Monday, August 9, 2010

Outstanding in a Field

Sunflowers One

I have been looking for a sunflower field, in fact we have been taking different back roads to town looking for a field.  Surely someone must have planted one lousy field.  Then one day it was there right along the road..I am always looking for the buffalo to be out in their front pasture, so I totally missed this field while it was growing, hard to miss once it blooms.

 Sunflowers two

Far Guy and Chance indulged me.  Nothing prettier than a whole field of these beauties.. in my opinion.  I did not go into the field..but I did stand on the very edge..I may have even trespassed by a few inches.

Sunflowers three 

If I were a farmer, I would only plant Sunflowers and Flax.  I would love to see a flax field in full bloom..I have not seen one in a really time.

sunflowers four

I love all flowers, but the Aster family of which the sunflower is a member in good standing is my favorite family.  And yellow would be my favorite flower color.

sunflowers five

I was asked recently if I always had an appreciation for flowers, and yes I have always liked them. My Mother and Grandmother always had flowers, and my second grade teacher who lived nearby had beautiful gardens.  When I decided to go back to school/or pick a totally different career after we sold our small fishing resort on the lake..I took a year off to figure it out. I was thinking about something in Horticulture or becoming a Travel Agent..there was a glut of travel agents..and I really didn’t want to open a travel agency..I just wanted to travel.  I finally ended up at NDSU in one of the admissions counselors offices..I took one of those tests..one of those “what would you be most happy at tests.”  My top results were Child Care Worker, Police Officer and Horticulturist.  I had worked in the child care field several times, and while I enjoyed it immensely I could not see it leading anywhere..I enjoy kids, but everyday?  At 45 and with a bad leg I figured that I wouldn’t even pass the physical to be a Police Officer..so I enrolled in Horticulture classes at NDSU, I majored in Horticulture and minored in Forestry.  I loved it there and would have been very happy to be a student there the rest of my life, taking classes and making young friends..eventually getting a degree, perhaps several ..but alas that was not to be, life intervened, first the 500 year flood of 1997 and then the next year Far Guy was retired from the Military and he said it was my turn to work for awhile.  I took a job in Northern Idaho as a grower, it was beautiful there..zone 5.  Far Guy asked if I couldn’t please do the same thing in Minnesota. Yes, I guess I could. In fact perhaps I could grow and sell some of my own plants, now that I am retired from the Greenhouse business, I have time to once again appreciate flowers.  The ones grown by someone else, the wildflowers that bloom effortlessly..and the sunflowers in a field. :)

This is my first experience with Windows Live Writer..It went pretty well..the only bad thing I noticed was an inability to click on the photos to enlarge them, other than that I give it two thumbs up! :)

23 comments:

RURAL said...

Oh sunflowers! I love them, I would love to find a field of them somewhere. What a dream come true. Hey, maybe I can plant them in our fields when we get a farm.

Serendipity, life changes and gives us what we need, it was a good move for you to go into Horticulture. I am sure that there was much joy in the flowers that you sold.

And yes, after it is all over, it's a better appreciation of them isn't it? It's wonderful while you are in the thick of it, but it's also nice to move on.

I love your photos, and could click on them to make them bigger without any problems. WLW is my favorite. I use it for all of my blogs, and am so glad to have been introduced to it.

Jen

Barbara said...

I love the pictures, my daughter collects sunflowers everything, she would love seeing all these for real, heehee, they would look good with my roosters too, thanks, Hugs Barbara

Country Gal said...

I always enjoy your stories and photos. I have learn't all my Horticulture from living on the farm as my mum & dad were avid veggie and flower gardeners.They both were British and farmed like they did in the old farming country of Britan. We lived off of our farm veggies and livestock. I one day would like to have my own business of a old country general store inside and out! Thats my dream ! one day !

Patsy said...

God's food for my birds and more.LOL

Linda said...

I love the shot of the field of sunflowers....they're one of my favorites too. I'm missing live writer on this Mac, I really liked it other than the fact that you could only post one size of picture.

L. D. said...

I always enjoyed our trips to Grand Rapids and on the way home we always hit fields of sunflowers. Sometimes planted on both sides. The color is so great. I didn't get any planted this year. Your photos are marvelous.

Anonymous said...

Some of the most beautiful sunflower photos I've seen any where Connie - just gorgeous! Thanks so much for sharing them with me.

Leah said...

Nice pictures -- beautiful - I Love them! Thanks for tidbit - I had been watching them but when you go to town once a week the reminder was good! And mine are ready to be posted today - maybe I'll change it up a bit --- Great shots!

The Retired One said...

OMG! You SERIOUSLY need to blow these up to at least 16X20's and frame them....and also make some greeting cards of them...they are FABULOUS photos!

Gail said...

You said it...OUTSTANDING!

Lynda said...

I have never seen a whole field of sunflowers - - - maybe not even in a commercial or a picture - - until now. It is absolutely gorgeous, breath-taking, and "happy-looking." It looks like something you could just stare at for hours!

THANK YOU for telling us how your passion for posies was developed. It's often easier to see something looking back than when we are going forward. It was a very interesting story.

West Side of Straight said...

You got great pics!

LadyFi said...

Your sunflower shots are just gorgeous! Stunning! Amazing... Yes, I like them... Can you tell? ;-)

Alan Burnett said...

Stunning pictures. Congratulations.

Lanny said...

Hey, those sunflowers are crazy! What a sight a whole field like that must be. Bet and I have been considering growning a large patch of flax for her birds - omega eggs you know.

Paul C said...

You have captured the stunning, audacious beauty of a field of sunflowers.

gayle said...

Beautiful sunflower pictures! I have one with my dad and daughters in a field in Nebraska!!! I think his favorite flowers were sunflowers!

What is Windows Live Writer? I guess I will Google it!!

Maery Rose said...

I walked past a couple sunflowers yesterday growing by someone's mailbox and was thinking I'd like to plant some in my yard next year, but I've never seen a whole field like that. They are such fun flowers!

Love the test results. I took something like that in high school and it said I should be a forest ranger or farmer. I should have listened. I was never meant to be working inside at a desk.

Rae said...

Wow! That sunflower field would be a sight for sore eyes. It is gorgeous with all that bright yellow. I enjoyed reading about your education experience. You did wonderfully well. In another life I think horticulture would be something I would like too.

DayPhoto said...

Like you I love sunflowers. I even love the wild ones.

Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com

patty said...

would love to see that field of sunflowers. i call them happy flowers

Karen said...

Wow, those sunflower fields have the canola fields beat hands down! Great pictures:)

Rita said...

Sunflowers are such delightfully happy looking flowers. These photos are great!! I'm glad you changed your path and have all this knowledge of wildflowers to share with us. I have always loved wildflowers, but have never had names/information to go with them. :)