BUMBERSHOOT

“Bumbershoot”! Seattle’s answer to New Orleans’ Mardi gras, and now I have a whole new interpretation of the term. The title fits, for obvious reasons. And Northwest rain, traditionally, is a good thing to celebrate because of the richness of green beauty it produces; the temperate climate; the ‘ooh/ahh” factor of all surrounding landscapes.

I had my own Bumbershoot yesterday! But my private celebration reads “Bumber Shoot”: a time to photograph umbrellas! I remembered that a friend has a collection of deliciously-colored golf umbrellas; the colors of rainbow sherbet, intensified. This next week our grandson is getting married and his fiancé has chosen the colors of gerbera daisies for the wedding. Gerberas are the life of the garden party themselves! Well, I fairly itched to take photos of those gerbera-colored umbrellas in order to make M’s bridal shower gift card.

My friend was more than accommodating! Not only did she offer the umbrellas, she welcomed me into their paradisiacal property on a private lake! I was there alone; I felt like the woodland fairy version of Mary Poppins, running here and there with “my” bouquet of umbrellas. I have never “staged” photos before. I am usually the one moving acrobat-like and getting into awkward positions to frame and shoot the picture I want.

I call this one "The Gossips":

I didn't think of captions while I was running about. That came later, with the download.

"You go first!" "No, you go first!":

I took advantage of a charming weathered plant holder:

"Wheeeeee!":

"Did someone remember the sunscreen?":

Debussy composed a little prelude he titled “Morning Mist”. The lake was unruffled as the sun came up, trying to punch its way through the steamy vapor, and now whenever I hear or play that piece I will have a mental image of this enchanting morning at the lake. And – yippee! – the sun back-lighted the umbrellas.

The intensity of colors changed as the sun got more brave: