Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Summer Afternoon

"Summer afternoon... the two most beautiful words in the English language."

Henry James









Turtle Eggs that a fox or coon or something got into before they had a chance to hatch.














My Boy " Yoda" and Dog in the creek, fetching sticks getting bit by mosquitoes, a running narration of all that was happening in the creek- butterflies, where it was deep, where it leveled off etc.. great fun to listen to.

Monday, June 28, 2010

4 times 4 Show and Tell

So this is a challenge I picked up from Fibra Artysta She Picked it up from Cart Before the Horse
Basically you go into your picture folders and go to the fourth folder and pick the 4th picture, then go to the next 4th folder and 4th picture in it. So in other wards a random way of peeking into your world of Photography!




After the Memorial Day Parade


















The True "Cat Nap" featuring Oren
















Chocolate Crinkle Cookies before they hit the oven! Yummo!















2010 Fresh Strawberries - they are great this year!!!! One of my personal favorite things!

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Along the path . . . .



This is a pathway that I frequently walk, bike or run on alone, with dog or with kids. It is an old railroad bed that the Black Diamond made it runs - aka Lehigh Valley from down near Scranton PA. to Buffalo NY Anyways this is late June on the Lehigh Valley and things are very early this summer. We even saw red honeysuckle berries that are usually there late August. Milkweeds are in full bloom - more on them later. Included here are Teasels which when in further bloom attract both bird and butterfly, Bird's-foot Trefoil also known as Lotus corniculatus part of the Pea family and Common roadside/ Field Daisy Oxeye Daisy from the aster family. All of these and many more love old railroad beds with loose gravel, poor drainage. The teasels which are very prickery to handle are so unique. They are commonly used in the dry/brown stage for decoration. Making them into animals is common too. I really like the meadow smell this time of year, all the clovers make it smell so sweet. The Chicory is out already and I think the shade of blue that it is, is brilliant. I can remember hiking with Girl Scouts this time of year through meadows that smelled so very good! It is a smell to me that says Slow down, sit a while and take it all in as it will not last! Hope you all get out to a meadow or where ever your favorite pathway is soon!

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Rainy days a necessity

Life is not about waiting for the rain to pass . . .
It's about learning to dance in the rain.
Dance on . . .


























Rain although inconvenient at times is such a necessity for all the living things in Nature and for slowing us down and letting the gentle rhythm of the rain soothe our souls. Who would pass up an afternoon to curl up with a good book and a quilt on a rainy day or a movie afternoon? Not I, so a whole week of rain when I have vacation or every weekend is not what i would desire but a few rainy days packed in there here and there are truly a necessity.

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Goin' Fishin, Mom!


It is that time of year, school is almost out and not to soon! We can hardly wait. Sleeping in, lazy days of reading, day trips to explore State parks, Drawing/Painting/Printmaking so many wonderful things to do and time to do them. I can hardly wait for the cry- "mom, were goin' fishing see ya later" and off they go to the nearby creek for an afternoon of honest to goodness outside all American boyhood fishing.
Now they would prefer that I take them into town to Honeoye Creek where the fishing and the fish are bigger. But there is something to be said for being able to get where you want to go under your own power. We tend to forget that these days in America. The rest of the world still holds great importance to personal transportation, walking, Bicycles are common both in Europe and Asia. Somehow here in America we lost that along the way. I realize we have more land and are more spread out, but we also changed what we hold as important.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

How Does your Garden Grow?



Just a few things growing in our gardens this time of year. The peas are by the door so you can just grab one coming or going.

Brussel Sprouts will be a while before they are ready but are fun to watch grow.

We just staked the tomatoes and now they need tying up . I like to grow them on stakes and not on the ground - all the better to see the Tomato Horn worms.

Lot's of end of the year studying and test taking going on right now. On the 24th it will be all over for an all to short summer of family trips,scouting, Church Mission trips.


What is growing in your Garden?

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Cards etc...



Just a few fun things I have been working on lately. I love this little petal Punch holders to hold a sweet treat or Tea Bag. just right for a little something extra. I had fun with a friend on Saturday and we created the 3 cards. Hers was the one with the cool tie on it.

Monday, June 7, 2010

Poor Edna


Hi there -

I got this sore on my neck about a week ago and we tried a lot of things but every time it got better, then I would just go and dig it again. So my Dad the Frugal Engineer decided that I should have this Handmade Cone thing. He made it out of a Social Studies Folder, an old webbing belt and plastic lock ties. Initially there was no padding in it and then they added this nice pad to the inside so when I sleep on it now there is a nice absorbent non adherent pad for me. I am pleased to report 2 days later things are healing, but I still try to dig every chance I get. A few more modifications have been made since these pictures and it really is not to bad. No Swimming for awhile and that I am really missing. ~ Edna


Sunday, June 6, 2010

Great Farmland

Turtles and Beavers


Above is the Turtle activity that we are seeing daily now in several locations where we walk. These would be snapping Turtles. They lay there hatch in a sandy gravel area and then the eggs incubate 60-90 days depending on the temperature outside. last year in this area we saw hatch-lings in mid- September. All the disturbed ground on the right of the path is potential spots. Flowergirl actually saw 2 turtles "nesting"


Above is one of the Beavers swimming in the water - kinda hard to see, head is out of the water and tail is in .

The first of 2 beavers heading into the water from the woods. I can usually hear them in the woods and when I go to the edge to see them- Wow- there they are. So big in real life. Edna the Yellow Lab stands very still watching them but her whole body is usually shaking.