I'm not the only one in my family who loves flowers and enjoys taking photos of them! Above is a fabulous Angel Trumpet grown by my brother, who is now retired from a life in the military, and who was also a helicopter pilot who became a helicopter pilot instructor!

You go, Bob!! :-)

Above and below: three different photos of the same vista but, depending on the day or time of the day, very different colors.

As you've followed my blog and seen the pictures I've posted on it, you know that I love observing the view on a daily basis from our hotel room window here in San Francisco. The sky changes, and the planes come and go, as does the tide.

Above: mid-morning one day last week, and the water almost glass-still.

The very next day: brilliant blues

The same day: puffy clouds provide a background to what appears to be one plane right on the tail of another! The potential in this scenario could scare you to death, but the two planes are actually approaching SFO on parallel runways with plenty of room between the two! :-) As a matter of fact, quite often the captain on the planes make a point of announcing to the passengers to not be concerned if they look out the window and see a plane "vying" for landing space.

This morning: The sunshine providing "glowspots" on the water, with a 747 approaching for an early morning landing.

My last post was Monday, June 18th. I fully expected to have more pictures to post the following Monday, the 25th, after our much anticipated trip to Montana over the weekend of June 22-24; however, the evening before we were to fly to Missoula, I developed achiness and chills, and felt a sore throat coming on!

I knew the next morning, after our VERY early alarm went off, that I could go NO place. We called our good friends, and the airline, to alert them to our necessary change of plans, and later that morning I was able to see a doctor who came to our hotel. (San Francisco has a network of doctors "on call," who come to wherever you are and treat you. What a blessing, as I did NOT feel like dressing and leaving my bed!) Prognosis: strep throat.

So, rather than a weekend of visiting dear friends and sightseeing in a beautiful place we've never been, we holed up in our San Francisco hotel room. With the powerful medications the doctor gave me on the spot, I began feeling better that very afternoon, and within three to four days, felt as good as new.

The trip and visit in Montana just wasn't meant to be, because our good friends we were to visit came down with the flu themselves on the Saturday that we were to spend sightseeing.

OK....on to pictures! :-)

A plant that grows abundantly in Illinois in the summertime is Queen Anne's Lace. I love it when these cover open fields. Recently Phil and I were out on errands, and I happened to have my camera with me, so I asked him to please stop and let me take some pictures. I love the sight above.....sky above, then tree line, luxurious corn field, and finally Queen Anne's Lace, growing along with something that looks like droopy Black-eyed Susans.

Some feathery little growth at the edge of the field where I took the pictures of the Queen Anne's Lace.

Photos taken on a walk in San Francisco the end of June.

Cosmos (above) remind me of my mother - she loved them.

I've never seen the above flower before!

Lovely hydrangea

Ah, Chicago...our favorite town! We drove downtown from our home in Huntley July 1st.

View of the Sears Tower as we drove into the city.

Our reason for driving into Chicago on July 1st was to attend a performance by Cirque Shanghai at Navy Pier. A few photos of the phenomenal and colorful event (I have a lot more!).

There is a huge, awesome display of Tiffany glass "paintings" at Navy Pier. Here are just four of the photos I took.

Views at Navy Pier, including a plane pulling an iced coffee advertisement banner through the sky around downtown Chicago and over the lakefront . :-)

Sights at Navy Pier, including my beloved Phil, an intriguing sculpture of numbers and letters, Myrna and her lace parasol (sun protection is necessary), and a huge "tree" of impatiens.

The John Hancock Building in the center of this photo with petunias in the foreground.....

...and this time, with a boat in the foreground.

And, with human heads in the foreground! ha

I just thought this building, in the park area along Chicago's lakefront, was beautiful...so I took a picture.

Now, off to Florida. We spent July 4 - 13 in Florida visiting my beloved sisters and other family members, as well as spending a week at our timeshare at Sanibel Island.

Above is an idyllic scene outside a restaurant located on the St. John's River in northeastern Florida where we enjoyed a seafood lunch with family members.

SO Florida.....huge old trees dripping with Spanish moss.

A water tower in the Disney World area...with ears, no less! :-)

Electricity pole with Mickey Mouse ears...Disney World area, again.

At Sanibel Island -- our shadows, long and lean! ha

Sand, shells, and sand art.

Sights on the beach at Sanibel. These birds walking in the surf, feeding....

....and leaving their "footprints" in the wet sand.

Someone else capturing pictures! ha

Sunlight on shells stuck in sand after the tide moved out...

....and a baby's toes left this adorable imprint.