family pictures

we were going to go to my grandpa's on saturday, because it was his birthday this week (83!). so he calls my mum on friday night: "is carmen there?"- "yes, she's here." - "is she coming tomorrow?" - "of course she is." - "does she have her camera with her? there are some flowers on the green, i thought she'd like to take some pictures."

i mean in this day and age, when people run from exposure on my blog, it's a big deal for me to be invited to take pictures of something.

so i proceeded.
this photo session happened during a gradndfather-granddaughter walk-and-talk, while my mum was cooking and my dad was airing the carpets. just to be clear.
subjects of conversation (man! i swear they're always the same, but everytime with a new twist and new bible quotes): the importance of prayer and "bearing one's cross" in life; children are one's succour in old age - have some asap!!; stay in romania and find a man who shares your culture and faith.

at some points during this, it was raining. but the joy of posing trumped the rain.
also, i got half of the mud in the garden on the soles of my nice boots, and it took half an hour with water, a cloth and a stick back in bistrita to bring them back to recognizable.

these flowers have a crazy strong scent, when you consider the size of them.

and...stork season again! it's full of them in the villages, and in between, in the fields. of course i was going to try photographing a bunch of them in a field, for which purpose i had mum stop the car. they flew away as soon as i got out and aimed the camera (carmen: "birds, what happened to you over winter in those other countries? are you traumatised? you can tell me about it!")
this one was taken on the move, and is probably the closest you can get with my camera without climbing the pole.

i want more spring, and soon!