Photos of the Day: Snow Cap'd & Curly

Virgil Phillips State Park

Moscow, ID

Some people sled. Other people observe.

Laughing at the LDS Lilies

Auntie Nettie took a nature walk recently and stumbled across these markers in a daylily grove. Although the thermometer read 70 degrees, the calendar read mid-November, so there were no "blooms on the rose," so to speak.

My fellow walker wasn't sure why the odd Mormon girl was laughing at these* (I guess it's one of those LDS things ...).

Luckily, the Interblogs and Webbynets are good for research, so I could see what the Spider and Soldier looked like in plant form.

Thanks to OgdenStationdaylilies.com for this image of the Mormon Spider,

and to these guys (here) for the image of Helaman.

*I suppose I could send a pair of young men in suits and nametags to her door to explain the whole LDS humor thing to her ...

Blooming Basil

Monday, June 22nd

It smells so good.

Another couple of weeks, and I'll be able to make a sandwich

City Gardener Week 6

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Now we are cooking with canola oil!

Maybe I'll get some pesto out of this cracked pot after all.

City Gardener Week 5?

Monday, May 18, 2009

Finally! This is starting look like sprouts.

Maybe I'll get something by September after all.

City Gardener Week 4

Poor sprouts.

Too much watering by the City Gardener and

not enough sun is causing some basil bending.

I think Auntie Nettie might have a slightly black thumb.

City Gardeners

You know how a tree grows in Brooklyn?

Well, we're hoping to have basil growing in Manhattan at the Big J.

Potted on Friday afternoon at 5:00 p.m. at my desk,

to the amusement (or befuddlement) of my boss

One BuzzySeeds Basil Grow Kit courtesy of Jane over at Flax Hill Garden.

I don't have enough light at home,

so I left it in the window sill of the office to get growing.

Stay tuned for updates.
I have more seeds to plant if I fry this batch of soil.

UPDATE: Monday morning discovery -- too much light in office window heated up the pot and cracked it into lots of piece. Thankfully, there are lots of vases and pots in the office, so the basil pot (cracks and all) are away from the window and in new containers. Lesson learned.

I'm hoping to get pesto out of this, as well as some basil, mozzarella, tomato sammies.

Vacation Views -- Flora, but no Fauna

I took so many photos on vacation, I'm going to have to divide them up by subjects. (There will be prose entries too ... eventually. I just have to organize my notes and my time to do so.)

Desert Flora

Cacti

Doesn't this look like a menorah?

Joshua trees only grow in a few places in the world.

In the southwest, there are acres and acres of them.

Pretty Plants and Fleurs

I liked this view for the contrasts. You can't tell, but the tree is scarred from a major fire that swept across this valley about three years ago. The underbrush is coming back, which just highlights how resilient nature is.


Major flooding on the Virgin River a few years back wiped out a lot of the area where I was staying. Some of the trees didn't make it, but others did. If you also look closely at the foreground, you can see tumbleweeds, as well as some in the making.

It's really bright in the West. My eyes are VERY light sensitive. Considering I had to peel off the dark shades, squint, and try and focus a mini-esque digital camera to shoot a lot of these, I don't think they came out all that badly.


Also, NO photographers were harmed by the cacti in the shooting of these photos ... unlike some of stories my siblings could tell of their photographic adventures!

Visiting Friends and Nature

Yesterday Auntie Nettie got a chance to have a day in the "country," visiting her old haunt, seeing dear friends, having the "usual" (yummy grilled cheese) at the diner, and a chance to wander around Katonah. After a very long week in the concrete jungle of Manhattan, having gala and other special events, or being locked at the desk, staring at the computer (though, obviously NOT on the e-mail or blog), it was nice to get away and see nature, be in the great outdoors, visit a plant sale at the Mediterranean estate of Caramoor, and literally wander around the dewy grass in my bare feet. It was heavenly. Go visit Caramoor yourself. It's a lovely place!

Cliff with an inquisitive plant buyer (aka Christine B.)

Cliff, the horticulturalist, is a good guy. He will not mock you (too much) for feeding your plants leftover soup and Diet Coke. Thanks for taking care of Spike*, Cliff.

Oh Geraniums and Petunias!

Darn it, I can't take the whole wagon load home!

Whatever these are, they are cool.

It's time to run barefoot through the grass!I don't want to leave either, Mr. Gargoyle, but there's no need to be grumpy about it.

*Spike is an aloe plant and was the longest relationship I ever had with a non-human. I rescued him from a college roommate (Tatiana -- WHERE ARE YOU?) my senior year (ahem 199*) and had him with me at Caramoor for years and years and years. He was replanted so many times, spouted offspring, and grew to such heights and widths, that I had to leave him behind when I left Caramoor. It was very sad. I missed Spike. The plants I bought and then brought to the Big J just don't have his personality. Cliff gave me Spike Jr., (though it's probably Spike IV), and I hauled his heavy self home on the train. Happy reunion. Happy days. Can't wait to introduce him to the menagerie at the Big J.