Cigar Time

Sunday, October 1, 2017

Cigar in the backyard. Due to the on and off light rain I was back and forth between the yard and the garage.

Rainy Saturday Morning In Minneapolis

Eclipse 2017

12:50 pm

12:56 p.m.

12:57 p.m.

12:58 p.m.

1:05 p.m.

Athena in the backyard at 1:05 p.m. 

Eclipse was supposed to peak around 1:05 p.m. our time. I z.ipped home for lunch with the dual purpose of eating and also taking Athena out for a walk. I remember the eclipse from back in 1979. I was in class at school when it occurred. Most of our teachers didn't take us outside  although I learned after school that some of the science classes had gone out to observe with simple viewers of two sheets of paper, one with a hole punched in it, use to "look" at the eclipse over shoulders. I remember it getting darker outside for the one from 1979. For this one it seemed to stay quite light despite the fact we had about 75% coverage although who knows what time has done to the memory of the last one. It was 38 years ago.  

July Cigars In the Yard

We've had an absolutely gorgeous July and by that I mean warm, but not hot, and manageable humidity.

Garden Fairy

July 22, 2017

I was in Bayfield, Wisconsin today at a little store called Roxanne's where I found this garden fairy. I probably should have bought her. She would have fit right in.

My Indoor Plants

Leaving on an 11 day vacation today. Worried about my house plants. I asked Deb if she'd water them if I set them outside. She agreed!

Irises

Seeing lots of irises around the neighborhood. These were near Warren's house.

Peony

Sunday, June 4, 2017

Our peony bush seems to be allowing only one flower at a time. However, there are a couple other buds...

90

Friday, June 2, 2017

Starting to feel like summer.

Cigars

May 7

Have had some nice days this month for cigars.

May 13

Mother's Day

Mother's Day was a couple weeks ago and we had Mom over for brunch. It was a gorgeous afternoon so we took advantage of it by sitting in the back yard.

Around the Neighborhood

So much is blooming this month. Above are some shots from around the neighborhood. Love the irises. Not sure what the orange and yellow stuff is.

May

I love May. The chance that the weather is going to be pleasant increases significantly thought the month. We had Alyn and Ellis over for a BBQ yesterday and were able to sit out in the back yard due to the weather being absolutely gorgeous. We had a chance to talk to Deb over the back fence about the squirrels raiding her patio for the loose white stones she has between her garden stones. 

Above is a picture of a neighbor's Bridal Wreath Spirea. Noel seemed to think this was bougainvillea but I set her straight. A few years ago, Jim trimmed back his Bridal Wreath which borders our yard. It was such a crime as they didn't seem to flower much for a few years. They seem to be coming back.

Warren's

I was over at Warren's Friday for dinner. We sat on his back porch for cocktails. His yard always looks so good. 

Quite Warm Today

A few different downpours today. The sun came out and it got quite warm and humid. As the sun went down things had cooled of nicely. I had a lovely walk with Athena just before bed.

Lilacs

Photo of a neighbors lilac tree taken just a few days ago. According to Wikipedia, Lilacs "...produce more flowers if left unpruned. If pruned, the plant responds by producing fast-growing young vegetative growth with no flowers in an attempt to restore the removed branches."

We had a beautiful lilac tree at the house on Stevens. I remember Mom pointing it out to me when we moved there when I was three years old. After some years it stopped flowering. We didn't realize that pruning the flowers was detrimental to producing more. I pulled off way too many. It remained for many years but Dad eventually had it removed. It was probably more a lilac bush than a tree but we called it that anyway. 

"In the dooryard fronting an old farm-house near the white-wash’d palings, 

Stands the lilac-bush tall-growing with heart-shaped leaves of rich green, 

With many a pointed blossom rising delicate, with the perfume strong I love, 

With every leaf a miracle—and from this bush in the dooryard, 

With delicate-color’d blossoms and heart-shaped leaves of rich green, 

A sprig with its flower I break."

  -From When Lilacs Last In the Dooryard Bloom'd by Walt Whitman

Signs of Spring

Seen around the neighborhood recently.

Azaleas

The azaleas are out. 

Anne 2017

Deb's tree, Anne, is looking pretty good this year. 

Scary

60 degrees? On February 21? Scary.

Full Wolf Moon - January 12, 2017

Thursday, January 12, 2017

Haven't done a full moon photo in a while. This is a photoshopped version of a photo I took this past Thursday, the day of the full moon, in Highland. The moon was somewhat dwarfed by the bright street lights although it held a position much higher in the sky. 

According to the Old Farmer's Almanac, a "bright first moon promises rain and a bountiful harvest." I think this one qualifies.

This Morning

Wow. 10 degrees "warmer" this morning.

Yesterday Morning

I've been really good about walking to school no matter the weather. This morning, however, I caved and asked Dale for a ride.