Grouping of framed bird prints

I like everything about this page I ripped from an old magazine. It's been sitting in my desk drawer for ages. I have no idea of the source because there is nothing on either side of the page. I will take the dog on the right with the shorter hair. I just know there is going to be a dachshund in my life at some point. I'll take the chair too! I love the nail heads and fringe. As I have mentioned before, you can click on almost all of the photos I publish on my blog to enlarge. The real point of this post is the ornithological prints on the wall. Aren't they stunning? They are original 1878 Studer/Jasper lithographs.

Purple Cone Flower (Echinacea Purpulea) . . .

I took this photo about 15 minutes ago in early morning light with no flash. The purple cone flower is such an exciting plant to behold from the bud form to the fully opened flower. It has herbal medicinal qualities too. I always take Echinacea if I think I am getting a cold. The botanical name is Echinacea Purpulea but some of the garden catalogs call it Rudbeckia Purpulea.

Wall of framed marine life prints . . .

I love this wall of framed prints with shells, starfish, and crustaceans. There is no hand coloring on the engravings and I like that look in this neutral setting. I used to do custom framing as a sideline to accompany my antique print business. Now I just sell them unframed as they are easier to mail that way. A large grouping of a single category is always stunning.

Wonderful Documentary Tonight on PBS . . .

Florence Thompson and Children
"Migrant Mother" by Dorothea Lange

"Fleeing a Dust Storm" by Arthur Rothstein

“Migrant Mother,” Dorothea Lange’s image of a weathered, grimy Depression-era woman in California surrounded by her children, is one of the most famous photographs of the 20th century, as is “Fleeing a Dust Storm,” Arthur Rothstein’s shot of a farmer and his two young sons in the Oklahoma Dust Bowl whipped by the wind, a shack in the background.

The PBS film “Documenting the Face of America: Roy Stryker and the F.S.A./O.W.I. Photographers” shows how the small Farm Security Administration’s New Deal project to document poverty turned into a visual anthology of thousands of images of American life in the 1930s and early ’40s.

There is a great article in today's New York Times about this program which will air on PBS tonight (Monday, 08/18/08) in most areas. In the NY/NJ area it is on at 10PM. Check your local listings and set your DVRs. This looks like "must-see tv" to me!

Topiary Gardens at 2008 Bejing Olympics . . .

No, I am not at the Olympics. I am still firmly planted in New Jersey. I have seen numerous blog posts about the Topiary Gardens in Beijing. I searched on Google pretty carefully and think this is the place for you to view all the other photos. I have always been a big fan of the topiaries in the English Cotswolds. Not so sure about these. I don't think they were designed to be amusing but some are!

Gigantic White Flower . . .

I stopped my car yesterday on the way to the library in Madison to photograph this huge flower. It is much bigger than a dinner plate ~ round platter size at least! It must be a hibiscus but this puzzles me because it was planted in the ground. I am quite sure that it won't survive the cold New Jersey winters. The house was a 19th century Victorian and I did not see a greenhouse on the property. Maybe the owner cuts them back and overwinters the numerous plants somehow. Good for her. I am much too lazy to bother with anything that needs coddling.

Wasting Postage Stamps . . .

STAMPS
With all my hard-earn cash
Most recklessly I part
But when I waste a stamp
It simply breaks my heart.

I feel exactly the same way about wasting postage!
Waste not, want not.

I scanned this page from one of my old books entitled The Cheerful Cherub by Rebecca McCann published in 1928. She drew a daily cartoon with an upbeat message in The Chicago Post featuring this cute little guy and his dog as an antidote for gloom. Looking through this book never fails to cheer me up!




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An August Morning . . .

I love backlit photos. Just a simple blade of grass that has gone to seed. Nice!

This will make the birds happy later when I remove the seeds from the dried sunflower that they planted.

Rinsed my feet here. My well water is icy cold. Enjoy your Saturday!

Rainbow before the storm . . .

It is going to rain really hard. All the news programs are showing a severe weather watch. The sun came out for just a minute and if you look closely between the tall foreground trees you will see a faint rainbow coming out of the treetops way back. I am fine as long as we don't lose power before I tuck in. Have a great weekend!

Content in a Cottage on Wordle . . .

This is my first try on
wordle.com



Click to enlarge the word cloud.
I had them make it for me.
I did not type in any of the words manually.

Wordle searched my blog and did it for me. Cool!

Psychedelic Apple . . .

I was looking through some of my old photo projects and found this apple floating on an eye dazzling psychedelic background. I deleted the original background on an antique print dated 1804 and placed it on this background that was included in Photoshop Elements. I think I was using version 5.0 when I did this. You can enlarge the photo by clicking on it if you really want your eyes to hurt!

Good rules for all...

My friend Kelly has this hand-made sampler hanging outside the children's playroom. Even though they are very young, they follow these rules to perfection. I guess you might say they are learning by example from their wonderful parents.

GOOD RULES FOR ALL
1. Be nice to one another.
2. Think good thoughts.
3. Try to do better.
4. Say please and thank you.
5. Smile.
6. Be happy with what you have.
7. Listen to others.
8. Be helpful.
9. Speak kindness.
10. Never give up.

Thanks, Kelly and Rich.

Click photo to enlarge.

Another colorful maple leaf...

I actually stopped my riding mower yesterday and got off to pick up this beautiful maple leaf. It survived in my big workshirt pocket very nicely until the photography session. I chose a black polar fleece blanket for the background and I am very pleased with the results.

Flowers and a seed packet pattern...

I have tons on cleome or spider plants on my property. They reseed themselves every year.

The seed pods explode and scatter everywhere...or you can gather them and plant them where you really want them. You can mix the seeds or isolate them according to flower color.

Click on the image below and get a full-size image with  two (2) seed packets per sheet. No need to use card stock ~ inkjet paper is fine. I love to gather and save seeds. These seed packages make nice stocking stuffers and Christmas card inserts for your gardening friends. Nice way to start a friendship garden. Enjoy and share!

You might want to see all of my other seed packet designs.

Flower of the Wood Anemone...

This is one of my favorite fall flowers. The photo was taken last year. No blooms so far but lots of foliage. The illustration is from botanical.com and they say it flowers in the spring. Maybe mine is a different variety because it only comes alive in the fall. I can't wait.

Thanks for stopping by!

View from my friend's home in Massachusetts...

After the Rain. (after)

My friend Lynn is my guest blogger today only she doesn't know it yet. One of her homes is in the Berkshires on the top of a hill with this beautiful view. She took this photo one morning last year after a rain. I can take only a little credit. If you look at the original below you will see a little bit of her deck railing in the lower right corner. I fixed it by extending the road with the clone tool in Photoshop Elements 6. I adjusted the exposure with auto smart fix and then added a thin black border. You can always click on any of my photos to enlarge.

I would walk around with my camera around my neck and another in my pocket at all times if my home overlooked this breathtaking vista. The gardens are beautiful too. Thanks Lynn!

After the Rain. (before)