The butterfly, the thistle, and the weeds . . .

This is probably my last butterfly and thistle photo for 2008. I have to get ready for the leaf season and the big thistle has to go.

Webster is looking out at the newly mown grass and what looks to be a hedgerow on the left. It is really a weed patch that gets chopped down every fall so the leaves can blow away. There is a steep bank on the left that has been overtaken by an insidious plant known as Giant Ragweed. It is really woody and takes a metal blade to cut it back. Some of the stems are almost one inch in diameter and the height exceeds 5 feet. I don't mind them in the summer since they look like a living fence. By the end of August they start to droop and hopefully by this evening they will be gone along with the thistles. It is really dry here as you can see by the brown grass. The area on the right was allowed to grow wild all summer and it too has been cut down for leaf control. A homeowner always has to stay one step ahead of the upcoming season!

Vine Study and Red Honeysuckle . . .

I thought at the time I was photographing these vine curlycues they looked very much like the pictograms from the 2008 Olympics...so I named the photo OlympicVine. How do those tendrils know where to go? Do they have sensors at the end? Nature never ceases to amaze me!

Red Honeysuckle flower from my previous home. I had forgotten how much I love this climbing shrub. I hope I can find one or two to plant here now that all the perennials are on sale at such low prices. They are very hardy and so very beautiful.

Snail portraits . . .

I was photographing some wild grape vines yesterday on my early morning walk and almost overlooked this tiny snail crawling around on one of the leaves. He was most cooperative throughout his first photo session. How nice it must be to be able to wear your beautiful home on your back and retreat whenever you feel the need. I was amazed that he stayed outside for me prior to his internet debut.

Perfect day for . . .

This is how I will be spending a lazy Sunday morning. The photo is from my magazine clippings pile...saved because I like this Henredon sofa. Hope your early morning endeavors are equally enjoyable.

Saturday Night is Bath Night . . .

This is a really old photo of mine that is probably around 6 or 7 years old. It still makes me smile. That bird was splashing up a storm. It's Saturday night...enjoy your evening and your bath!

Fresh Orange Juice for Breakfast . . .

I feel energized for the day since drinking a big glass of freshly squeezed orange juice to accompany my steel cut oats. Needless to say, I had already consumed my two large cups of coffee. Now I must organize my recycling and take it to the center in Chatham. I never use the curbside service because the raccoons rummage through it. The truck arrives very early and you have to put your containers out the night before. I don't like the way it looks and the drivers just throw the empty bins helter skelter in the yard.

Enjoy your Saturday. I will probably post something else later in the day so check back.

Bluebird of Happiness . . .

Here's hoping we all get a visit from this beautiful bird over the weekend. Have a great one!

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!