、と思っても角度、季節、背景によってどれひとつとして同じではありませんね。
    今年枯れて、来年もまた咲くでしょうけれど同じ株に咲いても、また微妙に異なる・・・。
    自然のはかなさと同時に、しがみつかない故の逞しさを感じます。

    ところで、「James」のコメントを見て、とても懐かしくなりました。
    彼は私の2番目くらいのフォロワーです。もう8年くらい前のことになってしまいました。
    当初何をどういう感じで撮影したらよいか、全くわからなかったので、Jamesの写真をじっくり見て沢山のことを学びました。
    Jamesは、ブログ師匠です。

    当時から続けている仲間は、本当に少なくなりました。「続ける」って根気が要ることです。


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    Replies
    1. Rumaさんの投稿で、磨き上げられた床へのリフレクション覚えています。調べてみると私は2011年2月が初めてでした。しばらくは忘れていましたが、最近まだ続いていることを知りました。ブログ初期のころからの知り合いも激減、みなさんそれぞれご事情あるのでしょう。私もブログをやめればほかの世界が開けたり、編み物、洋裁などできるはずなのに、時間があるとパソコンに向かっています。ちなみに私はRumaさんのごく初期のフォロワーです。もうすでにたくさんのフォロワーがおられ、世界のRumaさんという印象でした。詩情あふれる世界を大胆、おおらかなタッチで切り取られ、なぜかRumaさんは男の方だと思っていました。Rumaさんからのコメントいつもうれしく励みになります。辛口のコメントも歓迎しますよ。最近お忙しいようですが、またRumaさんのブログ投稿も楽しみにしています。

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  28. Yoko, olá.
    A hortênsia é uma flor maravilhosa, gosto muito do tipo annabelle, branca.
    As suas fotos estão incríveis, parabéns! Aqui, posts maravilhosos.
    Um beijo e ótimo final de semana.

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  29. Realmente são deslumbrantes as imagens aqui postadas. Lindos tons que inspiram. Parabéns e um belo fim de semana

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  30. ♩♫╮
    Bom fim de semana!
    Beijinhos.
    °.♪♫╮

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  31. Such amazing pictures...I love the reflections off of the water's surface!

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  32. Belas as imagens;
    Ficaram lindos os reflexos dágua;

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  33. Beautiful done Yoko, the first three are truly brilliant.

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  34. The blues and greens certainly feel cool. I love the series of reflections.

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  35. Yokoさん
    いつも私のブログにコメントして頂きありがとうございます。私もかれこれブログを6年近く続けていることに気づきました。東日本大震災直後は色々あって更新が滞りましたが、マイペースでやっていくのが継続させるのに向いているのかなぁ、と達観しながら続けています。紫陽花のように比較的花の鑑賞時期が長いブログにしたいと思ってます(私のブログは華はあまり感じられませんが^_^)。
    紫陽花の匂いを感じられる素敵な写真の数々、ありがとうございます。

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  36. Cheguei para uma visita, esperando por novas imagens, mas continuo ainda encantada, mesmo com fotos já vistas. Sempre belas imagens e organização do blog, com esmero e capricho.
    Yoko, um feliz final de semana, beijos.

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  37. Your photos are breath-taking; thank you so much for sharing them!

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  38. The reflections are so beautifully captured and captioned, like each pointing towards the different phases of life. Nature is a school indeed and you always bring the lessons out in a very interesting manner. The Hydrangeas are wonderful and I like the little lizard popping out for a hello!

    It's raining here in India and the weather is pretty cool. I am so glad to read the MRI came good and you are on your way to recovery, dear Yoko. Here's wishing more speed and a lovely restful summer ahead with your loved ones. Take care.

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  39. I tried to comment on your last post but it is not accepting comments :) I love the rose walk and I want some of that Dandee cake!!

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  40. Konnichi-wa, dear Yoko!

    It's time to say good bye on this platform!
    I'm going to quit blogger.com after allmost 10 years and will look for new and better challenges / platforms for my photographs!

    I hope you'll do better soon!

    All the best for you and your loved ones from Germany, Uwe.

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