BSM: Best Shot Monday - November 2, 2009

This being the beginning of November, I thought it would be nice to offer up an image taken in our canyon of our ROGERS' RED (California native) Grape (vine) -- turning color. Most of the year, it's green, but here, you can see the leaves are starting to turn ... RED. It produces adorable, tasty, yet seed-filled TINY grapes that are a favorite of not just the neighborhood birds, but our grandkids like them, too.

The birds like them SO much, we've got a 'volunteer' growing along with our climbing white rose up against the chimney, right near our front door - this year, I've been tickled by the little grape cluster that hangs perfectly framed within one of our living room windows. It's charming ...

So there you have my BSM {Best Shot Monday} for this beautiful first Monday of November, 2009.

-- Princess Magpie

BSM: Best Shot Monday - October 19, 2009

I actually have what I consider one of my BEST EVER (yet) Best Shot Monday images for this week; I'm so excited about it, I am posting it on Sunday evening, a whole 12 hours early ...

This was taken from our front walk on Wednesday, 14 October 2009 ... as I ran out to capture the beautiful sunset that evening, I was even more excited once I saw the enormous military helicopters slowly lumbering their way south over the ocean ...

What do YOU think?

-- Princess Magpie

BSM: Best Shot Monday, September 7, 2009

Well, it's MONDAY, and you know what that means ... so here you go ... another BSM {Best Shot Monday, a la Tracey Clark} image to enjoy (I hope!).

This was taken in my garden this morning, after the Flower Fairies (aka, Kaia & Kiara) had their way with one ripe cantaloupe and a piece of throwaway blown glass from my friend Cindy McQuade ...

What do you think?!

And then, there is this photo, which I took on the evening of August 21, 2009 when Mark and I were in Montana at his folks' place at Flathead Lake. My father-in-law had saved up quite a pile of kindling and brush to burn, and we had one heck of a fabulous bonfire that night. It was extra special to me because August 21 was my mother's birthday ... well, it would have been her 86th birthday, if she had not died five years ago. SO this fire's for you, Edith. Blaze on !!!!!

I love you, Mom ...

-- Davielle

BSM: Best Shot Monday 8-31-09

My last shot at an August 2009 BSM ... Best Shot Monday.

I'm taking full advantage of the fact that today is, in fact, a MONDAY. I am back on the BSM track, and happy to be here.

I hope you all enjoy this image of a Swallowtail butterfly perched on a Duranta in full blook in our yard, which I took in September 2008 ... 11 months ago, now. It's just been lurking in the back of my mind, waiting for the most perfectly beautiful summer Monday to post.

-- Princess Magpie

BSM: Best Shot Monday - August 10, 2009

Here's my BSM for today ...

It's our youngest "grand", Kaia, holding and directing our attention to ...

The world's absolute SMALLEST SNAIL SHELL. {I'm sure it's the smallest ever.}

Have you ever seen such a thing?

To put this into perspective for you, I also photographed that snail shell side-by-side with a Prednisone tablet. They're rather small themselves, those Pred tabs.

-- Princess Magpie

BSM: Best Shot Monday - July 27, 2009

I know, I've been remiss about posting my BSM images ... I needed a break, I guess.

But now, I am BAAAAACK and ready to select ... that special ... BSM.

Today's image was taken on our first morning in Venice; as Kristina and I sat quietly absorbing the view of the Grand Canal, and the early-morning activity of the Gondoliers and the tradesmen, I put the camera (Canon, G9) on "sport" setting and happily clicked away.

no, this isn't my BSM ... just a lead-in ...

When Kristi saw TODAY'S IMAGE, she said, "well, THERE's your BSM". I was so in vaca-mode, I had to ask her what BSM was !!!

Given that it was early Tuesday morning, it was technically STILL a Monday back home in California, and I could have run upstairs, uploaded this to my laptop, and posted it right then & there. I opted not to do that ... I opted to stay in that vacation-moment, enjoying my morning with my girls.

I told you I needed a break ... :-).

no, this isn't it, either ...

this is Kristi & Kiara at Hotel Monaco Grand Canal / Venice, Italy

So here you go ...

THIS, this, is my BSM image ... note the yellow carton in mid-air ...

I love my camera! Venice, Tuesday 14 July 2009

It's good to be back, friends.

-- Princess Magpie

BSM: Best Shot Monday - June 22, 2009

It's that time again ... it's Monday, and that can only mean one thing here on I AM PRINCESS MAGPIE ... Best Shot Monday!



Although this was taken several months ago, it has stuck in my mind all this time ... so I'm posting it TODAY as my BSM, even though I did not take it "just last week".

Hope that's okay.

This is our Rat Terrier ROCKY playing with SOPHIE, a rather large Rhodesian Ridgeback who he (Rocky) happens to be crazy about. :-)

-- Princess Magpie

BSM: Best Shot Monday - April 20, 2009

Here is this week's post for BSM: Best Shot Monday.

this is our 'Forest Pansy' (aka, cerces) in Spring leaf & bloom (you can barely make out the tiny pink blooms in this photo ...)

And because I noticed that my first three BSM posts were all nature-related, I wanted to also post a more personal image this week ...

this is our amazing Rat Terrier, ROCKY ...

sporting his Woofstock 2009 bandana on Easter morning !!!

Wishing everyone a beautiful Monday and a terrific week .... and sending out a HAPPY BIRTHDAY greeting to our niece, Barbara, too.

-- Princess Magpie