Okay, so this may be my first blog to actually be posted.  I've started a few before this, but they've either fallen by the wayside or I simply just decided not to finish them.  Skill or luck with today's picture of the day.  After spending most of the day on iChat (my new favorite video chat program) with my dad or my mom or beth or a combination of all three, I decided I needed to get something productive done for me...and that happened to be...nothing less than going to Chipotle for a late lunch.  I take my camera everywhere these days in the hopes of capturing the picture of the day well before the late late hours of the evening.  After Chipotle, I planned my grocery shopping (the thing that I actually set out to do) while sitting in a warm car.  It was a bit chilly today here in Monterey. I set out to Safeway in Carmel after not having taken a picture yet.  I grocery [verb] (my favorite thing to do--this is laced with sarcasm) still hoping to find the picture before I get back.  But, I'm too sore (another story for another day...but I helped a friend pour his sidewalk yesterday, so I'm hurting) to think creatively...thus, no picture.  I finally am turning into my apartment complex and see the sun hitting some yellow flowers just right.  YES!, I park grab my camera and hurry to take the picture.  Unfortunately, the yellow flowers are on the ground.  If you've ever poured concrete without knee-pads, then you know how much your knees ache.  Man-up I tell myself (funny because I'm taking pictures of flowers).  I'm kneeling, taking the pain, shooting these yellow flowers.  Nothing great, but after shooting a few dozen, I'm confident that I've got the shot.  Phew!  I can relax the rest of the evening...maybe even finish watching the movie I started in the morning.

Now, all this sets the state for the next few shots.  So, now I'm carrying my groceries walking on the sidewalk to my apartment and there is now some decent light hitting these violet flowers.  A little history on these flowers.  I've tried to shoot them many times...almost every time I'm walking to my apartment with my camera I think I can shoot these and get a good shot.  And every time, I shoot them.  And every time, the results are pure suck.  Let's just say that I've shot probably over a hundred shots of these things and haven't kept one.  So, not really wanting to shoot them, I succumb to my temptations (like always) and shoot them.  I took about 10 shots (low for me).  I don't think anything of it because I know they didn't come out and I already have my picture of the day.

So, later that evening I edit the shots from the day looking for the picture of the day.  Most of the yellow flower shots are out of focus or terrible composition.  I keep thinking in my head, great, another still life tonight.  But............then............I get to the violet flowers and low and behold, I got one.  It's not brilliant and probably not great, but it was the best one from today.  And hell, I didn't even have to crop it.  So, was it skill that I was able to get this shot??....judges ruling, pure luck.  Hope you like it.