Blue and Yellow

— With the turmoil the world is experiencing, it becomes very difficult not to be reminded every minute of the pain many people are presently suffering in Ukraine. One way or another, our lives are impacted even if we live miles/kilometers across the world. So, this week, I looked through my photos and selected a few that show a strong presence of blue and yellow, the two colors of the Ukrainian flag. At the same time, I wanted to find the silver lining in these photos and tie them to the start of spring. Maybe the start of a new season with new blooms will help alleviate the pain and also show a promise of peace blooming across the entire world. Let’s hope so!

Wikipedia says that the Ukrainian flag colors of blue and yellow come “from the flag of the Kingdom of Galicia–Volhynia used in the 12th century.” Furthermore, it says the blue and yellow flag “was officially adopted as a state flag for the first time in 1918 by the short-lived West Ukrainian People’s Republic and subsequently used by the Ukrainian People’s Republic.” Of course, the flag was not used during the Soviet Union domain. In these present days, social media are displaying support to Ukraine by using those colors. Here is my own support to the people of Ukraine who are showing bravery and courage in these difficult times.

The first two macros you see here are water lilies. This next photo needs no introduction if you live in Texas. This is our official state flower, Bluebonnet, standing tall in a field of other spring flowers.

Another common flower in Texas is the sunflower. They come in a variety of sizes, but when you photograph them against a deep blue sky, their impact and beauty are highlighted nicely. To wrap up this nature display of Ukrainian support, here is one flower from our own garden: Blue Plumbago. The bokeh effect you see behind these flowers comes from some Lantana we also have in the garden. Be sure to click on each photo to see its full size.