TODAY'S FLOWERS # 248 - May 18th, 2013

A new link to Today's Flowers opens 12.15 a.m. every Saturday morning at Eastern Time (US).  This is so that our overseas friends can share earlier if they wish.  The previous week's link will close the night before, on Friday at 5.00 p.m.

To see beautiful blooms from around the world you can click here.

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As in previous weeks my flowers were found at The United States Botanical Garden in Washington DC.  If you go here the link will take you to their home page.  I identify when I can.


The stick planted in the soil read: "Dend., Angel Flower.  5-12-2010"

 Obviously an orchid but I could find no identification.

The marker read: "Dendrobium farmeri - orchid family - Orchidaceae - Himilayas, Burma, Thailand, Malaysia.

A profusion of hydrangeas were in planters everywhere.

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(A message that will be repeated every week.)

I wish to show my appreciation for all the participants in the previous week's Today's Flowers Meme, by sharing their links here.  I always try hard not to make any mistakes but please let me know if there are any, the same if I have missed anyone.  I do make the occasional mistake and I have already been made aware of one or two.  Believe me, I appreciate it as I like to get things correct.  The links are in the order they were received on the home page.  Consequently, this list won't be alphabetical.  Clicking on the names will take you to their blogs.

With my thanks to last week's participants who were:

Sarah at Hood Photography

Randi at Bland Rosor & Tistlar

Enerhagen

Bernie at Bush Bernie's Blog

Meta at Blommor och sant i foto

Squirrel Queen at The Road to Here

Charlene from My Nature Photography

Xavi at Jardins-Parcs-Paisatges-Muntanyes-Ciutats

Elin at I hagen ved skauen

Vilt Og Vakkert

Maboe

Birgitta at Birgitta B: welcome to my world of photoraphy

Luna Miranda from Live in the Moment

Mumsy at Raw Thoughts and Feelings

Arija at Garden Delights

Carver at Carver's Sight or is that Site?

Sandy from Writing in Faith

Gitte at Fra fro til blomst

Aud from Aud pa Dal

Elaine at Our Country Cove Crew

Lea's Menagerie

Pupo at Ipsis Flowers

Nature Footstep

Molly's Daily Kiss

Laura at Shine the Divine

Karen from Through the Trees

Steve at Shooting My Universe

Shiju Sugunan at Cranium Bolts

Jama at Sweet Memories

Genie from Climbing the Digital Mountain One Step at a Time

Misty at My Dogs Keep Me Sane

Alexa from The Road is Mine

Marie at A Colorful World

Doug at 2013 Doug Photo Blog

Unn at Tins Rose

Judy at Lilac Gate

Liz at Mommy's Little Corner

Fitness Buff at Healthy Life

JoAnn from Scene Through My Eyes

Sara at Love That Image

January at Life's Concealed Details

Lillianna Living Art

A Mom's Diary

Copper Diem's Garden

Sandy at Kezzela2

Miriam Luiza at Abrindo a Coracao

Artistique

Susan's It Doesn't Matter

                                                                         

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Today's Flowers was created by our good friend Luiz Santilli, Jr.

You can find beautiful flowers from around the world if you click here.

TF team: Pupo - Sandy Carlson - Denise

If anyone would like to be a guest and share photos on our home page, details can be found at the top of Today's Flowers web site, which you will find here.

                                                

I am also linking up with Tina's Weekend Flowers which you can find at her blog here.

   

and also Mona's Floral Love which you can find here.

   

CAMERA CRITTERS # 267 - The Chipmunks are back

Yesterday, and for the first time this year, a Chipmunk visited our deck.  I was happy, it was as if an old friend had come to call.  I was especially happy because we did have a friend staying overnight, and she and I watched its antics together before she left in the morning.  Our little Chipmunk entertained both of us.  He was just at the other side of the screen door and we had the glass door open.  Chippy was obviously aware we were there, but paying us no mind as we watched all the scurrying back and forth and stuffing those peanuts into its mouth.  The process was repeated many times and there should be quite a store of peanuts in the burrow by now.

I am always amazed how large those cheek pouches are.

He tried both sides for a better fit.

Dear little thing!

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Thank you Misty for hosting one of my favorite memes, and please click here to visit other interesting critters from all over the world.

Skywatch Friday - Season 6, Episode 45

I took a few photos on the way home last Sunday.  Our route usually has us taking the  Hampton-Roads Tunnel.  You can read about the tunnel here.

I guess the skies look so washed out in this photo because I was shooting into the sun as we entered the tunnel.

It doesn't seem long that we are under the water.

Soon we literally see the light at the end of the tunnel.   

Yes I know.....but there you go.

Always glad to see the sky...

and what a pretty sky it was.  Below is the Hampton Coliseum which you can read about here.  It looks festive at night when it's all lit up.

The skies have been overcast of late. The further north we got they started to lighten up, and once we got past Williamsburg even more so.

This is a pretty church in Rappahannock.   On Sundays the freeway gets very congested as people head back from the beaches.  We always check before starting out as around the start of May to the end of the summer we more often than not take the back road when visiting.  We travel through countryside and is a longer route in miles. but we make more headway when you compare the time we would have to spend stuck in traffic.

(We had no problem going down as we started early and got there for breakfast.  Not too far from our destination, for some strange reason our car's nose always heads into the Krispy Kreme parking lot. This after rolling through Starbucks next door!  Happy are we to be able to arrive with a box of doughnuts to share with our family and coffee if wanted.  Gregg doesn't drink coffee but he enjoys their Sweetened Black Tea with Lemonade.)

Finally as the sun is going down we arrive in our neighborhood and two minutes later are

home.  We lucked out with the weather and followed those pretty skies most of the way.

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My thanks to Yogi, Sandy and Sylvia who are our hosts at SkyWatch Friday.  Please click here to visit other sky watchers.

Happy SkyWatch Friday!

A poem

I found this poem here.

(I found this cute picture online)

In grandmamma's kitchen, things got in a riot.

The cream in a pot on the shelf,

Where everything always seemed peaceful and quiet,

Got whipped, for I heard it myself.

And grandmamma said. such a queer thing to say,

That it made some things better to whip them that way.

Some bold naughty eggs that refused to be eaten,

On toast with their brothers may be,

Were stripped of their clothing and cruelly beaten

Right where all the dishes could see.

And grandmamma said though the poor things might ache,

The harder the beating, the lighter the cake.

The bright golden butter was petted and patted

And coaxed to be shapely and good.

But it finally had to be taken and spatted

Right hard with a paddle of wood.

When grandmamma carrid the round balls away,

The buttermilk sulked and looked sour all day.

The water declared that the coffee was muddy,

But an egg settled that little fuss.

Then the steak and the gridiron got in a bloody

And terrible broil!  Such a muss!

And a flat-iron spat at grandmamma in the face,

And I ran away from the quarrelsome place.

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In Grandmamma's Kitchen 

~Ella Wheeler Wilcox~