March 12, 2008: Today while out gardening, a photographers dream! A red tail hawk came soaring in rather close to the garden. I ran into the house and got my camera, quickly changed to the telephoto lens(I had been doing macro photos with the 60mm lens earlier) and ran out to the garden. The hawk was still there and I was able to get many photos. I love hawks, and they are easily spotted in our area with all the fields and hills around. What a thrill! I have a history with hawks, having, with my Father many years ago, saved a baby kestrel that had fallen out of its nest onto a country road. We took care of the bird until it was able to fly back to freedom. They have always interested me. I have a Red Tail Hawk photo to show you today, in fact 2 or 3. I hope you enjoy them as much as I have since I photographed them this afternoon. Beauty in motion! I love hawks!! And also a bit of a word poem!! You knew I would..........have a poem! 8-)) -BT, March 12, 2008

To view the Red Tail, click here.

March 9, 2008: What a beautiful spring-like day! The sun is out and warm, the sky clear of clouds. It is wonderful. We are trying to catch gophers. They have already dined on 2 of our agapanthus plants, and the conflict goes on!! 8-))) We shall see. Perhaps this is the week we can catch them and relocate them. I hope so. I was talking with my wife yesterday about 'The Electric Mixer' story from my life. It seems when I was a boy, my Mother had never had an electric mixer. She had the "hand powered" one that you held in one hand and turned a handle in the other. One of my friends around the block had an old one for sale, as his Mother had acquired a new one. I offered him a small amount of cash for it and sure enough, my Mom had a new-old mixer. She was thrilled and so was I. The fact that I could do something for my Mother like this thrilled me. She used that mixer for many years. I was a proud boy! Have you a story to tell like that? I bet many of you do! Thinking back in the past can be a very fun and enjoyable thing to do. Since we have been doing genealogy, I find more and more, my thoughts go back to the past. I knew all of my Grandfathers(I had 3) and never knew my Grandmothers as they had passed away before I had the chance to know them. My loss it is. From all stories, they were wonderful and loving Grandmothers. Is your Grandmother or Grandfather still with you? If so, do something nice for them. I know many of you do that often. You will never regret it. We can have kind and very nice memories of our family members! I like that. The NE winds still persist but not as bad as yesterday. We settle in, spring is near as is Ireland and I think today of all those who came before us in the family. My Gr. Gr. Grandfather who was a Civil War veteran is in my mind today. I have a photo of him in his uniform, looking very weary! It must have been a difficult time in the history of these family members. I hope your weekend is a good one. Enjoy and remember the family, --BT-March 9, 2008

March 5, 2008: I have been sorting and looking at photos from my genealogy work today and they are most interesting. I especially have been thinking about my Grandfather and Great Grandfather who were farmers and workers in the oil field. They worked very hard during their lives and lived to a ripe old age. I am writing up vignettes of their lives for my daughters and grandsons so they will know from whence they came. It is fun! I discovered an alstromeria bloom today in the garden. It is the first of the spring, and the colors are wonderful. I will photo it and post it to the opening page of the web site tomorrow. Speaking of genealogy, have you studied your family? It is indeed a fun project, and we have found many ancestors going back to the 1600's on my family tree. You might like to do that sometime in your life when you have the time. It does take lots of time, and having a computer helps as there is more and more information being posted on the net all the time. Our wonderful weather continues, and life moves toward spring at a nice page. I hope your days are going well. Here is a quote to help you think about genealogy. I like it very much.

"To forget one's ancestors is to be a brook without a source, a tree without a root."---Chinese Proverb

Take care and think about your family, talk to you father, grandfather or other family members about their lives and the lives of those who came before them. Enjoy.--BT, March 4, 2008

March 2, 2008: I feel Spring today. It is in everything of the day: the sun, the clear mountains, the balminess of the air outside, the geraniums budding out in numerous blossoms and the clivia preparing to bloom, as they always do each March it seems. Nature is very consistent and on schedule! I like the Spring very much. It is a time of long evenings and beauty in the garden and makes one appreciate the growing things that we all have in our gardens. I wrote a free verse for you today about Spring coming, and it is posted on the opening page just under the Double Red ivy geranium. About an hour ago I took the Digital Rebel XT Cam with the 60mm Macro lense and went out into the garden to photo some of the beauties. Also today was a day that I potted about 6 geranium clippings. The terraces are all full now of pots so several new ones with clippings rest on the floor of the patio to begin their growing lives as new plants. They look good, and I hope they all survive, what better time to plant them than now with Spring on the way. Do you enjoy plants? I hope you do. What a fun interest plants are. I have a beautiful quotation for you today about Spring by Christina Rossetti. I like it very much. Christina was born in London and educated at home by her mother. She was an English poet. I hope your weekend is going well. Enjoy the day and think a bit about, Spring. Spring is coming and all that goes with it. And in my view that is a lot of beauty and happiness. BT-March 2, 2008

March 1, 2008: Well, March is here and not too long until Spring. Our calendar says on March 20, Spring begins! It will be time to plant the tomato garden soon. I usually do that in April after returning from Ireland. The tomatoes do well and produce fruit into the summer and fall. I like the Better Boy variety along with Red Cherry and Sweet 100's. I can almost taste them now-Yum!!! It has been cool with a bit of fog off the coast. I have moved some of the buttons from the start-up page down to the 'Links', the list in alphabetical order at the bottom of the opening page. I hope you can find them: Cats, Butterfly Exhibit, and so on. Daylight Savings Time also begins here in the U.S. on March 9. We will then have those nice long beautiful spring-summer evenings. I really like those long evenings at that time of year. The geraniums are really looking healthy! The blossoms are appearing now in increasing number, almost like they can sense Spring is near, 'it's time to showcase our beautiful colors!!' I am carefully watching 2 potted yellow clivia plants as they have budded out and the buds are on the verge of opening. They are beautiful when blooming, and I will photograph them for you this year and post them on the web site for you to view. If you would like a preview from last year, go here.

I hope you are having a nice weekend. Take some time to enjoy beauty when you can: a flower, a plant, a beautiful cat or bird and of course, the beauty of our earth. Take care and have a great weekend.--BT March 1, 2008(Where has time gone? It moves very fast doesn't it!!??)

February 24, 2008: What a fantastic rain we just had! The gauge had a bit over one inch in it this a.m. and that was just from last night. Our reservoirs are full and spilling and the water situation looks very good. A few months ago, just the opposite was the case. I am glad it has rained. Today is a beautiful day, sun with a few beautiful clouds around the sky. We are headed into a sunny week with warmer temperatures, and that is great!! Along the highway today, we noted lots of wild mustard plants with their golden beautiful blossoms, a yearly show of the beauty of the mustard plant. Also the Oxalis(sour grass) is all over the hillsides and roadsides. We used to chew on the sour grass as kids playing in the citrus groves of my home town. What fun it was playing hide and go seek in the orchards then in those days! The color of yellow and green is all over the country areas. It looks so nice to see it green now! I have a new cat photo for you in "Cats I Have Known" from my daughter in Ireland. A beautiful cat came to their country house and jumped up to look in the window. She said he stayed about an hour there in the window. Another Tiger cat. Very beautiful! I have added a few new flowers to the opening page today. I hope you enjoy viewing them. We are heading to the end of February, 2008, and have you noted that this is a leap year and there is a 29th of Feb.?? I hope your weekend has been a nice and very enjoyable one for you. --BT, Feb. 24, 2008

February 21, 2008: What fun it was to be out in the cool evening last night to observe and photograph the lunar eclipse of February 20, 2008! The clouds cooperated most of the time, and I was able to take a few photos, 3 of which I have posted here on the web page to share with you. Did you see the blue eclipse button when you opened the page? I hope you like the photos, and if you want to read more about eclipses, do a Google search for "lunar eclipse", and you will find more info than you probably have time to read. 8-))) I emailed several photos to my Grandson in Ireland as he was most interested in the eclipse as his Mother had read some materials to him to explain about the eclipse. I am glad he is interested in it and had the opportunity to see some photos his Grandfather had taken of the event. I read somewhere that the next lunar eclipse for us will be in 2010. That will give me plenty of time to read up on photographing it! The rain has come in early today and it is gentle and very nice. I always like to leave you with a rain quotation on a day like this, so here it is.

"Rain hangs about the place, like a friendly ghost. if it's not coming down in delicate droplets, then it's in buckets; and if neither, it tends to lurk suspiciously in the atmosphere." -----Barbara Acton-Bond

You know, I have always thought that a rainy day is a great day to read poetry or even write some.(If you have time)! Here is another of my favorites, below. If you have rain enjoy it, and if you wish get out one of your poetry books and read some. Or even get out a paper and pencil and write a verse! Fun! Enjoy the day--BT, February 21, 2008

February 20, 2008: Are you following the news of the lunar eclipse tonight?? We are with much interest. One of my Grandsons in Ireland wanted to stay up late to see it, but it was too late, something like 12:30 a.m. Irish time, and it is a school day for him tomorrow. So I promised to attempt to photograph the eclipse with my Digital Rebel XT, and email him some photos. I hope the clouds stay away long enough for me to get some good shots of the situation for him. This afternoon it is totally sunny and breezy, the next rain not expected until tomorrow afternoon/evening and we all have our photographic fingers crossed. I don't know if you are interested in photography, but I am! I photo birds, insects, flowers, plants, clouds, airplanes, people, and anything that piques my interest. Yes, you can say I am a fanatic when it comes to photography. NASA has a very interesting and well done web site on the eclipse at <http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/eclipse.html> You might take a look at it to see the eclipse situation. How interesting and exciting is nature! A lunar eclipse!! How many times in your life have you seen that?? Not many, I imagine and that goes for me too. I posted some new rain flowers on the web site at<http://www.digitalflowers.net/rain2.html> from our storm last night. I like to photo flowers with rain drops on them. It gives the flower an entirely new look. If you are in a place where you can view the moon eclipse tonight, try to do so! You should be able to read about it in a newspaper or on TV news or on NASA's web site, as to what time in your location, it will be visible. I hope you don't miss it! Enjoy and good eclipse hunting. --BT, Feb. 20, 2008

February 19, 2008: Have you ever done something that tugged at your heart and feelings a bit in a nice way?? It happened today to me. We had been to a cafe for lunch and on preparing to go out the door to leave at the end of the lunch, a man, using a walker, probably in his early 40's headed slowly for the door with his tall wife following him. I was standing there, really in the way of the doorway, as they approached, and something caused me to get involved. I said something like, "Let me get the door." And I did, and as they passed thru they thanked me multiple times. What a pleasure it was to assist; I remember doing this many times for my Dad, who in later years was on a walker and it brought back memories of him and his health challenges. We all need help and support at times in our lives, don't we!! I am thankful I could help in this small way. "Shall we make a new rule of life from tonight: always to try to be a little kinder than is necessary?"--James Barrie. I hope you are not tiring of this quotation as it is one of my favorites and I have a copy of it now on my computer desk that I see whenever I am on computer. It is one I will always remember. I hope you will too. Rain is forecast to come in tonight. The hillsides are green from our last rain and it reminds me of Ireland, the land of the green hills. It is so beautiful, and seeing our hills and roadsides green is especially wonderful, as soon in a month or two, the green will turn to brown as we enter the long rainless spring and summer. I hope your day is going well. The kids and teachers are back to school after a 4 day Presidents Day holiday. I remember from my days in the classroom the wonderful and restful vacations all of us looked forward to as teachers. That was several years ago, and I still sometimes dream I am back in the classroom teaching, but my time for retirement had come several years ago, and I am happy to be away from all of that. The years were wonderful and fun and challenging, but time moves on, and change comes to all. Enjoy the day!!We are awaiting the life-giving rain!--BT, Feb. 19, 2008

February 18, 2008: I saw my first Scrub Jay of the season in the yard in the front today. I haven't seen any prior to this one. And with the daffodil blooming this week, all the harbingers of spring seemed to be here until today--a very cold and cloudy day! No global warming here this week! 8-))) But I must remember it is still February here and a bit cool for us. There will be a fire in the fireplace tonight keeping the living room a toasty place for us and the television. Oh, I am on the lookout for the Scrub Jay, so that I can get a photo of him. If I am so lucky, I will post it here for you and on the 'garden visitors' page also. They are such a beautiful blue and a bit feisty! I like seeing them. We saw several hawks perched today, and an acquaintenance once told me that on cloudy and cool days like today, they do perch more often as the warm thermal winds that they like so much to use in soaring about the altitudes are absent. It sounds reasonable to me, but I have noticed that often. Daylight savings time comes early this year in March and we are looking forward to the long evenings! They are nice. I hope your day is going well. Ours certainly is. I spent some of yesterday and today scanning and editing photos of loved ones from long ago. It is really a trip back in one's life to do so, and as I gaze at some of the photos, the memories come back of such good times long ago! Our memories keep us with our loved ones who now are gone. I love the photos. Today, I remember the quotation -- "The family is the country of the heart." How better else to say what our families mean to us. They are our world. Take care and enjoy the day! BT- Feb. 18, 2008

February 13, 2008: Well, Valentines Day will be here in a day. I hope you are ready and have done a bit of shopping for that special person! I have. I think so much of life is about kindness! Who gave me that idea? Well I supposed perhaps my Mom and Dad many years ago built that into my character. I am not sure. But I believe kindness is very needed in our world, and tomorrow,Valentines Day is the exact day when one might do an act of kindness or more somewhere, sometime and someplace. Remember the quotation by James Barrie: "Shall we make a new rule from tonight: always to try to be a little kinder than is necessary." I hope you will think about that quotation. I have used it here in Minutia before and really like it. The fog has come in from the sea this morning and it is much cooler than one might think. Just yesterday it was warm and in the 80 degree range here in our area, and now cool air and fog! I like it. Carl Sandburg's poem says it in such a nice descriptive way:

But we expect warm weather again by the weekend, so the weather changes and changes....................We have been watching Jane Austen films. They are so good and give one incite into life in England at that time in history.We especially like the films as our ancestors were from England many years ago. The films are so interesting and life-like. We enjoy them. Are you reading any good books now? I especially like mysteries and am reading Deborah Crombie's, Now You May Weep. It is a very good read and I find her books always very entertaining and interesting. If you like mysteries, you might take a look at one of her books. February is sure rolling along. Time moves quickly doesn't it! Ireland is much on our mind now, and our impending trip looks wonderful. It will be a great time there in the Land of the Leprechauns! Till later, then, Happy Valentines Day. Do an act of kindness. What a great feeling you will have about doing it!! And I know many of you do kind things all the time!!!! Enjoy the day-BT, February 13, 2008
 

February 9, 2008: Today, spring passed through the garden. It was 72° in the outside and not a cloud in the air. What a beautiful and balmy day. Smoky the cat was laying on the carpet on the patio when I went to garden a bit and he even got an "under the chin" scratch that he enjoyed immensely! Fun to see the cat there relaxing on the patio. Later he stalked the garden and crept about as though he were hunting something! So much fun to watch. To see my photo of Smoky today click here.Yesterday, using the telephoto lense I was able to get a photo of an airliner heading east at great speed very high up in the cold high altitude air. It made me think of John Gillespie Magee Jr.'s poem, High Flight. It is one of my favorite all time poems, and sometimes while sitting in an airliner 35,000 feet above our earth streaking to another continent, I think of the poem and its meaning. It is wonderful! I have posted it below. Do enjoy it! Flying today is fantastic. We enjoy doing that! We have no complaints about anything concerning our flights. The planes are extraordinary! I even have written a quick free verse for you concerning my photo. It also is below. I potted Christmas cactus starts today as the winds had broken a very healthy stem of cactus off one of my mature plants. I cannot just dispose of the stems; they must always be planted and I did just that. The cactus are resting now, they will bloom their wonderful blossoms starting perhaps in the summer and early fall. I love their colors. I hope you enjoy my photo of 'Flying High' and the poetry, and do enjoy the weekend.-BT- Feb. 9, 2008

February 7, 2008: Today was the day to do the monthly fertilizing on the geraniums. It usually is quite a job, but seems to go quickly for me. The plants really respond well to the fertilizer, and it is a very good thing to do especially for the potted plants that are living in their own restricted environments(a pot). I use a liquid water base fertilizer for this. While in the back yard a pair of mockingbirds flew into the privet hedge and stayed around for awhile. I was able to go get the Digital Rebel Camera and take some photos. If you would like to view my mockingbird photos from today, click here. There were two of them on separate hedges and they were beautiful. A friend of mine in Iceland recently sent photos of the snow in his city. Wow!! Now that was really a lot of snow! I would be lost in such, as being a westerner, I have no idea what it is like to experience a blizzard! It must be wild! And cold! 8-)))) Some volunteer tomato plants are emerging in the garden, from last years seeds which lay on the ground when spoiled fruit fell to the garden area below. Sometimes I cultivate the volunteers and usually get plenty of fruit from them. I will plant my tomato garden in mid-April this year. It will be warmer by then with much sun. I hope you are having a good week. Do check out the photos of the mockingbirds. I hope you like them, BT-Feb. 7, 2008

February 2, 2008: The sky today is awash with skim white clouds, as tho an artist had done a white water color wash on blue paper. The weatherman says the rain will return again tonight and tomorrow. I love weather, and studying it and observing what is happening there in nature with it. As I write my minutia today I am listening to the sound track from the film, "Somewhere in Time". What beautiful, soft music it is--to think about the day and times past with the swan. I photographed yesterday and posted some new photos on the opening page again. I especially like the French Quarter ivy geranium. It is beautifully neon and unforgettable in my mind! I hope you like it too. Each time we go to Ireland we see the Mute Swans there on the lake, informally called Swan Lake. They are very beautiful and fascinating. I would like to share one of the photos that I took recently while there. The Mute Swans are found throughout England, Wales and Ireland. They like the fresh water areas such as lakes and canals. There are always people there at Swan Lake photographing or observing the Swans. They are beautiful! I hope you enjoy the below photo. I call it "Swan Elegance." Enjoy the weekend!-BT, Feb. 2, 2008

January 31, 2008: Well it is the last day of January. My, how time flies. Can you believe it? We had strong winds last night and some of my geraniums on the back terraces were damaged, but they are strong plants and do recover very well. They can stand some trimming too, whether is from my clippers or from the wind. My recangular window box(which I don't use as a window box) was blown over and many stems broke off the plants which I had started from clippings. I worked that over today, planting some of the branches that had broken off and securely tied the box to the terrace so it will not happen again. I don't like to see my geraniums broken, but it happens! I also planted 2 pots of new clippings too, and they will do well and produce nice new plants. Working with geraniums is a fun hobby and you are rewarded for your kind care of them!! Valentines Day is coming and I hope you are thinking of a loved one to honor and especially wish a happy Valentines! It is not just a day for children, but we grown-ups should do something for those we love too. We are sending Valentines to our two Grandsons in Ireland, we do that every year. It is special for us and we love doing it. I found a wonderful thought, a quotation by George Moore, the other day and sent it to my love. I would like to share it with you. Go ahead and use it if you want to send it to one of your loved ones. ("Shall we make a new rule of life from tonight: always to try to be a little kinder than is necessary?"-James Barrie.) I hope you like it. It is special. It is below this message. My best to all the readers out there. Valentines Day is coming! Are you getting ready? I am. Take care. --BT, Jan. 31, 2008

"The hours I spend with you I look upon as sort of a perfumed garden, a dim twilight, and a fountain singing to it. You and you alone make me feel I am alive. Other men it is said have seen angels, but I have seen thee and thou art enough."-George Moore

January 26, 2008: The week has been very rainy, and we are expecting a drenching storm in tonight with strong winds and lots of rainfall. The ground is already soaked with over 5 inches of rain and more will come. The drought suggestion is gone. It is history. We now have around 120% of our regular annual rainfall and it is only January. This morning I went out to the geraniums and took down all the hanging baskets due to the predicted strong winds expected tonight and tomorrow. I am ready for some dry days with sunshine and balmy temperatures. But must wait for nature to agree!!! Also there were roses to be cut back this a.m. and that is done. This was a morning to prepare for the storm, I think. I brought firewood in from under the tarp for a warming fire this afternoon and tonight.I remember many years ago, while visiting one of my Grandfather's ranches, dressing around the old black pot belly cast iron stove in the living room of the small wooden ranch house a long way out in the desert. When I prepare a fire in our fireplace today, I often think of our visits there, the horse back riding, and of being on the ranch with all of the family. It was a wonderful experience for a small boy. I will never forget the visits to the ranch. It is gone today, just a thought of the past now, and most of the people that were there at the ranch are now gone. I always like the way our history is embedded in our minds of those unforgettable experiences when we were young. One can indeed live the past by thinking of those wonderful times we had. I hope you will have a nice weekend. I will post a new flower or two today on the site's opening page. I hope you look for them and enjoy them. The geraniums are doing very well with the cooler weather and moisture laden air. They are budding out and looking very green and healthy! They are indeed a beautiful flower with their incomparable colors. Take care. Enjoy the day!--BT Jan. 26, 2008

"Science, or para-science, tells us that geraniums bloom better if they are spoken to. But a kind word every now and then is really quite enough. Too much attention, like too much feeding, and weeding and hoeing, inhibits and embarrasses them."----Victoria Glendinning

January 22, 2008: The rain has come again and it is most welcome! It started a bit last night and continues thru the day today. The weatherman predicts rain off and on all this week. The hills are turning a beautiful green as the grass and weed seeds germinate. They had been a brown-gray for months it seemed. It is nice to see the green of the hills. There is also a wind from the SW and time to get a fire going in the fireplace. I covered the firewood pile yesterday, thus insuring some dry firewood to get us thru the week. We love the warming fires in the fireplace. Yesterday a very exciting thing happened to us as we drove along a road that we have traveled for some 38 years from our house to town. 2 Coyotes crossed the road in front of us and we pulled the car over and watched them as they, one by one, crossed over the road, their color being a straw-brown, bushy tail and pointy snout. They looked back at us as they moved along into the tree orchard. We love to see them. I am sure coyotes have lived here for centuries even before man settled the area. Pretty exciting! We have seen them in this same area before, and it is true testament that we are country-dwellers! No gardening today as with the rain, too wet. This is a good day to read poetry or that book you are reading. I hope your week goes well. We have colds but they seem to be getting better, rather slowly tho. Take care and enjoy your week. --BT Jan. 22, 2008

January 16, 2008: The summer like weather here in January continues. At this moment it is very balmy and warmish, but the early a.m.'s are cool. I photographed yesterday using the Canon Macro lens, and the photos came out very well. I have posted some on the January 2008 flowers page. We have winter colds in the house and both of us are sneezing and so on with the pesky cold symptoms. Thank goodness, they say it only takes 7 days to get over a cold!! We are trying to decide what to do with our potted poinsettia which is still in the house. The choices are to plant it in the garden outside or repot it after cutting back and putting it out on the patio. We shall see. It has been a very beautiful addition to our Christmas and New Years celebration. It was a gift from our daughter on Christmas. We are thinking now of Ireland often. Our trip is all planned and it should be warmer when we are there in the spring than now. There is much rain and cold weather there according to family emails which we have received. I especially like the photo of the Peppermint Candy ivy geranium which I posted on the opening page of the digital flowers site. The colors and contrast are magnificent to the eye. I hope you like the photo too. I really enjoy the Peppermint Candy. I have a scented geranium which my daughter gave me sometime ago. It is doing very well and putting on new growth. If you would like to view the flower, Pretty Polly, click here. I love the color of the flowers! I hope your day goes well. So far, minus the cold symptoms we are doing great! Enjoy the day!--BT, Jan. 16, 2008

January 13, 2008: The warm NE winds have come back in again, spraying the summery warm air over the countryside. I love it! It is like summer here. It is growing weather for sure! I have posted some new flowers today on the opening page. I hope you enjoy them. The colors of geraniums are magnificent, and as I have said before, I remember in Spain, seeing all the potted geraniums blooming their hearts out on balconies and sides of buildings and in front of cafes during our Spain days. It is indeed beautiful! It is a quiet day, and we enjoy that, nose in a good book or the newspaper. That is the good life! 8-))

I have had to take some of the hanging geraniums down when the wind comes up in the evening as they need to be down on a solid surface when Mr. Wind pays us a visit. That is easy to do, tho. I hope your weekend has gone well. And if you work, that this coming week is a good one. Do something that you want to do besides work this week, too. Remember Carl Sandburgh, the wonderful American poet said, "Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you."

We are so fortunate to be alive and have one another! I love my gardening and my family and reading and computers and photography and going to Ireland and ......................... The list seems endless, doesn't it??!! I am, among men, most blessed! I hope you feel that way too!! Enjoy! BT-Jan. 13, 2008.

January 11, 2008: What a beautiful sunny day today! It was fantastic. The weatherman says we are going to have several days of very nice warmish weather. That we welcome. It will be wonderful! Yesterday I potted the geranium clippings that I needed to get planted. They were healthy clippings and will do very well. I did 3 pots with several plants in each. The geraniums on the back terraces are doing so well and putting out new growth and buds. It is about time to give them their monthly liquid fertilizer. They will like that, as they will like the warm days that are coming. 2008 is moving along well. Christmas and New Years are behind us now and time to move forward. We are doing that. We will be in Ireland in a few months. They are having much rain and storms there, and we will wait for the spring to go. I photographed today in the front yard, and that means some new photos soon on the opening page of the web site. In particular Double Red ivy geranium looked so beautiful in the afternoon sun. I will post that photo as the lead photo on the page. I really like the deep red of the blossom. The hummingbird feeder needed cleaning and filling this a.m. so I did that. Soon after two hummers visited for an early lunch. They really are territorial when it comes to the feeder. They will visit often during the day, and when I am out tending the hanging baskets in the front yard, they come buzzing in to see what is happening and who this human is that is "invading" their territory. We love having them come to our feeder! How beautiful they are! I hope your week is going well. Have a great weekend! Enjoy the day. ---BT Jan. 11, 2008

January 7, 2008: What a nice rain it was! We must have gotten several inches worth, and we really needed it! Now after a couple of wet days we are ready for the sun and it is here today! Thank goodness. Now in early January, who knows what will come in later days as far as rain, but this has gotten us "out of the woods" on the drought that I was sure was coming this year. I think Mr. College Prof. was correct in his prediction of rainfall this year. Remember he said the rains would come. My wife is in the kitchen this a.m. baking a birthday cake. Someone is having a birthday very soon. Do you know who it is?? I do but not telling. And as my Mother said in later years, "This is my last birthday, I am not counting after this." Time moves so quickly in life, doesn't it. Sometimes I just cannot believe it. But it does! The geraniums all came through the wet weather just fine. They look healthy and are blooming quite a bit this morning. I refreshed the Belleek vases from Ireland this morning with fresh pelargoniums, and they look nice and crisp in the vases. The Belleek pattern is my favorite of the Irish ceramics, but some of the companies are outsourcing to eastern Europe it seems. We have so enjoyed the fireplace during this particular storm. I like to start the fire around 5 or 6 p. m. to warm up the living room, and we keep it going until bedtime. It is warm! and pleasant! Are you back to work today or are you retired? If retired, I am sure you put in your years on the job. If not retired, have a good return to the work place. The sun is drying on the earth here and it is really beautiful. I have many geranium clippings which were blown off the plants by the wind. It soon will be the day to pot them. I will wait a bit for warmer weather to do that. The clippings do just fine for many days in a bucket of water. I hope your day is going well. Enjoy!-BT, Jan. 7, 2008

January 3, 2007(oops 2008!!!): Well we made it!! Into 2008. It is here! Are you remembering to write 2008 in the date line of checks and other dated documents? It always takes me awhile to get with the program! But I will! The rain is coming in tonight and there will be lots of it. We still need it. The earth needs a wash. Those in brush fire zones are not looking forward to it tho, as the mud slides are a real danger for them. I was talking with a neighbor the other day. He is a college professor and knows a lot about weather. I was emoting a bit about the dry winter and the "drought" that is sure to follow. He remarked not to worry, that the southern hemisphere last year got heavy rain, and that we are about one year behind them in the weather cycle and he declared we would get the rain this year. I believe he is right!!! Thanks for that neighbor Professor! I needed that reassurance. I love the rain, and remember as a boy my Mother letting me go outside between rain showers and float leaves and pieces of wood down the gutter. Of course for me, they were boats. It was loads of fun, and I sure enjoyed it. Yes, I love the rain and always have. We have such few storms with rain that I have grown to appreciate the tempest when it comes. My wife and I went to the market and stocked up on food as the weatherman has said this could develop into 4 or 5 days of on and off rain. So the larder is stocked. The firewood is in, the fire in the fireplace is blazing at the moment and all is well with our world. Once I lived and worked in a country where during the 6 months of the rainy season, it rained an hour or two every afternoon. It washed the streets and plants and houses and buildings clean!! I liked that. Enjoy this week! After all, we should by now be back to a "normal" schedule now. At least I hope we are. It was a wonderful Christmas and a nice New Years, but now back to living! My quotations today are about rain. One is about "dancing in the rain". Well, I have never been known as a very good dancer, but the rain is so refreshing. You know, Katherine Mansfield, the New Zealand writer said, "I love the RAIN. I want the feeling of it on my face." Not everyone does, but I do. It makes one feel alive! Be sure and read the rain quotations below today, and think of me luxuriating in the rain. Oh I would give anything for hot scones and tea with sugar and cream!!! 8-)))))))))) Enjoy the day!-BT, Dec. 3, 2008

"The best kind of rain, of course, is a cozy rain. This is the kind the anonymous medieval poet makes me remember, the rain that falls on a day when you'd just as soon stay in bed a little longer, write letters or read a good book by the fire, take early tea with hot scones and jam and look out the streaked window with complacency." ~Susan Allen Toth, England For All Seasons

December 29, 2007:Well, Christmas has passed for another year. I must say we had a wonderful Christmas. Now on to 2008! I had a fun experience for me the other day. I went to a candy shop to renew our supply of chocolate, and a lady waited on me and completed my order. While at the cash register she looked at my name on my card. "Did you used to teach school?" she asked. The answer, of course my regular readers know was "Yes!". She said, "You were my third grade teacher." Wow, what a shock to see this grown up lady saying that! She told me her name and yes, I did sort of remember her. What a surprise! And I taught that third grade sometime in the 1970's!! Her name was Rachel and yes, I remember her and her family. She was a fine student and it was a pleasure to see her again after all these years. This happens to me occasionally. On one occasion, I was doing something out in the front yard, and a plasterer was working on the house across the street. Someone shouted my name and lo and behold the plasterer in his white work clothes ran across the street and gave me a giant hug. "It's Ethan!" he said, and yes he was one of my former students. It sure humbles one when this happens. I remember them as elementary school students, and they all look bigger now!! 8-))))))) A quotation comes to mind. (And you knew it would!!!). "To teach is to touch a life forever!" I don't remember who said it. But is indeed one of my favorites. But one does not have to be a professional school teacher for the quote to apply. Perhaps you have taught your children over the years manners and behaviors about this life. We are all teachers in our own way. Another quote from my memory bank: "We are all students and teachers to one another." You may have taught a friend, child, family member or the like, something at one time or the other. This certainly applies to you. I loved my years of teaching and working with people. It was a wonderfully satisfying career. And when I see one of my former students that is "frosting on the cake" of life. They are great! Take care and 2007 is almost history. What will 2008 bring? I wish you all the best and the Happiest of New Years!--BT Dec. 29, 2007

December 22, 2007: Do you make New Years Resolutions?? I have never been into that too much. Oh, once in awhile I might have done so, but not too much. It seems to me that it is time to look back at the past and forward to the future and think about the way life goes for each of us. Anyway that is something my wife said to me today. So I have been thinking about past experiences and dreams that I have had recently. Many are about teaching; as my readers know I was an elementary school teacher for many years. I also have memories of when we used to visit my Grandpa's cattle ranch. He was a real cattleman, having been with his father bringing cattle from the midwest to the southwest in cattle drives across the country. What an adventure that must have been for the young man who became one of my Grandfathers!! I was telling my wife today about a Christmas visit we made to the ranch and the dinner we had there. Platters of very large beef steaks were centered in the middle of the table and we all sat around the big wooden table in the ranchhouse. I can see the picture of it all today still in my mind. Now the ranchhouse and the ranch are gone--a bit of history, as is Grandad. Wonderful are those thoughts from the past. I shall never forget them. Resolutions: well perhaps to be a better, kinder husband and father and grandfather! Those thoughts are there. And of course the ones of you who are regular readers know I would say: "Let's make that new rule of life for 2008 and the future--always to be kinder than is necessary." That is important to me. Because of all the turmoil and trouble in our world, that is one way we can attempt to improve life here on the earth. I hope you are thinking about some theme for 2008 for you and your loved ones. You can call them resolutions if you want. I suppose they are that. Have fun this holiday. Do you have someone you need to phone? Someone you are thinking about? I do. I have an Aunt who is 91 years old, and she has aways been a special person in my mind. I will call her over the holiday and talk to her and see how she is doing. There is another quote I like very much about calling that special person. It is by Stephen Levine: "If you were going to die soon and had only one phone call you could make, who would you call and what would you say? And why are you waiting?" I like that quotation a lot. I imagine we all have someone who fits that situation. You can see I am getting a little misty eyed about 2008 coming soon. Yes, is true. Let's do the best we can to make the holiday and 2008 a fantastic time in our lives. Enjoy-BT, Dec. 22, 2007
   

December 19, 2007: The cleansing life-giving rain came in the evening. It was wonderful! The plants all received a deep watering and their leaves shine this a.m. after being bathed by the raindrops. It came to us from the sea, from a NW direction, sometimes gentle and sometimes heavier on the roof. We are indeed blessed with this rain! It is as though the geraniums received a vitamin dose, as the plants all look so healthy and refreshed after the rain. I am finished with my Christmas shopping! At last! I think I have all my loved ones accounted for in the area of gift buying. And I think they will be pleased with what they receive. Each year, if asked, I really don't have much I need as far as a gift is concerned. At my age, it is much more fun giving gifts than otherwise. I wonder what you want for Christmas? I hope you get it. We are doing something special for Christmas Day dinner. My good wife will again make her homemade Chicken enchiladas, and they are absolutely delicious. We love them!----I have always loved poetry, and want to share with you a rain poem that I really like. I was an English major in college, and remember all the assignments we had in reading and analyzing poems. The poem is by Langston Hughes. I shared with you, previously, one of his poems called April Rain. Well this is another of his about rain. I really like it. I hope you are finished with your Christmas shopping. If not, keep on............................that wonderful day is near. Have you done something for someone this week that they didn't ask you to do? I hope so. What a way to celebrate Christmas!! Enjoy the day and be sure to read the below poem. Later today I will post on the Digital Flowers web site some 'Rain Flowers', photos I took this a.m. of the flowers with raindrops weighing them down. I like to photo them when the rain has come in and bathed them!!When ready I will place another button/link on the opening page so you can locate them. Merry Christmas very, very soon!!-BT-December 19, 2007

December 15, 2007: I saw him immediately as soon as I got out of the car in the super-market parking lot and started walking toward the store. The elderly man, who had a square white bandage in the middle of his forehead, was struggling to walk with his cane toward a shopping cart near the store entrance. His way was labored and slow. He had a defined limp, and it was obvious he had much trouble walking. He appeared a bit confused as he was looking at a shopping cart with one of those "plastic car" extensions which parents use when they bring their young kids shopping with them. You've seen them in the store with one or two children in them. It was not the ideal cart for him. I went to the line of "regular" carts and brought him one. He thanked me and said something like, "It is so hard to..............." and didn't finish as he took the cart and turned around and started to enter the store. Suddenly he turned around and said in a loud voice, "Happy Holidays to you!" Wow, that really tugged at my heart and mind. What a nice man! I tell you this because it has stayed in my mind since that day. I find now I am looking for opportunities to help. Do you? I hope you do! Many of you have been helping others for a long time, I know, but often we are too busy and rushed to see the needs out there. Maybe it is opening the door somewhere for someone who cannot do so. Or helping reach something in a store that is too high for someone. There must be many, many opportunities to help. And think what a better world it will be! And you did it!! Here are some quotations that I hope you will read. They all have to do with helping. It can be helping at home or really anywhere. As someone told me, someday you will need help, and probably I already do!! in certain tasks and situations. Think about it. How can you help someone tomorrow? Read the quotations below. I hope you like them. I hope they stir your mind and thoughts! Who can you help?-BT, Dec. 15, 2007

December 13, 2007: We bought the Christmas tree today! It is beautiful. We really like it and it lightens our living room area with its spirit and brightness! We went out to the farm, and they had a huge selection to choose from. It took us awhile. The evenings are cold now, and the fireplace really feels good. The weatherman says maybe some rain for next week. Hope so, we really need it. We have been flying! We took a jet ride to visit our relatives briefly and had a very good visit. It always fascinates me to fly, to see the earth from way above. It is inspiring and fascinating. Now we are back. And the countdown to Christmas continues. There isn't too much time left until that magic Christmas Day. I am excited, and I hope you are too!! Christmas only comes once a year, and it is a fabulous time for renewal with the New Year just a short few weeks away. Have you made any resolutions? I have a quotation for you to perhaps "kindle your thought fires" regarding resolutions. "Shall we make a new rule of life from tonight: always try to be a little kinder than is necessary." The quotation is by James Barrie. Does it touch you a bit? It sure does me! What a goal for everyone. Try to be a little kinder! We can do it! And perhaps make our life and location a bit better place for all to be. I hope you do! I sure will be trying! The geraniums are budding and starting to flower, maybe perhaps for Christmas. I think they are! Take care, BT, Dec. 13, 2007

December 6, 2007: The weather man has been predicting quite a rain in the night hours of tonight. We are hoping it is true! As my regular readers know, our area is extremely dry and arid. We desperately need some inches of rain. I hope it comes. It will so help the plants. They need a good drenching for sure! Have you seen my new Christmas cactus plant, the Thor Nille, which I posted on the front page of the web page just a short time ago? In my opinion it is absolutely beautiful! The color is incomparable. Some of you may be saying, "Here he goes again!!" Praising those Christmas cactus. 8-))))) Well it is certainly true. I love the Christmas cactus and my readers already know why. It is because my Mother used to have a few plants in her back yard around this time of year. I guess they are emblazoned on my heart and mind! I think that is it. I shall always have some Christmas cactus. It has been a wonderful and quiet day here in our paradise, awaiting the rain. One of my favorite poems is April Rain Song by Langston Hughes. When I used to teach in elementary school, on a rainy day the students knew what poem I would read to them. It was April Rain Song. What a wonderful poem of the senses it is. I remember as a young child laying in my warm snug bed on a rainy night with the window ajar so I could hear the rain, listening to the "little sleep song" the raindrops played on the roof. I hope you enjoy the poem. Let the rain sing you a lullaby, if you are so lucky to have a rain tonight!! I will be listening to the "little sleep song" tonight. Enjoy the day!-BT, Dec. 6, 2007

December 4, 2007: This morning as I was out tending the geraniums on the back terraces, I heard in the distance a hawk calling. Once you have heard the call of the hawk, you will always recognize it. It is very distinctive. We have many types of hawks in our area, and often they are observed circling above our house on the warm thermal air. Today is one of those days, where the air is balmy and nice. I didn't see the hawk, but heard him. He must have been off in the distance. Today is beautiful, much sun and very clear sky. The weatherman is predicting rain for the weekend, so we shall see. We sure need it. Very dry still! Smoky cat came for a visit yesterday and we went out to the back patio and gave him some attention. He looked thru the screen door as tho he was looking for us. What a beautiful cat! Shiny, gray fur! We love seeing him. Slowly Christmas is coming! We mailed a box today to our Irish family! My wife spent yesterday wrapping all the gifts and it was a tiring job as there were lots of packages, and the line at the postal facility was 8 or 9 deep, but we waited and after 25 minutes were finished with the packages on the way across the sea. I heard from my friend in Iceland that it is -5° Centigrade in his back yard. That is about 23° F. on our scale. A bit cold if you ask me! I am used to balmy and sunny weather!! No snow in my experience. I slowly am adding bits and pieces of Christmas icons to the opening page of the Digital Flowers page. I hope you are noticing them and enjoy them. The theme is Christmas all this month! That is appropriate. Three weeks from today is December 25! Enjoy your preparations for Christmas. A quotation for you:"Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful." --Norman Vincent Peale. I believe this and always will. It is such a nice, calming thought. Enjoy your day! BT-Dec. 4, 2007

November 29, 2007: November soon will end. Do you see what I mean when I say, "Time moves quickly!"?? As my Mother said to me many times. I think we must appreciate every day and enjoy the days. December comes with all that goes with it--the Christmas season and the like. Today is balmy and very nice here on the Gold Coast. Feels like spring/summer! Love it! I worked on the geraniums these past two days giving them their monthly liquid fertilizer. They respond so well to the fertilizer. I especially admire and love the Salmon Queen that I posted today on the opening page. Have you looked at it? I hope so!! I photographed it today, just for you, out in the back patio on one of the terraces. Salmon Queen is magnificent. I have always thought its neon pink hue is outstanding. And I continue to believe it!! We have been shopping a bit for Christmas gifts, and it is rather fun. I remember many, many years ago when I was a kid, I hoped for an electric train for Christmas. I had gone to bed Christmas Eve, and just before going to sleep, I heard my Dad and my Aunt making a good noise playing with a train and making the whistle noise with their mouths. How exciting it was! Yes, I did get an electric train; a used one, but it was wonderful and fully appreciated by me. At my Dad's funeral a few years ago, a man stepped up to me and told me his name and shook my hand. Ray was the boy (many years ago) who previously owned that train! I knew him and his brother Jim very well as we grew up in the same small town. What a memory!!! As I have said before, memories are gold and will always be with us. Cherish them for as time passes, we retain our memories of years past. Have you heard the quotation?: "The bad news is, time flies. The good news is, you`re the pilot."-- Michael Altshuler------ I like the quotation. Each of us is the pilot of how we use our time and our lives. Think about it. How are you doing with your "piloting"? I hope ---fantastically!!! Fly, Fly, Fly with those memories!! Take care, Enjoy the day. BT- Nov. 29, 2007.

November 25, 2007: Well, as I look at the calendar today, it is one month until Christmas Day. Did you realize that? Well it is a fact. It seems the days and months and years really move quickly. Perhaps that is because of my age. My Mother always said the older you get the faster the days and months and years pass by. It seems to be true for me! But that is neither here nor there, as one can make what you want to make out of any day. There is a quotation from Seneca, who was a Roman Statesman, philosopher, dramatist. He lived from 4BC to AD 65. I like it very much. He said something like, "One should count each day a separate life." I like the quotation, as it says to me that each new day is very, very new----as each new day presents many opportunities that await me to live my life with interest and meaning. For me that is good. Can you feel the Christmas spirit? It is here. I noticed on television the first Christmas commercials started showing the day after Thanksgiving. Amazing! But that does not represent the Spirit of Christmas to me. Nor do the displays that have suddenly shown up in the stores. It is a feeling inside that one has, about giving, kindness and the like. I do feel it! Do you remember Scrooge from "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens? What a masterpiece. Remember this line from the story? "Once upon a time - of all the good days in the year, on Christmas Eve - old Scrooge sat busy in his counting-house." How materialistic! Of all evenings he was sitting in his counting house!! Well that film is shown on television every year and it has to bring a tear to ones eye. As the film progresses, he is changed and for the better, thinking of his family rather than his riches! I hope you are thinking of Christmas. It is one month from today. Are you ready? Do think about what it means to you! Consider the question a bit. Edna Ferber, the author, said it very well--"Christmas isn't a season. It's a feeling." The Christmas feeling is coming in. It is here in so many ways. Enjoy this wonderful time of year, and figure out just what you are going to do to share the joy of Christmas with all with whom you come into contact. Hurry. You only have a month from today!! Enjoy the day!--BT, Nov. 25, 2007(one month until Christmas Day.)


           
           

November 20, 2007: I have always thought that what really matters are those wonderful small things that come into our life. They are not always material things you can put your fingers on. Maybe such things as love in a familly, a parents love for a child or grandchild, honesty and promises kept. There are many more of course! You would have to name those that you find meaningful in your life. I love the quotation by Laura Ingalls Wilder:"It is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all." And as I truly think about it, it is true for me. The materialistic things are meaningless, they can break, wear out and so on. As the holidays approach, I hope you will think about the quotation by Laura Ingalls Wilder, and see if and how it is woven into your lives. I think it is an idea that is important to consider. The fog is here again tonight. How eerie and cool it is! Is your turkey thawing, or do you plan on a fresh turkey? I drove today out to the ranch nearby and noted that only a very small handfull of turkeys remain in their pen. People have been coming to buy them this week. The time is nigh, Thanksgiving is near. Think of what things and people you are thankful for, and if you wish--tell them so! I plan on doing that. Rest well! The time of Thanksgiving is coming. There is an old prayer that I have heard, and it sure fits for me: "Lord, I do give thee thanks for the abundance that is mine." That is something I am thinking about today and this week. Enjoy the day!!-BT Nov. 20, 2007

November 18, 2007: Can you feel it in the air?! The Thanksgiving feeling that we all seem to have this time of year. I always like Thanksgiving, it is the beginning of the holiday season and all that goes with it!!A superb time of year..................Memories flood the mind, at least my mind----of holidays past and the family and of those no longer here with us. They are forever in our minds, though. I have a great story to tell, at least I think it is a great story 8-)))))))))))))))))) A couple of years ago around this time of year, I walked out in the early a.m. to get the morning newspapers. Looking down the sidewalk, lo and behold 2 turkeys came walking straight toward me. After the shock, I ran in and got the trusty camera and got a couple of photos of them. They were beautiful. I knew of a ranch nearby that had turkeys and phoned them. The turkeys did not belong to them. They were wild turkeys from the hills. What a shock!! 8-))))))) If you would like to see a photo of one of the turkeys from that day, click here. I really enjoyed seeing them, and have told this story to several people in the past. We took our turkey down from the freezer to begin its long thaw. It will take several days. We think at this time of year of all the things we are thankful for and they are many. I hope you are doing that too. Thanksgiving is one of the oldest of the holidays in our country, and it is special. We have a fire in the fireplace today, and it is warm and cozy in our living room. Just what one needs with Thanksgiving just 4 days away!! Enjoy the day!-BT November 18, 2007

November 14, 2007: The Chimney Sweep was here today to clean our fireplace. We love wood fires on a cozy cool evening. We have had the same man clean our fireplace for years, and we consider him a friend. He does a fine job, and we always have a chat when he is here. It is a warm beautiful summer-like day today. For November, that is unusual for our area. It will turn cold tho, for sure, and then we will put the fireplace to good use! I potted some geranium starts that the wind had blown off the parent plants today. They are very healthy clippings, and I cannot bear to just toss them in the green container. No, they are to be reborn in a pot of very nice planting mix to become their own plant! I like to do that--plant the clippings to make a new plant. We still have had no rain--the country and the hills are very brown, and it should be raining. I hope it does. We need it desperately! But nature rules. It will rain when the conditions are right for it, and not before. Artificial Christmas trees and decorations are in the stores now. The time is moving very fast. This is one of my favorite times of the year. There is a turkey in our freezer, and soon my wife will do her magic with the turkey dinner for Thanksgiving. Her cooking is incomparable, in my view. Christmas shopping continues, and I think of the times we visited Grandpa's cattle ranch over Christmas vacation when I was a small boy. It was way out in the country and there was horseback riding, watching the branding and roundup and dinners with platters of steaks on the table. The memories will always be there. The Holiday memories are always there this time of year, aren't they!! Do you have some Holiday memories? I hope so and I hope they are wonderful and pleasant memories. Enjoy the day!-BT, Nov. 14, 2007

November 10, 2007: As I have been working on photo editing and the web page, I have been listening to the soundtrack from the film, Somewhere in Time. Outstanding and very relaxing! I have been posting Christmas cactus photos, as I have many new photos to show. The plants are so full of blossoms and the wonderful neon colors are spectacular!! I love them!! As I have told you elsewhere in this page, my Mother used to have a few around Christmas time and they were blooming. It always added to the beauty of Christmas. We are still jet-lagged. We were up 27 hours in getting home from Ireland. That includes the waiting time at airports and a missed flight. But we made it. Thank goodness! Home looks awfully good when one has been away. I hope you enjoy the Christmas Cactus photographs. I don't want to overdo posting them. I hope none of you are bored out there that might read this page seeing all the photographs of the Christmas Cactus. I shall always like them! And grow them! Some of my plants are a bit old, but producing huge numbers of blooms yearly. And I do start new cactus plants from clippings. I have pretty good luck with them. The country in Ireland is beautiful. My daughter lives down a lovely country lane dotted with houses and pastures. It is absolutely beautiful!! We love to go there. I noted turkeys are in the markets here now. Are you looking for a nice turkey next week in the market? We are! And memories of past Thanksgivings come into my mind. Of times with those family members who are now gone. The memories are wonderful bits of the past. Get ready for Thanksgiving! I know, I am too saying, "Prepare for Christmas." I am a holiday person! I ordered my first 2 gifts for family members yesterday and will continue to order. I have lots of gifts to get for my loved ones. Enjoy the day, and take care. --BT, Nov. 10, 2007

November 9, 2007: The silver wings of the Boeing 777 safely carried us home from the Land of the Leprachauns! We are home and what a good time we had with the Grandsons. They are growing and really moving! We are glad to be home. Have you noted the new Christmas cactus photos I posted today on the web site's opening page?? I just photographed them this afternoon. I hope you paused and looked at it. Christmas is coming!! One of my daughters reminded me that there are some 40+ days until Christmas Day. Can you believe it!!?? Well time moves on, and as my Mother always told me, "The older one gets, it seems the days pass more quickly." Well, I have put my family members on notice: I have started Christmas shopping!! 8-)))) What fun!! I enjoy it immensely!! What a wonderful time the Holiday Season is! Ireland was very green and mild with the weather--unusually so! The Irish friends always tease us that we bring the good weather with us. Maybe we do. Beautiful pastures dotted with dairy cattle and herds of sheep were wonderful to see, and the Swans were in at Swan Lake there, in an area we know so well. They are such beautiful snow white birds! Ireland is growing and many new houses are being built. It is a country that is moving forward. But it is true, "There is no place like home." We shall always return to Ireland, tho. It is wonderful. Are you thinking about Christmas? I am. It is here soon. Remember those beside you each day. Here is a quotation for you:"Christmas is doing a little something extra for someone." --Charles Schulz. And I know you do! Take care and enjoy the day. --BT, Nov. 9, 2007

October 29, 2007: My best to you all as we head into the Thanksgiving month of November. It is a time filled with past memories of many get-togethers with family over the years. Now with many of our family members gone, our group is small it seems. But the same happy cheer and appreciation is there! And the turkey and the dressing and the mashed potatoes--how delicious!! I will be gone for a week or two, and those who read my page regularly know where we are going. We are going to see our Grandsons and there is a long airplane flight(in fact 3 different airplanes) to get there! But we love it! The time there spent with our daughter and son-in-law's family will be precious and forever remembered. I know, some of you may be saying: "Why is he writing about Thanksgiving as it is so far away." Well, you also know I happen to believe that time flows quickly and that we must enjoy each day. The Thanksgiving holiday will be here soon enough. I have a great quotation for you: "One should count each day a separate life."-- Seneca. In other words don't dwell on the past, enjoy today!! I like the quotation. It makes one think rather deeply, I believe. Ok, take care until I return. Enjoy the day!-BT Oct. 29, 2007

October 22, 2007: We saw the coyote along side the road as we drove to town yesterday. He was big, gray-brown and very near the road. It was obvious to us he wanted to cross the road. He waited and we drove by very slowly. I noted that he waited for another car behind us and then crossed over the 2 lane country road. We live in coyote country and have seen uncounted numbers of the canine-like animals over the years. We certainly have heard them yipping in the night in our area. Lately, with the drought we have not seen as many, and it had been quite a long time since we had viewed one until yesterday. I know coyotes have been here natively for many years and certainly probably were here before man settled the area. Being in the foothills, it is very easy for them to come down to hunt for food and water. We enjoyed seeing him. No photo though! Wish I had the camera, he was very patient in waiting for the cars to pass. We treasure the viewing experience of the coyote yesterday. This is his country too, these foothills and mountains that are near to us. I like to remember Elizabeth Goudge's quotation in a situation like this: "Nothing living should ever be treated with contempt. Whatever it is that lives, a man, a tree, or a bird, should be touched gently, because time is short. Civilization is another word for respect for life." We respect our wild animal friends! Enjoy! BT-Oct. 22, 2007

October 21, 2007: Our weather has changed to windy and rather warm weather. It is very nice as long as the wind does not blow too strongly; if it does, then problems start all over the area with brush fires and power outages! That is not good. I have been out in the tomato garden getting it prepared for mulching through the winter. I cleared the old tomato plants that were finished with their fruit production and then spread grass clippings and planting ammendments in layers on the top. I will let that "simmer"for the winter, to prepare the soil for an April, 2008 planting of next year's crop. My Dad always gardened, and I remember as a boy planting radishes and carrots in the garden in the backyard at home. Dad raised the most beautiful squash, green beans, tomatoes and the like. The memories flow, as I prepare my own garden some 50+ years hence. In studying genealogy of my family, I have found that my ancestors came to the new world in the 1600's and settled in New England. Then their descendants, who were mostly farmers, moved to the mid-west in wagons and built houses in the forests. They farmed the area for many years. Perhaps some of this "farming instinct" has come to me in some unexplanable way. Anyway, that is just something I wonder about sometimes. Our drought continues in a very big way. I expect water rationing down the line soon. We just cannot get by on the water useage, without the rain that we so desperately need. I have another quote for you today. I like Albert Einstein's quotations and here is one I like very much: "You must give some time to your fellow men. Even if it's a little thing, do something for others - something for which you get no pay but the privilege of doing it."----Albert Schweitzer. And of course it can be someone in your family, a neighbor, a person you work with or someone at your church or organization. So often we are busy, busy, busy! Well think it over. Is there someone you can do something nice for?! We all have such a person in our lives and he/she may well be in our own home. Take care, Enjoy the day! BT-Oct. 21, 2007.

October13, 2007: The beautiful rain came last night and freshened up the earth. The geraniums are refreshed and alive!! I love the rain; its lovely sound on the roof and patio are wonderful. We really needed this bit of rain, small as it was. I photographed early this a.m. on the terraces in the patio and if you would like to view the "rain" photos, click here. I just finished the rain page a few minutes ago. Smoky was here this a.m. too looking for us. He peered in the patio door and we went out to greet her and give her a pat or two. The sky is filled with beautiful clouds over the nearby mountains, and we were outside a few minutes ago and my wife called my attention to a nearby soaring hawk, and I hurried inside to get the camera. I will post some photos, maybe tomorrow, of the hawk and also a circle of vultures that had come into the area. We are the luckiest of people, being able to view wild birds so frequently here in our area. They are beautiful and numerous. Halloween is coming soon, and Fall is in the air. The coolness of the evenings is superb, and it soon will be time to have the chimney cleaned and firewood delivered. That sounds very cozy to me. I am thinking today of Thanksgiving, and of all the wonderful turkey dinners of the past with those of our families who have passed on. We have our memories forever, and today, I am sorting them a bit and thinking of those days. How enjoyable they were. Time moves quickly, as I have said before, so I will leave you with a quotation to consider, that is one of my favorites(I have many favorites!)8-)))))))) From Mother Teresa:"Let us make one point, that we meet each other with a smile, when it is difficult to smile. Smile at each other, make time for each other in your family."-----Mother Teresa, in her Nobel lecture.----------Enjoy the weekend and give someone a great big smile!!-BT-Oct. 13, 2007

October 9, 2007: Today, you can really feel that Fall is here. There is a lovely cool breeze blowing and it is nice. Today, a thrill for me! As I went to the mailbox, a Red Shoulder Hawk came skimming in from the SE and flew right over the house, barely one foot off the roof line. What a beauty!!!! Did I have my camera with me? No. I suppose the spotting of the hawk was to be one that I will have in my mind for a long time. It was absolutely beautiful. Nature so often surpasses man in the beautiful sights it provides, and this was one of them. I wish I had a photograph for you, but I don't. I have been watching for the White Crown Sparrows to come in. I imagine they are here now, but have not come into the yard yet. I retired the bird feeder long ago due to our cat friends who frequent the yard. They love to stalk the birds. We still have hummingbirds coming to the front feeder though, and the Anna's are very prevalent. I hope you have enjoyed the photograph which I posted on the opening page of the web site from October 2 of the Anna's Hummingbird. I have only seen Smoky in the back garden this week. The Siamese is busy elsewhere exploring and looking and stalking. Please note this page has become page 1 of the "Minutia" page and what was previously page 1 is saved and if you want to go back to read it, there is a link at the bottom of this page. The nearby firewood lot is piled high with split and seasoned wood for the winter fires, but it is so warm and pleasant now, that one cannot think of a fire in the fireplace yet. The weatherman has said today that all of the U. S. can expect a warmer than normal winter this year, and reports of a "La Niña" condition developing in the Pacific forebode a dry winter. This is not good, as we need water. The last rain here was in April. That is a very long time without natural rainwater. Do you have hawks living in your area? If so watch for them, try to identify them. They are among my favorites. They bring beauty to the skies. Take care and enjoy the day!BT-Oct. 9, 2007

October 5, 2007: The strong winds have come in during the last 2 days and nights, making it necessary to take down several of the hanging geraniums. Otherwise they blow all over! Also the Christmas cactus must be laid over on their sides, especially the large ones as they easily blow over. They are very resilient and do weather the winds well. The cactus are forming buds at the end of their leaves and soon we will have a fantastically colorful show of Christmas Cactus blooms which I will photograph for you. They will be wonderful!! You already know what I feel they are announcing, if you are one of my regular readers!! 8-))))And I think it is true. The tomatoes are finished for the season and in process of being removed. I will soon mulch the garden area with manure, grass, and other soil compounds to prepare it for next April's planting. We have so enjoyed the fresh Better Boy and Sweet 100 and Red Cherry tomatoes this season. The Siamese was back today after quite a long absence in the garden. We see her around the neighborhood tho. She paused for some attention and a quick pet and then off she went. Cats do what they want, when they want!!! 8-))))) We have lost two good friends recently. One a family member and one a former teaching colleague. They both were relatively young, and we think of them often, of the better days before their illnesses when we were young and well. I once heard someone refer to her friends who have passed as falling leaves and we are seeing that now with these two passing away. They are in my thoughts regularly now and I hope their survivors are able to cope. But we all do that, don't we!! We must go on. The geraniums are putting on lots of buds, the flowers are lovely. I bring them in daily for my wife, for her to enjoy and see. One should enjoy each day, how many do we have here on earth? We don't know, so one must Enjoy the day. Do something for someone that you are not asked to do. See how you feel. It will bring to you a wonderful feeling. Enjoy the day!! BT-Oct. 5, 2007.

September27, 2007-What a day! It is sunny and very nice. I posted today, a photo that my daughter took in Ireland. It shows a beautiful evening scene of the moon and a farm. It is a lovely photo. You can view it here. It makes me want to travel to Ireland, and we shall soon. The geraniums carry on, lots of new growth, and I have placed several out from under the patio roof where they will be in the sun. They like the sun and respond with new growth. The cooler temperatures are much better tolerated by the plants. The cats, Smoky and The Siamese have been over visiting. What fun! Isn't it fun that cats take an interest in a person; I believe it is in your voice tone and body language, and of course an "under the chin scratch" is very attractive to them. The above quotation by Lenore Fleisher is very true by my observations. We enjoy the two cats who regularly visit us, but of course if you are one of my regular readers you know that! To view some recent photos of them click here. October is coming with the changing of the colors of the leaves and preparation for winter and Halloween. Time moves, do make the most of it. And I would like to give you another quotation that is special to me. It is by James Barrie: "Shall we make a new rule of life from tonight: always try to be a little kinder than necessary." Do you know someone who is? If so, do return the kindness. Life moves, do make the most of it. Enjoy the day, BT-Sept. 27, 2007

"If all the beasts were gone, men would die from a great loneliness of spirit, for whatever happens to the beasts also happens to the man. All things are connected. Whatever befalls the Earth befalls the sons of the Earth." --- Chief Seattle of the Suwamish Tribe, letter to President Franklin Pierce

September 23, 2007(the first day of Fall): Well, Fall is here and we made it thru all the hot spells and brush fires. It was a hot summer, but today has a freshness and coolness after our brief storm the other night. I have heard the hawks calling this a.m. over the hills in the back. Once you have heard a hawk call, you will always know the sound. I have photographed 2 hawks who were circling over our garden area, and what fun it was! You will note a bit of bluriness in the photos, due to difficulty in focusing on them clearly with the sky as the background. I hope you enjoy the hawk photos!! Hawks have always been at the top of the list of my favorite birds! We live in an area where there are many types, and we see them almost daily. How graceful and beautiful they are! A friend of mine recently photographed an Osprey(sometimes called a fish hawk) in the area. They do winter here in our location. We love the hawks. They are the rulers of the sky, soaring on the thermals through the seasons. To view the hawks, click here and enjoy them. I will continue to try to perfect my hawk photography, and will post any future conquests with the camera. Enjoy Sunday!! BT, Sept. 23, 2007.

September 22, 2007: Well, we just had our first rain last night. We only received about .5 of an inch, but that was big for us as our last rain was April, 2007, so you can imagine how dry the hills and mountains with their brush are! It was so fresh after the rain, working in the garden this a.m. How beautiful it is after the rain bathes the plants and the land. The Siamese was back from her vacation and was underfoot as I trimmed roses, geraniums and generally cleaned up in the garden. She loved her "under chin scratch" and attention she received. I am glad she is back, as she is lots of company in the garden when she visits. The geraniums are all putting on new growth and look so green and healthy. It is a nice time of year for the plants in our climate--cool and pleasant. We are now talking much about our upcoming trip to Ireland. What a beautiful and friendly place. Have a great weekend, and enjoy the day. One day soon, I will tell you about Ardmore, an ancient monastic site, as it is one of my favorite places in Ireland. BT-Sept. 22, 2007

September 15, 2007: If you are a photographer or an observer of nature, once in awhile something happens that you consider fantastic!! Well it did for this observer yesterday. While talking to a friend in the front yard, a beautiful medium sized yellow butterfly landed nearby. I ran for the camera, returned and started shooting photos. Lo and behold as the wings of the butterfly opened I saw that it was the California Dogface Butterfly, the state butterfly of California!!! I had been teaching about this butterfly for years in my science class, but had never seen one alive and "in person". Well that ended. I saw him and photographed him. What a beautiful butterfly, and do note the profile of the dog's head on his wing. I never thought I would see one and especially in my own front yard! Well as you can see I really enjoyed that experience. Below is a photo of the butterfly. I hope you enjoy it. What a warmish and wonderful "end of summer" day today. It is balmy and the Smoky cat has been over for her "chin scratch" already this a.m. and what a beauty she is! Contact with animals like a cat is special and really helps one to appreciate their beauty. BT-September 15, 2007

September 10, 2007: Today I had the opportunity to go to a live butterfly exhibit!! How fantastic!! For a photographer interested in nature, it was indeed a wonderful experience. We walked through a netted environment of plants and live butterflies flying around feeding on flower blossoms and fruit pieces! I took about 85 photos, it was paradise!!! For a photo person!! I love nature and in particular hummingbirds, butterflys, insects and all sorts of living things. We humans are indeed blessed with our earth environment and its wildlife, and we must protect it forever and for future generations. I want to share two beautiful butterflies that I photographed this afternoon: the Gulf Fritillary and the Pipevine Swallowtail. What beautiful animals!! It was an exciting experience walking among the flying butterflies, and one landed on my wife's shoulder! Once I saw in a film that in Asia that is considered good luck, and I told her so. How gentle and peaceful the butterflies are. I shall forever hold a special place in my heart for them!I hope you enjoy the photos below. Enjoy the day, BT-September 10, 2007

September 9, 2007: What a beautiful day here on the coast!! I still feel a hint of fall in the air. Yesterday I worked on giving all the geraniums and Christmas cactus their monthly liquid fertilizer. The plants are looking very nice and there is lots of new growth on them. One still has to be on the lookout for the budworms and various worms that are hanging on in these late days of summer. They are very hungry it appears! The Swallowtail Butterfly-----I was not looking for him, in fact had no idea he was on the fence as I walked to the west garden area yesterday. This is a great example why one should have their camera ready and nearby. And there he was. Silently and gracefully on the fence!! What beautiful colors! One of nature's beauties! I love to photo butterflies when I get an opportunity. They are fantastic!! To view this new Swallowtail, click here. Enjoy this beautiful day. The Iceberg roses are really producing their white flowers as are the alstromeria. It is wonderful having a garden and all that goes with it: birds, flowers, colors, butterflies etc. It brings peace to the mind! BT-September 9, 2007

September 4, 2007: Very warm again today! The weatherman has said cooling by mid-week. I hope so, I have never been one who likes hot weather. Some people love it, not us! We are hoping for fog from the sea very soon. The Smoky cat has been over and taken advantage of the shade under the privet hedge this a.m. He loves a certain spot that he has claimed as his. This weather reminds me of our Spain days in Madrid, when in the summer it would be hot, hot, and more hot. We would travel up to the north to Asturias where it would be cool near the mountains and the sea and even rain during the summer. How wonderful that felt! Segovia, a world heritage site, is a very ancient city in Spain and has a wonderful Roman aquaduct constructed by the Romans in probably the first century A. D. It is spectacular! See the photo below. We loved Spain and the history and culture is wonderful! We are still picking ripe tomatoes, but soon we will be near the end of the vines. Then I will clear out the old vines and begin composting for next season. By next April, the soil will be rich and ready for the new vines. Keep your fingers crossed for us that we get the cooling fog in from the sea soon. Take care, BT, Sept. 4, 2007.

September 3, 2007: Welcome to September and a very Happy Labor Day to you all, and we have really been hit with very hot temperatures here in the region. I have been watering the geranium terraces daily and the gardens the same. The humidity seems high too which makes for a bit of uncomfortable weather. The Siamese was over for a visit and it is so hot for her that she seeks the coolness of the shaded patio. Photo below of her really enjoying a nap. She is such a nice cat, very friendly and comes over when I am out in the garden for some attention and kind words. I love the color of her. She loves to be petted and yesterday while in the tomato garden over the fence she came for some attention. What a beautiful animal. I continue with my photography of the moon. How fascinating that is. You can click here to go to a recent moon photo I took. Note down in the lower right hand quarter(about 5 o'clock position) is the Crater Tycho. It shows very well and must be very large. In the science fiction film "2001 A Space Odyssey", Tycho is supposed to be the location where the large oblisk is located. What a fine film. It remains one of my favorites. It continues to be dry. The surrounding hills are very arid, and we won't get rain until well into November. Enjoy your day and later, BT-September 3, 2007

August 30, 2007: We had a wild thunder and lightening storm last night and it really caught our attention! It was a dry storm and no rain fell. I photographed the moon last night, as it slid in and out of the silver clouds. For the photo people here are the settings I used: manual mode, aperture f/11, shutter speed 1/250, no tripod. I was pleased with the outcome. The photo is posted below. I feel Fall coming. School started here this week, and our Grandsons in Ireland started school also this week. They had a wonderful summer with beach trips, sports camps and a vacation trip to France. Ireland had a very wet summer with lots of rain falling. This week they get a reprieve from the rain, but it will return to them soon! I hope you like the moon photo. It can be a little tricky to get all the settings correct and get a viewable photo. Enjoy, and take care, BT-August 30, 2007.

August 26, 2007: What a shock this morning. We had a few sprinkles of rain!!! The last rain we had was April 22, 2007. Yes, we appear to be in a long dry spell, and the surrounding hills and landscaping shows it!! I have to post my hummingbird photo for you from yesterday. I particularly like this one as the lavender of the agapanthus blossom is rich. The bird hovers to sip nectar from the flowers. What fun it is to photo the hummers. I enjoy it immensely. Schools are beginning in this area soon, and the schools will enliven with the sounds of hundreds of students. I spent many, many years at schools as a teacher and loved the job. It was so interesting and challenging. Now the next generation of teachers has the pleasure of working with the students. One of these days will post one of my photos of a round tower from Ireland. The round towers are so beautiful, historical, and interesting. History in Europe is awesome and beautiful. The castles, churches and the like are there, preserved for the future generations. That is a good way to go, as far as I am concerned. Click here to view the hummer photo from yesterday. Enjoy!!-BT August 26, 2007

August 25, 2007: What a beautiful day here on the coast. There is a cool west wind blowing and it makes it very pleasant to be outdoors. The Siamese has been with us in thegarden all morning, and it is a pleasure to have such a beautiful animal sharing the garden with us. A photo below shows the cat in one of his favorite shade places near the privet hedge. He was with me for the longest time on the patio, and of course received his "under the chin scratch". Beautiful animal! I have been photographing hummingbirds this morning. They are feeding on the agapanthus blossoms in the back garden. There are lots of them around this morning. I know, I know, some of you may be thinking, "Is he still photographing hummingbirds???" Well, must confess, I am. The cool fog and overcast comes in from the sea in the evenings and it is beautiful after our hot weather of a week or so. We are not hot weather people and this is good weather that we are presently getting. The butterfly photo below I took just about an hour ago out in the back garden. Occasionally I will take the camera and just go out and stand in the garden to see what might come in for a photo. That is how I got the butterfly on the escallonia blossom. There always is the possibility of some insect or bird being there when I go out to the garden. I enjoy doing that and being among the plants too. Enjoy the day!!-BT August 25, 2007