flowers — Page 136

Again With the Rain

August 1, 2018 at 9:36 am by Claudia

Aaaaand, more rain and thunderstorms for the next 4 days. At least we were granted two days with sunny skies. I managed to get all the mowing done in time for the whole thing to start over again. Rain, rain, rain, rain, rain, rain, two days to mow and weed, rain, rain, rain, rain. Ad nauseum.

This little guy was having breakfast this morning. He was out there for about an hour. Henry was out there as well, but for less time, because Henry gets scared easily and runs back inside his home.

I worked out on the porch yesterday, potting a few plants that I’d purchased about a week ago, cleaning the former kitchen island and a table,, watering the plants. I swept the porch. Then I moseyed on down to the front yard to take some photos of the wildflowers that are popping up everywhere.

They’re all growing down near the road – and elsewhere on the property. Queen Anne’s Lace always pops up down near the mailbox. Fleabane is everywhere. Purple Loosestrife only pops up near the culvert and in the wettest edge of the Secret Garden. For those of you who are about to say it’s invasive, don’t worry. We’ve been here for almost 13 years and it’s not invasive on this property. I think it’s beautiful.

I’m not sure what is on the docket for today except recycling and grocery shopping.

How exciting!

(I kid.)

It’s sort of a gray day and the rain is expected to start any minute and gray days, for the most part, don’t do a lot to lift my mood. I find that to be truer than ever the older I get. I used to think that Don was way too influenced by whether it was sunny or gray and rainy. But the truth is, I’m the same way.

Ah, well. I suspect there are a lot more people out there like us.

And the state of our country doesn’t help.

Happy Wednesday.

Later In the Summer

July 31, 2018 at 8:07 am by Claudia

The wonderful thing about planting zinnias from seed is that I never know what to expect. Each new bloom is a surprise. Will it be purple, or red, or white, or in this case, a combination of peach and pale peach?

They are my later-in-the-summer delight. This year’s crop is especially prolific. When you plant seeds, you are often told to ‘thin’ them once the seedlings appear. I never do that. I just let them be. What could be bad about lots of zinnias?

One thing I miss at this time of year: the lack of bird song in the morning. I used to sit on the glider on the porch each morning listening to a veritable symphony of birds singing and calling. Now? It’s pretty quiet. Yes, there is occasional bird song, but nothing like it was. I feel a bit melancholy about that. It’s too quiet first thing in the morning.

I know that autumn is coming. And I’m never ready for it.

One sound that does kick in at this time of year is the chorus of cicadas. Wave after wave of sound. Don and I listen to them as we drink coffee in the Secret Garden. They really are amazing.

The constant? The bullfrog that lives in our neighbor’s pond.

The hydrangea in the memorial garden is particularly pink this year.

And the limelights are doing their later-in-the-summer thing.

Don has been working every day with his new camera. Now, he goes to some local spot – in town, at the farm stand, outside a bookshop – and talks to people, who are, of course, fascinated by his camera. He then tells them that he’s a student who is learning to use the Crown Graphic and asks if he can take their picture. Most people are more than happy to help out. Each day, he is learning more and more about light and framing and apertures and F-stops and the adjustments he has been making are paying off.

This is from yesterday’s session and I think it’s my favorite so far:

Of course, this is a picture of a picture of a picture, so you’re not getting the texture and the sheen of the polaroid, but it’s everything you want in street photography; an interesting background with cars, buildings and people and a great subject, in this case, two very cool young people.

He captured the light beautifully. I’m so proud of his work ethic, his determination.

I love hearing him say, “I love this camera. I love it.”

He’s the bees knees.

One last thing: Happy Birthday, Mom.

Happy Tuesday.

Random on Monday

July 30, 2018 at 8:22 am by Claudia

Random photos today, as I was too tired from mowing yesterday to do much of anything else. The grass was about 7 inches long in some places and it was still damp from all the rain. More today. As of tomorrow, we’re getting rain every day again.

The robin perched on this pole for the longest time. I don’t usually see that with robins.

Needs no explanation.

I’ve showed you Hickory Moth Tussock caterpillars before, but this one, along with about 50 more, was on some of the older milkweed the other day. They were fascinating to watch. I looked it up and found out that it’s a Milkweed Tussock Moth. In one night, they annihilated three leaves on a milkweed plant that had fallen due to a broken stem. Apparently, these moths and Monarch butterflies share the same coloring due to something in the milkweed plant. I can’t remember what it is at the moment.

We’ve seen the Hickory Tussock Moths coming down from the trees, rather like spiders, or rock climbers. They repel down. They appear suspended in midair, but they’re actually descending to the ground.

Calibrachoa blooming on the porch.

In the garden.

I am not one for animated movies as a rule. I was the kid who didn’t really like cartoons. But I’d heard great things about Disney’s Coco, so we watched it last night. Have you seen it? It’s simply wonderful! We were completely entranced and want to watch it again. It takes place in Mexico and centers around the Day of the Dead. Great plot, incredible animation – a truly beautiful movie with a powerful message. It’s on Netflix.

More mowing, some weeding, and some pruning are on the docket for today.

Happy Monday.

Again With the Rain

Later In the Summer

Random on Monday

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

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