Mt LeConte Sunset (one year ago)

About a year ago (plus five days) from today, I hiked to the top of Mt LeConte (in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park) for the first time and stayed overnight in the lodge at the top. Wow, what a trip. The path was icy and very steep in some places but I kept going even though I knew there was some risk of slipping and falling. I survived the trip just fine and really enjoyed my stay at the top of Mt LeConte overnight at the Mt LeConte Lodge. Here are pictures from that trip including the sunset at the top, some of the buildings of the lodge just past sunset, and also an icicle I found on the way up. It was five miles up and five miles back, and took pretty much a whole day in each direction (due to photo stops and ice) but worth it.

Point Poipu in Kauai

I went to Hawaii recently and visited a couple of the islands. I enjoyed the western isalnd of Kauai because there was lots of nice scenery. Here is a view of the coastline near where I stayed. This is toward the south eastern edge of the island. The sun was setting behind me and had just dropped below a hillside.

Prairie Dog Alarm

I have neglected my wildflower "blog" for a long time due to a recent move and all kinds of other things going on. However, I was recently in the Badlands of South Dakota and I found this wonderful little prairie dog. He/she was giving the alarm call to warn other doggies of a possible threat. What a brave little dog. I was as close as I could get with a 300 mm lens and not much time before having to head to the mud formations to catch some warm and soft evening light. But here is one of a few doggies that I photographed at a prairie dog community not far from the side of the road. It might not qualify as true nature photography but I sure had fun.

Blue Cohosh (Buds and Blooms)

Blue Cohosh Buds
Blue Cohosh Flowers (and visitor)

Here are some blue cohosh buds from back in March. I found these in the Greenbriar area of the Smokies. Below these buds, are some flowers in bloom, which I found yesterday in southern Virginia. The Smokies are at least a week or two ahead of Virginia, in general, but it varies with location and particularly elevation. On top of that, some plants bloom earlier than others due to the natural variation within the population. [PS: It was somewhat windy on the day I got these shots, so it took great patience and careful timing to stop the motion. Add to that the movement of the pollinator and you can guess it was a challenge, but a fun challenge. Pollinators always make wildflower photography more exciting!]

Dutchmen's Breeches

I found this plant yesterday while walking through the woods of southern Virginia. This Dutchman's Breeches has PINKINSH flowers instead of the typical white. It is not unheard of, but it is uncommon! This hint of pink in the petals gives an idea that the pink color of "bleeding hearts" (a domesticated relative) is indeed a natural phenomenon, just selected for intentionally (by humans) over time. Genetic variation is pretty cool.

Spring Flowers are Blooming Again!

It has been forever since I posted a spring wildflower photo here. Sorry about that. I have been busy doing too many other things (including weddings and directories). As of last week, I am working as efficiently as possible on preparations for the upcoming Annual Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage in the Smokies. It begins the week of April 20. I am doing a Wednesday presentation after the kick off lunch (check the printable brochure on the home page). I will also be selling photos as a vendor. Here is one photo that I have just prepared and printed up as a card; I will make some larger prints too. It is Sweet White Trillium. I got this shot last year (same week as last year's pilgrimage) when hanging out with my photographer friend Kyle. He "found" the shot but let me try it too. The front (lower) flower is intentionally in focus while the back flower (top) is not. The shot can work ok as long as the "out of focus" part appears intentional rather than as just a mistake!

New Tabby

It started with a trip to Petsmart to return the steps that Buttercup never used, steps that were supposed to help her climb up to the bed on her own. (See below to read about Buttercup's final summer and her last day with us in August.) And being at Petsmart, I had to walk past the adoption area. After all, the cats and kittens are so beautiful and I just had to see them even though I knew it would make me sad.
As I rounded the corner, I saw a beautiful small tabby. Her ID tag said she was a mother cat, found as a stray. She was alone in the cage. I fell in love.
I looked at all the kitties in all the cages, including kittens, and knew that the tabby momma was the one who would most need a home. And I left, knowing that we have two cats and that my husband would probably prefer to stick with just two for a while. I had tried to suggest kittens a few weeks ago and he said he just didn't think it was a good time for that.
I dropped a hint or two here and there. And then the following night, my husband said one adult tabby would be an acceptable addition to the family, bringing us back to three cats. We agreed to stop by Petsmart the next afternoon to adopt her--part of a birthday "surprise" for him, but really more for me and the boys.
I could not sleep. All night I kept imagining that she would already be adopted and that wasting two days without making a move would have meant that she is already gone. I decided to assume she was already gone just so I would not be disappointed if she was gone when I got there.
I ended up going to Petsmart at 9:30 that morning; it was Saturday. The store opened at 9. I wanted to check on the kitty and get the adoption started as soon as possible. It was going to be a surprise for our two boys who love kitties as much as I do.
As I rounded the corner, her cage was empty! But I quickly noticed the back was open and a volunteer was cleaning the cage. I looked through the glass and beyond the cages, and there she was, just running around in the area where people meet cats they want to adopt. She looked up at me, with a bounce in her step. My eyes watered.
Anyway, I found a Petsmart employee to help me, and she said that adoptions usually take several days to complete, for good reason. They need to make sure the family is a good match for that cat and everything seems ok and safe. I wrote my name and number on a sheet of paper and indicated which cat I wanted. The employee told me that I would have to wait for a volunteer from the agency to call me, probably Monday. Petsmart itself does not do the adoptions.
The employee said that the volunteer would be stopping by later that day to check on the cats, and that volunteer would initiate the adoption process, but that she knew nothing about the details of the procedure and I would just have to wait and see. Urgh! Meanwhile, I asked whether I could meet the kitty and pet her. She said that employees are not allowed to let people meet the cats, but since the other volunteer was there to clean cages, it would be ok as long as the volunteer said it was ok with her. Well, the volunteer cleaning the cages was wonderfully sweet and said of course it would be ok.
I entered the tiny closet-sized "meeting" room and feel in love even more. I spent 40 minutes petting the beautiful tabby. She purred almost the entire time. I wanted to drag it out as long as possible for hopes that somehow the person in charge of her might show up and we could make sure that I would be the one to eventually take her home. I was lucky... and had good timing. I overheard someone through the door talking to another person about the cats, calling them by name and acting like she knew them. By this point, the volunteer cleaning cages was just finishing up and so it was about time for me to leave. I gave back the tabby and left the little room.
I knew this was my big chance. I walked over to the woman talking about the cats and I bravely asked if she was the person in charge of the tabby. She said yes. I almost cried with relief.
We talked awhile, and my eyes watered. I told her that I have fallen in love with the momma tabby and would love to take her home as soon as possible. We talked about the formal procedure, which would take a few days. Then kind of spontaneously, the person said, "You know, you can just take her today and we can finish up the paperwork and interview next week." She would not normally do that, of course, but she sensed (correctly) that I was a good match for the kitty, and that my home would be safe and loving. Both she and I were eager to get the tabby out of the cage and into a home.
We talked together as I filled out some of the paperwork. She shared her joy that the kitty had found a home so quickly, after just one week in the cage at Petsmart. She explained that she had been concerned about finding a home for the tabby: "We were worried about whether we could place her. It is hard to find a home for mother cats. And we have a lot of brown and black tabbies right now, which added to our concern." I replied by saying, "She is the perfect cat for me. I love her."
Of course there were two cats at home, minding their own business at that very moment, having no idea that I was in the process of changing their lives. Not immensely but somewhat. We'd adopted them two years ago as kittens, sister and brother from a litter of four. One solid brown and one solid black.
The introduction was better than we could have hoped for. Shadow and Cinnamon, are weary of their new sister, but already after just two days seem ok with her around. There has been a little posturing by Cinny (fur standing on end, as he raises himself up to look as large as possible), but no genunine agression, no contact. Mostly he stands back and watches from a distance. Shadow follows the tabby around, a bit close, sniffing. There were a few nose-to-nose exchanges as each one sniffed the other's face. For the most part, the tabby seems kind of oblivous to the other kitties, happy go lucky, comfortable, just nervous when she hears a strange noise. She is curious but not that interested in the kitties.
As it turns out, the tabby had been living with a group of feral cats when she was captured for spaying. Immediately they knew the tabby was not wild due to the way she cuddled and acted so friendly. She was also pregnant. She was brought to foster care, had her kittens, and now the kittens are finding homes of their own. The lady in charge of the adoptions is hopeful that the kittens will be placed rather easily. But was so glad to see that the momma (our new tabby) had found a home so quickly, and she could tell it would be home in which she would get lots of love.
We hope to name her by the end of the week.

Sunshine

Here is Sunshine. She is our neighbor's cat. But she likes to visit us often. On a rainy day, she spends a lot of time on our porch. She is beautiful and so very friendly.

Buttercup

Here's another picture of Buttercup. This one is from July 29, just three weeks before her last day. She was resting in her circular "bed" beside the glass door, and the diffused sunlight provided nice soft light for this shot. At this point, she still spent a lot of time with her head up and looking around, but this was a peaceful moment when she decided to rest. At this point, she had already visited the local Veterinary school and had been diagnosed with lymphoma. We knew it was just a matter of time, but we wanted to make that time last as long as possible, and for as long as she seemed happy to be alive. See below for more about Buttercup.

Buttercup

This is a tribute to Buttercup. We adopted her 13 years ago when we were living in Iowa. She had either been abandoned or lost, and probably also not treated too well by people. For years she was very shy and scared when new people showed up at the door. But over time, she got lots of love from us, and learned to trust again.
I am sorry to say that she is gone. Cancer took her life at the age of 15. I know 15 is kind of old for a cat, but other than the cancer, she was in great shape, and she had been a very happy cat.
One of my favorite things to do each morning would be to look for my coffee cup, which is white with little black cat silhouettes "walking" around the bottom edge. And each morning when the coffee was ready, I would walk into the kitchen and say, "Where's my cup?" And Buttercup would let out a little squeaky MEOW. I would look at her and say, "There's my Cup." And of course, I would continue looking for my "other" kitty cat cup too.
I will miss her forever.

Composing Wildflower Photos

I have added a new page called, "Composing Photos," on my other website carolwolfe.org. I am just beginning work on that page, but have included topics such as "Quality of Light" in which I talk about photographing in different light conditions (full sun, haze, etc) as well as using a diffuser and reflector. The above photo gives some idea of the types of information on that page. I based this page on a presentation I recently gave at the Annual Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage in Gatlinburg, TN. By the way, this photo shows two similar shots of spring beauty, one using a reflector (left) and one simply shade (right).

Turkey on Clingmans Dome

I met this girl on April 1, 2008, the first day that Clingmans Dome Road was open during 2008. (It is closed from Dec 1 through March 31 every year.) As I pulled into the parking lot, she came running up beside my car. It seemed she must have been used to getting food from people in cars. Of course I did not feed her. It's not good for the animals to get used to thinking of humans as a source of food. Anyway, I parked the car and got out. She put some distance between us but still let me get close enough to get several good shots of her. I called her "Lucky" because I felt so lucky to meet her.
I returned several more times during the month of April, and each time I returned, she was there. Toward the end of April, she was walking around among the people at the western end of the lot. Sadly of course, people were feeding her, luring her over to get snapshots of her beside them and their cars.
I returned this week (May 20) and did not see her. I hope she found a better place to live and is doing well. After all, she's a wild turkey, not a pet. I still feel lucky to have met her.

Black Bear in Smokies

On April 2, 2008, I was driving up Newfound Gap Road (from Gatlinburg, on my way to Clingmans Dome) when I stopped along the side of the road to photograph some trees that were lit nicely in the late afternoon sun. Since it was mid spring, the tree tops had a variety of color due to the buds that were forming in the branches. As I photograhed the trees across the valley, I heard a loud sound in a tree not far from where I was standing. I looked over, knowing it was something large, and I saw a black spot moving along the edge of a tree. I kept looking, and shifted my camera. I readjusted the settings too, since a bear tends to move faster than a calm landscape... In any case, here are two shots that I got while standing there alone by my car. Little did I know that day, that a month and a half later (May 19) I would meet my first bear alone in the woods. That second meeting was even more exiting than the one along the road since I was three miles from my car and all alone in the woods.

Busy Spring

It has been a busy spring. Instead of posting pictures on this site, I have been working on my other website. Just yesterday I added a new page that talks about Composing Photos. Check it out if you get a chance. The address for the main page is http://www.carolwolfe.org/. The address for the newest page is http://www.carolwolfe.org/id13.html. I have also added photos to the Cats and Critters page and added a page for South Carolina.

Happy Valentines Day

This is for Mary... since she didn't get the attachment I sent with her email!

Sea Birds on the Atlantic Coast

I don't usually get close enough to birds to bother to try and get a shot. But a landscape type shot is possible, even with a relatively wide zoom lens. In fact I was using the Nikon D40 this day, not the D200. The D40 is what I take on "family" trips, and this was a family trip. So anyway, here is the bird framed nicely in the corner (using the tightest framing I could get with the 18-55mm lens that came with the D40). I like the way the waves add a nice pattern to the frame.
This shot is more clinical than the one above, but the bird is nicely lit. I like this shot mainly because it is something new for me. I hardly ever have the chance to photograph a bird. The clouds helped diffuse the light but also kind of cooled and flattened the image to some degree. Ideally, I would ask for a slight bit of sunshine, which this time of day would have been lighting the top and back of the bird, kind of like the shot above.

After Sunrise in Charleston

If not for the water, this might look like a Martian landscape. The light was amazing that day. I love the way the sprays of water are backlit (somwhat sidelit) by the recently risen sun to the right of this frame. Here is another shot, just to show the action of the waves. Also you can see a bird in the top right corner. Of the two shots shown here, I like the second one best.

Pre Sunrise in Charleston

As my friend and I froze our fingers off, we waited for sunrise and got some nice shots of the water. I like the pink sky, which reminds me of pictures I have seen of Mars. I also like the purple-blue water, which I suppose picked up color reflecting from the sky. See below for more shots from this same day...

Vertical Sunrise

Here is a vertical shot (above) that I also tried in a horizontal arrangement (below). I like each one for different reasons. But the thing I like most about the vertical shot is the interesting pattern of the waves. I was looking for something diagonal or zig-zag like. And I was able to get that using the vertical composition but not horizontal. Horizontal framing limited the depth of the photo, while vertical let me shoot the sand near my feet and also include the sun.
I chose this shot because I like the way the sunlight reflects off the surface and the way the group of three waves kind of breaks up the light. It might have been cold and windy, but the reflection was also very bright.

Blustery Sunrise in Charleston, SC

It was so cold and windy on this January morning. But my friend and I spent nearly 40 minutes on this shoreline near Charleston, SC. I tried to position the camera so that the waves would be more diagonal in the frame, but based on my location and the position of the sun, this is about the best I could do. I got several of these shots, including a vertical. I tried to snap the shutter when the waves looked most interesting rather than just being uniform horizontal lines.

Lochness Monster (sort of)

One of my friends said he likes this shot, and then specifically referred to the the "Lochness Monster." I smiled when he said that, and I remembered some of those fuzzy shots of the monster I had seen years ago.
The dark bump on the left part of the frame was intentional. I wanted to add some variety (color/texture/pattern) to the otherwise extremely uniform (and possibly boring) frame.
I got this shot before the sun rose above the horizon. I was standing on a beach in Hilton Head, SC, looking east over the Atlantic. This was the brightest and most colorful sunrise so far that I have seen over the Atlantic in my limited experience--being from the midwest, most of my life, I haven't seen too many ocean sunrises!

Loblolly Pine at Congaree National Park

My tripod and timer got this shot of me while I was checking out this huge loblolly pine in Congaree National Park. It had been selected as a record loblolly until they found another bigger one off the main trail.

Congaree National Park

In this shot, I tried to show the depth of the swamp at Congaree National Park. It was just a few weeks ago, and the swamp was rather dry. But this lowland area had some standing water. I like the way the moss on the trees shows the peak water level from last year. This was a fun 2.4 mile hike on the boardwalks around the swamp. It was a partly cloudy day so I was able to get some diffused lighting even though I was there during early afternoon.

Reeds and Reflection in Art Show

This photograph was selected for the New River Art 2007 Ninth Biennial Exhibition presented by the Blacksburg Regional Art Association. This was a juried art show, and my photograph was one of about 35 pieces accepted.

My New Website

Hello. I finally began publishing my own website (rather than simply using a template that someone else designed). I have the same URL as before (thanks to some re-directing program that has been set up)... So you can find me at http://www.carolwolfe.org/
I will keep adding things here from time to time, but if you want to see my work as a "collection" organized by topic, then check the other website soon. And keep going back, too, since I plan to make a lot of changes during the next several weeks.

Sample of My Photography

I have been invited to sell my photographs (and cards) at a local art show. As part of the application process, I had to submit samples of my work. Here is one of the photos I sent along with my application. I am happy to say that my application was accepted.

Purple Coneflower

Here is a purple coneflower that I found the other day. It was partly cloudy, so I played around with the light a bit. Though this shot doesn't show it, I like shots where the sun is partly diffused and little bits of sunshine gets through. For this shot, the cloud pretty much blocked the sun.

Chrysanthemum

This is a tighter cropping of the horizontal closeup below. I think I like this one best because it seems more simple and has fewer distractions around the edge of the frame.

Chrysanthemums

I photographed a bunch of chrysanthemums the other day. My goal was to fill the frame with flowers, as shown in the third of these three shots. But after thinking about the image, I decided that I would try again--on a rainy day, which explains the rain drops on the first two pictures. I did some vertical shots and also some horizontal. I settled on my two favorite shots, only to discover that I had pretty much isolated the same blossom but in two different directions. The first and second shot shown here are complete different attempts, separated by at least ten minutes time. It was pretty funny when I realized that my two favorite shots were actually pretty much the same shot.

Gladiolus

I don't usually photograph cultivated plants, but I decided that this summer I would give it a try. Here are a couple shots of the gladiolus in my front yard. It had rained earlier that day, and it was rather calm, so I was able to get some pretty crisp shots with rain drops. I tried some wider shots, but decided the close up shots were best.

Newt

I found this newt yesterday after photographing a waterfall. I was walking along the trail and couldn't help but see the BRIGHT orange "lizard shaped thing" in the middle of the trail. I stopped to set up the tripod and put the 200 mm micro lens on my D200 camera body. As I prepared to photograph the newt, I was pleased to see that the newt crawled up on a nice smooth gray rock. It was a much better background than the twig-cluttered dirt on the trail. But yes, the newt is on a rock in the woods, not a step. As I continued to work, the newt continued to move, but slowly. My exposures were in the 4 second range, so I was glad that the newt was taking his/her time. By the time I finished up, the newt was safely OFF the trail.

Pink Lady Slipper

I found this pink lady slipper a few days ago while attending a women's retreat on a mountain in North Carolina, not far from Highlands. It was nearly 10 AM and a very bright sunny day. I used a diffuser (above the frame toward the top left) to soften the sunlight and prevent that speckled appearance that occurs when sunlight filters through the branches of trees, casting dark shadows. I also used a silver/gold reflector, which I leaned against my tripod leg, to reflect some sunlight on the darker left side of the flower. I was surprised at the significant bit of brightening that occured when using the reflector.

Rhododendrons on the Mountain

Here are some rhododendrons I photographed recently on a mountain near Highlands, NC. It was about 9 AM on a very sunny day, and already the light was a bit bright for photographing. Still I decided to give it a shot. Perhaps next year it will be a slightly cloudy day so that the light will be more diffused. Last year, on the other hand, the rhododendrons were not yet in bloom during my annual trip to the mountain.

Wake Robin or Purple Trillium

I found this beautiful flower on the NC side of the Smokies near Black Camp Gap on April 27, 2007. This is called Trillium erectum. Its flower is held above the leaves. There are also a couple species of nodding trilliums in the Smokies, whose flowers hang below the leaves and are extremely difficult to photograph. I found some of those in NC also, and I plan to post a few shots of those later this week.

Trout Lily

Here is a pair of Trout Lilies, which I found on the NC side of the Smoky Mountains. The early April frost on the Tennesee side destroyed many of the flowers, but it seems that many of the flowers in NC were spared. My friend and I found all kinds of neat stuff when exploring the backwoods of NC, including a few species of trillium.

The Last Sunset Shot

This is the sunset last shot I got from the parking lot at Clingman's Dome in the Smokies on April 27. About ten minutes before this shot, I got the one below. The key difference is the foreground. Here the sun had gone low enough behind the horizon (toward my right as I face the image) to become shaded, while below the sun was high enough to light up the foreground just a bit.

Smoky Mountain Sunset

I just returned from a week-long photography trip in the Smokies. I also attended (and presented two slide shows at) the Annual Wildflower Pilgrimage. It was a lot of fun. Here is a sunset shot that I got at the parking lot near Clingman's Dome on April 27, 2007. We went up to the dome the night before, but decided to just try the parking lot view on this cold and windy night. I think this one turned out ok, but I like the later shot (above) best.

Smokies Spring

Sorry I have posted so few photos this month. I am busy preparing for the Wildflower Pilgrimage in the Smokies that starts in just a few days. Here are some photos I got during my recent trip to the Smokies. (I am having trouble getting the photos to post. Wherever you see an empty box with an X, rest assured I will try again later to fix it.)

Yellow Trillium

Here is Yellow Trillium, Trillium luteum, which I found beside the road on the way to Greenbriar Trail on Monday, April 9th. This is one of several shots I got that morning, and I am preparing many of those shots for my presentation on "Composing Wildflower Photos," which I will present at the Annual Wildflower Pilgrimage in Gatlinburg during the last full week of April. I will also be presenting a show called "Woodland Spring." If you want more information on the pilgrimage, just type the name into Google and you should find their home page.

Bluets

I found these bluets on Monday, April 9, in the Greenbriar area of the Smokies. I have noticed that bluets tend to do well in damp areas near the edges of streams. This clump was growing with moss.

Snowy Showy Orchid

Here is the SNOW-COVERED Showy Orchid, which I found on Saturday, April 7th. The next day, I went back to check on this plant, and found the stem and flowers brown and wilted. This plant will survive, but it will likely NOT be making seeds this year. Next to this plant was another orchid, but with BUDS, not flowers. The orchid with buds looked just fine on Sunday, so the slightly later blooming time will work to its advantage this year. Snow and hard frosts might not be common in early April, but they are not unheard of. As for the damaged plant, let's hope that next year will bring it better luck.
Here is a bud that survived the hard frost with only a little bit of damage. This was the lucky plant this year.

Dutchman's Breeches

Here is Dutchmen's Breeches, which I found in the Smokies a couple days ago. Bad news, however, it got really cold this weekend and the frost/snow caused a lot of the Dutchmen's flowers to shrivel up. The stems leaned over, and the flowers dried up and started to wilt. I saw the damage on Easter day. But these flowers are perennials and in the long run, they will survive. Stay tuned on my website to see some snow-covered Showy Orchids (Orchis spectabilis). In the case of the orchid, as with many other plants, individuals that were flowering experienced definite damage, but plants with buds came through the frost just fine. Seed counts may be lower this year than usual, but these plants are adapted to life in the forest, so they will survive. Clear-cutting, landscaping, and paving provide a bigger threat than an occasional hard frost.

Freezing May Apples in the Smokies

This is just a quick snap shot of May Apple yesterday here in the Smokies. It was COLD and wintry in the woods. When the sun came out from behind the clouds (intermittently) it would cause some of the snow to melt. But here you can see the crystalline snow as well as melted snow on the "umbrella shaped" leaf of the May Apple.

Hepatica and Tootwort are Blooming

Hepatica is blooming in southern Virginia. This is actually one of the last ones to bloom this year. I found this beautiful plant yesterday (March 28). It was sitting beside a rock in the shade, and made a picture-perfect image. I have already printed a copy for my wall.
This is a closeup of Toothwort. Like any obedient member of the mustard family, Tootwort flowers have FOUR petals. I found this yesterday before I found the Hepatica (above). This is one of those wider shots intended mostly to show the context in which I found the above plant. If you look at the plant on the right side, the taller one, you might recognize the same plant that appears in the closeup above. Closeups are my favorite, but sometimes a wider perspective can help a person get a better sense of what the wildflower looks like in the woods. Note the leaves on this "Cut-Leaf" Toothwort. The Broad-Leaf Toothwort has wider lobes in its pointy, jagged leaves.

Bloodroot is in Full Bloom

These are my most recent photographs of bloodroot, all taken within the past week. Last year, I rescued a whole bunch of these from a road construction project, and planted them under a maple tree in my back yard where they get sufficient shade (once the maple leaves fill out) and moisture to survive the summer. Anyway, here are several different views of bloodroot, the first showing the general appearance of the plant when the flower is in bloom. The other photos (below) are my attempts to be a bit creative and try a variety of perspectives. I am happy to say that many of these blooms have stayed fresh and pretty for three or four days. Much of this depends on the weather. A hard rain would have knocked the petals off the plants. But since these flowers opened up, we have had no rain. Enjoy these beautiful plants while you can. They bloom for a very short amount of time. Later this spring, I plan to post pictures of the seed pods (stringbean shaped) with the increasingly larger and somewhat darker green leaves.