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Here and There…Now and Then |
Cousins
My mom and I were able to visit with kith and kin over the weekend in Belvidere. This photo is of my mom and five of her cousins. Unfortunately Jack and Clinton had already left by the time someone thought of taking a picture. We continue to pray for Glenn and his family.
Camellia japonica ‘Pink Perfection’
Most of the camellias in my mom’s yard have been touched by the cold weather we’ve had lately. This bush is absolutely covered with formerly perfect pink blossoms but now most of them are touched around the edges with brown. Still, from a distance it’s an amazing sight.
Oh, and they make me think of my dad, which is also really nice.
Sedum Jewels
We saw dem jewels so I took pitchers o’em. So, now you can sedem, too. These are water droplets in the emerging leaves of a sedum in a pot in our front yard. More water droplets in Extras.
Tree Flowers
These are the flowers on a small tree. Not sure what. Adds a nice touch of yellow to the otherwise mostly brown woods, though.
Water Heater
Yesterday I came home to a house with no hot water. Turns out there’s a leak in the tank. It’s not a big leak but with plumbing, a leak is a leak. Anyway, the water leaking out caused a short, blew the breaker. The plumber came today. This is the last I saw of the old water heater.
Grass
After a very chilly morning it was a beautiful afternoon. I didn’t take a lot of pictures, except a few of some pictures of moss, which I’m not very happy with them, and this tuft of grass.
Chionodoxa lucilae
I thought I’d try some extreme close-up shots today. I can’t say they are award winning pictures but after all, the challenge was to post a picture a day, not to win any awards. Anyway, Chionodoxa, or glory-of-the-snow, is one of my favorite flowers.
Pink Hyacinth
I’m not a big fan of hyacinths in general. They’re pretty enough but they smell quite awful. Some people like it, I guess but it’s too much for me. Anyway, they are pretty cheery in the garden.
Wood Carving
This is a wood carving on my mother-in-law’s living room wall.
Ripples
I admit that I have a thing for ripples in water. I can just sit and watch them. I don’t really know what it is about them that I like, but I think they are cool.
Lauren Plus One
Only two months to go…
Downy Woodpecker
I enjoyed watching this little fellow for a while. I sensed rather than saw a dark shape overhead. I looked up in time to see (but not take a picture) of a hawk as it flew on large, silent wings. I suppose if I had been a rabbit I’d have been in trouble. (Picoides pubescens)
Kielbasa and Cheese
These are some cheeses (from England, France, Holland, and Maryland, along with some “fresh” Kielbasa (can you even say that?) from the Kielbasa Factory in Rockville. I love aged foods. Perhaps I should have added a glass of red wine to this. Actually, I served four of the cheeses but substituted soppressata for the kielbasa, which is better heated.
Forsythia
The forsythia in our back yard started blooming today. It’s a day or two behind the bushes in our neighbor’s yard because it’s not in as much sun, but it’s still nice and bright when in bloom.
Rapid Oxidation of Wood
Also known as combustion. Fire, if you will. My mom went with me to the farm this afternoon and we pruned some plum trees, cutting out black-knot (see Project 365 Extras). We burned the cut branches and this is from that fire.
Maple Flowers
These are tiny flowers, with stamens about a centimeter long. They are the flowers of a maple of some sort (I think) and they were beautiful in the afternoon sun.
The First Scilla
The white crocuses and this white squill started blooming yesterday. The binomial is Scilla mischtschenkoana which has to be in the running for the word with the most consecutive consonants. Anyway, it’s a pretty little thing. Some daffodils started blooming today, but I can only post one picture here, so you’ll have to wait. I have a feeling you’ll be getting sick of my flower pictures before too long.
T-Bone
There really isn’t a lot to say about this picture. Benton is a little over a year old and is quite the little bruiser. Awfully cute, though.
Flags at Half Staff
In honor of Frank Buckles flags were flown at half staff today. This one is at the U. S. Naval Academy in Annapolis Maryland. To all of our brave men and women in uniform, I thank you.
Hat With a Hat
When she was in graduate school, my mom made this bust of her classmate and friend, Hat (and Hat made a bust of my mom). Anyway, she was using it to display one of my grandmother’s old hats. So, this is Hat With a Hat.
