Exceptional flowers

What makes a flower picture really exceptional? The Retired One (whose May contest I won) has challenged us to enter her June contest on "Flowers." Well, that's a tall order, when I realize that a flower all by itself is beautiful, and a photographer can find all kinds of reasons for thinking that her picture is exceptional. I took this one when the flowers I set out to attract hummingbirds came out, and I think it's pretty exceptional, but there are so many others that are even more attractive.

You can always hope for a brilliant insect to land on a flower, adding a certain other dimension to the picture, and what could make this beautiful white Canterbury Bell more exceptional that the addition of a green-hued insect? (Click any to appreciate fully.)

Yesterday while walking to the dentist's office, I spied these beautiful California poppies. They helped me remember all the times I saw them previously and immediately made my feel good. Of course, getting to the dentist's office was not something I was looking forward to, no matter how much I might love my dentist, and I was glad to snap a picture of these orange beauties.

Now that it's been a day since the dentist put that permanent crown on, I'm still hoping that the sensitivity I'm feeling will dissipate. After all, I didn't have it with the temporary, and after all that pushing and pulling I am hoping that is the reason for the continuing sensitivity. Having dental work is not that different from other kinds of pain: once I have it and it goes away, I can't remember when I had the pain before. Is that normal? I'm not talking hot and cold sensitivity but a mild ache when I bite down on foods.

I'm hoping that life is treating all of you well today, and that summer is taking ahold in your part of the world and making the wonders of the season available to you. Finally summer seems to have arrived in the Pacific Northwest, as we had our first day over 75 degrees on Wednesday. It had been a full nine months!
:-)