Day 151: Presby Memorial Iris Garden - May 31. This garden is a feast for the eyes when it is in peak bloom. It is located in Montclair N.J. and is part of the Essex County Park System. The gardens contain about 3,000 varieties of iris that estimated to produce more than 100,000 blooms over the bloom season. I've been photographing at the garden for the past few years and even though my collection of iris portraits has grown to more than 500, I have only catured a small number of the varieties that grow there. It is a challenge each year to photo new varieties but somehow I keep going back to my old favorites.

Day 150: Yellow Warbler - May 30. This little guy was a pretty sight as the early evening sunlight enhanced his colors. Thanks for the comments on my iris post yesterday. Hoping to get back to the garden today or tomorrow for more photos - hopefully the wind condtion will be better.

Day 149: Iris Portrait - May 29. This iris - named "In Living Color" - is just one of many beautiful varieties currently in bloom at Presby Memorial Iris garden In Montclair, N.J. Spent some time there yesterday where the soft light was perfect for flower photograhy with a lot of cloud cover. However the wind was - well - very windy and it would take up to 10 minutes to get each photo by patiently waiting for a blossom to be still enough.

Day 148: Pink Peony- May 28.

Day 147: NYC-Memorial Day Red White and Blue - May 27,

Day 146: Memorial Day Tributed - May 26. A composite image made to honor those lost while serving our country.

Day 145: Alphabet Challenge Q - May 25. I got out of sequence last week with my alphabet challenge post so here is my 'catch up' Q post.

Day 145: Then and Now - NYC Wall Art - May 25. Just as I was taking a photo of this wall art in NYC a pedestrian walked by. I like the effect of the contrast between two men in the frame. Thanks for all of the comments posted for my rhododendron image.

Day 144: NY High Line Park Garden - May 24. A section of the grasslands gardens at the High Line Park in NYC.

Day 143: Pink Rhododendron - May 23. I don't think I've ever seen a rhododendron in the pale pink color before. It was beautiful.

Day 142: Fleet Week_ USS Oak Hill - May 22, The navy ship USS Oak Hill arriving in NYC at the start of Fleet Week. She is berthed at a pier near the Intrepid Air and Space Museum. It was neat to see the sailors in their whites lined up on deck as the cruised up the Hudson River.

Day 141: Black Skimmer in Flight - May 21, My first sighting of these birds - fun to see and photograph in the New Jersey Meadowlands yesterday. A few more of the photos can be seen on my Facebook page (and PS please feel free to like my page) - https://www.facebook.com/pages/GeoghanArt-Photography/131988690204166

Day 140: HudsonRiverView - May 20, A pretty view of New York Harbor and the Hudson River yesterday in late afternoon. Lover Manhattan in the background and Hoboken and Jersey City in the foreground. Sailboats dotted the river and way in the background the Staten Island ferry is making a crossing between lower Manhattan and Staten Island.

Day 139: A Rose - May 19, Roses are not in bloom here as yet but there were some very pretty rose bushes on display at Home Depot for sale. This coral rose with a yellow center certainly caught my eye, with its cheerful color combination.

Day 138: Hot Air Balloon - May 18. An inside view of a partially inflated hot air balloon that was on display at a local family event yesterday. Although it is out of sequence, this could also serve as my V post for alphabet challenge.

Day 137: Hosta Leaf in Rain - May 17. What a day it was yesterday - weather-wise. Pouring rain and heavy winds all day long. Went out late in the afternoon during a lull in the rain to get my photo for the day and could barely stand up against the wind. Managed to get a few sharp shots of the hosta leaves around the border of my building.

Day 136: Purple Iris in Rain - May 16. Rain yesterday on and off enabled a few photos but today the wind and rain is just plain nasty.

Day 135: EmptySky 9/11 Memorial Site - May 15. I'm adding a second post late in the day today in acknowledgement of the dedication of the 9/11 Museum in NYC at the Ground Zero site. I watched the opening on television and was deeply moved - it brought back so many sad, horrific memories of that day. I decided to visit the Empty Sky Memorial located in Liberty State Park and captured this shot. Definitely needs to be seen in large size for detail. Heartfelt prayers for those lost and their loved ones as well as a huge thanks to all of the first responders. The beam is from the World Trade Center. The memorial has the names of all those from N.J. who perished etched on the stone. On a clear day, one can see the new World Trade Center across the river from inside the memorial.

Day 135: Pink Dogwood - May 15. More pink for this week - pink dogwood blossoms.

Day 134: Pink Azalea - May 14. A lovely pastel pink azalea bush yesterday. Very different in that the bush was over 6ft tall and had branched out to be very wide. I'm assuming it is a very old bush. In the sunlight the flowers looked almost pinkish white, Pretty to see.

Day 133: Orange Lilies - May 13. Noticed this cluster of orange Asiatic Lilies in a neighborhood garden over the weekend and tried to get a shot of them several times but the light was too harsh. Finally yesterday, I was able to get my picture late in the day as clouds moved in to soften the light.

Day 132: Sandpipers - May 12. Thei-palmated sandpipers were two of a large group enjoying the late afternoon sun and the feeding opportunities of low tide. The shorebirds are on the move North for their spring migration and New Jersey coastline is a prime stopover spot for them to rest and gain weight for the next phase of their flight. Brilliant blue sky was reflected in the water.

Day 131: Pink Tulip - May 11. HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY.

Day 129: Pansy and raindrops - May 9. Rain and mist all day yesterday - took a quick walk in neighborhood during a break in the weather to find my photo for the day. Heavy fog this morning and more rain for the day.

Day 128: Mute Swans - May 8. Preening mute swans - found on my walk yesterday on a drizzly, wet afternoon.

Day 127: Yellow-rumped Warbler - May 7. Saw lots of these little yellow beauties yesterday but excited that I actually got a clear shot of one since they seemed to stay sem-hidden in the tree branches and flitted around quite rapidly. Thanks to all who posted comments on my butterfly image yesterday.

Day 126: Black Swallowtail Butterfly- May 6 A happy sight while out for a walk yesterday - my first butterfly sighting of the year. Spring weather seems to finally be here. Thanks for all of the nice comments on my skyline post yesterday.

Day 125: New York Skyline-Afternoon Light - May 5.

Day 125: Great Falls Paterson NJ- May 5. After the large amount of rainfall that we had last week, the Great Falls were an awesome sight as water from the swollen Passaic River flowed over the falls. During the late fall and winter months, the water flow was very low. For a sense of perspective, the bridge over the top is a pedestrain walkway so folks can vew the falls from above and the railing height at the top of the bridge is just under 5 feet. The people in the photo look like miniature dolls.

Day 124: Alphabet Challenge-Letter P- May 4. An abstract post for Alphabet Challenge P day.

Day 124: Tulip Garden - May 4. Took one last trip for tulip photos - they are at the end of their lovely display and most of the petals have fallen. It was a colorful, joyful display and I'm happy that I was able to photograph them. Soon though, azaleas and rhododendron and iris to look farward to.

Day 123: Cherry Blossoms - May 3. The ornamental cherry blossom trees are blooming in my neighborhood. so nice to see their beautiful pink colors. I believe that these are the Yaezakura Kanzan variety or Kazanzakura.

Day 122: Yellow Tulip Duo - May 2.

Day 121: Yellow Tulip in Rain - May 1. Like most parts of the country, we had drenching rain yesterday. Hope that everyone escaped any serious damage from the storms. Thanks for all of the comments on my forsythia and pink tulips posts of the past days.