The Street Less Traveled

Blog hopping allows me to discover new things, and today, I discovered this meme, and I liked what it stands for.




This week, the theme is street. This was a picture I took last April when I went for a vacation in my mom's hometown in Bolinao, Pangasinan. My mom's family lives in Santiago Island, and although the island is now starting to show signs of "life" (concrete roads, motorcycles, big houses), more than 50% of the island is still very much on the countryside.

This street was one of the many streets that wasn't paved with concrete yet. My niece (a cousin's daughter) told me we would take this road instead of the main street to save some time. I actually had some qualms walking on this street, when I was young, my brother and I would do summer vacation here, and this road would lead to the house of "Crazy Bino," a person I am most afraid of because he was crazy. I remember an instance that I nearly fell a well because he wanted to "attack" me. May he rest in peace, my aunt said he died some years ago.

Walking through this dusty street brings back memories of childhood. It's nice to trace back footsteps of the past.

*** Jenn ***

Red Hibiscus

I was walking out of the neighborhood to do some errands, when I noticed this one red hibiscus flower in one of the gardens. Since my errand won't take long and I will be traveling back home right after, I didn't bring my camera anymore. At first I battled it in my head if I were to use my cell phone or will I just try to take a picture of the flower later in the afternoon (or when I get back home), but then I thought the flower might not be there come later, so might as well take a picture "now."

I love my cell phone, and how it works just like a basic digital camera (I can change settings from macro to normal to infinity and I can change the exposures and white balance), however I was quite aiming for a sharp pistil/stamen and quite blurry petals, but because the macro setting in my cell phone's camera didn't have the "center weighted average," no matter how I try, I would be getting sharper petals and blurry pistil/stamen.

Still, I consider this one a blessing. I came home an hour after I took this picture and saw that the flower was gone. Maybe someone picked it, or the wind blew it away, but there was one lesson learned: when you're presented with something, grab it.

*** Jenn ***

The Purple Orchid

It's been a while since I last posted an image for Today's Flowers... I am happy to be on board this week. :)




I don't know the name of this flower, but this one blooms around March - April every year. We have this orchid in our own garden, but this particular flower was taken in my Aunt's garden when I went over for a short vacation this year. Whenever I am there, I do take time to roam around, see places, but there are a few days into the vacation when I just stay at home, enjoy watching television, and yes... checking my Aunt's garden for some flowers and critters I could take pictures of.

If anyone knows the name of the flower, please do tell me. Thank you.

*** Jenn ***

Framed

It was really difficult for me to blog every weekends, but I am happy I could join Photo Hunt this week.




The theme for this week is "Framed," and although the first thing to enter my mind was a picture I took while eating lunch at a food place in Picnic Grove during a short trip to Tagaytay City, I decided to go for this instead - another picture taken in Tagaytay during the said trip, but this was taken while eating breakfast at One Tagaytay Place, where I stayed for the night. My friend and I took the table near the divider so we can watch TV while eating, and as we wait for the foods to be served, I noticed this table showing from one of the spaces in the divider. I was actually waiting for someone to sit there, or for one of the staffs to walk by, but it didn't happen. Still, I guess this one was a good shot in itself.

Happy weekends, everyone!

*** Jenn ***

Banana Island

Despite the unpredictable weather during our short vacation in Coron (Palawan), we were very happy and blessed that the sun was shining on us when we reached Banana Island. Actually, it did rain while we were eating lunch, but after a while the skies cleared up again. Just being away from the "real world" for a while was a piece of heaven for us. I loved the short stay in Banana Island. I loved the clear blue waters and the skies.

*** Jenn ***

About to Surf

It's been a while since I last posted a picture for Weekday Photos, and for this week on Nature Challenge, it's about the "Ocean Waves," and here is my share:




A picture I took during the Surf Break 4 in Urbiztondo Beach - San Juan, La Union. Every year, during the last weekend of October, this beach holds the Surf Break, and because I am always in La Union during this time of the year, I make sure I include watching the festivities on my planner.

Of course, I am now preparing for my travel north come October for the next Surf Break. This time I will make sure I would take lots and lots of pictures!

*** Jenn ***

F - Four O'Clock Flower

Freesia and Fuchsia are just two of "F" flowers I had in mind, but I don't have any picture of either two. I was about to just share "Fake Flowers," until I searched about flowers starting in "F." To my surprise, I found out there really was a flower called, "Four O'Clock." When I was a kid, our next door neighbor used to have a plant called, "Alas Kwatro," which was "Four O'Clock" in English. Our neighbor told me that it was called such, because the flowers bloom at four o'clock, and the flowers were closed all throughout the day. I really thought it was just a name known here in our country, but as I clicked on that four o'clock flower I saw on the net, I was so amazed that they are the same flower.




Our next door neighbors don't have the plant in their garden anymore, but I know of a place where I could find the plant. I went to this big store in the neighborhood three streets away from our house, but I went there around 11AM this morning and found the flowers closed. I decided to come back around 6PM tonight, and found the flowers have opened up. I couldn't contain my happiness.

There were yellow and white flowers, but I decided to share this one instead. Isn't it wonderful to learn something because of the memes? I knew sharing flowers for this round of ABC Wednesday would be difficult (especially when the hard letters come - J, K, O, Q, X, Z), but I am thankful that I still haven't missed a week. :)

*** Jenn ***

E - Everlasting

For letter E, I am sharing a picture of everlasting, which is also called Paper Daisy or Straw Flower. Here in the Philippines, it is called everlasting because even if the flower has already wilted, it still looks the same... well, the old ones were slightly brownish in color. Because of its very long life, this flower is often used as offering to religious statuettes.

This flower is also the symbol of Baguio City, where I took this picture March 2009.

*** Jenn ***