Artful Adventures

Reflections of July

 

This past couple of weeks, I've been quieter than normal, as I always am the first half of July.  Yesterday was the anniversary of my sister's death, July 18, 1976.  That date just sticks with me, I can picture my Dad answering the phone when my Mother called from the hospital, waking up my brother to tell him that Gina was gone, it's just like it happened yesterday.  So every year when July rolls around and we get the hot & humid weather, I just brace myself for "that day" to come & be gone.  Today I feel better about it, now it's behind me-until next year. After always admiring how Nina has often captured rain drops with her camera, showing reflections of the surroundings in those little drops, we finally got it-yay!  Not raindrops, but from the heavy dew that we've been having in the mornings from the extreme humidity that's planted itself over the state.  Funny how sometimes the drops look like little crystals, and the extreme close up of the foliage itself has been interesting.  Like life, if you always settle for taking everything at face value and don't look closely, you'll never know what you may miss.  So look around today, look closely, and tell me what you discovered, I'd love to hear about it. Our hollyhocks have never looked better this year, standing tall & proud.  But somehow they managed to seed themselves all around the outside edge of a garden, so the middle is completely hidden.  Another project to tackle next year and get it back under control. The hollyhock leaves get attacked each & every year by bugs that leave this leaf skeleton behind.  But it's ok, I'll cut it off, save it, and someday it'll find it's way onto a collage.  I love the colors & textures surrounding us this time of year, with some plants just hitting their prime and others leaving behine the texture of a spent flower head.  Always gets the mind whirling for future art projects.  Which remind me, there's a necklace partially finsihed that's calling my name!  Enjoy the week end!

The Things I've seen!

Definition of persistence-trying to post today!  This is about the 5th try, went right past the 3rd time's a charm thing, and kept right on going.  There's more pictures than words today, in trying to show you all what I've been seeing lately, summer's good for that, isn't it?                                                      

  Last night, Trina (the neighbor from across the street) came over to show us a baby oriole.  Apparently the chicks fell out of their nest the night before when the wind kicked up, but the parents were continuing the feed them while the brave little souls tried hopping from branch to branch, sometimes landing in the tall grass.  This little guy has managed to survive, with help from Trina who made a quick road trip to the closest bait shop for some yummy grubs that he gobbled right up.  The whole neighborhood is cheering him on!  Here we go again (you're all saying that right?) with more beach pictures, as if you didn't see enough of it last year.  But this was the first time this summer that it's actually been warm enough to tolerate sitting there-that wind coming off Lake Michigan is wicked!  But the water was as blue as I've ever seen it, and relatively calm besides. We weren't the only ones enjoying though, we were treated to watching a bunch of young seagulls playing around in the water.  They appered to be having a ball!  Can't be a summer post without more flower pictures from around the yard.  Here's a few, with more to follow in the days ahead. For tonight, last but absolutely not least, is of another sunset taken at Red River Park.  I've shown them here before, but this is by far the most gorgeous sunset that I've ever seen.  It was impossible to choose a favorite out of the bunch that Gary shot, one was more perfect than the next, so I finally grabbed this one-enjoy it!  And I hope you all get to see such a sight as this soon!

What's Blooming Now--

Yesterday early morning, I stepped outside the back door and was greeted with the heavy, sweet scent of lilacs.  The breeze was soft & coming from just the right direction to blow right at me, and the scent was strong with them just begining to open.  Will have to cut some tomorrow & bring them in the house, they don't last long but they certainly are a treat.  It's still on the cool side here in WI, I think we've only had one day reach the 70 degree mark so far.  But that means the spring flowers are lasting longer so it's ok.  The downside is that being the impatient gardener that I am, we bought plants early (telling myself it was to make sure we got what we wanted, but we all know that wasn't the real reason!) we've been hauling them out during the day, and back into the garage at night becasue it's been too cold for some.  We left a few out last night though, and they were fine-whew!  The old apple tree is still blooming, another one that doesn't last long, but what a beautiful flower.  Half of that tree blew down during the first spring storm that came through the year we moved in, but it keeps hanging in there-tenacious old thing! 

The allium are about to pop, they crack me up, looking like some sort of alien creature standing tall & proud in the garden.  Note to self-remember to dig them up & move them this year to another spot, they take up too much prime space for a plant that goes dormant for most of the summer.  For the last 3 days I've been feeling sick again (what the hell, I never used to get sick so often!) but today we got out of the house anyway, not a very perky road trip, but a road trip nonetheless.  We went into Green Bay to Summerplace Gardens where I used to work & got some more annuals for containers.  Oh, check out the website, I'm doing it for her so be kind-lol!.  Just started it, and have a long way to go, but at least it's started.  Came home & had a quick lunch, then off to The Flying Pig for a cup of coffee and of course had to buy another plant while I was there, too.  Plants can be almost as addictive as art supplies:)  But there was a big beautiful Kent's Beauty (a flowering oregano) that I couldn't resist.  Will take photos of containers soon, as I plant them-maybe tomorrow:)

Around the Yard

Just a few photos from around the yard today, with not a lot to say.  We had a few absolutely perfectly beautiful days last week, and then it turned stormy, gray, and colder.  Colder as in freezing tonight and possibly snow, welcome to WI! 

Playing with the new camera a little the other day, I shot these birds that were up high and far enough away that the other camera wouldn't have gotten them at all.  I didn't even know what kind of bird I was shooting until they were uploaded onto the computer and saw that there was a robin.  Either the camera is better or I need new glasses-or maybe both:)  Don't let these unassuming looking flowers fool you, they bloom first and then turn into gigantic leaves, I mean HUGE!!  It's a crazy plant, invasive, likes it wet & shady, but the leaf size is so impressive we couldn't resist.  The advantage of having enough property to play around with the oddball stuff.   

Pussywillow past it's prime.  It's one of the first plants I bought when we moved here 20 years ago.  We've never trimmed it back, so it's now a huge tree/shrub/mass!  Live & learn:)    

Despite the weather, a sure sign that spring is still here, just taking a slight break for a day or so, is the bud of a lilac bush.  These were here when we bought the house, I've always wondered how old they are.  They're really too big for a lilac bush, but again, don't really have the heart to trim them back, we'll just call it a little history of the house.  Last photo for today, the first tulips of the year.  The gardens are greening out nicely, and buds popping everywhere, so more to come soon:)  Will have art to show tomorrow if all goes well.  Almost done with the 3rd lady of the series, but a case of some kind of "ick" got me a few days ago, so I've been keeping a low profile, being too dizzy to do much art or it would've been done by now-irritiating delay!                        

The world as I see it

There's a lot to say, but for another post.  For right now, I wanted to share some of the things around the yard-again:)  There'll be more, but today I chose some of my favorites from the last week or so.  I'm still amazed at having time off this time of year, so there is constant exploring and soaking it all in, it's like I want to burn it into my memory.  And I'm enjoying every second of it!