In the heat of the day yesterday, I was outside planting several new additions to my patio garden including some Cone Flowers. Earlier yesterday morning, when I went out to refill bird feeders, I realized that some of my drip system tubing had disconnected. Because of the heat, I lost several plants including some of my hummingbirds’ favorites. This is not the first time that has happened and I am paying for the Rube Goldberg drip system I installed but, it’s what I have. The good news is that I discovered 1/4 inch pressure clamps that attach to the tubing to prevent them from blowing off. I replaced a Cigar Plant and a Hummingbird Mint, both of which the hummers love and both of which had shriveled away. I bought the cone flowers on a whim. I don’t think the hummers will be interested but the bees and the butterflies should enjoy them. I decided to try focus shift shooting with the flowers on the plant, and using only the ambient light. The overcast skies coupled with the smoky haze in the air made the afternoon light soft. I took 50 images to create this final stacked image. What I found interesting is that the camera didn’t attempt to focus in on the leaves and stems beneath these blossoms. They appear to be floating on air.