Shadows Of The Past

Shadows Of The Past

Shadows Of The Past

With David and Maggie in town and having had our fun outing yesterday, today was more work than play. That’s not to say we had no fun together, but we spent much of the day going through Cathy and David’s mom’s shed and throwing away old, sometimes mouse eaten papers, among many other things. There was a metal cabinet outside her kitchen door that at one time had gardening tools, a few buckets of paint, and some small bottles of pesticide, among other things. Many other things, actually. As is often the case with cabinets of this sort, it eventually became a little less organized and there were things there that were long since forgotten and which needed to be tossed. In fact, we decided that the entire cabinet was ready for the county’s metal recycling program. This is the top of one shelf. You can clearly see that there was a can of something brown, viscous, and oily, which leaked out and held some other items in place, including two small packs of fasteners, which still remain firmly attached.

I took two trips to the dump plus one before this, with some yard waste that I had loaded into the van last week. In the evening we came back to our house and I fixed grandma’s famous chicken and pilau recipes, which turned out pretty well. At least no one pushed their plates away in disgust.

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United States Botanic Garden

United States Botanic Garden

United States Botanic Garden

With David, Maggie, and Laura in town for a few days, we had one day to do a significant outing and because Laura was only going to be here through this afternoon, that meant it would be today. We started off at the National Arboretum, where we enjoyed the capital columns, the bonsai and Penjing collection, the herb garden, and the Morrison shade garden.

From there, we drove downtown to the United States Botanic Garden, located at the east end of Maryland Avenue just below the US Capitol building. This is easily one of my favorite places in Washington. The Institute’s garden was established by Congress in 1820 and it moved to its present location in 1933. The Garden includes the conservatory, the National Garden, and Bartholdi Park. This is a view of the capital building from the garden in front of the conservatory.

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Laura and Maggie

Laura and Maggie

Laura and Maggie

As I mentioned yesterday, two of Cathy’s nieces are here for a few days. This evening, Laura, Maggie, David, Margaret, Cathy, and I went out to dinner at Yekta in Rockville. If you’re looking for good, Persian kebabs, you can do a lot worse. We had a wonderful dinner and of course, there was plenty of laughter, as there always is when these two girls are together. After dinner we went to York Castle for ice cream and this picture was taken at one of the small tables out front. I’d say that Laura and Maggie were in rare form but that would be a lie. For them, it isn’t even remotely rare. I won’t say that they are my favorite two nieces but they are certainly in the top five.

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Reagan National Airport

Reagan National Airport

Reagan National Airport

We don’t have any particularly big or exciting travel plans for the summer but we do have a few things going on. The first of them is a visit from Cathy’s brother and two of her nieces (her sister’s daughters). David and Maggie left yesterday and are driving here, arriving late this evening. Laura was flying and was coming into Reagan National Airport (DCA) at about ten minutes till eleven. Cathy and I drove to National to pick her up.

When traffic is bad (which is not all that uncommon) then National is a real pain to get into. When traffic is normal or light (which, truth be told, is most of the time) it’s actually quite a nice airport to deal with. While Terminal A, which is the original terminal, is somewhat small and cramped, Terminals B and C are quite large and airy. This is the central terminal of this refurbished airport, and has a high, vaulted ceiling, shown here behind a large American flag, from the far south end of the terminal, where we met Laura. We’ve been looking forward to this visit and it’s finally here.

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Sunset, St. Mary’s Parish Church

Sunset, St. Mary's Parish Church

Sunset, St. Mary’s Parish Church

I was on my way home this evening and the sun was setting in a fairly spectacular fashion. I pulled into the circle in front of St. Mary’s Parish Church to take a few pictures. This was the original St. Mary’s church in Rockville, founded in 1813. There were plans to tear down the old church when the new church building was planned in the 1960s. Fortunately, I think, it was preserved and is now known as the Chapel of Our Lady. The parish cemetery, seen here under the trees, is the final resting place for F. Scott and Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald (as well as many others, of course).

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Charcoal Embers

Charcoal Embers

Charcoal Embers

I know that on the Fourth of July I should be able to come up with a better picture than this. In years past I’ve had pictures of fireworks or of people celebrating Independence Day in various ways. This year we stayed home and had a pretty low key celebration. I marinated flank steak and grilled it, along with some slices of fresh pineapple and we had our two moms over for an early dinner. It rained pretty hard and we never really even considered going out to see fireworks. After dinner, I took some pictures of the leftover ashes and embers in the hibachi, but that’s about it. Maybe we’ll do something more exciting next year (but you won’t put any money on it, if you are wise).

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Cathy and Margie

Cathy and Margie

Cathy and Margie

Cathy and Margie have known each other since Cathy’s family moved here in the late 1960s and were close friends through high school. Of course people move and it’s harder to be close friends with people who live far away but they have managed to keep in touch pretty well through the years. We moved far away from here but close to Margie and her family in the mid 1980s, so that helped. We’re back here again so usually only see her when she’s visiting family, although when Dorothy went to Alaska for spring break earlier this year they ran into each other in the airport. Small world. Or small airport, anyway.

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Monarda Up Close

<em>Monarda</em> Up Close

Monarda Up Close

Cathy and I did a bit of work in the garden today. She was mostly weeding and I was working on the roses along the back fence. I have (or had, actually) one rose that has become infected with rose rosette disease, which is caused by a virus (Emaravirus sp.) that is spread by a very small, eriophyid mite. There is no cure and in order to protect other roses, the infected plant must be removed and destroyed. So, I fought with rose branches, scratching my arms up a little. I also cut back another rose that is growing quite vigorously.

In the process I pulled off a few flowers from the Monarda growing next to the rose. This is a rather close view of a Monarda flower, taken with both the flower and the camera resting on the ground so I could use a longish exposure (1/3 second at f/32).

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Bumble Bee on Nandina

Bumble Bee on Nandina

Bumble Bee on Nandina

We were over at Cathy’s mom’s this evening, doing a few things. Cathy planted some annuals in the pots on her driveway and I replaced the two buttons for her doorbell, neither of which was working. While Cathy finished up with the plants and before we went out for dinner, I took some pictures. While I was near the Nandina domestica (sometimes called heavenly bamboo for reasons that seem a bit tenuous to me) a bumble bee (Bombus impatiens, a common eastern bumble bee) came around, testing the flowers. This isn’t the sharpest picture of a bumble bee I’ve gotten but it’s the best of what I got on this occasion. I suspect there will be more bee and wasp pictures coming here in the weeks ahead. It’s that time of year.

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Monarda didyma (Crimson Beebalm)

<em>Monarda didyma</em> (Crimson Beebalm)

Monarda didyma (Crimson Beebalm)

The beebalm (Monarda didyma) in our yard is in full, magnificent bloom. There is a good size patch against the back fence and another on the south end of the house in front of the rose trellis. They are both quite striking right now, either from a distance, as a mass of bright red or close up, revealing the interesting flower structure of this member of the mint family. This picture is a bit much, with the red on red because of the blooms in the background. Nevertheless, I picked it because I think the flower in the center looks a bit like a set of deer antlers. I like that about it.

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Erick’s Hope Benefit Dinner

Diane, Amy, and Cathy

Diane, Amy, and Cathy

We went to the benefit dinner for Erick’s Hope this evening and enjoyed seeing a few friends, including Diane and Amy, pictured here with Cathy. In their own words, “Erick’s Hope exists to serve children in need of love and security by providing spiritual, emotional, physical and educational support through a variety of programs and services.” For more info, see https://erickshope.wordpress.com/. There was a huge selection of items in the dessert auction (we got a peach pie!) as well as the more traditional silent auction items. And the roast beast was delicious. Sadly we had to leave early so didn’t get to visit with other friends who came later.

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210,000 Miles

Chrysler Town and Country, 210,000 Miles

Chrysler Town and Country, 210,000 Miles

Our 2000 Chrysler Town and Country reached 210,000 miles today, which is a milestone, I suppose. It happened to get there as I pulled into my office parking lot so I took a picture. Actually, I the mileage was 209,999 when I pulled into the lot and I took a picture of that before driving around my building a couple times to click it over to 210,000.

I should say, we have two minivans and this is our low-mileage van. The other is a 2007 and has a little over 240,000. Lately I’ve been alternating driving the two of them, one week for one, then a week in the other. Once it really gets hot, though, this one will get less use, as the air conditioning isn’t working. But lately it hasn’t been too bad.

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Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflower)

Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflower)

Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflower)

The coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) in our yard is coming into bloom. It isn’t particularly purple at first, but they will darken as they open. I love the orange and green of the florets, the individual flowers, that are developing in the center of the flower head. At this stage they are still buds, unopened and shaped like spikes. When they open, then the bees and butterflies will come and pollinate them and the cycle of life will continue.

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Future Fireman

Future Fireman

Future Fireman

The Rockville Chamber of Commerce put on it’s first annual Community Fun Day today. I’m always impressed by the optimism in anything billed as being the first annual whatever. You could say that anything you do once was the first annual, but it implies you’ll do it again in a year. Even if you don’t, the first one was still the first (and last) annual event. In this case, I think there will be another next year, but time, as they say, will tell.

Our pastor had volunteered us to provide man (and woman) power to help with the event and I spent a bit of time in front of a grill. It’s a place I’m comfortable and reasonably capable, so that was fine. I also took what opportunity I was given to take a few pictures. The delay in getting the meat to the site helped give me more time.

There was a fire truck, ambulance, and police car there as attractions, along with a moon bounce and fairly large, inflatable slide. The fire truck attracted a fairly high percentage of the crowd, as they usually do. This youngster, however, stood out from the usual onlookers. He came in a pretty good rendition of a fireman’s outfit and was good enough to pose for a few pictures with what may very well be his future ride.

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Bird’s-foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus)

Bird's-foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus)

Bird’s-foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus)

Lotus corniculatus (Bird’s-foot Trefoil)

Mom and I went up to the farm today for a short visit. I have a few things I wanted to do but mostly it was to get away and relax a little. It was warm but not terribly hot and in the shade, with a gentle breeze blowing, it was very pleasant. Of course I brought my camera and took pictures of a few things that are blooming right now. This is bird’s-foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus), also known as bird’s-foot deervetch. It’s a beautiful, little flower and, like most legumes they have a symbiotic relationship with a nitrogen-fixing bacteria called Rhizobia which makes them particularly good for the soil in which they grow.

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Dead Wasp

Dead Wasp

Dead Wasp

I found this wasp on the hall floor of my office building and thought I’d take a closer look. It’s covered with dust but I photographed it pretty much as-is. I think perhaps it is a blue mud wasp (Chalybion californicum) which is a widespread species in North America. It is a beautiful, metallic blue color with hints of green, as well. Since the larvae feed on spiders, most people would consider it a beneficial insect, although spiders in their turn feed on other insects and are beneficial themselves.

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Rockville Town Square

Rockville Town Square

Rockville Town Square

I met my family in Rockville Town Square this evening for what we have taken to calling TND (Thursday Night Dinner). We met at Gordon Biersch but I got there a little early and took a few pictures in the square before heading over to the restaurant. This was taken from the stage, with the camera sitting on the edge of the stage and with a slightly long shutter speed to get some blur into the water (1/13 sec. at f/16.0). I think I should have lightened it up a bit more, but it’s not terrible. Anyway, that’s where I was this evening.

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Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus)

Eastern Cottontail (<em>Sylvilagus floridanus</em>)

Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus)

I’d say that there are a lot of rabbits in our neighborhood but that would be understating it by considerable. This is an eastern cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus), one of the most common rabbit species in North America. According to AnimalDiversity.org it “has the widest distribution of any Sylvilagus. It is found from southern Manitoba and Quebec to Central and northwestern South America. In the contiguous United States, the eastern cottontail ranges from the east to the Great Plains in the west.” I came out the front door this evening with my camera just as Cathy got home. There were three rabbits in our front yard. We went for a walk and saw more. When we got home, there were not only three in the front yard but a couple in the back.

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Sunset

Sunset

Sunset

We had a bit of rain today. When I got to work, the person with whom I rode up in the elevator said the forecast was for storms between 2:00 and 10:00 p.m. but I didn’t realize it was going to be as severe as it was. It really rained. I have a window office so I often don’t turn on my overhead lights, much preferring the natural light (even though my office faces north and I don’t get direct sun) to awful fluorescent light. It got so dark I needed to turn on a lamp. It wasn’t raining when I drove home but rained hard again after I got there. I hadn’t taken any pictures so I went out front and took some of the rain. They turned out alright but as it happens, I decided not to post them after all.

Sunset

Sunset

I went to dinner with four other guys, eating and having a brew at Dogfish Head in Gaithersburg. When we left it was about 8:45 and the sun was low in the sky, the clouds had cleared overhead, and the western sky was absolutely beautiful. I took a few pictures through powerlines from along West Diamond Avenue and then drove up to the small shopping center on the southwest corner of Clopper and Quince Orchard Roads. From there I had a less obstructed view of the sunset and that’s where I took these two pictures. Full disclosure, I edited out some light posts that I think detracted from the view.

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Dandelion

Dandelion

Dandelion

I was out in the back yard after work today and looking for things to photograph. I started by taking pictures of a little bit of fluff. I think it was a seed from a milkweed plant, although those are just blooming now, so it seems a bit early. Perhaps it was from something else. Then I photographed the flowers on an Egyptian walking onion (Allium × proliferum) growing in my herb garden. When I turned around I noticed a dandelion (Taraxacum sp.) growing in the lawn (not just one, actually, but this is the only one I photographed). It had gone to seed and most of the seeds had been blown away by the wind to torment our neighbors (or possibly to continue tormenting us, or course).

I wanted to photograph it in a way that was a little different. I got down on the ground and looked up at the seeds still remaining on the plant. I had my 100mm macro lens with a 25mm extension tube which together is a bit long, but I was able to get below the seeds and still see through the viewfinder. I don’t know that it’s a great picture, but I’m pleased enough with it. It’s a different view, if nothing else.

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