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Senior Year
I’m a quilter, though I’ve ignored that part of me for quite some time. Photography has taken over the artistic inclinations that I have. Nature, Spanish and yoga have all filled in the other gaps. My studio has a gigantic closet that was designed just for all my “paints”. Here is just a tiny glimpse…
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Midwinter Celebration
Not a strawberry waiting to be picked but buds of Hellebores (Helleborus) waiting for just the right day to celebrate the middle of winter. Can you imagine these opening up in midwinter? They’re native to Europe and Asia. I seldom allow non-natives into my gardens these days but there are some special, sentimental exceptions. This…
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An Odd Leaf Of Winter
Putty Root Orchid (Aplectrum hyemale) is native, usually in higher elevations, of eastern and central U.S., and Canada. Here in Virginia this tiny orchid is often found growing alongside Beech and Maple trees, in calcareous ravines. It produces a single leaf, oval with pointed tip, in late November and lives on until March. That single…
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Midwinter Blooms
Snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis). Native to Europe and southwestern Asia. Blooming right now, adding unexpected charm to the otherwise dormant winter garden. I love them. _______________________________________________________________________ If you would like to receive my daily blog posts by email, sign up here!
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Wait, Is It Spring Now?
Last week was just perfect and winterlike. Mighty cold with some snow thrown in for extra drama. As you might imagine, I totally loved it. This week the weather gods have thrown the switch in the opposite direction. Quite warm and springlike. This picture, above, captures my thoughts of what the weather was like this…
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Snow Falling On The Flowering Dogwood
An unusual sight in the mountains here around my cabin. As the snow falls upon the berries that remain, and the buds that are waiting for next spring on a Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida), a Purple Finch (Haemorhous purpureus) enjoys the few berries that are still there. _______________________________________________________________________ If you would like to receive my…
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Two Or Three More Months
I appreciate your patience. I had knee surgery last Friday the 19th and I’m looking forward to being back in a good state of mind, and able to hike to the highest parts of my mountains in short order. Green Frogs (Rana clamitans) are solitary frogs, except when it is mating time around breeding ponds.…
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Footprints On The Back Porch
There’s been several snows up here during the last week. Little snows with extremely cold temperatures. That makes the snow light and fluffy, and lots of wind too, blowing the snow out of the trees. That’s a bummer, I love to have the snow decorating the trees. Oh well. Maybe later this winter. And here…
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Black Vulture Photo Op
I had a fun photo op at the county landfill and recycling center this morning. Just a couple years ago I would have just thought, “Ew, gross!” and gone about dumping things into the proper bins. But in doing this blog, I’ve grown to appreciate these not too beautiful birds in our environment. A Black…
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Art In The Ice
The yoga studio’s vernal pool was full and thick with decorated ice this morning. Many leaves including the oak leaf here in the artwork. First captured by the wind and then anchored by the water and ice. The cold, and all the beautiful snow and ice takes me to a different world. Just this morning…