Bougainvillea - Bridal shots

There was only one time in my life when I took photos of a bride. It was my friend Angela who on her wedding day, wore a simple and elegant gown tailored by her mother. While I had artifical white flowers on my hair on my wedding day, Angela had a tiara made of a garland of fresh jasmine buds. All brides are beautiful. Since I did not have a bride to photograph, I thought I would just treat my bougainvillea plant like a bride and aimed to bring out the best and loveliest character in every shot that I took.

My bougainvillea

Bougainvillea Khlong Fire

They are flowering again these Khlong Fire bougainvilleas in my backyard.

Gloriosa superba - Glory Lily, Tiger Claw

We were sisters in learning and sisters at heart.

For some of us, the last time we met was like more than 30 years ago.

We shared snippets of our lives and what we remembered of the past when we were schoolmates - prefects, softball, contemporaries who have made good, those who did not, jokes your kids tell you, food and much more that I cannot recall but what the heck we had a great time - great food, great company and loads of laughter.

Fun stories that came alive again but will we remember them ten years from now?

Would it matter that we would or would not because our individual lives have borne the fruits of our experiences for better or worse.

We live, we die and some want a glass urn, some to be carried away by the wind to rest on the crest of the waves. Dust to dust, ashes to ashes we came with nothing and we take nothing with us, not even memories. So what is life about if we do not just live it as happily as we can.

Dellinia suffruticosa - Simpoh air

The afternoon was extremely hot with the sun beating down on us as if punishing those who dared venture out in the open. Undeterred, I donned my broad-brimmed straw hat, pat on ample sunblock on my face and arms and went outdoors anyway. Walking along the largely unsheltered Henderson Waves bridge with the traffic below was not exactly a nice day on the beach but it was great to have the greenery shared by so few people for a change. The tall trees around were unfazed by the weather and the variety in such a small area was astounding. For the first time, I actually paid attention to them - African Tulip trees, Rain trees, palms, tembusu trees, bamboo, Pulai trees because no flowers were within sight till I reached the other end of the bridge and saw this clump of Dillenia Suffruticosa shrubs.

Meet the beautiful ladies basking in the sun:

Anna and Mildred.

Felicia and Abigail

Martha and Elsie.

Jenny and Angeline.

Octovia and an interesting shadow cast by a flower or perhaps these monkeys.

Garden blooms

The plants in my garden are feeling the heat of the day and they burst forth in blooms so rewarding I could just spend the whole afternoon looking at them.

Allium tuberosum - Chinese Chives

A flower for a lady
Not a Rose, not a Carnation
not an Orchid, not an Ixora
What would it be?