We decided to take a break from dealing with things and drove to the National Arboretum today. There were a few early roses that were still blooming but this is pretty close to the same date we’ve gone the last two years. Nevertheless, it was a really nice visit and we enjoyed the flowers very much. It wasn’t nearly so crowded as it was earlier in the year when we went on Sunday and the cherry blossoms were in bloom. We had come for the camellias rather than the cherries.
Monthly Archives: May 2025
National Arboretum Rose Garden
Adiantum pedatum (Northern Maidenhair Fern)
Years ago my dad planted this northern maidenhair fern (Adiantum pedatum) in his back yard. It had to be moved when the got air conditioning in their house and I took a large piece of it to our garden in Gaithersburg. I brought some of that with us when we moved to our current house and recently I divided it into five different pieces that are doing pretty well in various, more or less shady spots in the garden. I’m quite happy with it and plan to divide it again to spread it a bit more.
Steve, Dorothy, Jeff, and Judy
As you may or may not know, Dorothy and Jeff are engaged. His parents have met Dorothy a few times but Steve and Judy wanted to meet Jeff’s future in-laws. So, they drove up from Raleigh for the weekend. After visiting a little while at our house, we all drove to Great Falls and walked out to the Olmsted Island overlook. I carried my camera, as I usually do, and took a few pictures, including this one of Steve, Dorothy, Jeff, and Judy, which I think turned out nicely.
Vultures On The Church
Cathy and I were quite late getting to church this morning and when we got there the parking lot was pretty full so we parked in the overflow area in the woods. As we came down the hill to the church we saw these vultures on the roof, enjoying the sunshine. I went back and got my long lens so I could get a few good pictures a bit closer than with the 100mm I have in my camera bag. And yes, I generally have my camera at church because I photograph baptisms and various events of that sort.
Family After The Memorial
Mom’s memorial service was this morning. There were a few technical hitches, such as a tree down and power lines down across the road so getting to the church was difficult for folks coming from that direction. While power had been restored around midnight, the internet connection was still out, so we were not able to life-stream the service for those who could not be there. Also, while we had a microphone and that worked for folks in the room, we were not able to get the audio fed directly into the video camera. Nevertheless, after some creative editing, we got a video with passable audio. You can read mom’s bio and find links to the video and slide show on HartleyFamily.org.
After the service, all the local family and some from out of town came to our house for the rest of the day. Others from out of town drove home the same day, but it was good to see everyone and we’re very thankful for the love and support of our family and friends.