Going Through the Archives
I recently came across some photos that I took with my old Canon 7d (old version) using the old nifty 50mm I believe. I went through this kick a few years back where I was fascinating myself with depth of field. I think every new DSLR user goes through this, kind of like how everyone has a weird short lived Bob Marley phase; and some not so short.
I took all of these photos in my in-law's back garden in Newmarket, Suffolk England. Before Covid we would fly over there from the US and stay for 2 or more weeks at a time, once per year. I really miss those trips! We are hoping to be getting back into this routine starting in 2022. We shall see how things work out.
One of my favorite things about England is the sheer amount of rain that falls. The locals might disagree with me that this is a good thing, but the truth is that it keeps everything really green. I grew up in Ohio where we got plenty of rain, but now I live in Los Angeles where hardly a drop falls.
When I am in 
Before the pandemic, I used to spend many hours sitting and meditating here in the back garden. One thing that I find interesting about the British is how gardening is something of a competitive sport. I've never met people anywhere else that are so into gardening. It's not just elderly folks either!
A lot of people are really into it. In fact, there are even TV garden show hosts that are household names. Sometimes I wish more Americans had the same level of pride toward the upkeep of their back yards.
My father-in-law is quite a wizard at keeping plants alive and thriving. I am not horrible and keeping them alive, but thriving is not a word that I would use to describe them. My plants look more like refugees that I've chained up in my back yard and throw them just enough scraps to barely escape the clutches of death. It's not a pretty sight. Leaves full of holes, stems with some kind of white cottony looking substance on them.
Don't ask me to name any of these plants. That's where I get lost. However, more recently I've installed an android app called plant.net. It has been a lot of fun while walking through the botanic gardens near my house. The app allows you to take a photo of a plant, then it attempts to guess what it is using a database of user submitted images. Very often you can figure out what it is you are looking at.
I am looking forward to 2022 and getting back over to the UK to visit family. Perhaps I'll get another chance to shoot some more photos with my new camera this time (EOS R). Happy Weekend!