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Providing FREE HELP can be fun (if there's a rose garden involved)

If you leave a comment, Russel will visit your blog and comment. At 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 19, 2009, I met
Steve Hall, an ActiveRain Realtor, in Vista in an effort to provide some FREE HELP to one of his past Clients.

Vista is about 45 miles from my home, so it was a 90-mile round trip. When Steve asked me how much I charged, I answered that it was FREE and that I would simply make a little tour out of the drive, stopping to take pictures here and there.

Well, Steve's Clients made the whole trip fun and worthwhile by providing me with four things from my trip:

An interesting problem which I think we were able to help solve.
An opportunity to see the quality of pictures that a Canon EOS Rebel DSLR camera takes since I'm interested in getting a DSLR camera and Steve's Clients had one.
An opportunity to stop at one of the finest retail stores I've ever been in.
An opportunity to take a lot of pictures of roses since Steve's Clients had lots of roses. Hey, lots of roses = lots of rose pictures. LOL

I also am playing around with my current digital camera, an HP Photosmart M547, so I increased the quality to the maximum 6.2 megapixels and took the following pictures of Mr. Client's roses:

For Peggy Cunningham.

For Alexsandra Stewart.

For Ann Allen.

For Barbara Delaney.

For Betina Foreman.

For Carolin Benjamin.

For Brenda Harmon.

For Caren Wallace.

For Ceil Winters.

For Carole Provenzale.

Join me in my next post for some fine, fine, fine rhododendrons from the same Client of Steve's.

*****

This week's posts (they'll open in a new window)

Manic Monday pop quiz: Concrete cracks - 5/18/09

Last week's posts (they'll open in a new window)

SST (Speechless Sunday with Text): A visit from Mr. Monarch Butterfly - 5/17/09
Russel's Gardening Handbook: Jacaranda - 5/16/09
"Dear Home Inspector: Please try not to kill the deal...." - 5/16/09
"Dear Mrs. Realtor: No I won't...." - 5/16/09
Make your home dog friendly - 5/15/09
Frenetic Friday pop quiz: Chimneys - 5/15/09
WWW (Wordless Wednesday with Words): Huh? - 5/13/09
An Open Letter to the ActiveRain Powers That Be - 5/11/209
Manic Monday pop quiz: Electrical - 5/11/09
What's the point to ActiveRain points? - 5/11/09

Previous week's posts (they'll open in a new window)

SST (Speechless Sunday with Text): I have my eye on you - 5/10/09
Russel's Gardening Handbook: Lily of the Nile - 5/9/09
Americana, courtesy of Burma Shave - 5/9/09
It's all in how you market it - 5/9/09
Special closet doors for the little ones - 5/8/09
Frenetic Friday pop quiz: Would you give up your ActiveRain points? - 5/8/09
How to prevent indoor air pollution - 5/8/09
WWW (Wordless Wednesday with Words): Elevator and footsies - 5/7/09
Just exactly what is a "rain catchment basin"? - 5/6/09
What if I want to leave while the clothes are drying? - 5/5/09
Manic Monday pop quiz: Level 2 drought alert - 5/4/09

Need help with marketing? Join the Guerrilla Marketing Tactics Group.

Inspired by nature? Join the Inspired By Nature Group.

Classical music lover? Join the Classical Music Group.

Want to share a good book? Join the Active Rain Book Club.

Posted by Russel Ray, San Diego home inspector on 05/20/2009 01:39 AM

Comments (26)

Inspired by Nature in the ActiveRain Channel

inspired by nature, roses

This post has been included in California Information San Diego County, CA Information
Post is included in group: POSITIVE ATTITUDE for the Weary Soul
Post is included in group: ActiveRain Nature Station
Post is included in group: Great Shots!
Post is included in group: EXPRESS WITH PHOTOGRAPHS AT ACTIVERAIN
Post is included in group: Addicted to Active Rain

26 Comments on Providing FREE HELP can be fun (if there's a rose garden involved)

MAY

Russel - You weren't kidding they have alot of roses. Great pictures.

Russel, those are some fantastic roses and I love the variegated ones! You take the best flower pics and I bet you will get even more creative with a new camera with more bells and whistles!

Hey, Judy.

I've seen some properties that had a lot of roses, but all of the rose bushes at this property were blooming, and they were blooming profusely! The last time I saw something like this was when I was at the Balboa Park rose garden here.

Hey, Caren.

I immediately got addicted to the marbled ones, too.

I just bought my camera today. For $764, I got a Canon EOS Rebel XSi digital SLR camera with 12.2 megapixels. It comes with a Tamron 28-80 mm lens, a Tamron 75-300 mm lens, a 0.5x wide angle conversion lens, a 2x telephoto conversion lens, an 8-GB SD card, a USB SD card reader, a professional carrying case, lens cleaning kit, LCD screen protectors, battery charger, one lithium ion battery, an AV cable, a USB cable, and a CD instruction guide.

Hey, Russel. Those are all great photos. I always look forward to your post/photos. Thanks, Jim

Russel, I am envious of your new camera and your photos! My daughter just got a new camera too, but I don't think it is a Canon. You will have a lot of fun playing with your new toy!

Russel!!!!!

Can you hear my smiles!!????!!???

Fantastic pictures, absolutely loooove roses especially blooming likes these. Maybe because my middle name is "Rose".....My very wonderful Grandfather grew so many rose bushes when I was growing up and I loved helping him as he took tender loving care of them. You just took me for a walk down memory lane with those pictures and your description of how they looked as they "were blooming, and they were blooming profusely!" I could even smell them!

My day is even brighter now!

With thanks
Peggy

Wonderful roses! Sounds like great fun playing in the roses with a great camera. I have a varigated one similar to your photo in my garden! It's not started yet, but the golden showers variety next to it has popped!

Russel - Don't ya just love spring. Great shots.

Mike

Russel - The pictures, of course, are fabulous but that is nothing new.

Thank you very muchfor taking the time to take a look at the handy work of a previous owner. All of my clients are wonderful folks and I would do anything for them. As you saw they are really great people and enjoy life despite the hand that has been dealt.

Let us know when you obtain your new camera so we all can enjoy your photos.

Russel, the photos are absolutley gorgeous! Thank you for sharing them with us. I can't wait to see the Rhododindrons. Ours have already bloomed here in Georgia and were spectacular this year!

Jane

Dear Russel,

How sweet of you to tag some of the roses for your buddies in AR! Your rose photos are awesome and you are a very thoughtful friend to think of us. I love the pink & white marbled looking roses. Do you know what those are really called and if they are possible to get them in Texas? I would love to have some of those growing in my yard.

Betina

Russel, The pictures are beautiful....I can almost smell the roses. But the mouse-overs were wonderful and I feel so honored to be included! Thank you so much, it just made my day :)

Hey, Jim and Maria.

Pretty soon I'll get to post photos like Michael Thornton and Vegas Bob.

Hey, Ann.

Saying that I will have a lot of fun with my new camera is probably one of the year's great understatements -- LOL

Hey, Peggy and Alexsandra.

Did you use the mouseover to find your rose?

Hey, Mike.

Even better than spring is simply being here in San Diego where everything grows and blooms all the time. It's not unusual to find roses blooming year-round at some houses here where the owners are dedicated rose lovers.

Hey, Steve.

On the contrary, thank for thinking of me as one willing to help. I thoroughly enjoy such opportunities.

Hey, Jane.

We don't have too many rhododendrons here because they require a cooler, damper environment, typically needing a shaded north side to grow on.

Hey, Betina and Carol (and all other ladies who visit my blog).

Future flower pictures will always be tagged for someone, so check back often.

Hey, Betina.

I believe the marbled rose is Rosa gallica versicolor or Rosa Mundi. It should do okay in Austin since it's for Zone 5-10, and Austin is Zone 8.

MAY

Russel, I did the mouseover and to my surprise the variegated rose that I loved is for Caren Wallace!

How sweet of you to think of me!

You enjoy that new camera and I will be stopping by for more of you fantastic photos and blogs!

Hey, Caren.

Did you smell the rose? Oh, wait. That part of virtual reality is still to come. Nevermind. I smelled it for you. He had some sweet-smelling rose. LOL

MAY

Hi Russel! Yep, I followed instructions, the "mouse over" was what truly brought out the smiley face! Still love the pictures ALL of them! As you said the virtual scratch & sniff is yet to come! :0) thanks again

Hey, Al and Peggy.

Mouseovers allow one to be sneaky and devious -- LOL.

OCT

My mom has a huge rose garden, but I don't remember her having any mottled ones. She likes yellow and red.

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