My mother was born on June 14 in 1924 (died in 1990) and since today is her birthday, I thought I'd begin with her favorite flowers which were yellow roses. 
I also think she'd like my multicolored roses with the yellow centers which are in bloom.
If she were still alive for me to pick her a bouquet, I'd also pick some of the blackeyed susan which are blooming in my garden, like the one below. 
For other participants of Today's Flowers or Weekend Snapshot, please visit the host sites.
The photohunters theme this week is Lock. I thought I would post about the Battery Creek Lock which I visited at the James River Park off the Blue Ridge Parkway in Bedford County Virginia a few years ago. I posted about this lock in 2007 but it seemed like such an obvious choice for the theme that I'm doing another post about it.
This lock which was used in the mid to late 1800s was restored in the 1960s. You can enlarge the photographs of the signs to make it easier to read, by clicking inside them. 
The Battery Creek Lock is part of the "James River and Kanawha system that was the main artery of trade between Richmond and the western valleys" in the nineteenth century, according to the Bedford, VA tourist site. 
I took the information about water gaps from a sign at the park. They do a good job of giving the visitors a lot of information both about the lock and the water gap.
For other photohunters take on the theme, please visit the home of the Photohunt.
I have been combining my nature notes and weekend snapshot posts prior to this one but I've decided that I'd rather not focus my nature notes on the weekend. Besides the host of this fun theme, Michelle at Rambling Woods, posts her new nature notes on Thursdays. She said participants can post any day that suits them which is why I tried my combo post for a while. 
We've entered into the time of year where it feels like stepping out into pea soup much of the time. It's been hot and muggy although we are getting some pleasant, cooler mornings. The gardenia above is my next door neighbors. I can smell that strong gardenia aroma when I get close to the edge of my yard. In combination with the high humidity the gardenia scent makes it seem like I'm wading through a strangely perfumed pea soup. 
I am getting most of my shots of the many birds, which find my wild garden a suitable habitat, when they stop by for a drink or a swim on my deck.
I do get a few shots in the trees but they tend to hide in the dense foliage this time of year. I can hear them with their strange symphony of calls and song but I have to be very patients to actually see them on a limb where I can get a shot.
The advantage to photographing them on the deck is I can stay inside and photograph them through the door or windows and as long as I don't make a lot of noise, they will fly down for a drink or swim.
This morning was like a breath of fresh air, literally. After a stormy night the hot humid air was replaced with much cooler morning air. 
I can bear the summer heat when the mornings begin with cool air. What I have trouble with is when no part of the day is pleasant.
The flowers are happy because we've had adequate rain. Even when the heat is intense if it rains during part of the day, the flowers seem happy.
The ornamental grasses in my back garden are so lush I think a tiger could hide in them quite successfully.
To see what is going on in other participants' natural world, please visit the home of nature notes.
The first shot is the only one which wasn't taken this week or weekend but I've been meaning to use it for a post and it's a fairly recent shot.
It cracked me up because the bird looked like it was floating on its back or maybe doing a birdie version of a backstroke.
I love the way my subdivision is canopied in green this time of year. I also like bare trees against the sky in the winter but the shade is great in the summer. The shot above was taken this week in the subdivision where I live. The shot below was taken this week at Duke University and the sea of green is also apparent there. 
At first I was pleased that I was able to take a bunch of photographs of the cardinal below and then I started worrying about him because he wasn't moving at all. I ended up walking onto my deck to make sure he was ok and he flew off so I was relieved that he didn't seem injured. 
There are so many flowers starting to bloom that each day I check to see if any new ones are adding their splash of color to my garden.
We are continuing to have rain at least a few days a week which is keeping everything fresh as the heat sets in.
I was please to see the first morning glories of the season blooming. I do so love them.
Only a few of the purple cone flower are blooming but there are lots of buds holding the promise of more to come.
I took the last shot outside my dermatologist's office building. I always enjoy seeing the planters filled with colorful plants in the summer which many offices have.
Please visit Nature Notes Home and Weekend Snapshot Home for more participants.
The photohunter theme this week is advertisement. It's very common in my part of the world to see an advertisement on the side or back of a van. 
The first shot was taken of a van parked outside the office building where my dermatologist is located and the second was take of the side of a van parked in my neighborhood. I think both are pretty effective as an advertisement for their respective businesses. 
The shot below is filled with advertisements. There is an advertisement for the Durham School of the arts on the left hand side (the school itself is further left but not shown). There is an advertisement for a business on the back of the white van on the right. The name on the side of the building on the right serves as an advertisement to advise that Durham County Social services are housed within the building.
If you click inside and enlarge the photo below it will be easier to see the sign which serves as an advertisement for the business and the artwork on the building further serves to advertise that garden and agricultural supplies are available within.
A common form of advertisement is to have a recognizable logo. The big D with a bull jumping through it is the logo for the Durham Bulls baseball team. The shot below was taken Monday at the old ball field where part of the movie Bull Durham was shot. The team has a new baseball stadium a mile or so away where they currently have their games.
Bulls are popular in Durham. The bull below is in downtown Durham and I believe is an advertisement for a restaurant whose name is a nod towards the Durham bulls but I took the shot in passing and didn't stop to investigate.
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