I Have Been Framed

I can't help amusing myself with photos and silly thoughts.

Goldee was resting comfortably among the flowers and ground cover when she suddenly felt trapped.

She thought she could have been framed.
See the looks in her eyes above.

I assured her that I was only using her lovely golden fur to frame the flowers.

When one is worried, one loses focus.
It seems that she has forgotten her intention to sleep.

If you enjoy these silly little photo stories, visit 'Words in Pictures' in my other blog; Tropical Nature Photos.

I intend to post 'Words in Pictures' daily in that blog for 30 days as a challenge for myself.
Do I have the photos and words ready?
Definitely not.
I have no clue what I shall be posting next.
I must not worry as worries might cause me to lose focus.
Breathe in, breathe out...

Have a great weekend!

Linking up with :
Flaunt your Flowers
Roses and Stuff - It's a Trap
Fabulous Friday
The Purple Tree House

False Start

Desert Rose is blooming beautifully with periwinkle growing wildly behind it.

Skippers seem to be attracted to both the desert rose and periwinkle.

A skipper butterfly is named as such because of its quick, darting flight habits.

I'm happy to see them but as you know, I'm quite happy to see any critters in my garden.

With the 3 collages above, did you START to imagine a nice, neat and colourful garden, filled with butterflies?

Well, that would be a FALSE START.

See reality below.

In reality, Clifford would slam the cockcomb flowers with his face and lie down on them.

In reality, Goldee would look for critters beneath the cabbages and even trample over the cabbages.

In reality, I have too many false starts in trying to tidy up the garden.

I was building a veggie bed to keep the dogs out yesterday.

As usual, the dogs helped out in the garden.

Along the way, the bed changed shape and became a doggie bed.

They lay down on the doggie bed and smiled at me.

What was I thinking?

Another false start!

Watch out for other False Starts at Roses and Stuff.

Who Stole The Coconut?

Someone stole a coconut from the flower bed.

Who could that be?

Sing along to the tune of 'Who Stole the Cookie from the Cookie Jar'.

Who stole the coconut from the flower bed?

Pichu stole the coconut from the flower bed.

Who me?

Yeah you!

Couldn't be!

Then who?

Clifford stole the coconut from the flower bed.

Who me?

Yeah you!

Couldn't be!

Then who?

Goldee stole the coconut from the flower bed.

Who me?

Yeah you!

Goldee is destroying the evidence...

... with her assistant taking over as shredding is physically demanding for her age.

Partners in Crime

Kissing a Toad

Toad : "Hi, Big Fella!"

Toad : "Move over. You are in my way!"

Clifford : "I must be dreaming...zz..."

Clifford : "Mom! It's a talking toad!!!"

Goldee : "Beware! The last one I chewed on made my mouth white and foamy.

I ended up looking like a clown with huge, white lips."

Clifford : "I guess a peck is harmless. It's cute."

Toad : "Er...Excuse, me."

Toad : "Stop drooling on me. I don't want to get any slimier."

Toad : "Yikes! I need a bath right now! 

Toad : "In case you are wondering, I do not have royal blood in me. I am NOT a frog and shall NOT change into a prince."

Photography and Backdrops

Do you think the insect and weeds stand out with the beige background behind them?

With a dark-coloured backdrop, we could see the weeds clearly from this angle.

The green foliage of the chilli plant with yellow moss rose stand out with a soft, furry background.

Sometimes, I use items like a foot or a paw as a size comparison to the object in focus.

As you can see, my black and white backdrop is multi-functional.

If not properly used, backdrops can be distracting to an otherwise attractive photo.

Occasionally, I put the backdrops in focus and blur the surroundings to appreciate their importance.

Whatever would I do without them?

Happy Birthday!

What do you see in the picture below?

Do you see a No.9? In a short while, it will be 9 Sept.

The first time I took a close-up shot of a new Bird's Nest Fern  leaf uncurling was exactly one year ago.
How can I remember such a trivial matter?
(One guy told me that women remember everything whereas men remember only the important stuff.)
Anyway, I remember the date because 9.09.09 was printed on the picture below.

I realized the uncurling frond resemble the number 9 when I attempted to crop the photo. At that time I thought the date were in the way until I saw all the 9s.

Something else happened that day; 09.09.09.

An adorable white puppy with 9 black patches was born on 9.09.09. Do you want to guess his name?

Goldee adores her baby, allowing the little one to chew on her ear.

Clifford was delighted to have a baby brother.

Pichu, our Pomeranian was glad that he was no longer the smallest in size.

The two brothers always had a lot to share.

Running in a mushroom farm was one of his favourite pastimes.

Occasionally, he would smell the flowers.
Isn't he adorable?
Of course, he could just be smelling the scent left by other dogs on those flowers.

Today, he is exactly ONE year old. I am sure he is a Happy Boy.
He was adopted by a loving family last Christmas.

This post is dedicated to Mdm Chia and family.
Thank you for your love and care for this cutie pie.
Happy Birthday K9!!!

Growing Stevia

Stevia is a plant that I have been wanting to grow due to its many health benefits but mainly because it is deliciously SWEET. I have got what I wished for. How wonderful!!!

Stevia is many times sweeter than sugar, calorie-free and is said to regulate blood pressure. It is also said to inhibit bacteria growth, even those that causes gum disease and tooth decay. That is excellent news for someone with a sweet tooth.

Stevia is a perenial plant that can be propagated via stem or seeds.

To avoid dogs from digging this precious plant, I have placed rocks all around it to protect the roots.

Goldee says stevia smells sweet.

Clifford checks it out too.

Clifford didn't smell anything but thought the rock made a good head/chin rest.

Me? I breathe deeply... not attempting to smell the stevia but I needed to calm my nerves while watching my newly planted baby stevia plant in close proximities with two of the worst garden pests I have ever seen.

As of now, stevia roots are still intact. I'll add more rocks just in case. But somehow, two twigs are broken this morning. I had taken the opportunity to stick the tiny broken twigs into some soil in a pot. I shall consider this incident as an accidental propagation.

FIFA

While the whole world is watching FIFA World Cup, guess what these 2 fellas are watching.

They waited patiently for the next match.

Clifford decided to participate in FIFA - First Internationale de FROGGY Association .

Foul?!

Free Kick!

Goal!!!

Clifford FIFA T-shirts are available.