Hen and Chicks

[alfredo]

I broke out my Mir 1b 37mm, slapped on a 10mm extension tube and snapped these. I was waiting for bugs, got bored and snapped a few of the plants on my porch.

[Solly Mack]

1. Bored waiting for bugs? I don't know what to do with that.

Nice close-ups.

[alfredo]

2. I guess I will have to go to the arboretum, they have bugs.

[Solly Mack]

3. All the best ones do.

[alfredo]

8. The best Italian restaurants have great lamb.

If the lamb isn't good, everything else is suspect.

[Solly Mack]

9. I blame Mary

[alfredo]

14. As long as she doesn't mind.

[Solly Mack]

15. That would be a little selfish of her.

[alfredo]

17. That's typical.

[Solly Mack]

18. True. Take a lamb to school and then complain when it learns something.

[alfredo]

20. Was Mary with the lamb and Mary with the garden the same person?

[Solly Mack]

21. Nah. Not all Marys are the same Mary.

[alfredo]

22. Learn something every day.

[Solly Mack]

23. Good thing you didn't marry a Mary then.

Awful lot of explaining you'd have to do.

[alfredo]

24. I lived in a Catholic town, so there were many girls named Mary.

Dating or marrying a Catholic was an offense that could get me disowned. We were Episcopalian, almost Catholic, but close wasn't good enough.

[Solly Mack]

25. Oh, my. I'd have been a thorn in the side of a lot of people.

I came out feet first have been challenging norms ever since.

[alfredo]

26. Mom was in in labor for 20 hrs. Once underway, my birth was fast.

I mull over something for a long time before acting, then I do it in short order. When I built kites, I would fly them in my mind. Once I sit down to do it, I don’t stop until done. I’d fly it once, then give it away. If it didn’t fly well, it was recycled.

[Solly Mack]

27. I enjoyed flying kites as a child. Though my older - and taller - siblings felt I

made the experience less pleasant. I always needed help.

Mom set aside old sheets for balance/tails and in the Spring out we'd go.

You didn't keep any of the kites you made? Not even one you especially liked?

[alfredo]

28. I can't look up because of the vertigo, so kite flying is out.

I kept my fighting kites because I like looking at them, and i’d Rather an experienced flyer received them. If you don’t know what you are doing, they are no fun.

This is the most famous design. This type of kite was a copy and refinement of the Indian fighting kite. The Dutch traders brought Indian kite to Japan. This and many other Hata kites are red white and blue, just like the Dutch flag.

[Solly Mack]

29. Sweet. I don't fly them anymore and haven't in years but I always

get the hankering around March each year.

[alfredo]

30. In spring I pretend that I'm going to seal the deck.

[Solly Mack]

31. That'll keep you busy.

[alfredo]

32. I might have to pay someone to do it.

[Solly Mack]

33. That happens from time to time.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

4. These are gorgeous, alfredo!

I am especially taken with the exquisite details on the edges. Such clarity!

[alfredo]

6. Thanks, that lens is so good. The Russians made some fine lenses.

Last edited Sat Jul 7, 2018, 08:20 PM - Edit history (1)

They copied European lenses, in this case, the Zeiss Flektogon.

Correction, it is not a copy of that lens, they used their own formula.

[sprinkleeninow]

10. So the Russnakis made good lenses in addition to their Stoli.

I plum forgot I did plant a Sedum last year. I love Sedum very much. Had them all over the place two residences ago. Succulents are sturdy and these that bloom, WOW.

[alfredo]

12. The varieties available is mind boggling.

The Mir is good with extension tubes, because of the creamy bokeh.

[sprinkleeninow]

16. I had had an assumption that a 35 mm SLR would result in this bokeh

effect anyway?

[alfredo]

19. I used a lens for a 35mm, the Mir 1b 37mm 2.8 with extension tubes.

It seems to be well suited for macro.

[sprinkleeninow]

5. I am enamoured of succulents.

I have faux ones 'tho. My life is more complicated than ever b4.

Nice photos.

[alfredo]

7. I love succulents

[yonder]

11. We bought our house about 33 years ago.

It came with 3 smallish pots of hens and chicks on the front porch. Frost broke one pot several years ago. The other two are doing just fine. Hardy little buggers.

[alfredo]

13. Mine are putting out a bunch of chicks. My Prickly Pears are native to the US, and have great blooms