Lens-Artists Challenge #24 – Seasonal
I came to Portland, Oregon in the US as a graduate student some forty years ago. It was November that year when I saw snow for the first time through a high ceiling window in the hallway of a meeting room. I jumped up and down and shouted, “It’s snowing. It’s snowing.” The local students walked by me and grinned. They might think, “What’s so exciting about snow? Silly.”
A month later during the winter break, I went with a group of students to Los Angeles and sat in the sun on Christmas day.
After graduated with my first master’s degree, I went to Seattle Pacific University to do my second master’s degree. That winter, Seattle welcomed me with 7 inches of snow. I was so excited and made a snowman with my leather gloves on my hands. Nobody told me that the leather would turn hard and stiff when it gets wet. I ruined the nice leather gloves.
I don’t do too well in cold weather, the weather in southern California seemed to agree with me and that is where I have stayed since finishing my study in Seattle.
My daughter is living in Portland, Oregon. She knows I love snow even though my body feels better in a warmer place. There was a heavy snow two years ago. The first thing she did was taking photos and sent them to me.
As far as southern California, it feels like summer is the longest season year round with a teasing winter and hair line period of autumn and short and sweet spring. The weather has been moderate besides the thunderstorm a couple weeks ago. I took photos of my garden today and have some beautiful flowers to share with you. Before I do that, just want to show you my baby hummingbird.
The baby hummingbird is eight months old. He is doing well and flying further away from the kitchen window. I know that the baby is not able to fly 900 miles straight to Mexico for winter, but I wasn’t sure if the parents were going. It’s December and the parents are still around. It seems like the family will stay for winter.
Here are the flowers in my winter garden.
Rose 
Geranium 
Snapdragon
Pansy 
Rose
Snapdragon 
Lavender
The Showers of Blessings 
The flowers are so bright and cheery but that precious hummingbird stole my heart, Miriam. 🌹💐
May your holidays be filled with wonder and magic! ✨🌲🕊️🌟
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Hi Robin, thank you so much. Yes, that baby hummingbird stole my heart also. We had thunderstorm a couple time last month and I worried so much about him. I guess nature has a way to survive. He and the parents show up the next morning. It was still windy and he found a spot and perched on the iron fence around the lavender bush. It was less windy. He was very smart.
How have you been?
Enjoy you wonderful holidays! 🙂 🙂 ❤
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Thank you so much for your response, Miriam. I appreciated hearing of the hummingbird family’s resilience! ❤️🕊️
I don’t often visit my blog or other’s either. I decided to spread my wings in Instagram and you may find me on Facebook. I will look for you, dear friend. In the new year, may you have continued good health, blessings, wonders and joy! ~Robin
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It’s a good idea of what you’re doing with the social media, Robin. I use the blog to find writing ideas and do the “pre-writing” of my books, so I don’t mind lacking various social contact. ❤
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I agree, Miriam. If I were an author, I would use my blog to try interesting ideas for short stories, poetry or chapters. I have a friend who is an author who shares what she’s working on in character or plot lines on her blog.
My time is so limited while working full-time; so social media keeps me in touch with some of those people I met along my paths of life. Take care and so glad we had a chance to “chat” recently.
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Yes, Robin. We all have different priorities. I’m glad you’re doing what you enjoy doing. Happy New Year to you!
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Thank you and so glad I know where to find you, Miriam. Bless you and your family.
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Same to you and your family, Robin. Keep me posted once in a while when you have time. ❤
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A beautiful post, Miriam. I hope you have a WARM and wonderful new year.
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Thank you, Patti! We’re going to Hong Kong and Japan after the New Year. It’s cold there also.
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Beautiful photos and story – stay warm! 🙂
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I’m on the mend and feeling stronger everyday, Miriam. Thank you. ❤ xo
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Good to hear that. Take your time. I’m sure you know how important it is to recuperate well right after the major health issue. I’m glad your husband takes good care of you! ❤ 🙂
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Gorgeous pictures. Such contrast between the snowy Portland pictures your daughter sent you and the colorful ones from California but both sceneries are beautiful. Wishing you and your family a great holiday season! ❤ xo
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Thank you, Vashti! I’m thankful to have all those flowers in winter. We’re going to see them next week. She didn’t say it’s cold. I don’t know if it has snow this year. Happy holidays to you and your family! How is your strength? I hope you’re getting a little better every day! ❤ xox
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Christmas blessings and love… ❤ xo
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A wonderful blessed Christmas to you, Bette. ❤ xox
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A very delightful post Miriam. Your exuberance about the snow makes me smile, I always felt
the same although I grew up with it every winter.
Your little hummingbird is adorable, what a creation. Wonderful that the parents are staying.
Your garden is so happy and bright, we have to wait for such delights – except I have a Red Rose
Climber that happily keeps flowering.
I would choose the warmer climate too now, at least for a while. 😊 .
Miriam
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Thank you for reading, Miriam. How warm does it get in summer where you are in UK? I went to London years ago. My friend has a pretty flowering tree in her backyard.
I’m used to warm weather so I would think of the warmth coming and bear with the winter cold. I couldn’t imagine living in the cold all the time.
Are you moving or living in a warmer climate right now?
Merry Christmas to you. ❤ 🙂
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Marvelous, Miriam… Very beautiful! 🙂 🙂 🙂
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Thank you very much, Jonathan. Is your son coming to visit you for Christmas? 🙂 🙂
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Yes! And my daughter, too! 🙂 🙂 🙂
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Great, I’m so happy for you, Jonathan. 🙂 🙂 🙂
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A beautiful series for the seasonal, Miriam! The Baby hummingbird is truly special.
We lived in Boulder, Colorado decades ago, and loved it. I don’t think I can deal with 6 inches of snow anymore. 🙂
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I understand, Amy. I saw some snow photos in Colorado this year. The snow fell overnight in Portland when my daughter took the photos. The whole city was frozen with it. No work and no school for at least one day. 🙂
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We have mild winters too, Miriam. Even so the cold weather gets me down as our houses are not designed for cold but rather for hot, so we freeze during the winter. Lovely photographs of the snow and the baby bird.
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Thank you, Robbie. We have heat for the whole house but we don’t like to make the house too warm. I bundle up in layers. Sometimes we use space heater.
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What a sweet post Miriam! Love your baby hummingbird! The snow is awesome too. We’ve had snow exactly once since moving to SC and it was last year. We were snowed in for a week after only 6 inches because we have no snow removal equipment in our area! I loved it!!!! But I wouldn’t want it any more often 😊
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I missed having the baby hummingbird right by the window but happy to see him grow. Yes, I can’t imagine having snow in SC. We went to NC once for my husband’s diving trip. The battery of my car went dead once when I was in Seattle. 🙂
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A winter garden is a oxymoron here in central New York. Enjoy your Christmas blooms, Miriam.
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Thank you, Michael, yes, you’re a lot more north from southern CA. Look forward to the countdown from New York.
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Lovely photos, Miriam! That little hummingbird – it must be wonderful to see him grow and fly. Even though I love snow, I must agree with you – a warmer climate is better for my body as well. When you are born in a snowy country you will always long for it during winter. Due to climate changes, we have much less snow now than we had when I was a child. I used to go skiing then, now that is impossible, unless I travel about 700 kilometers north. This February I will go north for some days to enjoy real winter.
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Oh, wow, that’s a great change affected by climate change. The earth may sink into the ocean one day… I’m sure you’ll enjoy your skiing trip, Anne-Christine.
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this is such beautiful and amazing story and life of experience…
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Thank you so much.!!
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enjoy the sun! in Ireland we’re getting mostly rain! enjoy it while you have it!
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Yes, Carol. Thank you. We went to London some years ago in May. It was cloudy most of the 8 days, and rained real hard on the day my husband’s cousin wanted to take us on a boat ride. We didn’t go and had barbecue in his backyard instead. Stay in and stay warm!!
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A fabulous post Miriam. So glad your are looking after the birds. Love your flowers too 🙂
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Thank you, Brian. I have an attachment to the baby since I watched him from the nest, 🙂
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I would too 🙂
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I talked to my hubby about coming to Australia again later. I want to see some birds. 🙂
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That would be wonderful Miriam
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Yes, Brian, I did a travel post for my Australia trip. It got the most visit and even today, I still have visits and got 396 visits so far! It’s a great country!!
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😀
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🙂
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Delightful photos. Birds are always beautiful. Snow looks beautiful.
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Thank you so much, Indira. Yes, I like them both!
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Welcome, dear.
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❤ 🙂
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Beautiful flowers! The hummingbird is so sweet. All our birds are winter birds now. The others have flown to warmer climates. As for snow, Portland can keep it 😉
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Thank you, Dorinda. I love to flowers in winter. All the finches and most of the doves have flown south. I’m glad the hummingbirds stay. The baby bird was born in my backyard. 🙂 Yes, I like to look at the snow, but… 🙂
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The cardinals and blue jays stay the winter here. All my other little birds have flown on. Is it spring yet? That’s exciting to watch the baby hummer grow! Lucky you 😊
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Yes, it was fun watching him grow. He flew a little bit more and further every day. My granddaughter learns something new every day also. 🙂
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The little ones. They all grow up much too quickly!
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I know. I try to visit them once a month!
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Take lots of pictures so you can always look back on these days. Then when they get their first girlfriend/boyfriend, you make sure to share with them, too LOL
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Yes, exactly. Dorinda. When my daughter was dating Will, I showed him lots of Mercy’s early pictures, and continue to showed both of them Mercy’s childhood pictures. Autumn likes to make faces when we take her photos. I found some of Mercy’s kid pictures when she made faces also! ❤ xox
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I love their names!! And I love that daughter is following in mom’s footsteps. My daughter does the same, except she’s 28 (soon to be 29) now! Better late than never 😉
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