Poetic Shutterbug

Photos taken at the San Francisco Botanical Garden . Visit Today's Flowers for more gorgeous photography.

I am going to be very honest and blunt about the quote on this photo.  I found this on a Facebook page and thought to myself whoever said this has obviously never seen or been around babies. I see babies and toddlers daily and they have the most innate ability to charm the entire world around them with their sense of wonderment and childlike innocence.    Their smiles can light up the universe. I truly believe we are all born with happiness seeping through our heart and soul.  We don't need to "create" happiness because it lives within us.  As we grow older with less childlike innocence we need to learn how to let go of the past and allow our inherent happiness to live in the moment. 1.  How do you interpret this quote? 2.  Do you live in the moment or let past memories dictate how you live your life? 3.  Bonus ? - What makes you happy? Click the above widget for more two questions meme fun.

Photos taken at the San Francisco Botanical Garden Visit Outdoor Wednesday for more outdoor fun.

Taken at the Rose Garden in Golden Gate Park Taken at the San Francisco Botanical Garden Taken at the Conservatory of Flowers Click the above widget for more Flowers on Saturday fun.

Giving Back @ Amazon Giving Back @ Createspace   Today I want to talk about volunteering and donating.  I grew up in a large family, Mom, Dad, me and three younger Brothers.  Giving back was instilled in us at an early age.  We were not rich by any stretch of the imagination and my parents always had to cut corners in order to make ends meet.  They scrimped and saved in order to send us all to Catholic school where they felt we would receive a good education - and we did.  I remember at a young age when we were all asked by my parents to give of our toys and used clothes to the community where less fortunate children could benefit from what we had.  We were always taught that whatever we had should be shared even though we did not have much.  I remember thousands of times my Mom would literally empty her wallet of bills and her coin purse of coins to help us and others.  These memories have always stayed with me. Over the years I...

Photos taken at the Rose Garden in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco Click the above widget for Your Sunday Best.

Now, this is not the first time you've seen Claude appearing on Poetic Shutterbug.  However, since Saturday, September 15th is his 17th birthday I had to pay tribute to him by asking all of you to wish him a Happy Birthday :) Photos taken at the California Academy of Sciences .   Click the above widget for more Camera Critters fun...

Winter in the Country 1857 by: George Henry Durrie Scene in the Arctic 1880 by: William Bradford Oranges in Tissue Paper 1890  by: William Joseph McCloskey Today I am bringing you a few of my favorite paintings from the DeYoung Museum here in San Francisco.  I am an art lover and though I do appreciate modern art, my heart is with traditional pieces.  I have always enjoyed snow scenes and the artist George Henry Durrie in my opinion is one of the best and my favorite.   He is one of the top artists for the Currier and Ives collections. Winter scenes have always touched my heart and made me feel safe and comfortable.  I also noticed that while typing the information for each painting that they and others that I admire hail from the nineteenth century.  The coincidence is that my favorite poets also lived in that same time frame. 1.  Could it be I was poetic shutterbug in an earlier life and lived among these artists? ...

Photos taken in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco. Visit Wild Bird Wednesday for more great birding photography.

Blue Passiflora (Passion Flower) Taken at the SF Botanical Gardens. Click the above widget for more gorgeous flower photos.

Click the above widget for more Camera Critters fun.

 Visit Wordless Wednesday for more great wordless photography.

Photos taken at the dahlia garden in Golden Gate Park. Visit Macro Monday for more great macro photography.

Join us September 6 and 13 for three exciting events! Come to the Botanical Garden September 6 at 5:00 pm for "Drawing Nature," a reception celebrating our new botanical art exhibit. Then at 6:00 pm, take a very special "Walk Through Time" with Don Mahoney and Jason Martinez in our Ancient Plant Garden. September 13 brings a brand new botanical photography exhibit reception at PHOTO gallery in Oakland benefitting San Francisco Botanical Garden Society. You’re Invited! "Drawing Nature" art exhibit at the Library Artists Reception Thursday September 6, 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm MORE INFO  >> Celebrate fall with the Sonoma County Colored Pencil Artists at a special reception  Thursday, September 6  at the Helen Crocker Russell Library of Horticulture. The exhibit runs September 5 – December 30 and focuses on the changing colors of falling leaves, fruit and flowers.  All artwork in the exhibition is for sale, with a portion of the proceeds benefit...