tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82329364742379562732024-03-05T00:07:23.120-06:00A Well-Watered GardenThere are surprises awaiting us deep in the earth. May we greet them with joy!Sherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04074586187244917093noreply@blogger.comBlogger63125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232936474237956273.post-192779677895486562019-08-07T10:20:00.002-05:002019-08-07T10:26:36.188-05:00Casablanca Lilies<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="text-align: left;">The queen of all flowers. </span>Bright pure white stars illuminating the weary dog days and nights of July and August. Heavenly scent permeating the soft humid evenings. Beautiful wrapped bows of joy bursting out of narrow green pods. Made by God. </div>
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What else can I say about these, one of my favorite flowers? So happy because I've got 12 blooms this summer. Previous summers kept seeing the stalks broken - probably by the wild turkeys stepping through them. My husband put a small fence solution around them in the spring, and voila! They came.</div>
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Sherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04074586187244917093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232936474237956273.post-36458066969454525182018-12-16T11:25:00.001-06:002019-08-07T10:27:02.170-05:00Midsummer Evening<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Summer evenings can be beautiful, magical, full of delight. One can understand why so many stories were written about fairies and other magical happenings at this time of day, in this season. These photos were taken during one of those hushed warm evenings, when the sun has just set. The truck was asleep on a bed of moonlit-drenched hydrangeas, transforming it into something other than a truck. Maybe a flying time machine at rest or a coach flown by moths and bats.<br />
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Even in the dead of winter, I can watch this video to see the fireflies.</div>
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Sherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04074586187244917093noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232936474237956273.post-36492303161109004092017-05-23T09:55:00.000-05:002019-08-07T10:27:39.669-05:00Spring Bride Duet<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
For a wedding gift to me, my husband bought me the <a href="https://www.brecks.com/product/Spring_Bride_Duet" target="_blank">Spring Bride Duet</a> - a combination of Cosmopolitan Darwin Hybrid tulips and Stainless Daffodils. We planted them in the fall of 2014, and they have faithfully come up each year. I thought the daffodils and tulips were a good combination for us in case the deer ate the tulips, the daffodils would still be standing. Also, tulips can fade over time but daffodils multiply. So far, both have come up faithfully, and beautifully, each year, and the deer have left them alone. I would buy Darwin Hybrids again - they have really strong stems and huge flowers! The Cospmopolitans color changes over the time they are up. They come up a pale peach/pink, and then slowly shift to a brighter pinkish/red.<br />
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Sherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04074586187244917093noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232936474237956273.post-72880149072368737672017-04-18T11:53:00.003-05:002017-04-28T15:21:04.729-05:00Crocus from Heaven<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The Crocuses appeared a couple of weeks ago, sentinels of beauty and Spring. They are infused with heavenly light. They are Easter. They are delicate yet durable vessels which are visible to us as well as those in the next world, they carry us from winter into spring; gateways between the here and now, and times to come. Welcome Crocuses!<br />
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The striped are the Pickwick variety:<br />
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Sherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04074586187244917093noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232936474237956273.post-39283838328102262402017-03-29T13:31:00.003-05:002017-03-29T13:50:29.648-05:00Beautiful Balsam<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Last spring I started most of my garden vegetables and flower annuals from seed. We purchased a grow table from <a href="http://www.gardeners.com/buy/seed-starting-and-lights/grow-lights-and-stands/" target="_blank">Gardeners Supply</a>, which overall worked really well to start the seeds. I knew going into it that some of the seed experiments would be successes and some failures. I used seeds from at least 3 different companies and I also found that seeds from certain companies were more successful than others - here's one of the successes.<br />
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When we moved into our house in 2010, some beautiful purple flowers began blooming in August - they had a unique structure to them in that the blooms were nestled under the leaves. We really liked them, and my husband called them "Underflowers". I researched and found that they were Balsam. <a href="http://wellwateredgardenjournal.blogspot.com/2011/09/balsam.html" target="_blank">Here's a previous blog post on those pretty purple ones.</a> Balsam is a species of Impatiens, and they are a delightful, easy to grow annual. At first I didn't realize they were an annual, because the next couple of years they appeared as well, but less each time. A number of them do reseed themselves.<br />
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Last spring I decided to plant some myself, and I chose the <a href="https://www.botanicalinterests.com/product/balsam-camellia-flowered-heirloom-seeds/srch:balsam" target="_blank">Balsam Camelia Flowered Heirloom Variety from Botanical Interests.</a> These are multicolored, rather than just the purple. They began sprouting right away, and in August they were really the star of the backyard. So beautiful!! As well as the photos, I have also included a short video clip of the bees on them - watching that just brings back summer!<br />
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The video clip:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ejH2EG8nLeY?list=PLOg9WksSjZYdSGg2j6T6h-qKAOPvssaQn" width="560"></iframe><br />
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Sherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04074586187244917093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232936474237956273.post-38780175142538800982015-11-03T12:42:00.003-06:002015-11-03T12:47:52.840-06:00Busy Bees<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We took a walk through the conservation land behind the house, and found that while we were taking a respite, others were very hard at work harvesting pollen from the Prairie Asters:<br />
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Such a beautiful office to work in:</div>
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Sherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04074586187244917093noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232936474237956273.post-21670746807129428422015-02-28T13:30:00.000-06:002015-02-28T13:32:50.329-06:00Last summer's Hollyhocks<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Here are some photos of last summer's (2014's) Hollyhocks. They are the same that were <a href="http://wellwateredgardenjournal.blogspot.com/2013/10/hollyhocks.html" target="_blank">photographed in 2013</a>, but they bloomed even more profusely last summer. In the grip of winter, photos of flowers like these seem like miracles.<br />
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Sherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04074586187244917093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232936474237956273.post-16772754900796003232015-02-18T01:11:00.003-06:002015-02-18T01:22:29.826-06:00Pink Promises<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We planted three types of roses in the spring of 2011: Memorial Day hybrid tea, which are a beautiful old-fashioned pink with a lovely damask scent, <a href="http://wellwateredgardenjournal.blogspot.com/2011/09/moondance-roses.html" target="_blank">Moondance</a> floribunda, which sadly did not survive last year's brutal winter (all I have of them now is the photos), and Pink Promise hybrid tea, which really have flourished the best of the three. They have very strong thick stems and massive light pink blooms. Our roses do best in early spring and late summer, when the Japanese beetles are not active. Is there a reason why the two hybrid teas survived the winter and the floribunda did not? It could have just been the placement - maybe Moondance got slightly more wind and cold then the others. These photos were taken of the Pink Promises last fall (2014). Happy Valentine's Day!<br />
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Sherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04074586187244917093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232936474237956273.post-52075176714695961402015-02-11T13:40:00.000-06:002015-02-11T13:40:42.329-06:00Summer Daylilies - Peaches and Plums<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
While we are in the grips of winter, I thought I'd catch up on posting some photos from last summer. There were two kinds of daylilies that were particularly beautiful. The first have been on the property for a long time - before we moved in in 2010. They are peach, with yellow centers and a rosy ring in the middle. As far as my research can tell, they are "Bunny Eyes" hemerocallis. If anyone recognizes them as something else, please do comment:<br />
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There is a visitor in the photo above.<br />
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We planted the second variety, "Just Plum Happy", in the spring of 2013. They didn't bloom much that summer, but this summer they really started to flourish:<br />
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So pretty.</div>
Sherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04074586187244917093noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232936474237956273.post-46521268458407689322014-02-04T00:49:00.003-06:002014-02-04T00:50:27.656-06:00When you can't garden outside - grow Mushrooms!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
One of the gifts we received for Christmas was a big box of fungus-filled mud - a mushroom kit from River Valley Ranch in Wisconsin. Ours was to grow white button mushrooms. We had never tried this, and it was both fun and easy. The most enjoyable part of it was being able to actually grow and harvest something in the middle of winter.<br />
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Mushrooms need no light to grow, so we set the box in our basement and followed the instructions. There are two plastic bags - the larger one at bottom, which contains the mycelium needed to grow the mushrooms, and a small bag containing the topsoil. You open the small topsoil bag and sprinkle it on top of the larger:<br />
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Store it in a slightly warmer location until the Mycelium partially grows through the topsoil. (We put ours under a heat vent)<br />
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Then move it to a cooler location, and that temperature change is what starts the mushrooms growing.<br />
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And they grow...<br />
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and grow...<br />
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and grow, until I truly understood the meaning of the verb "to mushroom"!<br />
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This photo was taken right before I harvested them:<br />
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The harvest:<br />
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After washing and drying them:<br />
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We ended up with four paper lunch bags full, which I'm storing in the refrigerator. I read somewhere that mushrooms should always be stored in paper bags. We've made two batches of stuffed mushroom caps, and added them to a stir fry. They taste absolutely delicious. I've never had such fresh mushrooms. And there is a second batch growing! </div>
Sherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04074586187244917093noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232936474237956273.post-74128421038398578052013-10-03T00:08:00.000-05:002015-02-28T13:23:52.151-06:00Hollyhocks<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Cottage garden flowers are so delightful, and I've been wanting to add more and more. I planted some Hollyhocks from seed on the east and west sides of the house last Spring. The West side hollyhocks were "double" Hollyhocks, and the East side are the traditional ones. The West side gets much more intense sunlight so the double ones really grew strong, and so much more beautiful than I could have imagined. They are still blooming profusely. They look like crepe ballgowns for fairies. The seed package showed shades of pink - ranging from white to dark red. The two colors that bloomed were a bubblegum pink and a fuscia.<br />
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Just as I thought the bubblegum pink ones couldn't get any prettier, the centers became yellower as the summer went on.</div>
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Sherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04074586187244917093noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232936474237956273.post-38054644166456162312013-07-15T16:21:00.002-05:002013-07-15T16:23:50.842-05:00Homemade Trellis<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
As I blogged previously with regards to the <a href="http://wellwateredgardenjournal.blogspot.com/2011/05/wisteria.html" target="_blank">Wisteria</a> and <a href="http://wellwateredgardenjournal.blogspot.com/2011/08/trumpet-vine.html" target="_blank">Trumpet Vine</a>, we have been in need of a trellis to sit between the house and the shed, upon which these two climbers can be content. The Wisteria by the shed has been choked in with a big climbing Honeysuckle, and the Trumpet Vine became so aggressive on the house that it was pushing into the siding and pulled out the gutter. We've spent time pruning these vines in preparation for the trellis. Steve and I went to Menards this spring with the intention of buying the trellis, but none we saw had the right measurements. After we looked a while, Steve said "I will make one". He has started woodworking - taking classes and making small projects. Next thing I knew the truck was full of lumber and we were driving home. He's spent the last few weeks making the trellis in the garage. Yesterday he and Dad put it up. It's not completely finished yet, but it has absolutely surpassed my expectations in function and beauty. I love it and spent this morning coaxing some of the Trumpet Vine onto it!<br />
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Sherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04074586187244917093noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232936474237956273.post-17547212524111716612013-06-25T15:14:00.003-05:002015-11-03T12:46:54.419-06:00Peony Heaven<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOnw2Euya8q_thI69sC8xbhAsT27uKxRgPeS51y_wxLEpAf6NU3AClqRq6b6xet9p2ox25YjmsZRLVnB-GMm9rGnrxhku_VVRQ9pwl90qKu1M3sWpnRuPpAPxuzZJzmCx4oOaSI06Oy3c/s1600/IMAG0354.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOnw2Euya8q_thI69sC8xbhAsT27uKxRgPeS51y_wxLEpAf6NU3AClqRq6b6xet9p2ox25YjmsZRLVnB-GMm9rGnrxhku_VVRQ9pwl90qKu1M3sWpnRuPpAPxuzZJzmCx4oOaSI06Oy3c/s640/IMAG0354.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
Peonies always bloomed each June in the back of my childhood best friend's home. I remember pink and white, how large they were, and of course, ants being on them. I also remember the heavenly smell. I was overjoyed to see that we inherited several bushes when we moved into the house. Most are a hot pink color. I noticed that one bush, however, was in a very shady area, and was being choked by other plants. I could see that it was different from the hot pink ones, and had more of that amazing scent. I thought it had white blooms at the time. I carefully transplanted the roots and eyes to a more sunny area during the fall of 2011. The foliage and a few buds came up last summer, but the drought put a stop to any further growth. This spring we got the full reward - gorgeous light pink blooms! If only I were a watercolor artist...<br />
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Sherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04074586187244917093noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232936474237956273.post-11168365289805985792013-02-04T14:58:00.002-06:002013-02-04T14:58:18.323-06:00Pine Curtain<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We went snowshoeing in the conservation land this morning. Not too many fresh tracks since the snow was still falling and the animals are probably still burrowed up. Usually there are squirrel, rabbit, deer, and coyote tracks. We hear the coyotes at night often, but never saw one until last November. It was 7am, and he walked quietly out of the woods - stood there facing our house, then turned, marked his territory, and trotted down the path. We thought we wouldn't be seeing any deer for a while, but the next week 4 of them appeared in almost the same spot - also in the morning. Here's a photo I took on our walk - a curtain of pine boughs. Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain! :-). I didn't realize Steve was in the shot.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7b3Elu6SEAgVplUQCsi73pZ9zvF8x3BpkHP1rCPzOnT7bXEEVNalXgEiSn0tPwuHb_L6yq47OIRUrg5sY3qlpfNMTVTJq9JaTl9RwcjJD5mHFpIupBbQY8HRPghPyPSdVvz7_YaMTO3A/s1600/IMAG1559.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7b3Elu6SEAgVplUQCsi73pZ9zvF8x3BpkHP1rCPzOnT7bXEEVNalXgEiSn0tPwuHb_L6yq47OIRUrg5sY3qlpfNMTVTJq9JaTl9RwcjJD5mHFpIupBbQY8HRPghPyPSdVvz7_YaMTO3A/s640/IMAG1559.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Sherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04074586187244917093noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232936474237956273.post-26161341770411496552012-04-08T19:28:00.000-05:002012-12-17T14:47:42.655-06:00Cornhusk Wreath<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I made the cornhusk wreath featured on the Martha Stewart show last November. The steps involve dyeing the cornhusks (you can buy tamale cornhusks in your local grocery store), then separating them into strips while they are still damp, and pinning them to a straw wreath. Finish it with a thick satin ribbon. I chose apple green dye, so I can have it on the front door year-round.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicdDcu9_TL5hIWLHpsxHI6mhT-0FzPhPQMyBOUIcnJvEgIO58qwbHvDwz6Htl1FhxkTFkLehyphenhyphenUNbY4GOwwZnn1comBhYyivcu6d3HO9PXr28cS09seo7uwng2NRZ4xXPUlj5KIgPpPXTg/s1600/IMAG10492.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="632" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicdDcu9_TL5hIWLHpsxHI6mhT-0FzPhPQMyBOUIcnJvEgIO58qwbHvDwz6Htl1FhxkTFkLehyphenhyphenUNbY4GOwwZnn1comBhYyivcu6d3HO9PXr28cS09seo7uwng2NRZ4xXPUlj5KIgPpPXTg/s640/IMAG10492.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Closeup of the ribbon:<br />
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I'm so happy with the results. To make your own, <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/857248/cornhusk-wreath" target="_blank">here is a link to the directions</a>.</div>
Sherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04074586187244917093noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232936474237956273.post-9684811996865838802012-02-26T20:15:00.002-06:002012-02-29T09:59:51.306-06:00Winter Wonderland<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Two days ago there was an unusual winter storm with a very heavy snow. The snowfall began as darkness fell, so we didn't see the results until morning. We awoke to an enchanted winter wonderland, something out of Swan Lake. Every little branch had 1-2 inches of snow on it, looking whiter and frostier than a typical snowfall. We went snowshoeing through the conservation land in back. Here are some photos:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiehtLXu38nhJRro4bKqbyM73JR5CCZjDrU_AXf_qYQq0E8fXsImihvZ0DcIy6huCmR9qW77aPv4geVy1_-JOZTQq3we4rGcAAnjmP8gAw1BfFn7iVLTAgFQdETEjBedYLTY8hHrzK9Vk0/s1600/IMAG1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiehtLXu38nhJRro4bKqbyM73JR5CCZjDrU_AXf_qYQq0E8fXsImihvZ0DcIy6huCmR9qW77aPv4geVy1_-JOZTQq3we4rGcAAnjmP8gAw1BfFn7iVLTAgFQdETEjBedYLTY8hHrzK9Vk0/s640/IMAG1024.jpg" width="382" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsq_Q7cz1NFBEXbi-n8NiVtrwVWVDeJJTpnjiSPBIIx0lRrIiJbrLTNwh1EklK5315szYpgT72H7XqS2lsHsR35NjJLR8iUQ4WQk_DblFnky7gJtpAcMXOHDhiqVWxnsG-WO59JgQNrCg/s1600/IMAG1038.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsq_Q7cz1NFBEXbi-n8NiVtrwVWVDeJJTpnjiSPBIIx0lRrIiJbrLTNwh1EklK5315szYpgT72H7XqS2lsHsR35NjJLR8iUQ4WQk_DblFnky7gJtpAcMXOHDhiqVWxnsG-WO59JgQNrCg/s640/IMAG1038.jpg" width="382" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJmrtp-eD9SGQp0FIXJc39_WZgti9XoDLlPLCp6aXK8fXyzYnRvRw6ABvl_cp_ENyutef8npmqrAol_ZsOO1Yx7dhYR8K3iUkT7rd99P_Vbm8EEmHyvHoiiglRG-dG__x8jpm9GtJMoiA/s1600/IMAG1045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJmrtp-eD9SGQp0FIXJc39_WZgti9XoDLlPLCp6aXK8fXyzYnRvRw6ABvl_cp_ENyutef8npmqrAol_ZsOO1Yx7dhYR8K3iUkT7rd99P_Vbm8EEmHyvHoiiglRG-dG__x8jpm9GtJMoiA/s640/IMAG1045.jpg" width="382" /></a></div>Definitely a morning to remember during the dog days of July!</div>Sherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04074586187244917093noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232936474237956273.post-89514653863202104292012-02-17T15:14:00.016-06:002012-02-17T17:26:03.097-06:00Participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKZYt3Sb05NvPxk__CqRRMcWicBwIx9IGhC5aWinky4aYb__WS9Qn9an0D6yM32wkp5F7T9AU0ZE2ZhH_MJbsEXpLQDnpoxYfbIYMKDVIJL4eBPKSYSekWPPESbI_LvYN6DcBJoSh0geI/s1600/rbwsqla.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKZYt3Sb05NvPxk__CqRRMcWicBwIx9IGhC5aWinky4aYb__WS9Qn9an0D6yM32wkp5F7T9AU0ZE2ZhH_MJbsEXpLQDnpoxYfbIYMKDVIJL4eBPKSYSekWPPESbI_LvYN6DcBJoSh0geI/s320/rbwsqla.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Cornell University's <a href="http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc" target="_blank">Great Backyard Bird Count</a> is happening now! They collect data on bird species and their whereabouts from all over the country at this time each year, and you can help. It's easy to participate - just look out your window for 15 minutes each day, today through Monday, and fill out a form on their website noting what species you saw and how many.</div><br />
Here are some notes from their FAQ:<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">How is the information from the GBBC used?</span></b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Bird populations are constantly changing. No single scientist or team of scientists could hope to keep track of the complicated patterns of movement of so many species over an entire continent. The information from GBBC participants becomes even more valuable as scientists try to learn how birds are affected by environmental changes.</span><br />
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The information you send in can provide the first sign that individual species may be increasing or declining from year to year. It shows how a species’ range expands or shrinks over time. A big change, noted consistently over a period of years, is an indication that something is happening in the environment that is affecting the birds and that should be followed up on. GBBC information also allows us to look at what kinds of birds inhabit different areas, such as cities versus suburban.</span><br />
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All the information from the GBBC and other surveys goes into a massive bird database called the <a href="http://www.birds.cornell.edu/is/research/itr.html" target="_blank">Avian Knowledge Network</a>. AKN now holds more than 112 million records of bird observations which are used by scientists around the world.</span><br />
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Why is the count in February?</span></b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">It gives us a snapshot of how birds are surviving the winter and where they are located just before spring migrations begin in March. Scientists at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the National Audubon Society, and elsewhere can combine this information with data from surveys conducted at different times of the year.</span><br />
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Go to the <a href="http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc" target="_blank">Great Backyard Birdcount Website</a> to participate!<br />
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I just filled out my form for today. In 15 minutes I saw 1 Black-Capped Chickadee, 2 Downy Woodpeckers, and 1 Red-Bellied Woodpecker, who was so stunningly big and beautiful. Of course I couldn't grab my camera in time, so I included a stock photo of a Red-Bellied Woodpecker in this post to represent him.<br />
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</div></div>Sherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04074586187244917093noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232936474237956273.post-25470755887111702142012-02-15T15:01:00.003-06:002012-02-15T15:06:33.652-06:00Bringing Home Bluebirds<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3nDr25zPnllCOjg9g0mH4daqeX0Mm0Rz9rg4JnzhEvipub36brWcEQKMmTeA68ZReBMtXV_l5gDGPrKPFkRK5lYd50Y-6bYW-eTmuaUZGtZUY_8A6qcGEFBTpO0fNa5eJPP4ufvB7R4c/s1600/bluebird2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3nDr25zPnllCOjg9g0mH4daqeX0Mm0Rz9rg4JnzhEvipub36brWcEQKMmTeA68ZReBMtXV_l5gDGPrKPFkRK5lYd50Y-6bYW-eTmuaUZGtZUY_8A6qcGEFBTpO0fNa5eJPP4ufvB7R4c/s1600/bluebird2.jpg" /></a>We went to the Wisconsin Garden Expo in Madison last weekend and had a great time. There were hundreds of vendors, as well as free seminars. One of the seminars we went to was "Attracting Bluebirds and Other Cavity Nesters". The speaker was Patrick Ready, of the <a href="http://www.braw.org/info/braw_info.html" target="_blank">Bluebird Restoration Association of Wisconsin.</a> It was very informative.<br />
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Although we attract a number of beautiful birds to our feeders, I've not seen Bluebirds, so I will try to attract them this Spring. The BRAW website has specifications on types of feeders to buy or build, as well as a wealth of info on Bluebird behavior. Just after I decided to try to attract them, two serendipitous things happened:<br />
1. I was shopping in Walmart and saw a feeder specifically made for Bluebirds, for $9. It seems to have the right dimensions and is made of cedar:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgETZ_d-lCa5Dl6ad4EunpokgOAXsPixrFp0t1A5JmTFCZQs3gQ-8mwHLemlcSc4I9gLFxI_Wva6Uj15sQh7bKplVInwUZuHkXKYFiehNSjNYQorz4MSCrD_7lbPpcVLZ8KwqjiIwFFMDc/s1600/bb_house2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgETZ_d-lCa5Dl6ad4EunpokgOAXsPixrFp0t1A5JmTFCZQs3gQ-8mwHLemlcSc4I9gLFxI_Wva6Uj15sQh7bKplVInwUZuHkXKYFiehNSjNYQorz4MSCrD_7lbPpcVLZ8KwqjiIwFFMDc/s640/bb_house2.jpg" width="418" /></a></div> Closeup of the tag:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt7L4rz1F1CLWSBwPM0yE5yalucBvT7PI6w7-fqxWhXDjzfd5fZdePCwBeAN77LxcN-Kuu3IZhrJiDOQrkul8DQZog71gxrcL3cnEQHgMp3yClL-I1yAV4ge1F2jolrD48G5iRgkSU-A4/s1600/bb_tag.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt7L4rz1F1CLWSBwPM0yE5yalucBvT7PI6w7-fqxWhXDjzfd5fZdePCwBeAN77LxcN-Kuu3IZhrJiDOQrkul8DQZog71gxrcL3cnEQHgMp3yClL-I1yAV4ge1F2jolrD48G5iRgkSU-A4/s320/bb_tag.jpeg" width="291" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>2. I read <a href="http://serenitycove2.blogspot.com/2012/02/bluebirds.html" target="_blank">Pearl's latest blog post at Serenity Cove</a>, all about the Bluebirds that are gracing her backyard, with fantastic photos! They are feeding on homemade suet she's made. She's tried to attract them for about 10 years now, and they are appearing at her feeders this winter.<br />
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According to the BRAW seminar, Bluebirds are making a comeback. I hope to see them soon!<br />
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A note to all about the <a href="http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc" target="_blank">Cornell University's Great Backyard Bird Count program</a>, which begins <b>this Friday, Feb 17 and goes through Monday Feb 20</b>. To participate, you count number of birds and species that you see for at least 15 minutes on one or more days of the count. Then you log what you saw on the site. Happy Watching!</div>Sherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04074586187244917093noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232936474237956273.post-50086000048512551042012-02-10T14:34:00.001-06:002012-02-10T14:40:05.004-06:00Patience in the Snow<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">A steady snowfall today. Big fluffy flakes, falling every which way. Hypnotizing, spellbinding, calming, the perfect balance between stillness and movement. I went out to take some pictures, and mostly saw places of waiting and moments of patience. Winter is imbued with the qualities of patience, endurance, and introspection. <br />
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Here are the birdfeeders waiting patiently for the birds to return. The birds are in the branches right now, head under wing, waiting out the storm. The feeders keep their food dry, knowing the birds will fly directly to it as soon as the snow lets up. I look at the feeders, and see the birds flitting about them, pushing each other away, chirping, dropping hulls.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCmCRM6Bqou0DBjqIQDmCXWOFFp4o7oj_wMYjzH1Xfb8ZG9YZ4RnXZv9o5EFd_e6d-6oLdi7cPqUW8Am0I7FLnT5LXeCbfUlxOUeFYn_XmqjM5KR1t2ZV3VT1P1YZ7-ymcXlE4iFJN-XA/s1600/IMAG0984.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCmCRM6Bqou0DBjqIQDmCXWOFFp4o7oj_wMYjzH1Xfb8ZG9YZ4RnXZv9o5EFd_e6d-6oLdi7cPqUW8Am0I7FLnT5LXeCbfUlxOUeFYn_XmqjM5KR1t2ZV3VT1P1YZ7-ymcXlE4iFJN-XA/s640/IMAG0984.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Our log bench swing waits patiently for our return in the spring. We Lightly swing on it as we discuss what's for dinner, or the next lawn project. My favorite moment so far on it was looking up at twilight and seeing a Great Horned Owl softly land on one of the oak branches above.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrNen3VdoIvGBVX16A0b81Xk7s98tQAhl9PwfsP6tuOLr1yDV46fERmjxlNBpPmiemwMXgX5weLfMD8YyLGetoL4pDHbHF7d8-dVy1CYMX9d20IlTy_wkrJtBUl9ChYoZg5ccLeVuaWF0/s1600/IMAG0985.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrNen3VdoIvGBVX16A0b81Xk7s98tQAhl9PwfsP6tuOLr1yDV46fERmjxlNBpPmiemwMXgX5weLfMD8YyLGetoL4pDHbHF7d8-dVy1CYMX9d20IlTy_wkrJtBUl9ChYoZg5ccLeVuaWF0/s640/IMAG0985.jpg" width="382" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As I was walking around, I surprised a large rabbit. He darted out from the prairie grass he was hiding in, and ran to the woods in back. He waits patiently in the grasses and rocks for the snow to stop, and spring to come. Here is one of his tracks. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_tro5EomgV7hXLf1hIML6bIegOwWp4IL5JiGgwSDHw8v0A-5X-39xD38eYIkD4A50nCQrxkj6wqaWlsMEE72JWt19u4jeS2CwqjtCDDy2ZLqzHqVguZjT9IkgCjvWJ9TcdDzprNW6YKE/s1600/IMAG0992.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_tro5EomgV7hXLf1hIML6bIegOwWp4IL5JiGgwSDHw8v0A-5X-39xD38eYIkD4A50nCQrxkj6wqaWlsMEE72JWt19u4jeS2CwqjtCDDy2ZLqzHqVguZjT9IkgCjvWJ9TcdDzprNW6YKE/s640/IMAG0992.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
After identifying the <a href="http://wellwateredgardenjournal.blogspot.com/2011/09/what-is-this-shrub.html" target="_blank">Redleaf Rose</a> by the shed, I intended to make tea from the hips. I never did, and they still sit squarely on the branches, holding all their vitamin C inside. They wait for spring, when pretty pink blossoms will gently push them off, and the birds will find a tasty snack to fuel their nest-building.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQWrilN2tex9FoTYsiA5PztCTz5_zDnvOjmrcNGhHwXBIgeO-7WiBoEM8-9YmblmwWSJsZVMtxzdSl2Qea08gllfLd3IrZyINXwtusqFbcljgtL4wLWULvRv7TR0JSZBlucVVIsI_MZ7w/s1600/IMAG1002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQWrilN2tex9FoTYsiA5PztCTz5_zDnvOjmrcNGhHwXBIgeO-7WiBoEM8-9YmblmwWSJsZVMtxzdSl2Qea08gllfLd3IrZyINXwtusqFbcljgtL4wLWULvRv7TR0JSZBlucVVIsI_MZ7w/s640/IMAG1002.jpg" width="382" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div> The Panacle Hydrangea's <a href="http://wellwateredgardenjournal.blogspot.com/2011/08/morning-glory-monster.html" target="_blank">rosy petals</a> have become amber, and they hold the snowflakes up like spun sugar. They are sweet and delicate in every season.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM-xPkGEa9svQwALoNl8jOxWMA-xc5ejKODSW_04TSZx2PB7oPXZGVF05ZNmnXVBk0RsHa-QmoMxYZbqpm8hkccnW5Q6KHhRnbIV9XGI71fhOb-2hlcIYNYCCbnJ35ApcVzIdZeLoaV7s/s1600/IMAG1004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM-xPkGEa9svQwALoNl8jOxWMA-xc5ejKODSW_04TSZx2PB7oPXZGVF05ZNmnXVBk0RsHa-QmoMxYZbqpm8hkccnW5Q6KHhRnbIV9XGI71fhOb-2hlcIYNYCCbnJ35ApcVzIdZeLoaV7s/s640/IMAG1004.jpg" width="382" /></a></div><br />
Finally, the birdhouse looks like it's listening and watching for new spring tenants! Patience and endurance always pays off, and I know he will be full of eggs and baby birds come spring.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw30i9jMmlnHfQvNk44jy-UdCf103b59EE_pFTmGqMOHV-xFUltooEFHWbagoUh7s7ZzP4m5ZwkTzsGe0OfTXacfYPPuZqTmsiWbq9L3twVGZvWuv9AdlCBJ63yAHoTEYg0InaN8D079o/s1600/IMAG1009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw30i9jMmlnHfQvNk44jy-UdCf103b59EE_pFTmGqMOHV-xFUltooEFHWbagoUh7s7ZzP4m5ZwkTzsGe0OfTXacfYPPuZqTmsiWbq9L3twVGZvWuv9AdlCBJ63yAHoTEYg0InaN8D079o/s640/IMAG1009.jpg" width="382" /></a></div><br />
</div>Sherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04074586187244917093noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232936474237956273.post-70930201895121952772012-01-05T21:45:00.002-06:002012-01-05T21:49:04.714-06:00Garden Expo in Madison<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Just read about the garden expo in Madison Feb 10-12.<br />
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<a href="http://www.wigardenexpo.com/" target="_blank">http://www.wigardenexpo.com/</a><br />
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It looks great. Many seminars and workshops, as well as gardening products. We will likely go on Saturday. A one-day ticket is $7 in advance and $8 at the door. Not bad to get a head start and see some flowers and other gardeners in the middle of winter. Let me know if anyone is planning on attending, or has ever attended.<br />
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Tomorrow we are taking the outside Christmas decorations down. The fir tree in front is dressed with lights and ornaments. We use a long pole to get everything up as high as we can. I don't have pictures of it this year, but here it is last year, covered with snow.<br />
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Happy New Year all!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxqYiOvN5Dtxt5n7Qs6dhyphenhyphengFJpASpLNr-k1kEBCRXl8KGNSVg-R_0CkNlSsdn_QG6LL3PRvXcdXCYKjXfSSASCRFto6m5XGV4gpop_orAWKmQxA2MMiva6817HkFQNVW_TEKrtSk9OaLQ/s1600/IMAG0322.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxqYiOvN5Dtxt5n7Qs6dhyphenhyphengFJpASpLNr-k1kEBCRXl8KGNSVg-R_0CkNlSsdn_QG6LL3PRvXcdXCYKjXfSSASCRFto6m5XGV4gpop_orAWKmQxA2MMiva6817HkFQNVW_TEKrtSk9OaLQ/s640/IMAG0322.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br />
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</div>Sherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04074586187244917093noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232936474237956273.post-87708013165071229482011-12-13T23:46:00.001-06:002011-12-13T23:48:15.051-06:00Holiday Frame Craft - Good Progress<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">The woodland frame elves have been hard at work. The staining was completed a few days ago. Here are the stained versions:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh16qvX9LMFt4COk5c1XFB04ISr897NxF160w_729o0x2kAV0M_5JTpC4A3sVgA_N6i1P1Rul-7ObeBpPVrRLX9qR0jDyh2LTMfoyHEVIHDtoqtUxx2aRTxED1Qdu7QE4UZlqndzKPVuOk/s1600/IMAG0817.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh16qvX9LMFt4COk5c1XFB04ISr897NxF160w_729o0x2kAV0M_5JTpC4A3sVgA_N6i1P1Rul-7ObeBpPVrRLX9qR0jDyh2LTMfoyHEVIHDtoqtUxx2aRTxED1Qdu7QE4UZlqndzKPVuOk/s640/IMAG0817.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipr9hLs7N9lZiM3Or6Jp4BUgczdF267Y2E9Knbn5wbnhEwX8Zf0HOOaK2T9KEziOyGJ59Z9jfZQ_SLYSiYvzfB4y0oj7qu-jPmhQ6qYdjGtHo8y2YubNPlkwqqzD3Mk_CHgav6ZGq0QSA/s1600/IMAG0821.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipr9hLs7N9lZiM3Or6Jp4BUgczdF267Y2E9Knbn5wbnhEwX8Zf0HOOaK2T9KEziOyGJ59Z9jfZQ_SLYSiYvzfB4y0oj7qu-jPmhQ6qYdjGtHo8y2YubNPlkwqqzD3Mk_CHgav6ZGq0QSA/s640/IMAG0821.jpg" width="382" /></a></div><br />
They turned out quite well! A $2.74 frame now looks at least $6.83.<br />
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Then we began cutting the crabapple twigs to fit the frames, and hot-glued them along with acorns and pinecones to the frames. In a few cases I've added a touch of glitter to some of the elements. Here are a few completed ones:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw3h5bBSS8bHeBCNsifHXAx5l386d7jK-0I4c9JhvdZpGdjUziAi9ESClJM7jHwnsdr9l5DCaZnJE_b1vL-Uqp7cTNFvE5lL9XJel6xhF3vvbGykzag7rzrsE8-ih5t4UPqqm5R42HQyg/s1600/IMAG0823.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw3h5bBSS8bHeBCNsifHXAx5l386d7jK-0I4c9JhvdZpGdjUziAi9ESClJM7jHwnsdr9l5DCaZnJE_b1vL-Uqp7cTNFvE5lL9XJel6xhF3vvbGykzag7rzrsE8-ih5t4UPqqm5R42HQyg/s640/IMAG0823.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr5VyE3iwf2MOzK-jdHCND-iJkz9HbhVpGnY7K6jk1-hFm7_-70zoggco0mRsdct1ue7HhAG50bUzCbfYbWXz7m-4un3dpZ4dKrHMNnGcbrqTefc67uR6baoJA_v8vaMYybF8wBsVY2to/s1600/IMAG0824.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr5VyE3iwf2MOzK-jdHCND-iJkz9HbhVpGnY7K6jk1-hFm7_-70zoggco0mRsdct1ue7HhAG50bUzCbfYbWXz7m-4un3dpZ4dKrHMNnGcbrqTefc67uR6baoJA_v8vaMYybF8wBsVY2to/s640/IMAG0824.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFgxlKTxn4ayGYBRK23fKz2LurLSp8wQrKaHEbJTj26y-6_uLNUatccrs7RVntp4mZVICJeRwzr_m5DcZ0s1eOJ1etDefTifAndOfQXuT3L_vw9_-dVUzziX38fxlWyYMnel7Bwd9lxZY/s1600/IMAG0826.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFgxlKTxn4ayGYBRK23fKz2LurLSp8wQrKaHEbJTj26y-6_uLNUatccrs7RVntp4mZVICJeRwzr_m5DcZ0s1eOJ1etDefTifAndOfQXuT3L_vw9_-dVUzziX38fxlWyYMnel7Bwd9lxZY/s640/IMAG0826.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
We're going to make a pretty placeholder image for the center of the frames when we ship them. First set will be shipped tomorrow. After we got our feet wet, I began adding oak leaves. I'll post photos of those in the next post.<br />
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</div>Sherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04074586187244917093noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232936474237956273.post-41231700246678270592011-12-08T18:34:00.002-06:002012-01-05T21:28:18.632-06:00Holiday Crafts and other Business<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">I realized I haven't posted in a month! It's been a challenge to post to a garden blog in these cold dark days. I am missing my flowers. During the last month I've...<br />
- <b>gotten bifocals</b>. It happened almost immediately after I turned 44 in September - extreme tromboning, and couldn't read coupon expiration dates. I got the prescription and took it to the new Walmart - they replaced the lenses in my current frames with the no-line bifocals. They take a bit of getting used to but they work well. Now I can read without having to take off my glasses. I also tried out a sample of the contact lens bifocal and it works well. I'll get those next year when my current supply runs out.<br />
- <b>joined the church choir</b>.<b> </b>I've always been a musician. I mostly sing and write songs with my guitar in songwriting classes and open mikes. I figured since I'm not working I should volunteer for the choir. I had to audition and was accepted - soprano. I loved the first practice - some intense sightreading but I can read music well, so was up for the challenge. Sang in the Immaculate Conception mass last night. Afterwards the choir director asked me if I wanted to cantor. I said yes, and turns out my first cantor experience will be on ... Christmas Day. GULP. YIKES. She said she'd work with me, so I'll just have to practice a lot.<br />
- <b>been doing a lot of cooking. </b>I like Martha Stewart recipes - made some from her latest pies and tarts book for Thanksgiving, and also the orange and red onion roasted chicken. Also made what was President Reagan's favorite macaroni and cheese. It is a simple recipe, but good. During these short days with little sunlight, I feel it's important to eat fresh vegetables and fruits every day. So many great citrus fruits in season, and I find a fresh green salad helps lift my spirits. Here's the one I just made:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyaI6m5UEZ3cFmxrohUhE-BeiWY1mHCsz8tCmSvwBaWcs02UFUOC5fsIAQGsnzUDyhYgQWQrTdhuQxw1dqh-iR9RAywsql_8Ft4kdCNOs3oIZDcTOL-xEUs-fzFEBFYGM9Bi7mD2QMj50/s1600/IMAG0814.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyaI6m5UEZ3cFmxrohUhE-BeiWY1mHCsz8tCmSvwBaWcs02UFUOC5fsIAQGsnzUDyhYgQWQrTdhuQxw1dqh-iR9RAywsql_8Ft4kdCNOs3oIZDcTOL-xEUs-fzFEBFYGM9Bi7mD2QMj50/s400/IMAG0814.jpg" width="238" /></a></div><br />
- <b>determining this year's holiday craft. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">I've got 8-10 people I need to mail gifts to each Christmas, and decided last year I'd like to start sending something handmade rather than ordering from a catalog. Last year's gift was a hit. I can tell that by the fact that everyone's house I visited during the year had them out on display. We made homemade coasters, by cutting slices of a log from a downed tree in our yard. I got the idea from an article in Country Living magazine. We removed the log, rented a saw to make the slices, let them dry for at least a week, then stamped each with a leaf stamp, and lastly sprayed some clear finishing spray on them. I sent four to each recipient, wrapped in a pretty bow and shipped in a box from Michaels. Here are some photos of the ones we kept for ourselves:</span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhguA5FocaYQNOWb6TTJkAODmD0lZ2f6lKY7SM8BpXmVO0fsDJy4WAIAtQjVghtPZu5e2DHa4rI5mSCKhSW_-a0NdK2_wLkmkMauQ94snZAy5td4C5p37NDY851tyDOBv6ujXZiGi9yi3c/s1600/IMAG0810.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhguA5FocaYQNOWb6TTJkAODmD0lZ2f6lKY7SM8BpXmVO0fsDJy4WAIAtQjVghtPZu5e2DHa4rI5mSCKhSW_-a0NdK2_wLkmkMauQ94snZAy5td4C5p37NDY851tyDOBv6ujXZiGi9yi3c/s640/IMAG0810.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj72IONGLCvZ4-XyThYamMRH5sr31FKWDRMT6l-9AyLNO4D6AS01Ng9xlRoYWaaV3QHLpKob_2PWaCb1nnl5TGEUYkL7tRRhu7CsYlhuaCqUk9uPtTmWq5BQVpB1GnnAdWoyyScRFsQkks/s1600/IMAG0809.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj72IONGLCvZ4-XyThYamMRH5sr31FKWDRMT6l-9AyLNO4D6AS01Ng9xlRoYWaaV3QHLpKob_2PWaCb1nnl5TGEUYkL7tRRhu7CsYlhuaCqUk9uPtTmWq5BQVpB1GnnAdWoyyScRFsQkks/s640/IMAG0809.jpg" width="382" /></a></div><br />
This year I'm going to try to make woodland-themed picture frames. We bought wooden craft frames:<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghjj63i9iAFrrqWepew_lhl_SqnDdbmH2b6zLCGixyr7sy1b12dll8jTTVptjUhMqjbI6aHplYDXrazvVyNtrLgdSIYhVAz2k3TqLPEBCWL6FghrC-OjXMizW7odh0UriD-z6_0R5ml-8/s1600/IMAG0813.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghjj63i9iAFrrqWepew_lhl_SqnDdbmH2b6zLCGixyr7sy1b12dll8jTTVptjUhMqjbI6aHplYDXrazvVyNtrLgdSIYhVAz2k3TqLPEBCWL6FghrC-OjXMizW7odh0UriD-z6_0R5ml-8/s320/IMAG0813.jpg" width="190" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">and I'm going to stain them a walnut brown tonight. Then we've got hundreds of acorns I saved from the Oak in front his fall:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRuS2Vj_HEe6WH0YhNm48b_MBpkTNQS0zDTKiOHoUzCDCk2ndCneaHdGBrSMFrMgM7Ft6IdglqsXF69x753JwCJoz1VymCLhtRJGNDbnaNGs2dULUN7zm8kOnb_X37sLd1HL3D9XwPg_A/s1600/IMAG0812.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRuS2Vj_HEe6WH0YhNm48b_MBpkTNQS0zDTKiOHoUzCDCk2ndCneaHdGBrSMFrMgM7Ft6IdglqsXF69x753JwCJoz1VymCLhtRJGNDbnaNGs2dULUN7zm8kOnb_X37sLd1HL3D9XwPg_A/s400/IMAG0812.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">as well as twigs from the crabapple tree. These are the twigs which had been growing upwards from the root of the tree, which I trimmed in October. The twigs are very straight and lots of them a reddish color. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN_TzA2rvB6OxraMIng3LBiF9mgUTXV19sNql3b7JToflMYkY81T_PEyIBM4nmmT92T0FtjImXaqteaPo35fXcU95_rIi97qxnYpoI_Byt2KwFNHmZ_cOGjyXWbfO7jIahbmq8tJgnACs/s1600/IMAG0811.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN_TzA2rvB6OxraMIng3LBiF9mgUTXV19sNql3b7JToflMYkY81T_PEyIBM4nmmT92T0FtjImXaqteaPo35fXcU95_rIi97qxnYpoI_Byt2KwFNHmZ_cOGjyXWbfO7jIahbmq8tJgnACs/s320/IMAG0811.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I also bought a finishing spray, some glitter, and felt. My intent is to cover most of the frames with the twigs and acorns in pretty designs, and use any other objects I may still find outside, like pinecones. I'll attach everything with hot glue, and then apply finishing spray. So, I'll chronicle this in the blog. First step is staining tonight. I hope the fumes aren't too strong. I'll do it in the basement, as I'm not about to do this in the garage in the freezing temperatures. Wish me luck!</div><br />
</div>Sherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04074586187244917093noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232936474237956273.post-55488785778404287812011-11-06T21:58:00.003-06:002017-03-29T13:55:35.761-05:00The Hope of Spring<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Growing up I loved the 4 or 5 Hyacinths that grew under my parents bedroom each Spring. Their beauty so unexpected, and the scent, heavenly. As an adult I've always stopped to smell them whenever I see them each Spring, whether in someone else's garden, or at the grocery store. One Spring I was particularly sad. I bought a Hyacinth and placed it next to my bed, so I could smell it as I fell asleep and first thing when I woke up. A wonderful way to heal. Now that I have my own garden, I can plant my own Hyacinths. I had what I didn't know were overly-ambitious plans for both Tulips and Hyacinths - Tulips lining most of the front beds and Hyacinths lining the back patio. Once I calculated the cost of all, I realized I need to do this slowly, a bit each year. Of course the Hyacinths must be first. I am so excited about the colors I chose - slightly non-traditional. I ordered four colors from John Scheepers. They are:<br />
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<a href="http://www.johnscheepers.com/catview.cgi?_fn=Item&_recordnum=4633&_category=Hyacinths" target="_blank">Hyacinthus orientalis L'Innocence</a> (white)<br />
<a href="http://www.johnscheepers.com/catview.cgi?_fn=Item&_recordnum=4534&_category=Hyacinths" target="_blank">Hyacinthus orientalis Fondant</a> (pale pink)<br />
<a href="http://www.johnscheepers.com/catview.cgi?_fn=Item&_recordnum=4736&_category=Hyacinths" target="_blank">Hyacinthus orientalis Pink Pearl</a> (brighter pink)<br />
<a href="http://www.johnscheepers.com/catview.cgi?_fn=Item&_recordnum=4829&_category=Hyacinths" target="_blank">Hyacinthus orientalis Woodstock</a> (magenta)<br />
Click on the names to see the photos.<br />
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No blues or purples. There are two or three Muscari already there - <a href="http://wellwateredgardenjournal.blogspot.com/search/label/muscari" target="_blank">took photos last Spring</a> - so I'll rely on them to bring the blue.<br />
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I ordered the bulbs and they arrived promptly and well-protected. I checked them and they seemed very healthy. Big and full, no marks, firm.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK7rzqv99eDBCzlh8qZHORO4NQGEMKU625Ib5_Gq7lFfnNpMs7gzSp6ueZuIt0JMblpg1cW1Qhxf_SPzBr_UHzmsY_gz7bdZap2BCDnGvShF9nYUWI5qzQn_qAhwecPXHKG2CEcSTPTso/s1600/IMAG0756.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK7rzqv99eDBCzlh8qZHORO4NQGEMKU625Ib5_Gq7lFfnNpMs7gzSp6ueZuIt0JMblpg1cW1Qhxf_SPzBr_UHzmsY_gz7bdZap2BCDnGvShF9nYUWI5qzQn_qAhwecPXHKG2CEcSTPTso/s320/IMAG0756.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT3lqxJ9RT5NkbWVgTtMylg3k0woGMwz8Ts8IN63BAVVONHRhcTht5LqsKpaDZ_EkAAzbajeJAtOhDzB8hTlpD23trVuRCjA3ExkGE-KTCBY42ABhvkpgug5GySpELfkygwtL-FC3iSoU/s1600/IMAG0757.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT3lqxJ9RT5NkbWVgTtMylg3k0woGMwz8Ts8IN63BAVVONHRhcTht5LqsKpaDZ_EkAAzbajeJAtOhDzB8hTlpD23trVuRCjA3ExkGE-KTCBY42ABhvkpgug5GySpELfkygwtL-FC3iSoU/s400/IMAG0757.jpg" width="238" /></a></div>
I thought about planting them in some patterns using the different colors, but since our backyard is wooded, I decided to take a more natural approach and have lots of randomness as to which colors are where. I emptied all the bulbs into a wheelbarrow and mixed them up. So fun! I knew the white ones only because the bulbs were white. The other three all had deep red colored bulbs. But while planting them I found I didn't even pay attention to which were white, I was working so intently.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6-AL8B2cFaqLwBnMFepqQtT_MHynuA_uLzwy-g5IzRF39uUVwb2w5reG1-3LG4jllXiyT9sTHFpGVA7BauFRBB_DJQQqjycq4MMrrTFdfrAQ0dMnJwcOPJJ4-WTFPVgYhJbX7uEphgeY/s1600/IMAG0758.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6-AL8B2cFaqLwBnMFepqQtT_MHynuA_uLzwy-g5IzRF39uUVwb2w5reG1-3LG4jllXiyT9sTHFpGVA7BauFRBB_DJQQqjycq4MMrrTFdfrAQ0dMnJwcOPJJ4-WTFPVgYhJbX7uEphgeY/s640/IMAG0758.jpg" width="382" /></a></div>
I placed them on the ground, then planted them about 6 inches down (bottom of bulb was at 6 inches). I tossed a bit of peat moss into each hole before I covered up the bulb.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivWAgwn_snURmMzr9vDWAfauog2NZs83MsR_A516-2x0hkHJgn8i5YHm1KbNHn3F5mIZFXSWGzQp-9FFPwNS36zkjTsqZK3VcqONnrMptU4SsHfeOPnj7xzG7ugGr7rpIWejQE7PG_q_4/s1600/IMAG0759.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivWAgwn_snURmMzr9vDWAfauog2NZs83MsR_A516-2x0hkHJgn8i5YHm1KbNHn3F5mIZFXSWGzQp-9FFPwNS36zkjTsqZK3VcqONnrMptU4SsHfeOPnj7xzG7ugGr7rpIWejQE7PG_q_4/s640/IMAG0759.jpg" width="382" /></a></div>
I started fairly late in the day, so finished just as it was getting dark. I watered them all, then sprinkled some bulb food on top. Now only one issue:<br />
HOW DO I POSSIBLY WAIT UNTIL APRIL TO SEE THEM BLOOM?? The patience required is intense. Happy Autumn all, and hope your Spring dreams are being planted as well.</div>
Sherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04074586187244917093noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232936474237956273.post-39626518195604066892011-10-25T19:38:00.000-05:002011-10-25T19:38:06.848-05:00Milkweed<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">I took these snapshots of milkweed on one of these last warm days of autumn. I've always been fascinated by it. Pods of pregnant promise. They are fresh and full all summer, then give birth to hundreds of flying faeries in the fall. Falling, flying, floating, seeding new promises in an endless cycle. Anyone else care to wax poetic about them?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyAhYqFk9oGb9nolgMp-4q-a-m1FpfOwswY5Hpv4a2mXYseYtOx-_mlfIPPMY4Xv7hy43wmq2uYe_iW90DODZbG7ZYI69wz99u23wMr08PpniWqIbAXj_FPmO2_OWOLsLdQQJBwzBpmfE/s1600/IMAG0749.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyAhYqFk9oGb9nolgMp-4q-a-m1FpfOwswY5Hpv4a2mXYseYtOx-_mlfIPPMY4Xv7hy43wmq2uYe_iW90DODZbG7ZYI69wz99u23wMr08PpniWqIbAXj_FPmO2_OWOLsLdQQJBwzBpmfE/s640/IMAG0749.jpg" width="382" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2yVeqvvlOJAQgnXsoXBwY9waM2uz6zpOsezKQdGESu01_y5aHDAm_6Gvg_BsZdf9MXF7qFR2kMBPDNvnh_XP4XtFERjUGs4n6UYpsmD1NjGRJrrcj0Q7wG96-gDIHZ2DTyDLpW28V64M/s1600/IMAG0750.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2yVeqvvlOJAQgnXsoXBwY9waM2uz6zpOsezKQdGESu01_y5aHDAm_6Gvg_BsZdf9MXF7qFR2kMBPDNvnh_XP4XtFERjUGs4n6UYpsmD1NjGRJrrcj0Q7wG96-gDIHZ2DTyDLpW28V64M/s640/IMAG0750.jpg" width="382" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-eGD9Y70Lgy9O5T6BjA9j9fimleEPcnG8EDdLSX9oHdYhrg3y9Sn_-Mqb9NRJ6d2HA9o3WgWOWBerzw1W4FgsANeAMgdXk9IR3WfA6yHmnKWv9LGUhUAhhTsAP-TOop9ii0OaIoTYp8E/s1600/IMAG0751.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-eGD9Y70Lgy9O5T6BjA9j9fimleEPcnG8EDdLSX9oHdYhrg3y9Sn_-Mqb9NRJ6d2HA9o3WgWOWBerzw1W4FgsANeAMgdXk9IR3WfA6yHmnKWv9LGUhUAhhTsAP-TOop9ii0OaIoTYp8E/s640/IMAG0751.jpg" width="382" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPkIBiK4WPSCevZboA0GY2FbuDkY3yOD43PmZpGZ1GYfmtr7P90vAXc_Vm5ybnuZPbWIKmo7rNhHWczW5FS5AJ4TpP6aRXhfR5vbW2aTazivO-GOFfL-uTShE2crV84x10NmOvbtVnB3A/s1600/IMAG0748.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPkIBiK4WPSCevZboA0GY2FbuDkY3yOD43PmZpGZ1GYfmtr7P90vAXc_Vm5ybnuZPbWIKmo7rNhHWczW5FS5AJ4TpP6aRXhfR5vbW2aTazivO-GOFfL-uTShE2crV84x10NmOvbtVnB3A/s640/IMAG0748.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="382" /></a></div><br />
</div>Sherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04074586187244917093noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232936474237956273.post-17778179392930515702011-10-15T19:30:00.001-05:002011-10-15T19:33:23.744-05:00Autumn Rain<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Autumn rain makes the colors so bright and beautiful. The falling, bright colored leaves seem like a celebration. The Hickories are turning bright gold:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNhldg0Lc-GewHuSFJWG0yxq8BD22Q1CT3s9uZC49TU8Gm8tTpkM_sHmM_2TjGidjbPxgYKG9pugtAQv8kdkGV_jg_nveHKLIBcafViqf4KaP4F5nPuc3guAYaB7vOPAxqonxRnFMR3yk/s1600/IMAG0678.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br />
</a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPOhG91doubTxKP0H8S-T7zKZFA59tC_3vbIvz1hh-10y5hsDk8CDMDsdxWzq1uEtEH1DmGG6KtsZ72b8fgYkKzEXbqDjr2gtB_NPdYAm7Yii0004IYkZa9D-PBm2_s6Ep7L3JQLKNggU/s1600/IMAG0679.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPOhG91doubTxKP0H8S-T7zKZFA59tC_3vbIvz1hh-10y5hsDk8CDMDsdxWzq1uEtEH1DmGG6KtsZ72b8fgYkKzEXbqDjr2gtB_NPdYAm7Yii0004IYkZa9D-PBm2_s6Ep7L3JQLKNggU/s640/IMAG0679.jpg" width="382" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div> The Burning Bush on the west side of the house is slowly being painted scarlet:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQtDwPFUJ21uYnqDh8joJkFH02SeUsolRuwIrazq6rfxUcpvDtV3CTI7PEBQgu5nR3nTUVQU5aFTZ4MvQ91o9xOM7ML2A45JOMIqVUKFbImGDXl6SEpU7YoX2kcC8J8bRnA_5Vhdz5uLY/s1600/IMAG0682.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQtDwPFUJ21uYnqDh8joJkFH02SeUsolRuwIrazq6rfxUcpvDtV3CTI7PEBQgu5nR3nTUVQU5aFTZ4MvQ91o9xOM7ML2A45JOMIqVUKFbImGDXl6SEpU7YoX2kcC8J8bRnA_5Vhdz5uLY/s400/IMAG0682.jpg" width="239" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzq7yeVbRI1E3ws-wfvYSgg2_fO8j33HWqH_efJeK93VsybUjbu88kTOqyedYDBdW_t-m8O_298L3h8TaALWhDKiTg_FkA1foyVM0MBxa73Mx0DDEfaLP_0IKXZdXyDuwRz_mzjc5C4gc/s1600/IMAG0681.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzq7yeVbRI1E3ws-wfvYSgg2_fO8j33HWqH_efJeK93VsybUjbu88kTOqyedYDBdW_t-m8O_298L3h8TaALWhDKiTg_FkA1foyVM0MBxa73Mx0DDEfaLP_0IKXZdXyDuwRz_mzjc5C4gc/s400/IMAG0681.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><br />
The shrub roses adorn themselves with raindrop pearls:<br />
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The Hostas drink all the water they can by gathering with their big jungle leaves and storing it deep into their root systems:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc3pet9FojFMh2dwqYF8pRMn5qmPzvNYSJyptLrHN-zAj9a30El5QKD6PQZebefpVzaG5kIEei-F-fF4uuCo2KswMp5xYDPn98POdE7do2ZccZu4noPOVAqkoIe7IT-PWTfJ9mw1R6gPI/s1600/IMAG0686.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc3pet9FojFMh2dwqYF8pRMn5qmPzvNYSJyptLrHN-zAj9a30El5QKD6PQZebefpVzaG5kIEei-F-fF4uuCo2KswMp5xYDPn98POdE7do2ZccZu4noPOVAqkoIe7IT-PWTfJ9mw1R6gPI/s400/IMAG0686.jpg" width="239" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyNPNn31V_x-u6h43FsfmnPSCgAd9rhvL6DwH7lFiJF_Ac093VQq9vPVRGhbONsTyjaWkEDEpYvgxZCX_veo30yTj42x1s6k1tAA3zvr9xbkL2YgJ7nxk8pjhW7m-PiFNWUTpeB4qvrFg/s1600/IMAG0685.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyNPNn31V_x-u6h43FsfmnPSCgAd9rhvL6DwH7lFiJF_Ac093VQq9vPVRGhbONsTyjaWkEDEpYvgxZCX_veo30yTj42x1s6k1tAA3zvr9xbkL2YgJ7nxk8pjhW7m-PiFNWUTpeB4qvrFg/s400/IMAG0685.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><br />
The Hydrangeas' fall colors shimmer in the rain. Muted pink, purple, and green pastels blend into each other, looking like organza dresses at an old-fashioned ice cream social:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOeJJ8CT5AoZsP79KjepGNk7LMvo3enSPOhqNsWB6PGqek9eLCAfBim5wFdmw3atRHHj8MFTg76qUENBJ6EmaEMVuFI8M3ZP7kgD4JBXkqJH7lobu-uzCLKKokMhkfPyBu8X9SBFc_9zw/s1600/IMAG0687.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOeJJ8CT5AoZsP79KjepGNk7LMvo3enSPOhqNsWB6PGqek9eLCAfBim5wFdmw3atRHHj8MFTg76qUENBJ6EmaEMVuFI8M3ZP7kgD4JBXkqJH7lobu-uzCLKKokMhkfPyBu8X9SBFc_9zw/s640/IMAG0687.jpg" width="382" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi38IaBhpctk21VO4-fDUWwA1Qm3oGwhTCiqlWHkj9wb5ERZweWdldd4I1zHk386E_qwCVr4ajSbBFbyjUoLfTvSMtPoriNf-OA5t9gV_Ml9Ia-PvWbZKKjQZBqDVEUgoSCcXISinAmPk/s1600/IMAG0688.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi38IaBhpctk21VO4-fDUWwA1Qm3oGwhTCiqlWHkj9wb5ERZweWdldd4I1zHk386E_qwCVr4ajSbBFbyjUoLfTvSMtPoriNf-OA5t9gV_Ml9Ia-PvWbZKKjQZBqDVEUgoSCcXISinAmPk/s640/IMAG0688.jpg" width="382" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbTuXnGAxx64yt2p-foZKaMDltTvi_1qHDgcousd934NOhOEg5J-74gse1YUa_2jlHgzuPEKpm_N9DLaEMhJ-IddomcrkyOf1k2-xH3iDXDPbNctbj0SNYmSgnPId0vhr5dy2x2WaUHas/s1600/IMAG0689.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbTuXnGAxx64yt2p-foZKaMDltTvi_1qHDgcousd934NOhOEg5J-74gse1YUa_2jlHgzuPEKpm_N9DLaEMhJ-IddomcrkyOf1k2-xH3iDXDPbNctbj0SNYmSgnPId0vhr5dy2x2WaUHas/s640/IMAG0689.jpg" width="382" /></a></div><br />
The crabapples look good enough to eat. But we know better.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOW_0rvir2mCtmDD9RpV99NxUN1pg-IZc2CE6mG-T1Tm4qENp9c6EUruhK3U9KXbogJ7Dy2wpJP11yNIKSNmoOFq9E9qrHzMF4vqpX18wUYWlMkThWgOnBBxq9WRAajaOF-DrbtlbQYKk/s1600/IMAG0691.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOW_0rvir2mCtmDD9RpV99NxUN1pg-IZc2CE6mG-T1Tm4qENp9c6EUruhK3U9KXbogJ7Dy2wpJP11yNIKSNmoOFq9E9qrHzMF4vqpX18wUYWlMkThWgOnBBxq9WRAajaOF-DrbtlbQYKk/s640/IMAG0691.jpg" width="382" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisRKcptMk-4A6BmKAL9tBfLLTqWjf-LWliFV2V3wqiUCD2KXAAWnjCZI5JYuS7jV184J_-cgS54Qn9qmlTFt0W7qLv-1iyONqQxKV5eoniohECypKEI1Fb0a0aqFTf5yTqcjUcTsf9oVM/s1600/IMAG0692.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisRKcptMk-4A6BmKAL9tBfLLTqWjf-LWliFV2V3wqiUCD2KXAAWnjCZI5JYuS7jV184J_-cgS54Qn9qmlTFt0W7qLv-1iyONqQxKV5eoniohECypKEI1Fb0a0aqFTf5yTqcjUcTsf9oVM/s640/IMAG0692.jpg" width="382" /></a></div><br />
The Hickories and Oaks live in harmony, celebrating Autumn together.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNhldg0Lc-GewHuSFJWG0yxq8BD22Q1CT3s9uZC49TU8Gm8tTpkM_sHmM_2TjGidjbPxgYKG9pugtAQv8kdkGV_jg_nveHKLIBcafViqf4KaP4F5nPuc3guAYaB7vOPAxqonxRnFMR3yk/s1600/IMAG0678.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNhldg0Lc-GewHuSFJWG0yxq8BD22Q1CT3s9uZC49TU8Gm8tTpkM_sHmM_2TjGidjbPxgYKG9pugtAQv8kdkGV_jg_nveHKLIBcafViqf4KaP4F5nPuc3guAYaB7vOPAxqonxRnFMR3yk/s640/IMAG0678.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
</div>Sherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04074586187244917093noreply@blogger.com7