I find the touch screen on my iPhone great for selecting a point to focus on.

otherwise on reg camera you need 'depth of field' to be wider to include things that are at different distances from the lens. choosing 'portrait setting' might be better then macro. on macro all the leaves for example need to be equal distance from the lens, as depth-of-field is very narrow. hence you might have a feature that you pointed to in focus and others out of focus. sometimes holding the camera at a certain angle fixes that.

on my small digital mirrorless Sony I have a feature for 'night shots', where it takes 3 pics and then combines them into one, but at slow exposure, so blur from shaking is possible. then you need to lock the elbows or put them on the counter..but you prolly know all of this already if you have an SLR :).

on my big Canon I can set up a filler flash at preset shutter with slow exposure (shake possible again) then the camera fires a flash at mini-setting illuminating, but not distorting. I have to do this outdoors in 'the jungle condition' in FL bot gardens. the understory plants are quite dim otherwise. but keeping it at auto-intelligent setting often does the same trick. downside is that the flash exhausts the battery very fast, of course. but at home it's less of a problem.

you can also fire a flash but from a distance: it illuminates but the light is diffused from 4-5 feet and the glare on leaves is less. then you need to crop including just what you want, closer. depth of field is usually wider for 4-6 feet, so most things will be in focus.

I don't shoot RAW format (although I can) - so moving wht point and adjusting exposure is not possible. but I do often increase or decrease light and or color . or do auto-enhance and then decrease light AND color, so it is more realistic. enhance-auto-correction often overdoes it...but can be very good for brown shots: when it's too dim and white walls appear brownish.

at art exhibitions I use my iPhone exclusively, as color is rendered much better in horrid lighting (horrid lighting RULES at art exhibits ;))). and phone is less objectionable, whereas big lens spooks most gallery-artists, they don't want it. but I want a memory..and in good color ;). I was thinking (idly so far) to get old nokia lumia with the best camera (41 megapixel) there is on phone...it does AMAZING close-ups...just groundbreaking :)..some people get it just for the camera. recent iPhone have 8 mega-pixel sensors, but other phones have 4-5 only.

well no wonder your pics are better..more skill..better equipment..you're a pro!!!..I did at one time use a Minolta SLR..had a winder..a telephoto lens..and those pics from years ago are priceless..it's easier now but to get REALLY good results takes skill..I was comparing apples(my pics) to oranges(yours)..I can definitely see the quality in your pics (and hc's)..but with more time and knowledge I could try my Canon, my tablet and my phone and train myself..another advantage that you both have - your begonias are gorgeous!..at the moment I'm working with a $1 clearance plant from Walmart Lol..we don't have nice weather yet..I still have a little time before I'm outside all day to give myself a home school photography course haha..I feel much better knowing that there are good reasons my pics aren't as pretty as yours..I do crop and use effects but I don't have as much experience as you two..even if I never shared any pics it's great to have pics if only for yourself isn't it?..but of course sharing pics IS wonderful..I love seeing what you post..and in my own defense I see pics on Gardenweb that ARE uglier than mine haha..did you ever see one and think WHY did they post that?..Lol

I think I had the same begonia as you a few years back: it was from green market stall NOID. but I think it's B. rex 'Rumba'. if you give it good strong light whether under lights or in sunny window it'll get nice and red. otherwise it'll be like your new leaves growth, pale. I lost it over winter after a couple of years .

I've been growing them on and off for a number of years...never longer then 6months. but the last try extended a bit longer: into 2-3 years actually.

my longest surviving is a dwarf cane 'Cracked Ice' : 4.5 years. but I had to cut it down completely, since it dropped most of it's leaves one last winter. it was 3' tall from 4" pot barely a few leaves on it. they take an enormous amount of work and patience.

I keep other 200 house plants : almost no sweat! ;) .. but rexes tie me up in pretzels from anxiety :))). so everything is still ahead of you ;)!

they die and I just buy new ones: even better then before.

your begonia does look like mine..on another thread hc said he thought it was a Rumba..there are so many begonias!..I will never be able to try them all..do you have pics of your other plants on other forums?..which forums?..I'll look for them..I love buying new plants in the spring!!..can't wait..

Yes, Rumba! I bought a big pot of it at Lowe's a year or two ago. Most of it is gone so I am down to one healthy looking part of it. I think I kept it in too much shade last summer.

On cameras, don't worry about your equipment. Keep experimenting and reading. Watch videos on YouTube to get some ideas on what "pros" do. Flash is good until it isn't - head on is NOT good but sometimes you just have to. Lower the power output if you can. If you can't put a diffuser in place - even a facial tissue over a small flash can diffuse the flash making for a better picture. Get creative.

We hiked this morning after a few days of hard downpours. I took my big camera because the hike was supposed to be short but the weather was nice enough to put in 3 miles. I came upon a couple of situations where I didn't immediately focus (I use BBF) and I liked the blurry effect of what I was seeing in the camera. I then focused and took what most folks would use. I shoot RAW some times when the dynamic range is greater than shooting JPG. Typically I shoot JPG for most photos and they are good enough. RAW requires a little processing or just simply converting it to another standard format such as JPG, TIFF, PNG, or PDF.

intentionally left it at the last focused photo

Focused and snapped.

Rumba - big hanging basket from Lowe's

Jan 17, 2018 with new leaves looking great and older leaves fading fast.

Jul 8, 2017 probably shortly after I bought it and no name but not the hanging basket

Here is one I bought from them a few years ago and wished they would get it back in. Stunning but long gone. (2014)

hc..I'm so glad to hear you say "don't worry about equipment"..I do have several choices..at the moment I'm not interested in buying something new..my next step should be to do some reading (YouTube's a great idea) then take LOTS of pics the moment my plants come up..my nephew bought an expensive camera last May when he had a baby girl..I think I'll ask him to come over in the summer with his wife, baby and dog and take pics of everyone in my garden..and take some of my garden for me!!..I love the photo of the bridge..what a great place to hike..I liked the "soft poetic blur" (read that description somewhere) of the portraits I took years ago of my nieces and nephews..for garden views I love sharp and crisp..the pic of the pale pink blooms has a pretty soft fuzzy background and it looks great..the blooms DO stand out..I went to Target..Homegoods and Marshall's today..they're all right next to each other..I saw summer merchandise and it made me happy..found some household items I liked..your Rumba looks exactly like mine!..the begonia that's no longer available is gorgeous..I would buy it if I saw it..

i'll be getting some grow lights for a few shelves for my begonias: it is sad that they decline over summer when I have least amount of light in apt. the time when they should be growing best. it'll have to be lower shelves, not so visible.

most of my plants can do without except for begonias. and as I get deeper and deeper :) ;)...I want to loose fewer over time. although i'm afraid some loss will always be unavoidable. not so with my other plants: have many of them for decades.

here's an old post in houseplants with some very interesting pics of 'plant collectors' in apartments! mine are there too. that's how I learned about lechuza self-watering containers. they are expensive and I had a lot of plants already. so I devised a similar passive hydro method using regular pots with overpots to hold water. if you search for petrushka and wicks you should see my posts on the subjects: few people use self-watering in houseplants forum, but some do and with great success.

here's a post in balcony forum with some of my 'outdoor' plants : some annuals and houseplants that I put outside for summer. you can also see some pics of my balcony in my ideas (if you can see..some people apparently can't see them...depends on how they view ..from what..don't know why..houzz's fault I think).

here's my Alocasia 'Poly' propagations discovery ..I was just starting to really 'mess with plants' then :). I learned most of what I know on gardenweb and some other 'plant forum sites' like PalmTalk and others, but even so I had many plants indoors with me for years without any effort besides in good light and regular watering(or should I say under-watering :))).

but now I have many more exotics and hard to grow tropicals due to wicking and still have time for other things too.

petrushka..I looked at those old posts..wow you ARE a plant lover! (me too)..I have nice outside space so most of my plants are outside..I love tropicals too..my tropical collection gets bigger every summer..I have elephant ears, curcumas, caladiums, crotons and begonias just like you..I'm interested in succulents but haven't started growing them yet..

Nichols, keep shooting. Digital doesn't cost you anything after the initial cost of the camera (or phone) and lots of disk space (cheap today). I read this many, many years ago about digital - it has leveled the playing field. Pros had big budgets for reels and reels of film which we could not afford to experiment with anything and everything. With digital we can shoot anything and keep trying and learning.

Petrushka, I looked over your links you provided. I liked your last one about Alocasias. I need to learn how to winter care for mine as from time to time I lose some. My Colocasia 'White Lava' is getting some rot this winter which bothers me since I've had it for 3 years now and this is the first winter it has shown decline instead of keeping status quo. GRRR! I did buy a potted Alocasia lauterbachiana and an A. 'Hawaiian Punch' bulb today at Lowe's so hope they grow well this summer.

hc..practice makes perfect right?..so spend more time shooting..digital is fun..I used to agonize over every shot not to waste film..now you can take 10 shots and pick one!..and then crop it..color it etc..I'm so jealous that you can buy Alocasia today!..too early to do much here..it will be in the 60's tomorrow..I should go to Lowe's..they could have things that I don't know about!..sorry your colocasia has rot..for next year - I don't rinse mine off..I store them dirty..I've heard that helps prevent rot..just a thought..

Nichols,

Yes, shoot, shoot, and then shoot some more. Practice may not make you perfect but it improves your odds tremendously! I was still in the film frame of mind when I went digital in 2000 with my first expensive compact Kodak camera so I only shot what I thought might turn out good. Then a few years later I was reading Scott Kelby's book on digital cameras (I bought several of his books) and how digital leveled the playing field. So I thought about how much time I wasted for those years.

The weather is weird but it has been that way for years. Cold, then warm, repeat. Take advantage of those warmer days.

Here is the results from that expensive cheap Kodak camera back in 2002. Not too bad for 3MP?

I usually leave my Alocasia and Colocasia in their pots. The exception was the huge pots I posted above. I finally dug all those out since moving those pots indoors was a job with a hand truck. I just plant those tubers in the ground now and dig up at the end of the season, rinse off, and put them in a trug where they do well.

My White Lava is still in its original big pot from the nursery. I have another large pot with Stingray in it, a few pots of Malaysian Monster and one pot of Sarian. A few other pots with various Alocasia/Colocasia too. I do the same thing with caladiums, keep them in their pots, store up high for winter, take down usually in early March to see if any are sprouting. If they are then I take them down and start watering a little and adding more water when they put some size on.

Here is my White Lava from last year. The pot is an ugly black nursery pot, probably 20" diameter.

October 3rd

August 4th

Here is a fun project I did a few years ago with begonias and photo editing.

Then desaturate it

add some filters such as Gaussian blur. Just play with some of the special effects.

and invert the colors with yellow and red tinting. The combinations seem to be infinite.

I don't seem to have time to really start playing with lightroom (or old photoshop). keep delaying for the less busy future. but I attend a lot of art exhibits and keep an eye on what other people are doing and there are so many possibilities you can spend 10 hours a day on it ;). but even so I just adore those quilt like pics of rex-leaves starts! that 1st one that is almost monochrome with colored pink blush here an there..like it's painted in :). it's wall-ready art!

I do envy you your garden space...but for now i'n still in the city apt for near future and it's super hard to fit anymore plants, especially in view of reservoir set-up for longer travel..

funny as it is, but begonia die-off lets me buy new begonia plants to play with for a couple of years till the next turn-over!

hc..wouldn't it be great if we knew what we know now when we were young?..hindsight is 20/20..we didn't make any catastrophic decisions but we laugh now at some decisions and say "why did we do that?"..I'm sure you don't regret expensive camera purchases..you have pictures of moments in your life that are gone forever..those pics are irreplaceable..that's how I see it..your 2002 photos are good..glad to have them right?..the begonia "collage" IS interesting!!..ALL 4 are attractive..I think #3 is my favorite..I do overwinter some tropicals in pots..I have 3 large pots of EEs (2 black 1 green) still growing..won't be pretty until they go out..and one canna..I intended to dig the green EE..the pot was in the garage and I had cut off the stems after it got cold..but it started growing so I had my husband put the pot in the entryway..I'm going to go to Lowe's and get a plant caddy so I can roll it into the kitchen for some light..I hate to cut it back again..in my dreams winter would never come and the pots would never come in..but winter does come and to me it's worth the work to save my tropicals..as you know caring for plants inside makes a mess but that's what we do right? Lol..I haven't seen many fancy colocasias here..mostly plain green and black..a few African Mask? maybe..I'm still happy with my plain ones..

petrushka..I love my yard but it IS a lot of work..lived here since March 2005..soon to be 14 years..the first 10 years very few houses were for sale..in the last few years maybe 10 have sold..and I know of one that will be for sale within the year..people are aging and downsizing..and getting away from the yardwork..I still love yardwork so I don't need to go yet..but someday I want a warmer climate..your city life is different than mine..some parts of a city life appeal to me but some parts don't..too many people too close together might drive me crazy..I don't have millions for a big apt with a terrace so NYC is very unlikely for me haha..and also I want someplace warmer..buying new plants for the summer is so much fun!!..fresh new plants make me so happy..I look forward to it every year..I'm counting the days until May comes..

m-m on the 1st pic they look very etiolated, but not droopy. i'd say very sculptural :). but they'll have to go, of course..

I've been following alo-colo for some time, though of course I can't grow them except for 'Poly': too big. that british forum hardytropicals had a very good forum specifically for them and how best to store them overwinter. unfortunately the forum seems inaccessible now, unless you register. before you could browse it without.

I keep notes of interest and after checking I found the following:

you can overwinter alo's in a few inches water in the bucket with light, but they will rot if left in moist soil. they can be grown in semi-hydro with bottom roots trailing in water, but in very bright light part-sun (indoors in the best southern window).

Colo's on the other hand need to be dry (put into dormancy). but alo's can be also kept dry and cool. then you need to store them dark.

if you check Aroid forum I believe there is some info on how different people do it up north in the garage/basement or under lights.

quote (don't know from where..):

commercial outlets in the US could not store plants as too much room required, so sent the plants into dry induced dormancy, at a temp of 16C. At this temp the
Colocasia were suspended, but not fully dormant. The main bud remained green and ready to go. When water was resumed the plants responded very quickly and were saleable plants in 2 to 3 weeks. Below 10C seemed to send the
rhizome into the next level of dormancy and the main bud dried out. These plants took more heat and much longer to break dormancy.

Yep those big pots do make for big plants but also take up a lot of space indoors for winter. If only all houseplants could be dug up and stored bare root for winter in a dormant state. HA!

Digital has transformed our lives. Smart phones supposedly are as powerful as the super computers back in the mid-80's! GPS makes maps obsolete unless you are in an area where you can't download a map (lesson learned) or you have an old dedicated GPS. Posting photos and videos for complete strangers to see what is going on in your neck of the woods? Impossible 20, 30 years ago. Now grade school children can do it every day.

If only we had a huge greenhouse? Here are some pictures of the ABG last April in some of their greenhouses.

Alocasia 'Malaysian Monster' is indeed a monster.

interesting orchid?

petrushka..if I were you I wouldn't bother with EEs inside either..too big as you said..and I doubt they would grow as well as growing outside..I kept my black EEs growing inside for the winter only after a lot of reading..people seemed to have problems when they dug them..this green one is growing by accident..never went fully dormant..I hope I can fix it in the spring..I've started posts about my EEs and commented on other's posts in the Aroids forum if you're bored and want to take a look..I've posted lots of pics..

hc..just saw your post..the ABG looks great..BIG plants..a pic of a garden decoration that I bought today..still shopping to see what else is out there in case there's something better Lol..I like the rustic look for my woodland and it's durable..still want a turtle..

I often pick off leaves of my EEs in winter when they look like they are spider mite infested. Never see this problem outdoors on them but winter is another matter.

Cute deco there Nichols. Resin? Do the eyes light up at night?

Check out some of the "head pots for plants" - would like to try a few of these.

https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=head%20pots%20for%20plants&qs=WebSearch&form=QBIR&sp=2&pq=head%20pots&sc=8-9&cvid=39AA1AD50240437990FAE7B100564B5D

EEs in winter are second rate compared to summer aren't they?..the leggy stems bend and then I cut them off..I haven't examined closely for pests..not obvious so far..the owl is made of stone..not that big but amazingly heavy..the "face" is polished..I bought it thinking "it's stone and should hold up"..I've been intrigued by "head" planters for a long time..I love garden decor and plants..it's irresistible to me..

FYI..bought the owl at TJMaxx

Yes, EEs are not of interest in winter - guess they need some rest. I wheeled my two big pots into a small storage room in the basement one year as there was no space in the other rooms. That was sick looking with very long, white stems due to total darkness most days. We store our seasonal stuff there (Xmas, Halloween, ice chests, etc.) The next year I dug them out of the pots before winter so I left the big pots outside.

We used to buy garden ornaments - angels, toads, sayings on little stepping stones (that you don't really use for stepping stones), etc. Over the years the outdoors take their toll on resin - fading, mold, breakage, etc. We quit buying them after a few years but they are kind of cute.

I hope your owl holds up over the years and decades.

Here is some kind of Hindu statute at PHOE years ago. It is a shame PHOE has been sold for development (as far as I have read)

This little cherub stands out when the saxifraga is not blooming at my parents' home.

But is in a cloud of white when the mass is in bloom.

My big toad's eyes have lost their glossy look.

If we could afford bronze statutes... Then we could compete with Gibbs Garden?

But we really go for the gardens (spring time)

Fall

I don't have much garden decor..I have plain taste..just my opinion but I think too many decorations looks worse than none..I have 4 black fleur-de-lis wrought iron hose guides..2 acorn finials..a very slim classic concrete bird bath..a small brown pot size stick in the dirt trellis..and my stone owl..most of these things serve a purpose but I think they're pretty..I like your toad..your parent's cherub in a sea of saxifraga looks pretty..the bronze sculptures at public gardens are beautiful but too $$$..the owl should last..after all it's just a rock haha..I think it fits well with all of my natural stone..of course the most beautiful things in a garden are the plants..can't wait to buy some!!!..

A few items of yard art are welcome. If the yard art becomes too busy it takes away from the gardens though? I'm sure you've seen some yards with their dozen pink flamingoes. Funny, whimsical, but not in my yard!

I like your first photo - very bright and colorful. The second one is more for historical purposes - reminds you of how the yard/garden was in month, year.

Back to begonias! Flamingo Queen this morning has done very well this winter.

Some other canes from earlier today

Virginia Jens has a few blooms. I wished it would wait until I moved it outdoors but it is in its genes to bloom in winter.

A new leaf of V. Jens and another bloom stalk

Green Dreams is waking up

B. phutoensis and Martin's Mystery in the background.

I spent a little time outside today picking up debris..it was sunny but chilly..low 40's..I enjoyed it!..I deleted some pics today..nothing priceless..I can take replacements this summer..my Japanese maples really do have beautiful fall color..I'll replace the fall pics too..Flamingo Queen does look nice..very exotic leaves..from what I remember V.Jens reminds me of a miniature gunnera..I've never grown gunnera but I like it..and B. phutoensis reminds me of a green leafed brunnera..I have just the green brunnera..maybe I'll look for a variegated one this year..isn't it funny how leaves vary but have similar traits..still haven't made it to Lowe's!..how many years have you grown begonias?..you might've mentioned it but I don't remember..I've loved plants ever since early adulthood..I've been pretty involved for at least 25 years..it's a great hobby isn't it?..

I am about done with GW with all their glitches. It seems to occur more and more. I just had a lot of text and a couple of photos on my reply and before I could even post, the website just went blank. GRRR!

I will just mention a couple of things without photos for now.

1) with the advent of large inexpensive external drives, ,pictures can all be stored today. I have 4 TB drives but I see there are now 10 TB and larger today! I have two 4 TB that are duplicates and a 3 TB network drive. When I got home from Thailand last year, one of my 4 TB bit the dust. I went to Best Buy, bought a duplicate and started the cloning that day - it took nearly 24 hours to copy that much information over but once it is done, then daily uploads is pretty fast.

2) I've been growing for 40+ years. My wife is the one who started in the houseplants and got several plants from her co-workers. One in particular caught my eye was "Angel Wing Begonia". This was probably 45 years ago. When we moved to Georgia and bought a house, I picked up a beautiful begonia and asked the old guy growing them what it was and he said "Angel Wing Begonia". WHOA! Stop the presses! How can I have two different begonias with the same name? I also picked up a small leaf begonia called "Trout Leaf Begonia". It would be another 20 years or so before 1) PCs became affordable and the internet was available even though it was dial-up to begin with 2) I got a greenhouse and needed more plants to fill it and 3) I found some groups that were into begonias. Only then did I find the names of these 3 begonias (all canes) - Lucerna (actually 'Corallina de Lucerna'), 'Sophie Cecile', and 'Medora'. WOW - they actually have names?

3) I had a mystery bloom in the very back of our lot that I never saw before over two weeks ago. I remembered to take some photos a couple of days ago. It dawned on me that I had Petasites variegata planted in the same area. I searched for blooms of Petasites and sure enough it was what I suspected. The early blooming stages are not that pretty but I have hope that it will finish out as the weather continues to improve (even though I heard we might get snow next week) I had posted two or three photos of the blooms and leaves of the plant before I lost all my typing. GRRR! No photos on this post.

Photos of Petasites

blooms not that pretty for now

Leaves look a lot better - probably would do a lot better in a boggy area.

Anyhoo I gave up on growing Gunnera after several attempts. Too hot or too cold and no pond to grow it on the edges.

The variegated form of Petasites (Giant butterbur) is smaller than the green form and not as thuggish from what I have read.

Other large leaf perennials (besides hostas) are Darmera, Crambe, Rodgersia, and several more. I have tried many times growing Chinese Rhubarb (Rheum palmatum) just for the large very cut leaves and beautiful bloom spikes. Other possibilities are Chinese Mayapples (Podophyllum

https://www.finegardening.com/article/big-leaved-perennials

https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=chinese+mayapple&FORM=HDRSC2

I had a Gardenweb malfunction where as you typed the letters and words they were duplicating..and trying to backspace and fix it didn't work either..on the hosta forum lots of complaints that photos wouldn't load..losing a comment that you've finished is very frustrating..

well it's been obvious that you have gardening experience!..you're ahead of me but I could catch up!..I had just 2-3 philodendron during the first 3 years we were married and living in our first home - a small condo..sold it and bought our first house July 1977..then I had a dozen or so plants..grape ivy, African violets, mother in law's tongue, schefflera and philodendron..and I planted petunias (never looked that great) and a Joseph's coat (alternanthera) that someone gave me outside..then off to CA for 5 years..we rented and played around so much..sightseeing..San Francisco 25 mins away..Napa..Yosemite..Arizona..Hawaii!..

husband was golfing..I was shopping..out to dinner..great fun but no gardening!..then back to Indianapolis and owning a home..my first shrub - a Blue Nikko hydrangea was a failure..no blooms..not my fault it's too cold here but I didn't know..we transformed the next 2 homes we owned inside and out..removed old shrubs and planted new ones..planted hostas and ferns..annuals in the ground and in pots..had my first begonias in house #3..I had wax begonias in the ground and dragon wings in pots..I never planted any trees until house #4 - this house..I've planted more plants here than all of the other 3 houses combined..I think I would've had even more in a warmer climate..

still refining my photo strategy..I was taking screenshots of pics when I should've "saved" or "shared" them..but now after "sharing" (to myself from a Gardenweb comment believe it or not it was the right option) they went to a Google photo file and I couldn't get them into my existing albums in my Gallery (possibly a Samsung gallery?) so I created a new album in a Google app..so 2 sets of albums now?..still working things out..as petrushka said..you could spend 10 hours a day on photography..

I've never tried any of the big leaf plants that you mentioned..Rodgersia sounds like my best bet..I like your variegated petasites..

there's still weird spacing..I tried to fix it and can't..

My reply was just lost when I posted. I am about to give up on GW.

I bet that was a shock moving from CA to IN? I guess you get used to it though.

Why would you spend 10 hours a day on photography? Unless you wanted to improve, learn, pursue a passion? I think if you get a good starter book and camera and learn all the features, your photography will improve but you have to start somewhere. I don't use an external gallery but a lot of folks do. I will move reduced photos to Dropbox to share with our begonia club or family from time to time. I think Google moved all my photos in Picasa to their new photo albums or whatever. Even the pictures I take on my phone somehow end up on their servers which bothers me. FB wants to do the same thing but I haven't allowed it. I had my wife add All Trails to her iPhone and I guess she allowed the app to post her photos on the trail to her space they reserved. I have the same app and Map My Hike but haven't allowed them access to my photos that I know of. Her distance is always just a little more than mine so I wonder how accurate it is but she does run ahead of me while I take photos of interesting things and then may hike back to see what is keeping me. Maybe the trackers are working like they should.

I will try adding one photo this time and see if it bombs. I like this tree on one of our trails we hike.

Yay it worked!

A small waterfall we like to visit and our dog loves to wade into the pool and get lots of water.

and our meth lab. I threw him a small limb and he lost it so brought back this big rotten limb.

I enjoy the comments and pics of people I "know" on Gardenweb but the site IS frustrating..I've considered dropping out too..but during the winter it's a great way to "garden"..pretty soon all of us will be outside and online less..sounds good to me!..keeping pictures organized is a battle..I created albums to be able to find a pic fast..I'm just figuring it out as I go along..I don't like the all invasiveness of modern technology either..using devices is a necessity these days..the few that don't use devices have to be inconvenienced at times..I think petrushka was just saying there's no end to what you could do and could spend 10 hours a day if you wanted..but that's not what I want to do..that tree is interesting..reminds me of a snake..not familiar with those apps..we don't take many walks..just never get around to it..the waterfall's is wonderful..can see why your dog loves it..that's a GREAT pic of your dog..he's so exuberant..and completely happy!!..bring your dog over to clean up my yard haha..

I realized after a few short years of taking photos that the organization was falling apart and I needed a new way to do it. I wasn't taking a lot of photos, still in the snapshot film frame of mind - don't waste film and don't worry how it will come out because you never know until the prints come back (film days). Then in 2004 (four years after I went digital) I started organizing photos by the date they were taken so a new folder per day but it was still a daily folder under one year. In 2005 is when I had my light bulb moment - a year folder, a month folder, and then a day folder. So much better. When II first started it was by subject so I might have a folder for plants, begonias but you can see that becomes very full very fast. There were other folders for say outdoor, indoor, azaleas, daylilies, tropical, etc. Not very pretty and the only way you know when it was taken is the details (date taken if your camera put that detail into the EXIF). Years later I found out that some software was doing their organization the same way I did mine. Cool, great minds think alike? HA! The daily file not only gets the day of the month but also a short description of the location and what it was about. Then if I have the time I name each picture for what it is too. A few minutes of my time after each upload but so worth it.

So here is a quick look at the photo layout on my external drive(s).

The hiking apps let you see how far you went, elevation gains, time you spent walking, total time, shows you trails you walked on or let you pick a trail and it will navigate (haven't tried those yet), calories based on your age, height, weight. Lots of good stuff.

Yeah, the tree was quite unique but I would like to remove the brush pile behind it for my photos - HA!

Our dog is an 11 year old puppy - still running up and down hills with a wagging tail. He is a joy to watch. Once we get to remote areas we take him off leash so he can run but keep an electronic collar on him so we can call him back if need be.

Here are a few more examples of my evolution to organize all my photos. I haven't gone back to the beginning to organize those.

It was 2003 that I started a yearly folder but it was a daily folder under that year and this proceeded for two more years. It was 2006 where I started adding a month folder under the year, then a daily folder under the month folder.

Anyway I moved all my really old folders under other projects when I was doing it by subject matter. (2000 through 2002)

Drilling down in the other projects folder to get to plants.

Then to begonias which has subfolders too. Whatever you do, NAME YOUR PHOTOS TOO! It will help finding a photo. You can see here that at times I kept the name that the camera assigns. I still do this for vacation pictures as I don't know all the names and will probably never see the place again.

Then in 2003 through 2005 I made a yearly folder but the daily folder was under the year.

In 2006, is when I started monthly folders and this became my template ever since.

hc..what a detailed system!..it's wonderful having your pics organized and accessible..you would have a frustrating situation trying to locate pics without it..I loved my alphabetized albums..since accidentally deleting them my newly created albums are full of blurry recovered photos..but I'll take new pics and they'll be pretty again..do you have negatives from your film days?..I do..they're in boxes and tidy but honestly I've considered pitching them..

using hiking apps, searching for plants and walking the dog sure makes your hikes busy and fun!!..maybe you should carry a rake and pruners so that you can clean up the backgrounds before you take pics of wild plants Ha!..

I still haven't been to Lowe's :-( ..both of us are tired today after spending 4 hours going to the hospital for hubby's endoscopy (he's fine)..hoping to have a nice day tomorrow..

Oh yes, shoeboxes of pictures and negatives, albums, and 3 ring binders full of vinyl sheets of slides. Who is going to look at them? I thought about scanning them in but too many for me to handle. I have scanned a few photos in but again it is a labor to do.

HAHA on the rake and pruners. I am sure the park service would ban me for life if they saw me carrying those. My wife is thinking about volunteering to help clean up some of the debris that comes floating down from the river after storms go through. It is disgusting how much debris (a lot of plastics) gets tossed (or lost - I will give some a benefit of doubt) that eventually ends up in storm drain to a creek to a river to the ocean.

Glad to hear your husband is fine. I used to have endoscopies for my GERD long ago. Had surgery for a hiatal hernia which helped tremendously.

Lowe's will still be around for your shopping pleasure. No rush.

Good old yardwork and strolling the great outdoors (the backyard) are always satisfying but going on a five mile hike with some steep hillsides will give you a very good workout plus see nature beyond our own backyard.

This steep hill will get your heartrate up very fast.

It never seems to end

even here, which looks like the top is not. You hang a right at the bench.

but the incline is less steep.

It is just a lot of up and down for another mile or two.

with more streams between the hills to explore for old Duke

almost to the end before heading back across the river

service road is a muddy mess

bridge to the final trail back

nice resurrection fern near the end

I've typed and lost TWO comments!..what a drag..those hills are steep..like San Francisco!..we do have a nice park nearby..just can't get out of our own front door..

that was an experiment to see if it would post..our park..

I'm using your strategy..posting several smaller comments..I have binders with vinyl pages for negatives too!..I have new EMPTY pages and paper envelopes of negatives with notes sigh..seriously do you remember when you last used a negative?..I don't..

my sister called and interrupted my typing..Nubby (our squirrel with a nub for a tail) came by this morning..he sits on the deck and looks in..he knows we have dry roasted unsalted peanuts..he touches my heart..

How far is the Eagle Creek Park from your house? I would be visiting that often if I lived there.

The park we go to is less than 10 miles from the house and the annual pass is less than $20 (senior discount and military service discount on top of that). At our other house we were closer to the National Battlefield Park with miles of trails, a lot of hills, and a nice little mountain (Kennesaw Mountain). We still love to go there but the distance is around 14 miles and the traffic is a lot worse.

Anyhoo, it isn't the Grand Canyon but it is within 15 minutes from home so we take advantage of the parks as often as we can. We also have a 60 mile bike trail nearby but my wife is not much for biking so we will walk those trails at times too, but not much on the way of hills and it is all paved so kind of boring.

Those squirrels are a PITA but as long as they stay in the yard and off the deck then we can co-exist. I like your nickname for your friendly squirrel - NUBBY!

Our old deck was nibbled to death (and old). This one probably wanted a massage.

Can't even put a hummingbird feeder out.

prefer the woodpeckers at the feeders than the squirrels.

I thought I messed up GW with the last post. Booted and still had errors. Now I am on a different browser just to see what I did but I had to establish my credentials again with the new browser.

I just remembered this photo from years ago - down in the Tampa area and saw this hawk in a tree. I think I distracted it from his potential lunch that day. A life and death standoff. I dared not get out of my truck in fear that I would scare one or both away. The squirrel kept on the side away from the hawk but after several minutes I left them to their end game whatever that turned out to be.

No great photos here as I did shoot from the truck but a cropped shot from the picture above.

it's close..Don says the park is less than a mile away..common to see people bike or walk in..if my own home and neighborhood weren't so parklike I would've walked to the park more..there's also a paved trail across the street from our neighborhood..people ride bikes and run..I prefer the park..the Greenway is too sunny..I love shade..posting this to take a call..

I forgot to say that we always suspected that a hawk injured Nubby..

I would definitely be hiking at the park if it is that close!

Those squirrels are entertaining and could be cute until you are invaded by dozens of them. We had a plastic pail with lid of bird food on the deck and those rascals were chewing away the lid! At our last house they got into our attic. Try sleeping when they are right over your bed scratching about and gnawing the joists!

Are those two hawks in your last photo on the wood arbor? The appear to be fairly big.

I find it interesting when you see other birds harassing a hawk such as these crows. I've seen mockingbirds do the same thing. Nature is strange at times?

I can't find the photo of one on our deck - probably didn't give it a name when I downloaded it. Shoot! HAHA!

How about some turkeys instead.

vultures that were feeding on an armadillo. They flew off when I got too close.

They sure are ugly

I would say we have 5?6? squirrels..they HAVE made me mad..digging in a new pot..or by a new plant..but I'm stuck..my yard is a park and they're here to stay..thankfully so far they aren't on my roof or interested in coming in the house..we see hawks often..one on my birdbath..

Most people think when some plants start blooming that winter is over. We had a blizzard in GA over 20 years ago in late March (our only blizzard in 41 years since moving here). We had snow on April 1 one year - about four inches and it was all gone that afternoon but killed my old man cactus that had wintered over for months in the garden. We had a cold snap one Easter (mid April) that killed many limbs of Japanese maples and magnolias that had come out earlier. Anyway, spring will eventually get here.

Most of our daffodils have been blooming for a few weeks, my star magnolia in full bloom, forsythia, flowering quince, camellias, hellebores, mahonia, maples, pears, and some cherries in bloom or over. It was 34 this morning and we are looking at low 20's tomorrow morning which I fear will zap my purple magnolia that is exposed many bloom buds (but not opened yet).

Not my magnolia but along the many roads near by. Pink always opens before the purple ones which I do have.

star magnolia

camellias