Annalia S.'s photos with the keyword: plants

River plants live on the very edge of two worlds, their lives precariously balanced on a tight rope. A few centimetres farther and the water would drown them, a bit more rain and the river would gnaw at their roots and carry them away on the current, half a step more inland and the rocky banks would no longer provide enough moisture. As summer comes to an end, their beauty is poised on the brink. Soon the rains will come, swelling the river and moving that line of transition between land and the watery world. Their short lived paradise and their miraculous little lives will end with the season and many months will go by before their children - if they were lucky enough to take root on the right spot, that magical place of transition - will bring it back.

After years of field observations, my husband may be about to publish a paper on a new disease he has discovered, which he calls floritis. A seasonal ailment, floritis appears to strike each year between March and June, but may have different seasonal patterns depending on latitude and climate. Photographers seem to have a strong predisposition for floritis and should be considered a high risk population. The primary signs and symptoms of the disease, which manifest more keenly during walks, include a tendency to oh! and ah! every few minutes, whipping out pocket cameras or smartphones every few meters, getting into odd, contorted positions, primarily kneeling low on the ground but occasionally also climbing up steep embankments, squeezing into tight spots, invading the privacy of people’s gardens, and otherwise greatly impeding the progress and disrupting the overall enjoyment of conjugal walks. Other manifestations include spending considerable amounts of time in the garden - to the detriment of other domestic chores, such as fixing delicious meals for hungry spouses - but with nothing to show for it in terms of actual improvements in the upkeep of the garden or any other conceivable gardening activities. The disease needs further study with a larger cohort of subjects and double blind control groups, but, in the meantime, my husband considers it of vital importance that a photography community, such as Ipernity, should be on the look out for this menace to the wellbeing of photographers and (especially) their families. While in most cases the disease appears to resolve spontaneously as soon as the summer heat turns vegetation a dusty brown, there are documented cases of floritis affecting certain photographers all through the summer months and some highly predisposed individuals appear to never get over it altogether. In the PIPs some typical outcomes of the above described contorted positions are shown, to further help enlighten the community regarding this pernicious disorder.

Does better on black, I think.

A flag (Italians fly the national colors to show unity in the face of the pandemic) and morning shadows on the brick walls of a condominium. HFF and a great weekend to all!

The afternoon sun, filtering through the canopy of one of our trees, paints fantastic shapes on our wall. I saw a bouquet of flowers in the shadowy shapes, but I like Judite's "reading" of the image as a flight of swallows (see her comment below) far better! I would love it if people told me what they "see" here - and don't worry, it's not a Rorschach's test :))) Title by J. Garcia

Warmth and a bit of rain ... all it takes for Nature to reassert her claims, no matter how many fences we put in her way :))) Happy (Green) Fence Friday to all!

As it gets warmer all sorts of critters show up in the garden. Hope everyone is having a sunny Sunday!

Left in peace during the lockdown, wild grasses were allowed to "go to seed" all over the city. Here they catch the sunlight from the side beautifying a very plain garden fence. In the Pip, another take on the same fence in black and white. HFF!

On my neighbour's tree, the yearly miracle of green life reawakening. Here's hoping virus-embattled Italy (and the rest of the world) can beat back this deadly, invisible enemy. Have a good day everyone. Help protect the grandpas and grandmas and other vulnerable people: Stay at Home!

Spring is by far my favorite time of the year and being confined at home at this time is undeniably a bummer. But really I should not complain, since I am one of the lucky ones who have a garden where I can still enjoy glimpses of Nature's awakening. Here's a still life of the colorful finds I collected in the garden yesterday. Have a good week, everyone.

We pay them so little attention, especially in the winter when they are leafless and almost "invisible", but they clean our air, give us some respite from the sun in the summer and add a touch of natural beauty to our cement-dominated towns and cities.

The fall colors of a Virginia Creeper bush I noticed on my lunch break.