August 21, 2007:Can you feel the season change yet? I can. I know it is still early and summer remains here in our house near the sea. It is warm, but a breeze blows from the west bringing a bit of cooler weather, and the nearby fog horn wails its mournful song these evenings. I love this time of year. Fall is approaching and will be here soon. Time moves so quickly doesn't it!! The two cats, Smoky and the Persian both came looking for me today on the patio. They like it as the patio has a nice carpet for them to relax and lay on. They both got their obligatory "under chin scratch" and off they went to explore the privet hedge area. I think that cats are highly intelligent, they are so fun to watch. We watched Smoky the other day playing with an alligator lizard and he had those moves that I think a jaguar or tiger must have in the jungle. The wind chime is chiming tonight with that gentle and cooling breeze. Everyone talks about the "dog days of summer". Is this what those kind of days are like? It is a relaxing time. The butterflies are around, and I am looking to photo them when I can. They never stay long and one must be very fast to catch a photo. Take a look at a photo I did sometime ago of a fantastic Swallowtail. I love his colors. Nature has indeed marked him in a beautiful design. BT-August 21, 2007
August 18, 2007: Well we have had a couple of days without ashes, and that is good. I just assembled another plant terrace this a.m. This one holds many of my Christmas cactus, and as they bloom will post a photo for you to see. Yesterday, what a fine day!!! Anyway it was for me!! I was on the patio and a Praying Mantis flew to the lawn area from one of the geraniums. I did get a photo of the Mantis, and sent to several friends. One even said he had never seen one! Exciting. If you would like to view the photo you can click here. The Mantis is in the brown phase and really looks like a piece of grass or straw. They are carnivorous and eat other insects, so they are a friend of your plants. You won't find these guys eating your plants, so if you find one, look him over, but don't harm him. If you would like more info on the Praying Mantis, here is a very good web page with good information. I always like to photo an unusual insect. They are so interesting! The weather warms, summer is slipping away, and we are thinking of Ireland in the fall. Ireland has had a very large amount of rain this season, and is wonderfully green! Enjoy the day! BT-August 18, 2007
August 16, 2007: Our region is in the area of a very large wild fire in the back country. We have been receiving tons of ash falling in the area, and this a.m. I washed all the ash off the garden plants. There were very large amounts on the leaves. The ash tends to be acidic, so is best to wash off the leaves. That was a big job. The air is very bad and could be a health risk for those with respiratory problems. Today is entirely overcast and ashes all over. One can see them falling thru the air. The Christmas cactus have again started to bloom. I have 3 new plants I am starting from cuttings, and that is fun to do. I photographed hummingbirds last evening in the back garden, and got several good photos. Go here to see one of the latest photos. Such fascinating birds! The weekend approaches, have a great one!!--BT, August 16, 2007
August 9, 2007: The warm weather is returning, one can feel it today. It is wonderful for the flowers and plants. I have been photographing hummingbirds again! I love doing that. They are so fascinating and beautiful in their hovering and flying about. I have found one has to be very patient and fast with your camera to catch a photo. They don't stay around very long and have excellent eyesight and can be a bit hesitant. Last evening I was patient. I was pleased with the photos. I like to use my telephoto lens and then edit the photo with close up details of the bird. Both cats were in the garden this morning and I had a chance to greet and chin scratch both of them, and of course they loved it. They are hunters. You will find a new photo of the Siamese from this morning on the Garden Visitors section of my web page. Also please note the butterfly photo from this morning. What a beautiful and very dainty butterfly! He was about the size of your thumbnail. This reinforces my thoughts about one never knows what you will find in the garden. Surprise after surprise arrives there! And I did have my camera with me this morning! How lucky can a guy who loves to photo plants and animals get!! Also I hope you noted the new button on the opening page for the Garden Visitors for your convenience. We now are eating fresh tomatoes from our garden, the vines being between 6 and 8 feet tall. We grow Better Boys and Sweet 100's and Red Cherries. They are delicious! I hope you have seen the new hummingbird photo from yesterday of the hummer with the red patch on his throat, coming into the Alstromeria area! I was very excited when editing this photo. I really like it. BT-August 9, 2007.
August 3, 2007: He's back!! That's right. After several days of absence, Smoky Gray Kitty has returned to the garden. See photo below. Who knows where this wanderer has been? But is nice to see him back. We have ashes everywhere! They are falling on cars, the patio, the plants and everywhere. There is a huge brush fire raging to the north in the back country of the mountains. It is far away, but when the weather conditions are right, the ashes blow toward the sea and over us. Such it is with that situation. I have been potting new geraniums in preparation for the arrival of a new section of my plant terrace. When assembled and installed, will post a photo here for you all to view. I am excited about it as will get several geraniums off the floor of the patio and up on the terrace. It has been a wonderful day! Work in the garden inspires one to enjoy nature and the plants. Recently I have noted 2 fly-bys of Sharp-shinned hawks, with their striped tail and wings. They were only about 10 feet off the ground and swooped over the front and back yard area.What a thrill. I love hawks, and they are among my very favorites of the bird families. No, I didn't have my camera!!! Wish I did, but I would have had to be very fast to have gotten any photo of them! They were really winging it!! I hope you enjoyed the day. I did!!-BT-Aug. 3, 2007.
July 31, 2007: It was a nice cool day today with the breeze blowing in from the sea. We really enjoyed that. Well tomorrow we dive into August. My, how time goes. How many times have your heard that?? I have many times!! The Siamese visited the agapanthus area, and was laid out in the shade when I was watering my tomato garden. He is so sociable, and loves to "stalk" the hummers when they might fly in. He has no chance though of catching them, but he has fun. I am redoing some of my old woody geraniums and replacing them with new ones. I purchased a new Solidor and French Quarter varieties today. Solidor is not new to me, but French Quarter is. I also bought a new Sundance variety. What a beautiful red it is!! I want to share with you today: the French Quarter ivy geranium. It is 'hot pink' so the name stick says in the plant pot. I really like it, and bought another one today of the same variety. I think it will be really outstanding! I will take photos of it periodically as it blooms. Hope your day was a fine one. Enjoy! BT, July 31, 2007
July 28, 2007: It was one of those days when the hummingbirds were buzzing all over the front yard area near the feeder. They seem to like to challenge one another for the feeder, you rarely see 2 of them feeding together. I had gone out with the camera and stood about 10 feet from the feeder and they came in to feed. I was able to take about 50 photos quickly with the drive mode set at continuous shooting( 3 shots per second). I have selected 2 of the photos to share with you. I wanted detail and it happened. It is difficult to focus on a hovering hummingbird as the camera is not sure what to focus on, the bird or the background. I hope you enjoy these photos. I sent them to some friends to view and I hope they enjoyed them too. Hummingbirds are among my very favorite to photograph. They are so dainty, yet so graceful and quick. To view the photos of the hummers, go to this page. What beautiful and graceful birds they are!! They shall forever be one of my favorites.-BT, July 28, 2007.
July 27, 2007: The Siamese visited today. He arrived silently while I was deadheading some of the geraniums in the patio. What a beautiful animal! He enjoyed a pat on the head and a brief chin scratch, then hopped up on one of our plant benches and looked in at us while we ate our breakfast. See photo below. Cats are so intelligent and when they get to know you and feel confident you are their friend, they will "hang around" the yard often. Also spotted a very interesting insect. It was about an inch long with super long antennae. The time has come to get an insect book to help me identify "my insects" in the garden. It is warm today here near the sea, and this is very typical summer weather for us. Plants are growing quickly and looking nice. We have cut bouquets of alstromeria and have them in the dining room in the Jack O'Patsy vase from Ireland. They fit so well with the Irish vase. Everytime I look at it, visions of Ireland cross my mind. We have known for a long time about the Jack O'Patsy pottery from Ireland. It is now made in eastern Europe and shipped back to Ireland. Get out to your garden if you have a spare moment today. There must be some plants there that need a bit of attention. Mine always do!! Enjoy the day! -BT, July 27, 2007
July 25, 2007: What a beautiful day here! There is a slight cooling breeze blowing and it is very pleasant in the patio and the garden. I often just go out and stand in the garden with my camera. One never knows what may appear for a photo. Today, the small butterflies seemed in abundance, and using the telephoto lens, I was able to get the below photo. Oh, I remember these little butterflies as a boy, when I used to try to gently catch them in my hand and then release them. There was a patch of flowers in front of someone's house just down the street and the butterflies liked to hover and land there. It seems mid-summer is here. Soon August will be here. Then the fall. Where does time go? My Mother always said that time goes so fast that one should enjoy it while you can. That is good advice for all of us. The cats have not been in the garden for a couple of days, but they will reappear one day. They always do. They probably will want an "under the chin scratch" from this gardener. The spider is gone today from the garden. Did he relocate or did some bird have him for lunch? Enjoy the day!-BT, July 25, 2007
July 23, 2007: The monsoonal air has come back in from the southwest today. Feels like it could rain, but it won't. I gardened today. Potted 3 new pelargoniums: Promise(pink), French Quarter (hot pink) and SnowQueen (white). They will go on the new terrace when I finish assembling the new quarter rounds that fit on the end of the existing one. Promise is not a new one for me. I have a plant that I started previously. One never knows what you may find in the garden when you are there working or pruning or cleaning up. The Siamese must have had a rough night!8-))))))))))))))))))He looks very sleepy, laying out near the Iceberg Roses this a.m. He is such an interesting cat, very curious and a bit high strung. But he loves an occasional "underchin scratch" on the patio carpeting. Below his photo this a.m.!! I always like to garden. There is a great quotation about gardening: "Gardening is about enjoying the smell of things growing in the soil, getting dirty without feeling guilty, and generally taking the time to soak up a little peace and serenity."------Lindley Karstens. This is very true for me. I like the peace and serenity. Also a very interesting spider was in the garden, having woven an interesting web between the plants. If you like spiders you can view the spider at Garden Visitors.
July 17, 2007: What a nice balmy and very sunny day here on the coast. There is a light breeze moving throughout the garden. Feels good! I like to plant my ivy geraniums in baskets often, and have them hanging from the eaves of the house in front and back. The below photo is of some of the backyard hanging plants. I also start clippings in baskets and add them to the eaves when they have developed a bit. The new plants are very easy to start. I use a good potting mix and make sure one or two of the visible joints on the stem are buried in the soil. I like to "make" new plants that way. Midsummer is very arid and dry here in our area. Lots of watering is required it seems. My Father told me long ago as a young man he enjoyed propagating pelargoniums. Maybe I get this interest from him! It surely could be. The flowers are blooming well and enjoy this summer growing time. I hope your garden is growing well and that you are enjoying the summer. Get some time set aside out in the garden, it is peaceful and gives one time to think. Time moves quickly, and one should definitely enjoy everyday. Or as some of us say it, "Enjoy the day!!"-BT, July 17, 2007
July 12, 2007: I worked in the garden a bit today. Some of the plants needed their monthly fertilizer. The Agapanthus are all ready to burst forth, and of course when they do, you will have a photo here on the Minutia page. I love the color they paint in the garden! It is exquisite and beautiful. Of course, I was out on the patio with the Digital Rebel XT camera late in the afternoon to catch the sun on some of the pelargoniums and Christmas cactus. The camera is wonderful. It is the first SLR camera I have ever owned, and I find it very easy to use and I would recommend it to anyone who is ready to move to the SLR(single lens reflex) Digital camera. It is a new feeling not to have to buy film. It is perfect for what I use it for: flowers, birds and the garden. We really like the Alstromera and will soon add another one to the garden, hopefully one of the ornate yellow varieties. They are beautiful! The tomatoes are now over 6 feet tall in the vegetable garden. I raise Better Boys, Red Cherries, and Sweet 100's as I mentioned earlier. There is lots of fruit on the vines, and we have been eating Cherry tomatoes from the garden in our salads, and soon the Better Boys will ripen, and they are delicious. The smoky cat was in the yard again, and laying in the shade to avoid the warm sun. I could not pass by him without a pat and a chin scratch. He is so shiny and wonderful! Time moves quickly in the summer it seems. Here we are almost in mid-July. I love the summer days, living here in this wonderful recreational coastal area. It is superb. The fog just lingers a bit off the coast and glides into the coast throughout the evenings. Below is a photo of a young Alstromeria, yellow, that is in our garden. The color just calls you to look! I hope your summer goes well with many moments of beauty and relaxation. -BT, July 12, 2007
July 10, 2007: Today the monsoonal clouds and air have come in from the south completely changing our weather into a breezy and cool and refreshing condition. It feels so good outside in the garden. The Christmas Cactus(they are of the Schlumbergera family) are beginning to bud and bloom which always causes me to think of Christmas. If you have not read my paragraph of how I came to enjoy and love raising the Christmas Cactus, click here. The colors of the flowers are absolutely beautiful and some are neon. They are easy to raise and you can propagate them easily by cuttings. To read how to care for them and raise them go to this page. The photo below is of the Thor Olga Christmas Cactus. I have had this plant for a number of years, and it never ceases to thrill me when it blooms. The colors are absolutely wonderful and beautiful. Perhaps you have one or would like one. The nurseries will have them in the Fall as Christmas approaches. I hope you enjoy my Photo of Thor Olga! Christmas is coming. The Christmas Cactus are blooming!!-BT July 10, 2007
July 5, 2007: It is amazing what one can find in the garden while tending to plants. I was working on plants on the new terrace this morning, deadheading them and so on, and spotted this wonderfully green katydid. He was really small, and I went in and got the Digital Rebel XT, changed the lens to the Macro 60 mm f/2.8 lens and went back out to the terrace. To my disappointment I could not find the little insect. I looked and looked and finally did. View the below photos, and yes, I did leave him alone and did not move or spray him. He was too interesting and fascinating. Keep your eyes open around your plants. Often insects dwell in them or briefly visit them. Is fun to observe and photo them. Beauty lies in many places where one may not look. I look, take my time and then photograph. The weather seems to be cooling here a bit near the sea. We needed that! I have never favored hot weather for very long!!-BT-July 5, 2007
July 2, 2007: The hot weather has really hit the Gold Coast here! And for us, it is really hot. I know people who live in the desert and they are entertaining temperatures of 110° during the day now. That is too much for me and not where we chose to live! We prefer living near the sea with its temperate climate, but today is 80° in the shade in the patio and that is warm enough for us! I know, I know, some would say, that is not hot at all! 8-)))))) I moved the Regal Camelot into the sun in the western corner of the garden, and its blossoms are glowing and it is budding out in a beautiful way. I like having some color in that corner of the garden and it really makes the area look alive! See the photo below. I noted two cats from the neighbors this morning, sitting in the shade together under the Iceberg Roses in the back garden. They looked like they were enjoying the shade! They are beautiful animals and we enjoy sharing the garden with them. The country around us is terribly dry as we received very little rain last winter. And it looks dry!! When we travel to Ireland, we always like seeing the rolling green hills with the sheep and cattle grazing on the slopes. Well, no green here. It is the start of a very long hot summer. Enjoy the Independence Day!!! We are thankful for all the opportunities and freedoms that we have here in the good old USA!!!! It is a great place to be!!! BT-July 2, 2007
June 27, 2007: This smoky gray cat belongs to our neighbors, and he loves our back yard garden. This morning he was resting under the Regal Camelot zonal geranium in the west corner. How relaxy can you be!!!!Perfect for a sunny warm summer day wearing that lovely fur coat!! He is a beautiful cat and when he decides to allow a human to pet him and scratch under his chin, he will let you do so. He loves to walk the top rail of the fence and cross over behind the Italian Cypresses to the Privet hedge. What a beautiful animal! We are very lucky to have him share our day with us almost everyday as he prowls the garden. BT-June 27, 2007
June 27, 2007: What beautiful summer weather here on the Gold Coast! With temps in the low 70's, the geraniums are really blooming and looking very nice! We love all the birds in our area. They enjoy our yard and hedges and tall Italian cypresses and nest and sit on the very top to sing their summer songs. This is especially true of the Mockingbird. They are very common in the area and we have several that come through the yard. I took the below photo with my telephoto lense; and it really brought the bird from the fence top to a very nice closeup. Of course the birds must be careful of the neighborhood cats of which there seem to be many. I hope you too, enjoy and appreciate the birds you see. They add so much pleasure to daily life and our gardens. BT-June 27, 2007
June 24, 2007: I photograph almost everyday. My camera is always set up, usually with my zoom lense and waiting on my desk. I find the more familiar I become with my camera equipment, the better it is for me to see what I can do with the Canon Digital Rebel XT. This afternoon I was playing "photo tag" with a hummingbird who kept coming in and hovering above the feeder just near the kitchen window, with me being inside trying to "catch" him in a photo, through the window. He was restless and I am sure saw me through the window. He finally flew over to a Solanum bush near our hedge, and "took a rest" there on a branch, the evening sun catching the red collar on his throat. Below is my photo of the 'little guy' who sat nicely for his portrait. If you photograph, especially natural things suchas flowers and animals, keep photographing. There is no more beautiful subject than birds and flowers. What a fine hobby and interest, and you do catch a moment in time that will never return!! I was able to get this photo as I walked across the lawn to within about 12 feet of him. He patiently waited for me to photo him! Anyway, I like to think so!! 8-))))))))-BT June 24, 2007
June 20, 2007: One finds all sorts of beautiful things in a garden. Today while awaiting the hummingbirds, near the alstromeria, a cat jumped up on the fence from the plant area, completely surprising me! It was the neighbor's new cat which has discovered our garden and seems to like being in it. I have always believed that cats are very, very intelligent, some of that from being a cat owner many years ago of a half Manx and half Persian named Sissy. Indeed a brilliant animal! The cat in the photo below is very beautiful, and seemingly posed on the fence for photos for me today. How beautiful! And if you look carefully, you can see the beautiful blue eyes that the animal possesses! What a beauty. I hope you enjoy this photo. One finds beauty in all sorts of places if you observe and take the time to look and enjoy.---BT, June 20, 2007
June 19, 2007: How blessed we are who love the flowers! They bring to our day a great "upbeat feeling". Anyway they do to me!8-))))) In our back garden I have two terraces on which I have innumerable pelargoniums. I just received one of the two for a Father's Day gift, and it is assembled and has 10 of my plants already ensconced on it. Below you will see two photos of my first terrace which I purchased several years ago. I really can't tell you how many pelargoniums are on it. My wife says "over 40!" And of course I deny that! 8-)))) The beauty of the colors of the pelargoniums is, in my opinion, incomparable, and I remember seeing them all over Spain on balconies, sides of buildings and in cafes and pedestrian malls when we spent time there during our Spain days. How wonderful and lovely they were! If you garden, be thankful for your garden and your interest in tending your plants. What a fine way to spend ones leisure time. --BT, June 19, 2007
June 17, 2007-Fathers' Day: We remember today, our wonderful Fathers who grew up in another time, worked very hard for their families, and passed wonderful values to their children. How fortunate we were to have had them with us for a part of our lives! They were kind, thoughtful, intelligent, and responsible people. I like to quote Tim Russert when I think of our Fathers: "Whatever we achieve and whoever we are, we stand on our father's shoulders." What influence they had on us! And it was a very positive and upbeat influence! So to our Dads, my wife and I send a very big "Thank you!" for all they did over the years. Their memories shall be in our hearts and minds forever!! We love them dearly!-BT, June 17, 2007.
June 12, 2007: Waterford Crystal is very nice. Perhaps you have heard of it. We visited the factory in Waterford, Waterford Co. Ireland sometime ago and viewed the working areas where the crystal is made. The crystal is beautiful and the factory, with its showrooms and working areas, is very popular with tourists the year round. Below in the photo is a piece of Waterford, a small water jug that a family member gave to us. Waterford Crystal was founded in 1753. The factory quickly became famous for its product. Unfortunately, it had to be closed down in the mid 1800's due to taxation on its products. It was restarted by Joseph McGrath in 1950. The beautiful pieces of crystal can take weeks to produce, and no "seconds" are sold or allowed to finish the production process.
June 9, 2009: One of my favorite pottery products from Ireland is Belleek Pottery. The green shamrocks against the ivory color of the pottery is very attractive. I especially like the vases, of which there are many styles and sizes. I always buy one for my wife when we are in Ireland. Here are four of my favorites on the dining room table with some of my geraniums in the beautiful pottery. Indeed, the pottery is lovely and shows the wonderful colors of the geraniums in style! When I see the vases brimming full of color, they always remind me of Ireland and our marvelous adventures there with our Daughter and our Grandsons.-BT-June 9, 2007
June 2, 2007: I first noticed this beautiful cat prowling about in our garden among the Iceberg Roses and Alstromeria. He was absolutely beautiful!!! He is a neighborhood cat, belonging to one of the neighbors I suspect. Most have dogs, and it is my theory that he loves to escape from the dogs by coming into our yard and skulking about. What a beauty! He knows me now, and he will come over for an "under the chin scratch" or a stroking of his back etc. We love his presence, which is an almost daily visit. I wanted you to see him and enjoy his regalness and his eye-appeal. What a pleasure to see him in the garden! BT-June 2, 2007
June 2, 2007: As we were gardening today, my wife found a weed near an agapanthus. She said, "It is like something you would find in a forest!" And we together examined it and it definitely was worthy of a photo. One usually pulls or sprays a weed immediately when seeing it in the garden............not this beauty! Using a macro lense, I photographed the delicate and finely structured flower growing there. What a beauty! No we did not pull or spray it! It remains and we appreciate nature's beauty that it bestowed on this lowly weed. One finds beautiful things in nature even in your own yard or garden...............even those that you didn't plant. View our "beautiful weed" below. View the shape, color and form of our wonderful flower below!--BT, June 2, 2007
May 30, 2007: How fast time moves! Soon June will be here with the summer close behind! My Mother always said that the older one gets, the faster it seems that time moves.........I think she was right!!The birds are very prominent around our neighborhood: the scrub jay, house sparrow, house finch, mockingbird, hummingbirds, doves, pigeons and more.....................It is beautiful to hear them and see them in the area. In our local newspaper, our resident bird expert wrote today that she receives numerous emails from readers asking how to keep the singing birds from keeping them awake at night. Hmmmm.................now how do we do that? I smile at this. Her answer, it is the mockingbird at night that loves to sing thru the night at this time of year in our locale. And she says, enjoy the beautiful song..........they will not do this in winter! Another smile from me........The other night while looking at the full moon, very late or I should say early in the a.m. I too heard this beautiful song, and indeed it is beautiful. I enjoyed it. 8-)) We have "mockies" daily visiting our garden and rooftop and cypress top and they are indeed welcome. According to the bird expert they imitate or mock over 40 different bird calls. I have photos of the mockie and will post sometime, but today a beautiful scrub jay visited a bark bed in front to seek out an insect or the like. The blues are incomparable!! Here he is in all his glory. Enjoy the beauty of the birds. They are our "neighbors" here on earth. Without them it would indeed, be a very sad and lonely place!---BT May 30, 2007
May 29, 2007: Well, Memorial Day has come and gone for another year. The memories return of that time long ago when I was a boy and the war raged in Asia and the Pacific and elsewhere. I have memories of the time, the rationing coupon books for coffee, sugar, and gasoline, which I still have, the troops marching down my street to the high school football field to organize for shipping out, and my Mom and Sister and I taking them cookies. Those times are with me forever. My Dad, a Naval Officer shipping out, and taking him to the train somewhere in his wonderful Dress Blue Naval Uniform, so handsome and tall, to head to a ship and to the action in the Pacific. Thank goodness those times ended and the world was able to get back to normal. I read the obituaries every Sunday now in the newspaper and see all the 18 and 19 year olds listed there. What short lives! We shall keep them all in our prayers. I remember the long transcontinental train ride from one coast to the other to be with Dad a few weeks before he left for the action. I was very small but remember where we stayed near his training area. He came home ok from the war and we were very thankful. But not everyone did. We shall remember them.-BT May 29, 2007
May 23, 2007: This morning I went out to the garden with the Digital Rebel XT cam and took a few photos. Below is one of my plant terraces, in the back garden. The geraniums are blooming prolifically and really "catch one's eye"!! How many plants are on the 3 level terrace? Who knows?! My wife estimates around 40! Is that possible? I have been growing my geraniums for several years and writing this web page for several, too. I have told you in earlier postings that I really just started this web page several years ago as a place to post my FEW! photos that I took of our flowers. The page grew and grew and now you see what we have!!!! I love the flowers and working on the web page. I hope all who read it, enjoy it and get peaceful times reading it. The photo of the back yard garden terrace is below. Enjoy!--BT, May 23, 2007
May 22, 2007: Today the hummingbirds have been visiting the garden innumerable times for nectar. They have flown in to the sage, alstromera, agapanthus, and the geraniums. I waited in the patio for one to come into the alstromeria and the photo below is the result. What fine little birds they are! It almost seems they become accustomed to a person's presence at times as they buzz in while you are standing nearby. They hover and "take a look" to see if I am ok for them to continue in to the flower. Fun! Also the Lesser Goldfinch has been enjoying picking at the sage blossoms, and I was lucky enough to get the below photo from the kitchen window. Birds make for a rich garden with their presence.--BT May 22, 2007
May 14, 2007:On Mother's Day, we always enjoy going to our favorite Mexican food restaurant here in the city. They have a tradition at the restaurant----they give each Mother a beautiful rose bud. Here are photos of the rose bud my wife received yesterday. What a nice tradition--a remembrance for the Mothers!!--BT May 14, 2007
May 12, 2007: Mother's Day weekend is here, and we all are most thankful for all those Angel Mothers who cared for us so lovingly over the years. They shall never be forgotten and will dwell within our hearts and minds forever! Above is a Nicolas Mosse, Posy Pot from Kilkenny, Ireland. According to the information card that came with the Posy Pot, it was inspired by an 18th century design, when ladies would pluck small specimens of this and that from the garden and show off their blooms in just such a container. My wife received the above Posy Pot from our daughter in Ireland for Mother's Day. How lovely it is and what a treasure, sent with greetings and love. It shall be treasured. My wife, this cool morning, went to the geranium terrace and the hanging pots and filled it with some of our beauties(Salmon Queen, Nicole, Arctic Red, and others). It now occupies, with beauty, the hutch in the dining room. It is a family treasure and joins other items which are classified as such. To all the Mothers: Happy Mother's Day. You are treasured! Thank you for everything!!BT-May 12, 2007
May 11 , 2007-The weather here on the Gold Coast is beautiful today, much sun and a bit of a breeze off the ocean. The two photos above are different corners of our garden in the back yard area. We enjoy them very much. The Iceberg Roses are blooming beautifully as is the alstromeria. The bees and hummers visit daily. It is fun to watch them. The terrace of geraniums is so full of buds and blooms. The plants are blooming prolifically! The colors are vibrant and wonderful! One day I will photo the terrace and post a photo here for you to see. The garden continues to bring pleasure daily to us. We love the colors and the birds it attracts. Daily I am out there among the plants, working on them, almost talking to them, and touching them here and there. A garden certainly recharges the senses and the loveliness fills ones eyes in pleasure and beauty. BT-May 11, 2007
May 10, 2007: The Pretty Polly has begun to bloom finally. I love the color and the contrast between the pink and the dark color on the petals. One always is surprised by the cleverness of nature in its color patterns. Yes, this was a gift from my youngest daughter, who knows I "do gardening" and love geraniums. To me, this gift is very precious--a living plant! What more could one ask? The plant is healthy and doing well and I am thankful. How blessed I am!-BT, May 10, 2007.
May 2, 2007: We had gone to Castletownshend that day in April, driving through the pristine rolling hills and small villages of southwest Ireland-indeed a wonderfully beautiful land. Readers know well of our connection to Ireland and our Grandsons. We walked through the Cemetery at St. Barrahane Church("That beautiful Little Church on the Hill"). The Parish dates back to 1199 and is still an active congregation. The Cemetery was very peaceful and full of history. What a beautiful day it was. The above photo was a small section of the Cemetery.-BT, May 2, 2007
May 2, 2007: Christmas Cactus(sometimes called Holiday Cactus) have always amazed me. I have several potted and growing in the patio. Some of mine are blooming at this time and what glorious colors. My Mother always grew them and had them in the back patio around Christmas when we would visit them. I really enjoy the flowers. Here are two of mine which I took yesterday. They always remind me of the joys of Christmas! They remind me that Christmas is coming!!!-BT, May 2, 2007.
April 26, 2007: What a thrill today to encounter a Hooded Oriole in one of the Italian Cypress in the back garden. I actually was waiting for our resident Mockingbird to return to the nest from which he had flown a short time ago. I was in the back garden with my cam and happened to look up at the cypress. There he was!! The Orioles will be here throughout the summer, and do come to feeders for nectar if offered. What a beautiful bird!! I indeed am most fortunate to have been there in the garden when I was to "catch" on digital, this visit of this wonderful bird!!.-BT, April 26, 2007
April 22, 2007: I always have a digital camera ready, usually on my desk with either the Macro lense or the F75-300 F4 on the camera. Especially in these spring days when the birds are all around and very active I want to be ready for the cam shot that presents itself. I caught this Anna's Hummingbird at the Sage again today. I keep a feeder with honey water(1/4 cup of sugar to 1 cup of water) loaded and ready for the little guys, but often the sage, geraniums, alstromeria attract them more often it seems. We had light rain all day today and when the rain stopped the birds came out. How splendid! Here is a photo of the hummer. Nature abounds if one looks for it! Enjoy, BT, April 22, 2007.
April 15, 2007: If you are a regular "reader" of my web site, you know that we love Ireland. We have just returned from that spectacular land of sheep, green rolling hills, cattle and castles and ruins of such and wonderful churches, both old and new and very friendly people! It was glorious weather there in April, and the Irish were so pleased with the sun and the warm days. The Grandsons are growing and having a great time growing up in the land of the leprechauns! They live in the country and it is so beautiful! There is room to run and breathe without the pollution of the big city. They are content. We love the country and will go again soon. BT, April 15, 2007
Note by BT: We had driven 3 hours that day to visit a small very old church and its cemetery in Castletownshend, a small very old and historic village in Co. Cork. We walked up the hill to the cemetery and there noted the many gravestones, some very old and some newer. It was very peaceful and lovely, and way across the cemetery near the fence was a beautiful tall camellia blooming amongst the gravestones. It was magnificent!--BT April 15, 2007
March 27, 2007: We always keep our eyes open for birds in the garden; we seem to have a fair collection that call our garden "home" in the spring and summer. This morning we spotted a Phoebe on the ground looking for breakfast. He jumped down off the planter pot on which he was sitting and caught an insect. Looks like a spider! We love the Phoebes, stately and beautiful in their feather coat of black and gray and white!! For a picture from today's experience click here. BT
Notes by BT, March 26, 2007: The Alstromeria are blooming and beautiful! Ireland holds a special place in our hearts as our Grandsons are there. The above photo shows Alstromeria in a Stephen Pearce vase from Co. Cork Ireland, a village named Shanagarry. We love the design and color. The vase always reminds us of Ireland, and soon we will be there. In 2005 I wrote a free verse about our trip there and what it meant to us. As I said in the free verse, "our hearts forever will be there." Here is that bit of poetry, if we may call it that.
March 21, 2007: I had been out in the garden with my camera today looking for birds. A flash of golden yellow caught my eye moving from East to West toward the fountain. The bird landed near the fountain on a fence, and I was able to photograph him. A Golden Throat Warbler, in all his golden glory, a thrill to this gardener!! A wonderful sign of Spring.............BT March 21, 2007. To view the photo click here.
March 22, 2007: Now with spring here, one does not know what they might encounter in the garden. I was fertilizing one group of potted geraniums today, when I came upon a White Striped Sphinx Moth sitting perfectly still under a layer or two of leaves. The temptation was too much for this photographer!!! Click here to view the beautiful Moth which I photographed today. What a miracle of nature!! BT, March 22, 2007
March 23, 2007: What a fine sunny summer like day here on the Gold Coast! We have been waiting for the hummingbirds to return in number to our area, and today we were elated to "catch" an Annas Hummer at our new feeder! What beauty in motion--to watch them hover as they come in for a landing on the feeder near the kitchen window. To see our "catch" go here! BT
