An English Girl Rambles

Great advice....

2012-01-30T00:00:00.001-05:00

This goes along with my general philosophy in life. My parents tried to teach me these things as I grew and without me knowing at the time, those seeds were planted. I now understand what they were trying to teach me. One of the joys of getting older, a little wisdom seems to follow.

Accepting disapproval

If you give in to the disapproval of others, you’ll simply encourage them to disapprove even more. If you fight against their disapproval, that will also cause their disapproval to grow stronger.

Your most effective response is to gently accept the disapproval, then let it go and move forward. That strategy will dilute and dispense with the resistance you encounter faster than anything else.

Stop needing the approval of others, and you’ll receive more approval and support than ever. Live each moment from your own inspiration, not from your desire to look good in the eyes of others.

You can be exceptionally kind, loving, giving and respectful without being a slave to the opinions of others. Accept that other people will disapprove of some things you do, and you’ll free yourself to do truly magnificent things.

Your great value does not derive from the approval of others. You are entirely worthy and able to give much to life, regardless of what anyone else may think.

Graciously and enthusiastically accept that others will disapprove, no matter what you do. And delight in the freedom of doing whatever you know is right for you.

Ralph Marston

TODAY'S FLOWERS

2012-01-28T19:00:00.004-05:00

A pretty bouquet of flowers brought home from the supermarket, on a bright sunny day in the middle of winter.

TODAY’S FLOWER’S was created by our good friend Luiz Santilli Jr.

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

Camera Critters # 199 - Video link to Gorillas visiting a camp in Uganda

2012-01-28T00:00:00.002-05:00

If you want to see an absolutely amazing video please go here. It shows a very rare visit from a troop of Mountain Gorillas visiting a camp in Uganda. I think you will find it as fun to watch and as astonishing as I did, a once in a lifetime experience for the people involved. The facial expressions of the man they chose to sit next to just makes you smile from ear to ear. I am trying to put myself in his place but I think there was astonishment, a little bit of terror and absolute joy all rolled into one. How I would have loved to be in his shoes, lucky man!

I would love to visit the Mountain Gorilla in their own natural world. Maybe in my next lifetime. But you never know, if the opportunity ever arose I'd be on that plane faster than you could say 'Hello Baby!"

These photos were taken of Western Gorillas at the San Diego Zoo two years ago. I am revisiting them to go with this post.

I would also like to thank my friend Kathy for sending me the link to the video. Thanks Kathy!

Thank you Misty for hosting Camera Critters.

To see other fun critters please click here.

A favorite photo revisited....

2012-01-27T00:00:00.005-05:00

I wonder why when I look at this photo it reminds me of The Magnificent Seven riding off into the sunset?

Spending many hours as a child watching westerns with my Dad maybe?

Huntsman's Lake

2012-01-26T02:16:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I made my way over to Huntsman's Lake as two Bald Eagles had been spotted in the area. On this outing I did not see any but I will be going back again the weekend, and to Lake Mercer nearby where four more have been sighted.

There were several of us who were on the look-out and everyone was only too willing to give helpful information. One man had been able to take some great photos of them fishing the day before, but he had had no luck today so far.

This lady was with her husband, grandson and great dane, a puppy!

Just beautiful! So, no there were no eagles today but I thoroughly enjoyed spotting this beauty of a dog.

Any luck? No, not yet, plenty of seagulls though.

I have just found out about Huntsman's Lake, a happy discovery as it is a real pretty area.

The sun was in the wrong direction and I discovered once again how important lighting is in photography, but it made for some pretty effects as the sunlight bounced off the lake making it sparkle.

I was very surprised to see so many seagulls, there must have been a hundred of them, very active and flying over the lake.

If you look closely you can see the reflection of a seagull in this one, hard to spot I know.

Time to move on and get home before rush hour traffic. I said goodbye to the great dane and his family....

and on the way home I took photos of things and places I had passed by a thousand times.

It was a pretty day but still cold enough for these horses to be wearing their winter gear.

Notice the baskbetball net in the church parking lot? Ready and waiting.

No eagle sighting today but a nice trip out nonetheless.

Another wise quote.....

2012-01-25T00:00:00.002-05:00

Added note as of 7.50 a.m. - 1-25-2012

You've left some wonderful comments and I have loved reading them. I agree with Elephant Child when back in our childhood we used to hear, and still do no doubt, "If you can't say anything nice, say nothing at all." and Arija's comment, "All too true. It may be a truism to say nothing if you have nothing good to say, but it is as much of a sin not to say something good when you can." I agree whole-heartedly.

Cauliflower Gratin with Almond Crust

2012-01-24T00:00:00.011-05:00

Every now and again, as you may already know, I like to do a food post. I fixed this dish last night. It came from my Southern Living 2010 Recipe Annual.

Cauliflower Gratin with Almond Crust - makes 6 servings

Preparation time is 25 minutes.
Total time is 43 minutes.

1/4 cup butter
1 head of cauliflower (about 2-1/4 lbs.) separated into florets
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Gruyere cheese
2/3 cup Panko crumbs (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat . Add cauliflower, the chopped onion and minced garlic. Saute ten minutes or until golden and just tender. Sprinkle with flour, the salt and fresh thyme. Stir well. Remove from heat.

Spoon the cauliflower mixture into a 11 x 7 inch baking dish and drizzle with cream. Sprinkle with Gruyere cheese, Panko crumbs, sliced almonds and grated Parmesan.

Bake at 400 for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden.

This came out lovely, a definite keeper and one Gregg and I enjoyed a lot. The cauliflower mixture was delicious and we loved the crunchiness of the topping. Also the taste of the cheeses wasn't overpowering but very nice and subtle.

You can use it as a side dish or eat it on its own for a light supper. I served it with a Jacket Potato and the combination went together really well. A green salad would finish it off beautifully for a nice vegetarian meal.

It has been a long time since I cooked with cream, but if you need to watch these things you can probably lighten the calories by substituting the butter and cream for lighter versions. As this is the first time I made this recipe, I wanted to try the results unadulterated and was not disappointed.

Added note: 6.57 p.m.

I met up with Gregg for lunch today and neither of us felt like a full dinner, so tonight we had the leftover cauliflower gratin with a small side salad of romaine lettuce, diced onion, sliced radishes and diced avocado. We enjoyed this combination of veggies with a vinaigrette.

We've come a long way.....

2012-01-23T00:37:00.005-05:00

We still have an old typewriter somewhere down in our basement. It belonged to Gregg, a Hermes. I learned to type on something like this one below, in the grand scheme of things not so long ago really but 42 years does sound like a very long time but good grief, was it really 42 years ago?

Now I don't know what I would do without my laptop but even this is becoming old hat as I read up on what else is out there. Even the spell checker is going to become obsolete but do you remember the first time you discovered you had one and that the days of 'white-out' were gone?

Spell chequer

Martha Snow

Eye halve a spelling chequer

It came with my pea sea

It plainly marques four my revue

Miss steaks eye kin knot sea.

Eye strike a quay and type a word

And weight four it two say

Weather eye am wrong oar write

It shows me strait a weigh.

As soon as a mist ache is maid

It nose bee fore two long

And eye can put the error rite

It's rare lea ever wrong.

Eye have run this poem threw it

I am shore your pleased two no

It's letter perfect awl the weigh

My chequer tolled me sew.

One day we won't even have a spell checker. We will just be able to talk to our computers and it will answer us back. There is a program out there that actually does that. No doubt it will become a better conversationalist than we are.

Did you ever see Star Trek IV? Remember the scene when Scotty tried to talk to the computer? I think I'm going to watch it again as it was my all time favorite Star Trek movie, when the crew of Enterprise went back in time. Very amusing and even my non-Star-Trek loving hubby enjoyed it and as we all know, a lot of the space-age stuff they used years ago on the show have already come to pass. You can double-click on the movie to take it to full screen.

TODAY'S FLOWERS #178

2012-01-22T00:30:00.003-05:00

Cinnamon

Cinnamomum zeylanicum

Laurel Family - Lauraceae

This is true cinnamon, native to Sri Lanka and Indonesia, and has a mild flavor reminiscent of citrus.

Most cinnamon sold in the United States is Cassia (Cinnamomum cassia), which is native to China and the East Indies, and has a stronger, harsher taste than true cinnamon.

TODAY’S FLOWER’S was created by our good friend Luiz Santilli Jr.

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

Camera Critters

2012-01-20T00:00:00.004-05:00

This delightful little critter is the Lubber Grasshopper. It is a giant, slow moving grasshopper that I found in the live insect exhibit at the Natural History Museum. Those bright colors tell any predator that what they think of as a tasty little meal, actually contain toxins that will make them very ill.

If you find one and pick it up, the grasshopper will make a loud hissing noise and secrete an irritating, foul-smelling foamy spray. These four-inch grasshoppers are too large for most predators, so they don't need to move very fast. It cannot fly and can only jump short distances.

Despite their relatively large size, lubber grasshoppers usually eat less and cause less damage than their smaller relatives. Lubber grasshoppers also rarely occur in large enough concentrations to cause significant damage.

Thank you Misty for hosting Camera Critters.

To see other fun critters please click here.

Walking around Washington DC

2012-01-18T11:59:00.003-05:00

These are from when we were in the city a few weekends ago. On leaving the Botanic Garden we walked in front of The Capitol Building first and then made our way down towards the Natural History Museum.

We have often passed the statue of James Abram Garfield.

He was the 20th President of the United States.

There is a biography on The White House website which you can read if you click here.

This is another lovely statue we walked by. It is a memorial and on its base it reads, "In memory of the officers, seamen and marines of the United States Navy, who fell in defence of the Union and liberty of their country, 1861-1865.

The face on the right is being worn away by the weather.

You can read about this statue here.

We often see people making their way around the monuments on a Segway Tour. If you ever find yourself in DC and would like to see the sights this way, go here to find out more.

Of course you can also take a tour on a double-decker bus....

and if you click here it will take you to their site.

You can see the Reflecting Pool in front of the Capitol.

Whenever we have been there we have found a few ducks....

and seagulls enjoying themselves. People do feed them and they eyed us hopefully but we didn't have anything for them.

Right now there is a lot of digging going on along the Mall and not too far away from this photo is a real eyesore, huge mounds of dirt, construction vehicles and so on. I read a sign which read: "National Mall and Memorial Parks is restoring the Mall lawn and making other improvements between 3rd Street and 7th Street. The work includes the installation of engineered soil medium to resist soil compaction, durable turf varieties and granite edging. New sustainable systems to improve soil drainage and collect stormwater for irrigation will reduce the use of potable water and help improve regional water quality. This contract work is to be completed by December 2012." Well, I suppose it has to be done but if you are planning on visiting DC this summer be prepared for a lot of construction near some of your favorite monuments. Not good for taking photos but there's always cropping. And, this city is so beautiful anyway, I would not let this put me off.

This isn't too far from the rabbit I talked about in my other post here. In fact, if you enlarged the photo you can just make out his outline on the right of the pyramid. He's pretty well camouflaged with those trees behind him. This sculpture is called the Four-Sided Pyramid and you can read about it here.

Now, this is outside the Natural History Museum. Its marker reads in part: "Petrified Wood, Araucarioxylon Arizonicum Knowlton, Triassic Period. About 200 million years old. Found near Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona." As is most often the case, more impressive to see it with your own eyes than in a photograph.

Little boy momentarily having a mildly rebellious moment. His parents were just out of the photo, trying to urge him to move on. Couldn't help but smile, by this time we had walked a very long way and I was beginning to feel my feet.

Popularly known as The Castle, this building is actually The Smithsonian Institutional Building that houses the Smithsonian's administrative offices and the Smithsonian Information Center. You can read more here.

Another way to tour the city, on your bike.

The 1947 Allan Herschell Carousel is nearby. We took our son on it when he was a little boy. If you go to this post link and look at the second photo down, you can see how he was voicing his objections at having been taken off after a couple of trips around. I'm sure he would have been quite content to spend the whole day riding those horses.

Time to go home and we are now walking back to the parking garage.

I stopped in the middle of the street for a few seconds to take this photo. No cars were coming either way just in case you were wondering.

By this time we had crossed the Potomac and were now in Virginia.

One last photo of the sky and all the contrails left from passing airplanes.

Visitors out back

2012-01-17T00:00:00.002-05:00

Feathered Friends

Grey-slated Junco

White-breasted Nuthatch

Tufted Titmouse

Female Cardinal

Male Cardinal

Blue Jay

A couple of wise old birds eventually met in the middle....

2012-01-16T08:00:00.001-05:00

TODAY'S FLOWERS

2012-01-14T20:00:00.002-05:00

Angraecum comorense

"Gwen Copley"

Orchid Family - Orchidaceae

Aechmea

'Blue Tango'

Bromeliad Family - Bromeliaceae

Camellia

Camellia japonica

'Pink Perfection' (Otome)

Tea Family - Theaceae

TODAY’S FLOWER’S was created by our good friend Luiz Santilli Jr.

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

Camera Critters # 197

2012-01-12T23:00:00.001-05:00

Thank you Misty for hosting Camera Critters.

To see other fun critters please click here.

Outdoor Ice-Skating Rink in Washington DC

2012-01-11T23:28:00.001-05:00

One of the fun things we do when walking around Washington DC in the winter is to stop by the open-air ice-skating rink. It is always fun to see people enjoying themselves. No, Gregg and I never rent the skates and do a turn ourselves. I don't think Gregg has ever tried it.

I did once when I was 23. I even have proof somewhere, a photo from a holiday I went on with a group of friends to Austria. At one of the hotels they also had an out-door ice-skating rink. I could not straighten my ankles and didn't even get the blades upright. I had weak ankles even back then, having sprained them several times playing basketball at school starting from when I was 13. My sports teacher was truly fed up with me, "Oh for God's sake girl stop blubbering, go sit on the side and stick your head down between your knees", this as my ankle swelled up to twice its size and the pain made me feel sick and faint. After several sprains my sports teacher had had enough of me, and frankly I had had enough of her. I don't remember being very fond of basketball after that, and after the same thing happened when I played rounders, I was thereafter delegated to be the scorer for ever more, boring, boring, boring. I hated rounders too. Anyhow, I digress as usual. After that one-and-only ice-skating session in Austria, I never put on another pair of ice-skates and always get my enjoyment out of watching others having fun.

They were all having so much fun....

and the head gear was endearing.

I'm told this is the 'in' thing among young people right now, you can buy hats in the shape of your favorite animal.

There were daddies offering a little help.

Mommies too.

On the whole people really knew how to skate with a few exceptions here and there, the side-of-the-rink huggers.

Another daddy giving a helping hand.....

and mom here has her hands full.

Hey, I recognize you two!

I see a little girl with a safety helmet on. I thought that was a darned good idea after we saw one little boy - who was a very good skater - fall down and hit the back of his head with a sickening crunch. That was scary and put an end to his time on the ice. You could see how very concerned mum was but she remained calm and we were impressed. Gregg and I looked at each other and knew he would be having a really bad headache for a while.

But apart from the little lad's fall, while we were there at least, everyone remained on their feet and had a very good time. Eventually it was time to move on and from here we walked over to the Natural History Museum.

It's all about sharing.....

2012-01-10T14:01:00.000-05:00

Someone needs to learn how to share.

Butterflies and a little ramble....

2012-01-09T00:00:00.012-05:00

We have had a lovely weekend. Saturday we drove down to Richmond for lunch. Yes we drove two hours south for lunch but, Gregg's brother and his wife drove two hour north so that we could meet up at a tea room half way, and so we were able to enjoy a few hours together. The weather was lovely and had warmed up to the point we didn't need a coat, the trip down was smooth with no heavy traffic, and we had a very nice get-together, one that we hope to repeat again when the weather is agreeable.

We gave ourselves a good head start and as Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden is only five minutes away, we dropped in so that I could go through the gift shop to pick up a couple of birthday gifts for a friend. By the time we joined our family we were right on time. The tea room also has a gift shop area and I saw a very cute pair of earrings which we gave to our daughter-in-law for a late birthday gift the following day. We walked by an old record shop that Gregg's brother has been in before which stocked hundreds of old vinyl records. Gregg found a couple of Monkey's albums and as Lisa is a big fan, he bought those to add to her birthday surprises as Brad had also recently given her a record player.

On the way back we noticed how beautiful the sky was and I got my cell phone out.

We passed this very cute little dog as we stopped at a traffic light. I managed to get another quick shot and this and the cloud were the only two I took on the way home as I started to drift off. Gregg is always ready for a good photo op but because I was half asleep I said maybe we could come back down sometime just for taking photos and he thought that was a great idea, then I promptly went to sleep for a while. I'm very happy that we share this hobby. Gregg loves sports, I don't, I love opera, he doesn't but we both have this enjoyment of taking photos. It has always been a great source of enjoyment seeing one another's results at the end of an outing.

Sunday Gregg and I did some grocery shopping. Our son and daughter-in-law were coming over for dinner that evening. Because of busy schedules we were not able to see Lisa until after her birthday, and we wanted to make this visit a bit extra special. We bought a birthday cake and had the bakery personalize it. It certainly didn't come near the very special, home-made one our son made for her, but it was a surprise when we suddenly turned the light out and came out of the kitchen with candles all lit. What a great evening we had but then we always do when we get together.

So, that was our weekend. Now I am sharing a selection of photos taken at The Natural History Museum a couple of weeks ago.

They were having a butterfly exhibit.

This is a link to an amazing video. You can click here to see it. The video is incredible and was sent to me by Celia. Thanks Celia!

TODAY'S FLOWERS # 176

2012-01-08T00:00:00.004-05:00

On our trip to The United States Botanic Garden in Washington DC recently, we visited the Orchid Room.

TODAY’S FLOWER’S was created by our good friend Luiz Santilli Jr.

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

Camera Critters

2012-01-07T02:00:00.003-05:00

Sorry, no cuddly bunnies today, no cuddly anything because I have seen no cuddlies in a while, more's the pity.

However, I am sharing "Thinker on a Rock" today. The person who created him is Barry Flanagan (1941-2009), a Welsh sculptor "best known for his bronze statues of hares." You can find out more if you click here.

Most times when we go into Washington DC we will walk through The National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden, and if we do we always make a point of passing by our 'bunny'. You might think its pose is somewhat familiar, as Mr. Flannagan borrowed the pose from Rodin's The Thinker (1880). There is another Thinker on the Rock on loan to Washington University in St. Louis.

Husband Gregg is in the picture below. One of us always has our photo taken with him. I've shared our satirical bunny before on this blog.

Thank you Misty for hosting Camera Critters.

To see other fun critters please click here.

Things that I have learned....

2012-01-06T00:00:00.002-05:00

I always think seeing a grandfather and granddaughter together, or grandson for that matter, is a lovely sight and I barely got them in my viewfinder before they disappeared around the corner to join the rest of their family.

I found the following online but the author is unknown.

"Things I've Learned By The Age Of........!"

I've learned that you can't hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk - age 6

I've learned that I like my teacher because she cries when we sing "Silent Night" - age 7

I've learned that when I wave to people in the country, they stop what they are doing and wave back - age 9

I've learned that just when I get my room the way I like it, Mom makes me clean it up - age 12

I've learned that if you want to cheer yourself up, you should try cheering someone else up - age 13

I've learned that silent company is often more healing than words of advice - age 24

I've learned that brushing my child's hair is one of life's great pleasures - age 25

I've learned that wherever I go, the worlds worst drivers have followed me there - age 29

I've learned that if someone says something unkind about me, I must live so that no one will believe it - age 39

I've learned that there are people who love you dearly but just don't know how to show it - age 41

I've learned that you can make someone's day by simply sending them a little card - age 44

I've learned that the greater a person's sense of guilt, the greater his need to cast blame on others - age 45

I've learned that children and grandparents are natural allies - age 46

I've learned that motel mattresses are better on the side away from the phone - age 50

I've learned that you can tell a lot about a man by the way he handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage and tangled Christmas tree lights - age 52

I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you miss them terribly after they die - age 53

I've learned that making a living is not the same thing as making a life - age 58

I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance - age 62

I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands. You need to be able to throw something back - age 64

I've learned that if you pursue happiness it will elude you. But if you focus on your family, the needs of others, your work, meeting new people and doing the very best you can, happiness will find you - age 65

I've learned that whenever I decide something with kindness, I usually make the right decision - age 66

I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one - age 82

I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love that human touch-holding of hands, a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back - age 85

I've learned that I still have a lot to learn - age 92

~~~~

A late thought but if you have any of your own little gems here, feel free to add them.

United States Botanic Garden - Washington DC - Part 2

2012-01-05T00:00:00.004-05:00

I forget what this area is called but it does have some interesting exhibits in here. The first thing that took my attention were the flowers and plants again, especially as they were still dressed up for the season.

You can just about make out my outline when I took this photo.

Gregg took some really neat photos of the mini terrarium-type ornaments.

It was very interesting to see living plants inside them. I learned that a terrarium is a miniature landscape with living plants and even sometimes small animals like lizards or turtles. I might add there were no lizards or turtles staring down at us, nope, no animals of any kind, just plants.....

though I did take a close look at this one. It was huge in comparison, placed on the floor in a corner and about two feet around, full of the prettiest poinsettias.

These large 'sunflowers' had a screen in the center showing a movie. Sorry to say I am not sure what of but it had to do with the plants in the exhibit.

We both enjoyed the displays of metal flowers.

These were showing how flowers and fauna were used, symbolism, art, etc.

I'm loving all the metal sculptures of flowers. I liked this shot of Gregg's and I enjoy seeing things from his perspective, even if it's of some batty person focused on the viewer of her camera. Yes that's me.

The topiary bear was again in a different area and I thought he was wonderful.

I also enjoyed the 'cardinals'.

and again the decorations that the bear is holding.

It was wonderful seeing all the flowers blooming and we took many photos of them which I will be sharing soon.

For my Daughter-in-Law, a late birthday gift of sorts

2012-01-04T09:58:00.004-05:00

If you'd have told me several years ago that my dear son would marry a girl as much of a fan of Dr. Who as I am, well, I'm not sure I would have believed it, but it is one of the many, many things about her that makes me oh so happy. I have only met three Dr. Who fans in the 36 years of living in America. One was a Brit I worked with years ago. Hi Alan! The other was my sweet daughter-in-law and the other was her sister-in-law and also my friend, Kenzie. Hi Kenzie!

Back row: William Hartnell, the original Dr. Who (he will always be my all time favorite, the same way Sean Connery might be your favorite, one-and-only James Bond. I know he's mine), Patrick Troughton and John Pertwee

Front row: Tom Baker, Sylvester McCoy, Paul McGann, Colin Baker and Peter Davidson

I didn't get to see the last four in their roles.

The cake above is one our thoughtful son made his wife on her birthday recently. It is The Tardis, which stands for "Time and Relative Dimension in Space". The Tardis can transport its occupant to "any point in time and any place in the Universe." Don't we wish we all had one of those, no? Dr. Who's time machine in an old police box, the kind that would pop up on old Victorian movie sets, in England. Foggy, dark, sinister nights come to mind.

My son does not usually bake so I was very impressed. That's a 'sonic screwdriver' he also gave her. You have to be a Dr. Who fan to get that one. Son and daughter-in-law tell me that Dr. Who is becoming wildly popular with a new generation over here.

Today's post is for you Lisa and can't tell you enough how happy we are that you married our son.

Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant, both superb.

All I need to know, I learned by watching Dr. Who.

Don't be afraid to dress conspicuously.
"There's no point in being grown up if you can't be childish sometimes." - The Doctor "Robot".
Be polite to strangers - offer them a jelly baby.
Face bureaucracy with sarcasm.
Bad guys always wear black (unless you're my father-in-law or Johnny Cash).

Almost any problem can be solved by reversing the polarity of the neutron flow.
Never trust anyone with a sinister beard and a high collar.
When in doubt, bang the console.
Nearly anyone will fall for the really big lie at some point. (Not that I'm encouraging it or anything).
If it glows, avoid it. (I'm encouraging that!)
The gravel quarries are not what they seem.

Bad guys will not see you if you stand really close to the wall, even if they walk right past you.
All the aliens speak with British accents.
All alien planets have corridors somewhere.
There's nothing the sonic screwdriver can't handle (apart from a voice activated lock).
Every alien planet has open cast mining.
"When I say run, RUN!" - The Doctor (It's not practical to reference all the stories this one came from).
"Everyone remotely interesting is mad in one way or another." - The Doctor "Greatest Show in the Galaxy).
"Somewhere else the Tea's getting cold." - The Doctor "Survival".
The worst won't happen if you do something immensely clever.
"Humans have an amazing capacity for self-deception." - The Doctor "Remembrance of the Daleks."

If you're so clever, follow me up the stairs.
Your best weapons are your mind, your scarf and your brolly (Brit for umbrella).
"I am the master, you will obey me." - The Master (Another one that is impractical to reference).
However bad it may be, it'll all blow up in the last scene.
Companions may come and go, but your K9 is forever.

"I'm HAPPY!" - The Doctor "Happiness Patrol."
"First things first, but not necessarily in that order." - the Doctor "Megolos."

The latest Dr. Who, Matt Smith. He had big shoes to fill and personally speaking I think he is doing a great job!

You can find out all about Dr. Who right here.

The United States Botanic Garden - Part 1

2012-01-03T18:51:00.006-05:00

There was a separate entrance for the model train exhibit at the garden but as we were more interested in the flowers and when we saw that long line, we headed to the other entrance.

Once inside we found a Thomas the Train making its way around the large Christmas tree. There were lots of children watching as it disappeared into a tunnel behind the tree, eagerly awaiting for it to appear again on the other side.

This is a replica of the Bartholdi Fountain which you can learn more about if you click here. It is on the grounds of the Capitol. It's designer - Frederic Auguste Bartholdi - later designed the Statue of Liberty.

Even though we are past the holiday I don't think I will ever get tired seeing these beautiful poinsettias.

There are different colors, ones I don't normally get to see in the stores.

You'll probably recognize the banana plant. About a year after planting it forms a flower. They can be huge and will hang down pointing to the ground. The flower has flaps that will open upward in series over many weeks. As each flap opens it develops cup-like flowers. If you pick one you will find it is full of nectar.

I recognized this replica straight away. It is of the Albert Einstein statue.

The real one is on the grounds of the National Academy of Sciences on Constitution Avenue, on the other side of the street from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Gregg was in the city last week and someone had dressed him in a Santa Claus Hat, though when we drove by this day it had been removed. This is a very quick shot as we drove by. Click here to see a better photograph and more information.

We enjoyed the replicas of various landmarks around the city made out of plant materials, starting off with The Capitol.

The Lincoln Memorial

The Smithsonian Castle

Even one of the botanic garden.

The National Museum for the American Indian

And finally the Washington Monuement

Trip into Washington DC

2012-01-02T18:57:00.002-05:00

It got up to 42 degrees F. today and right now it is only 28, so today I made a double batch of healthy, nourishing, warms the end of one's nose when it feels like a Popsicle, vegetable soup. This is Gregg's favorite and I decided to make enough for several meals. I will probably be freezing more for many a cold night as Other-Half says once again I have made enough for an army.

Last Friday the day was a lovely 59 degrees and we decided this would be a good time to drive into Washington DC. One of our favorite pastimes is to walk along the Mall and visit any of the Smithsonian museums. I had also wanted to see the Christmas display at the U.S. Botanical Garden and it was due to end on January 2nd.

We have both taken several photos in today's selection.

After driving around for a while and not finding a parking space anywhere - it was very crowded and it seemed that the whole nation decided to get out and enjoy the weather - we went to our usual underground parking lot about three blocks away. It is always a nice walk and after a short hike we end up by the Air and Space Museum, and next to it The National Museum for the American Indian.

We didn't go into either today but I just had a flashback from years ago when I first came to the States and Gregg took me to the Air and Space Museum for the first time. I remember coming out in absolute awe. I also suddenly found a microphone a few inches from my nose as I was confronted by a Japanese news crew who were doing a piece on the museum. They were interviewing people as they came out of the exit for Japanese television. I can't remember what I said to the smiling, friendly interviewer but a deer being caught in the headlights might be an apt description, and whatever sound I produced out of my mouth probably ended up on the cutting room floor. I was dreadfully shy in those days but now I can be a regular 'chatty' in the right company, can't I Gregg? And yes he is smiling. Gregg is an eloquent speaker and is very comfortable talking in front of a hundred or so people. Me? Not so much, having a camera only a few feet from my face, horrible! No thank you!

We walk along the sidewalk which takes us through part of the grounds where over 33,000 plants indigenous to the Chesapeake region (of which Washington is a part) are planted. It's quite a lovely sight in blooming season and even now has a quiet elegance. Behind me in the top photo and in the one below is part of a 'family' of five sculptures built by hand. The artist is Nora Naranjo-Morse from Santa Clara Pueblo, Espanola, New Mexico. She was the winner of the outdoor sculpture design competition. The materials she used are organic and non-toxic, and the collective piece is called "Always Becoming". Ms. Naranjo-Morse is the first Native American lady to create an outside sculpture in Washington DC. It's a marvelous sculpture and frankly my photos don't do it justice.

We are still next to the American Indian Museum and Gregg is standing by a huge rock which is called the Southern Marker. I read that "The outer boundary of the museum landscape incorporates four large stones called the Cardinal Direction Markers." We have never looked at them that closely on our previous visits. "There are no tags or signs to identify them, a conscious decision to preserve a natural presentation. These Markers are no ordinary stones."

The Southern Marker weighs 7,000 lbs. and comes all the way from Chile, estimated to be from the Cretaceous Period (between 65 and 145 million years old). It's journey of 18,000 miles began on the slope of an open field that looked northward across the bay to Argentina, where it was chosen and put on a flat-bed truck and transported to Puerto Williams. It was then unloaded and placed in a sea container, shipped by boat up the coast of Peru, through the Panama Canal, up the Atlantic Coast and to the Baltimore Harbor. From there it began the final part of its journey to Washington DC.

Below is the Cardinal Direction Marker, East. Its marker reads,

"Did you know that this type of stone was used to make arrowheads?

This 544 million year old rock (from the Cambrian period) is quartzite, a very hard stone once used to make arrowheads by the local Nanticoke peoples. It came from Sugarloaf Mountain in Maryland's Monocacy Valley. It is one of four Cardinal Direction Markers around the museum."

It was the last stone to be sent to the museum and was found near Dickerson, Maryland. It is also widely believed by many Native peoples in the mid-Atlantic, that quartz contains healing powers.

You can read more about these stones if you click here.

We head on to the Botanic Garden and pass by holly bushes with their own natural tree ornamentation, bright red berries in abundance.

In the National Garden we say hello to Mr. Twig Moose who reminds us of the real ones we saw on our trip to the northwest a few years ago. We are both looking forward to heading back that way again one day.

These people are on a Segway tour......

and we see them several times on our walk that afternoon.

We see the Capitol Building not too far away and after leaving the Botanic Garden we head in its direction to get a closer look. That will be in another post.

Gregg gets a great shot of the figure on top of the dome. It is called The Statue of Freedom. You can read all about it here.

We also see the statue of Ulysses S. Grant who was the 18th President of the United States. For more information on his memorial you can go here.

I will share more posts from our walk during the next week.

Potter

2012-01-01T14:33:00.001-05:00

This is Potter, my friend Sally's little cat. I wanted to share him earlier as Sally sent me this photo before the holidays. I turned the photo into a Christmas Card for her. I asked if I could share Potter on my blog but did not want to do that until I knew it was okay. We've all been very busy but as things are now getting back to normal I just heard from Sally. She very kindly said yes, that I could share Potter's picture, so here he is taking a nap.

He hasn't been in Sally's home for very long but he has found a very loving one, lucky little cat. He's adorable isn't he? Thanks Sally!

A little late but Christmas Day at our house

2011-12-31T10:35:00.006-05:00

Gregg started taking photos straight away.

First things first, we have to fill up the bird feeders and put out peanuts and sunflower seeds for the squirrels.....

and Gregg takes a self portrait. One of these days we're going to remember to slow down and set up the tripod, but until then....

like father and son here's Brad taking a self portrait of him with Lisa.

Here's his result of that photo.

Brad gets one photo of Mum checking on the food in the oven. Back in England I grew up on a turkey dinners on the 25th, but as that is traditionally served up at Thanksgiving over here and with Thanksgiving and Christmas being so close together, several years ago we mutually decided on Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding.

Celia and I in the kitchen with Gully in the fridge. We're guessing he's looking for his buttermilk.

Brad with his Grandpa catching up. It's been a while since they had a chance to chat.

Celia showing me some of her family's Christmas photos.....

and again with Lisa and Brad.

Papa takes Celia's place for a while.....

but later she sits on the other end of the sofa to enjoy her cup of coffee from our new coffee pot. We play a lot of musical chairs.

Both relaxing after the meal.

And now Gregg and Gully are looking through some old family slides taken back in Puerto Rico when Gully was stationed there back in the early 50s. Gregg's brother was born there. We're trying to figure out how best to convert the slides and put them on the hard drive, and then turn a few into prints.

Time for one last photo before Lisa and Brad leave.

Here's a photo of our tree taken earlier in the day with the gifts around it. There are a couple of neat books from Lisa and Brad that I will share later on, and there's a great new coffee pot from Celia and Gully.

This is another little tree I keep near the television....

and I love this candle lamp that my friend Hazel gave to me.

And last but by no means least, two teddies joined our family. Gregg bought me the L.L.Bean one - with a new camera - happy, happy, happy - and I treated myself to the little "Home for the Holidays" teddy when I saw her on sale a few days after Christmas.

It was a wonderful and very special time, but here we are already getting ready for 2012. We don't have any special plans for celebrating tonight and will see the New Year in quietly.

To you all, A Very Happy New Year!!!!

Two days after Christmas

2011-12-27T20:54:00.000-05:00

'Twas two days after Christmas, and all through the house

All the creatures were exhausted, even the mouse......

Thank you Antigoni

2011-12-26T11:06:00.001-05:00

The day before Christmas when I picked up our mail, a delightful surprise was waiting for me. I found a Christmas card and ornament in my mailbox from Antigoni of Antigoni's Diary. Thank you my dear friend. It is proudly displayed on the tree. I can't tell you enough how much I appreciated your gift, and both card and ornament will be treasured always.

TODAY'S FLOWERS 2012

2011-12-25T19:58:00.003-05:00

A few favorite photos from the archives, lovely memories of pleasant walks around one of our favorite parks two years' ago.

Possibly and not 100 percent certain, an Austin rose "Graham Thomas".

The color is very similar.

Cockscomb Celosia

Jewelweed

Five Petaled True Rose

TODAY’S FLOWER’S was created by our good friend Luiz Santilli Jr.

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

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

2011-12-25T06:00:00.003-05:00

This is Sophie. With thanks to Kenneth and David, her human family, Sophie is my Camera Critters photo today. To find other adorable Sweeties, you can click on the button in my side bar.

Teddy Bear Collection

2011-12-24T17:56:00.003-05:00

If you've been looking at my blog for a while, you may have seen the occasional post of my Teddy Bear collection. They don't appear that often as I haven't bought any for a long time now, but occasionally I am given one that is welcomed as part of the Teddy Bear family and it is just as treasured. I don't think the boys will be interested in this post, but maybe some fellow bear lovers/collectors. If you're interested in the other posts, you can click on the label "Teddy Bears" below this post to see others I have shared. The one of note below is my all-time favorite, the one-eyed teddy bear given to me by my Mum and Dad when I was a year old. Believe me, he's been around for a LONG time!

From another teddy bear lover.

Below there are new additions, the three on the front left were given to me by Celia this past summer on one of our trips down to Virginia Beach. I love them and you can probably see why. I also love my blue-striped sock elephant, honorary teddy bear family member. He was given to me by my dear son. The honorary teddy bear white reindeer was given to me by friend Jackie on our last get-together with the girls and I'm happy he's joined us.

Another view in which you can see a few other Christmas decorations, the woodland Santa on the right which was a gift from Gregg's sister a few years ago, love him! He comes out every December, as do the angels. The little bear angel with the pretty pink dress holding a garland of stars was given to me by Celia last year.

Above and below are the same bears with just a closer view.

My navy bear and others. Gregg was in the navy which including his years at the Annapolis Navy Academy was over 20 years, so of course when I saw this lovely guy about ten years ago, I had to add him to the family.

Almost time for Christmas Day.

Back sooner than I thought.....

2011-12-21T23:18:00.007-05:00

It's the end of the day and I am sorting through a few photos I took earlier on. Son came over this morning. Schedules are all over the place so unfortunately Daughter-in-Law had to work but it was nice chatting to the lads in the kitchen as I fixed French Toast for breakfast.

One quick photo in front of the Christmas Tree, far too much light in the background as you can see but I liked it anyhow. Using the self-timer is always a challenge and I really should have set our camera up properly but suddenly we had a bit of a time crunch as Gregg had an upcoming conference call and Brad had to be away. As often happens, I find myself rushing.

As Celia and Gully's arrival was later than usual, Brad had to get on to his next appointment. But not to worry, he and Lisa will be joining us on Christmas Day.

As I have been enjoying everyone's Christmas ornaments, I thought I would share a few of my own collection. You can probably recognize a few Hallmark ones here. I've been collecting them for years, ever since Brad was a year old. As I love to feed the squirrels and always enjoy watching their antics, when I saw the snowman holding these little ones, I knew there would be a special place for them on our Christmas Tree. Not one of these, the little girl below was a gift from a friend. A bit hard to see but she has birds sitting on her arms.

Here's another bird, a Cardinal from the Hallmark series. I have a few on the tree.

These were taken later on in the day. Celia and Gully had arrived but they had had a long day of traveling, so I didn't want to bother them with photograph taking. Plenty of time to do that in the next few days.

More Hallmark ornaments.

You'll always find a Bobby on our Christmas Tree, which I bought in honor of my Dad who was a 30 year career police officer. The little hula bear in the grass skirt is actually a stained glass sun catcher. I bought him on a trip to Hawaii several years ago.

This is a new addition, a little Norwegian boy to honor Gregg's father's side of the family whose heritage is Norwegian.

And this one is for me. It's a tiny suitcase I picked up several years ago on one of my trips to England. If I remember correctly the suitcase was full of English Toffee.

A collector of Teddy Bears, I always put them out on the hearth every Christmas.

Time to go to bed. Sweet Dreams everyone.

~~~~~~

An addition to the above shared at 6.04 p.m. on Friday, December 23rd, 2011.

The snowman with the red fox is shown again because I was able to get a closer view of them.

Lunch with the Girls

2011-12-20T16:52:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I went over to Hazel's house for lunch, for gift-giving and enjoying the company of my British friends. Hazel put on a marvelous spread, an afternoon tea with finger sandwiches, scones served up as we do in the old country with clotted cream and jam, and lots of delectable little sweet pastries. Then of course there were the endless cups of tea, and a couple of glasses of sherry. We even had a fun game of dice - I'm not sure what it's called other than Left, Right and Center, and we played for quarters. We said we should play for dollars next time. As we only need six of them for two games, maybe that would be okay and pretty tame. No high rollers here thank goodness and just as well but we did have a bit of a competitive spirit. No I didn't win any of the games and we all said it was nice to play something that you didn't have to think too much about, other than roll the dice. We had a great time as we always do and we don't seem to draw breath for several hours.

I'm not going to be on here much as we have company coming tomorrow for the holidays, so I will wish you all A Merry Christmas for those of us who are celebrating it, A Very Happy Holiday Season for all my other blogging friends, and To All, A Very Happy and Healthy New Year!

TODAY'S FLOWERS # 174

2011-12-18T07:34:00.001-05:00

With flowers not as readily available now, I am sharing those found in my archives.

TODAY’S FLOWER’S was created by our good friend Luiz Santilli Jr.

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

CAMERA CRITTERS

2011-12-16T17:25:00.005-05:00

Latest in the series of raptor photographs I have been sharing these past few weeks. More photos of this beauty will be shared soon.

Thank you Misty for hosting Camera Critters.

To see other fun critters please click here.

The Vienna Boys Choir

2011-12-16T10:18:00.003-05:00

Last night Gregg and I attended a performance given by The Vienna Boys Choir. I have been listening to them my whole life and when I learned that they were coming to the Hylton Theater Performing Arts Center in Manassas, I couldn't wait to snap up a couple of tickets. The place was sold out and we both thoroughly enjoyed our evening and judging by the standing ovation at the end, so did the rest of the audience.

I thought I would share a little of their history as written in the pamphlet we were given. The photo above came off the theater web site.

"Boys have been singing at the court of the Holy Roman Emperor since the early 15th century. In 1498, more than half a millennium ago, Emperor Maximilian I moved his court and his court musicians to Vienna. He gave instructions that there were to be six singing boys among his musicians. Historians have settled on 1498 as the foundation date of the Vienna Hofmusikkapelle and - in consequence - the Vienna Boys Choir. Until 1918, the choir sang exclusively for the imperial court, at mass, at private concerts and functions, and on state occasions."

You can read the rest of their biography here if you would like to learn more, and I found the following on YouTube.

On our way back home I took a few photos of the holiday lights in the neighborhood.

It's been a week of shopping, writing out Christmas Cards, wrapping up parcels for loved ones, standing in line at the post office to mail them off and chatting to the nice Indonesian gentleman about his trip back home and who has been working there every since I moved here 20 years ago, visiting friends, having friends visit me, and getting the house ready for company next week. I was late decorating the Christmas Tree but that's all done now. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

I go to nature.....

2011-12-13T10:00:00.001-05:00

Broad-winged Hawk

2011-12-11T21:00:00.001-05:00

This is a Broad-winged Hawk, another raptor I got the chance to take photographs of last month. You can hear what he sounds like if you click here.

It is described as a small, stocky bird with a body size from 13 to 17 inches (34 to 44 centimetres) in length, and weighing anywhere from 9.3 to 20 ozs. (265 to 560 grams). As with most raptors, females are slightly larger than males. Broad-winged Hawks have relatively short and broad wings, pointed at the end, which have a tapered appearance unique to the species. It can grow a wingspan of 32 to 39 inches (81 to 100 centimetres).

Adult bodies are a dark brown with a white belly and chest containing horizontal barring. While their tail can be a dark grey-black with white lines along the middle, base and tip. The young hawks have a slightly different coloring with more white and longitudinal barring instead of horizontal barring.

There are two types of coloration, a dark morph with fewer white areas and a light morph that is more pale overall. The light morph of this bird is most likely to be confused with the Red-shouldered Hawk, but they have a longer, more heavily barred tail and wings, with a solid rufous color in the adult which are usually distinctive. Rare dark morphs are a darker brown on both upperparts. Drk-morph Short-tailed Hawks are similar but are whitish under the tail, with a single subterminal band.

The Broad-winged Hawk (Buteo platypterus) is a small hawk of the genus Buteo. During the summer some subspecies are distributed over eastern North America, as far west as British Columbia and Texas. They then migrate south to winter in the neotropics from Mexico down to southern Brazil. Other subspecies are all-year residents on Caribbean islands.

Although the Broad-winged Hawk's numbers are relatively stable, populations are declining in some parts of its breeding range because of forest fragmentation.

These birds will have only one mate during the breeding season, possibly because the male also helps a small amount with the upbringing of the chicks. They will breed anywhere between April and August starting when they are two years old. To attract and court females the males will do a flight display including cartwheels, dives and other aerial acrobatics. The birds meet in the air hooked together by their talons and spiral down together. They will also compete and fight with other males for the chance to mate with a female. If one of the males is successful, the mating pair will have only one brood per season consisting of one to four eggs.

Both the male and female will build the nest out of sticks and twigs in a deciduous tree before the eggs are to be laid. Once they are though, the brown-spotted eggs are usually 1.9 x 1.5 inches (49 by 39 millimetres) and weigh about 1.5 oz. (42 grams). The female will then develop a brood patch and incubate the eggs for 28 days or longer before they hatch. The hatchlings will appear semi-altricial; incapable of any complex coordination but have open eyes and are covered with down feathers. (Altricial means 'requiring nourishment' and refers to a pattern of growth and development in organisms which are incapable of moving around on their own soon after hatching or being born. The word is derived from the Latin root alere meaning 'to nurse, to rear, or to nourish', and refers to the need for young to be fed and taken care of for a long duration.)

Chicks will have rapid body growth until they are almost at adult body size, at which time they are capable of walking, flying and eating without parental help. While in the nest the female gives most of the parental care, protecting and taking care of the chicks. It is not unusual to have the male provide some food for the female and offspring, but his visits are short lived. Once a prey item is obtained for the nest, the female will tear off pieces and will feed the chicks till they are able to rip meat off on their own. Often the chicks will fight for possession of the offered morsel, the younger ones usually losing and not getting enough. Broad-winged Hawks will protect their nests in a show of agression (i.e. diving and chasing) towards any suspected threat, but they generally will not make physical contact. Predators of eggs and nestlings includes raccoons, crows, porcupines and American Black Bears, and adults have been known to fall to Great Horned Owls and Bald Eagles. It will take the hatchlings five to six weeks before they are able to leave the nest. Some young even after that time will remain in the area of the nest for several weeks more

TODAY'S FLOWERS # 173

2011-12-10T19:00:00.000-05:00

I am running out of flowers but I found these in my archives.

TODAY’S FLOWER’S was created by our good friend Luiz Santilli Jr.

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

Camera Critters - Short Video of Seals at La Jolla, California - September 2010

2011-12-09T14:10:00.004-05:00

Eureka! I have just joined the ranks of learning how to put a video on my blog again. It's been a long time and I am keeping my fingers crossed that this will work. It is one out of my archives, of several seals on the beach at La Jolla in California back in September 2010. There is a bit of a squiggle at the end where I forgot to turn my camera off, you'll hear me for a few seconds and fortunately you don't get a long bumpy ride before I realize I still have my camera on!

Please double-click on the video to enlarge it to your screen.

My thanks must go to the Crafty Gardener in Ontario, Canada whose post I read here about uploading a video to YouTube. I had tried to do this once before quite a while back, when the old way of uploading to blogger didn't work anymore. After reading CG's post I tried again, with a little more patience than I had that other time apparently, and was successful.

For other seal photos that I have taken, you can click on the tag below this post, entitled 'seals'.

Thank you Misty for hosting Camera Critters.

To see other fun critters please click here.

For the land.....

2011-12-09T08:21:00.003-05:00

For our family out in North Dakota, for our Loved Ones who are no longer with us and who dedicated their lives to their families and to their homesteads and farms, and for everyone who has worked the land, this is dedicated to you.

You may need to enlarge this to see the words more clearly.

Things that are going on at the beach.....

2011-12-08T08:41:00.007-05:00

I'm as usual taking photos of seagulls but Gregg has his eye on other things and all the other photos are his.

There were people jumping up in the air and he was trying to figure out what they were doing.

After looking at the photos on the computer at the end of the day, I suggested maybe a family Christmas Card? There was a lady taking their photographs and we watched as it took many 'takes' to get just one perfect shot. Those guys did a lot of jumping up and down while we were watching them, but they all looked like they were having a lot of fun doing it.

Even a UFO made it in Gregg's picture.....

After a few moments all the picture taking was done, or so they thought. Gregg spotted a future trapeze artist? A jet pilot? Whatever profession she might have one day, Daddy was throwing her high up in the air and she was loving it.

Phew!!! I'm glad she made it safely back into Daddy's arms. We could hear her squealing with delight all the way back to the boardwalk.

Beef and Vegetable Soup

2011-12-07T00:03:00.002-05:00

A windy, cold and rainy day here in northern Virginia.....

and thought a hot soup to put on the table was in order, which I found here. It's called a Victory Vegetable Soup but has meat added to it. We all probably have our favorite veggie soup recipes but I'm always looking for variety and this one turned out great.

Beef and Vegetable Soup

1 pkg. soup bones

1 lb. or more stewing beef, cut into small cubes

1 small onion

1 teaspoon or more salt and pepper to taste

1 large can tomatoes

6 springs parsley or flakes

2 cups chopped cabbage

1 package mixed frozen vegetables

1/2 package frozen okra

1/2 cup chopped celery

2 beef bouillon cubes

1 cup diced potatoes

3 quarts cold water

Put stewing beef, beef bones and onion in the 3 quarts of cold water. Add salt. Cover and cook slowly for two hours. Add vegetables and cook 1 hour longer. If using whole canned tomatoes break them up with a spoon, so that they will mix evenly into the soup.

Result: This makes a great tasting soup. Both Gregg and I thought it was delicious. We ate it again for supper tonight and when I suggested freezing the rest, he said let's leave it out, that he could eat this until its all gone. So, we have a winner.

You can obviously use any of your favorite vegetables, fresh or frozen, in case you think any of these choices are one of the 'dastardly' veggies.

For the soup bones I actually used marrow bones.

I also used Hunts mini-diced canned tomatoes.

I looked for fresh okra but the produce manager said he hadn't seen any in quite a while, so I bought it from the frozen section. I cannot remember the last time I used okra, but along with the cabbage this was a request from Gregg. He likes the nutty taste of it but to tell you the truth I couldn't taste it at all and thought it rather bland. But as the soup was full of flavor and I loved the taste of all the other vegetables, I didn't notice it much.

I use organic and natural foods as much as possible. I was at the post office the morning I intended to fix the soup and next door is Trader Joe's. I bought a packet of their frozen mixes of carrots, peas, corn and cauliflower which I used for my choice of frozen vegetables.

We both love potatoes, so I added a couple of extra cups of diced.

I topped it with freshly grated Parmesan Cheese.

I also had some Kerrigold Herb and Garlic Butter which I spread lightly on slices of a crusty loaf of bread from Wegman's. I grated Parmesan over the slices and broiled them in the oven. It makes a great garlic bread.

We actually gave this soup five stars.

Well, as you've probably gathered....

2011-12-06T13:42:00.003-05:00

I'm going through my owl phase right now. Found this very cute video on YouTube. Double-click to go to your computer's large screen.

Sleepy Owl

2011-12-06T00:03:00.002-05:00

Horses On The Beach

2011-12-05T14:48:00.014-05:00

More photos from our trip to Virginia Beach. I have never seen horse rides on the beach before, again at the latter part of the year when the main tourists have been and gone. The organizers seemed pretty busy, plenty of customers on such a warm, sunny day.

You can see the metal detector guys on the left of the photo below - there were a lot of those on the beach that day. I wonder if anyone found someone's lost piece of jewelry, a ring or bracelet, a watch maybe, some other trinket of value? Gregg says he's going to buy one of those things when he retires. Me? I'll be on that boat cruising along the beach, oh yes, now that sounds very nice. Or maybe we'll be in the wilderness on our mountain top? Oooooooooooo, oooo, oo, oooooo!!!!

On the way back home....

2011-12-05T00:03:00.001-05:00

when we were traveling north from Virginia Beach the Sunday after Thanksgiving, the freeway traffic was heavy and we decided after being stuck in several traffic jams, to get off and try the back road home.

We had been driving along for a while when I saw something out of the corner of my eye and when I turned my head it caused me to exclaim, "Oooooo, oooooooooo, oo, oo, oooooooo!" This is a signal to Gregg that I have momentarily lost the power of coherent speech because I have witnessed something absolutely extraordinary. The last time this happened I had caught my first sight of a moose ambling out of the wood on another back road when we were visiting the north west. It is now our family joke because I showed how I could lose all sense of what to do next and have to be told, "Don't you think it would be a good idea to pick up that camera?" All this with an expression that shows eyes that are big as saucers, finger pointing, jabbing towards that wondrous sight, and a mouth that can't utter anything else other than "Oooooo, oooooooooo, oo, oo, oooooooo!" My inner child has completely taken over.

This time, with a cloudless blue sky as their backdrop, I had spotted two Bald Eagles at a great height, talons locked and tumbling uncontrollably towards the ground. At the last minute they split apart. We could not stop and turn around. There was a lot of other traffic on that back road, we were all making our way home, flowing freely now with no traffic jam to contend with but nowhere safe enough to stop, and I craned my neck to try and get one last sight of them but by that time they had disappeared.

So, this amazing sight has to stay in my memory as there was no time to grab a camera and take a photo. Not sure I could have gotten a decent shot because this all transpired in a matter of seconds. I have seen such displays on my nature shows but never thought in a million years I would get to see one with my own eyes.

May we all be in awe of such wondrous sights and long may we all stay in touch with our inner child.

The following is a video I found on YouTube.

TODAY'S FLOWERS #172

2011-12-03T19:27:00.009-05:00

TODAY’S FLOWER’S was created by our good friend Luiz Santilli Jr.

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

Camera Critters # 191 - American Kestrel

2011-12-02T16:06:00.029-05:00

Meet "Little Guy!"

A few weeks ago I had an amazing opportunity to photograph birds used in the education program of the Raptor Conservancy of Virginia. If you would like to see my photos of the owls that were also included, you can click on the 'Raptor Conservancy of Virginia' label underneath this post.

It was the first time I had ever been as close as I was to these beautiful birds, and here is the American Kestrel. They all enthralled me and I loved them all but I found I had a special fondness for this one.

Little Guy's story is that he hit a window of the U.S. Capitol at high speed. Sadly he permanently damaged his wing and both eyes, but he is receiving a lot of love and attention at the Conservancy and has adapted to his new role of 'avian ambassador'. Before I became so interested in birds, I had no idea that each one had a personality. Little Guy showed his beautifully. He was very entertaining and very cooperative as we were told all about his kind.

If you have been visiting for a while, you may remember the photo above. I took a little liberty with it which you can see here if you care to check it out. In the photo below you can see how he fluffed his feathers out suddenly. I'm not sure why he displayed this behavior, maybe as simple as just wanting to stretch a bit. He did have a habit of bobbing his head up and down which we were told was a sign of pure contentment.

The American Kestrel (Falco sparverius), is sometimes known as the Sparrow Hawk, is the most common falcon in North America, and is found in a wide variety of habitats. It is a small falcon and the only kestrel found in the Americas

It is the smallest falcon in North America and is about 7 to 8 inches long (19-21 centimeters). It is about the size of a large thrush. The male weighs 3.6-4.2 oz. (103-120 grams) and the female 4.4-5.9 oz. (126-166 grams). Males have blue-grey wings with black spots and white undersides with black barring. The back is rufous with barring on the lower half. The belly and flanks are white with black spotting, and the tail is also rufous with a white or rufous tip and black subterminal band.

The back and wings of the female American Kestrel are rufous with dark brown barring, and the undersides are creamy to buff with heavy brown streaking. The tail is noticeably different from the male, being rufous in color, with numerous narrow, dark black bars.

Juveniles exhibit coloration patterns similar to the adults.

In both sexes the head is white with a bluish-grey top. There are also two narrow, vertical black facial markings on each side of the head, while other falcons have one. Two black spots (ocelli) can be found on each side of the white or orangish nape. The function of these spots is debated, but the most commonly accepted theory is that they act as 'false eyes', and help to protect the bird from potential attackers. The wings are moderately long, fairly narrow and taper to a point. While the kestrel is perched, the wingtips are noticeably shorter than the tail tip.

The American Kestrel hunts by hovering in the air with rapid wing beats or perching and scanning the ground for prey. Its diet typically consists of grasshoppers, lizards, mice and other small birds.

It nests in cavities in trees, cliffs, buildings and other structures.

The female lays three to seven eggs which both sexes help to incubate. Its breeding range extends from central and western Alaska across northern Canada to Nova Scotia, and south throughout North America, into central Mexico and the Caribbean.

It is a local breeder in Central America and is widely distributed throughout South America. Most birds breeding in Canada and northern United States migrate south in the winter, and it is an occasional visitor to western Europe.
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Thank you Little Guy, it was a great pleasure meeting you and the nice ladies who help take care of you.

Thank you Misty for hosting Camera Critters.

To see other fun critters please click here.

Here's to friendship.....

2011-12-01T22:22:00.002-05:00

Joyful!

2011-12-01T04:06:00.003-05:00

One of the most beautiful things in the world is to see a happy child, my humble opinion.

"While we try to teach our children about life,

Our children teach us what life is all about."

~Angela Schwindt ~

Dogs on the beach

2011-11-30T21:37:00.023-05:00

When we were in Virginia Beach last weekend Gregg and I headed for the main beach downtown. I can honestly say without hesitation that I have never seen so many dogs being walked. The weather was great and I had fun taking photos of the many different kinds of pooches that there were out there. I'm quick to add that I did not see any unsightly messes left behind. I didn't even see one dog do a doo-doo and if they did their owners must have diligently picked up after their four-legged friends.

During the summer months pets are not allowed in the mostly populated areas and you can find out where they are allowed if you click here. Virginia Beach seems to be very pet friendly.

There was even a removable paddock set up on the sand holding several horses. If you paid $30 you could take a half-hour ride on one. I'll have photos of people riding in another post.

An inspiring animal story and a good reminder to adopt from your local animal shelter.

2011-11-29T00:01:00.003-05:00

I thought I would share this story found on the Animal Planet website here.

"Dog Saves New Family Six Hours After Being Adopted

11.14.2011

A gentle giant named Hercules proved his worth as a loyal canine companion only six hours after being rescued from an animal shelter and brought home by Lee and Elizabeth Littler last Wednesday.

Just as the Littlers were preparing to take Hercules outside for a walk Wednesday night, the 135-pound Saint Bernard who had not made as much as a peep since being adopted that afternoon, started growling, plowed through their screen door and charged after an intruder trying to get into their house through their basement door!

Brave Hercules even managed to chomp on the man's ankle as he climbed a fence and got away. Police say the home's phone and cable lines had been cut. They have not yet found the man that Hercules chased away.

"When I saw Hercules for the first time I fell in love with him" Elizabeth Littler told ABC news. He is 75-pounds underweight and just, he looked awful beat up."

The Littlers initial intentions were to foster Hercules and find him a good home to keep him from being euthanized. But Hercules has officially earned himself a permanent home with the Littlers, his new forever family.

"To have adopted a dog six hours before the incident and have him already defending you with that resolve, it's amazing. If you show care and affection to your animals, they will return it," Lee told ABC news.

Yay for the Littlers for giving Hercules a new lease on life and what a wonderful testimonial to the innate loyalty of our canine companions.

Looking for your own Hercules? Visit Petfinder.com and see thousands of loving animals that would love to meet you and become part of your family."

You can read other animal stories if you click right here.

~~~~~~

"You think those dogs will not be in heaven? I tell you they will be there long before any of us."

~Robert Louis Stevenson~

Saw this flying just off the beach last Saturday.

2011-11-28T23:41:00.001-05:00

TODAY'S FLOWERS # 171

2011-11-26T18:00:00.001-05:00

Today I am sharing some photos taken on a walk around the Norfolk Botanical Garden a few weeks ago.

TODAY’S FLOWER’S was created by our good friend Luiz Santilli Jr.

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

Camera Critters

2011-11-26T00:03:00.002-05:00

The Day After Thanksgiving!

This is a little North American Kestrel I took photos of a couple of weeks' ago.

Thank you Misty for hosting such a wonderful site.

To see other fun critters please click here.

Tom and his Mrs.

2011-11-25T09:55:00.010-05:00

Greetings to all from Virginia Beach. We've had a great time enjoying the company of family, and had a super day when Celia and Gully hosted a very delicious holiday meal. Gregg's sister and brother, their families, nephews and nieces and our little great-niece, Celia's son Kenneth and friend David were there, and it was fun catching up with all. We have seen Kenneth several times before but this was the first time we met David, and that was lovely.

Tom is a regular visitor and for the first time I saw Mrs. Tom. Both stopped by yesterday to wish Celia a Happy Thanksgiving. I have posted about Tom before and Celia has been feeding him twice a day ever since he turned up on the doorstep. She takes excellent care of of him, and of all the animals that share in food that is put out, from the cats to the foxes to the raccoons to the possums to the squirrels, any who feast on the food that is left out last thing before going to bed.

Later on that evening.....

I hope all of you who were celebrating had

A Happy Thanksgiving yesterday.

~~~~~~~

Added note: the last photo was taken by Celia.

More Photos Of The Great Horned Owl

2011-11-22T00:00:00.000-05:00

Continuing from my other posts on these amazing birds, this is one of the young ladies who did a great job of introducing us to a selection of raptors, one of them being the Great Horned Owl.

The Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) is the most common owl in North and South America, and has adapted to a wide variety of habitats and climates. It has an average life span of 5 to 15 years in the wild but can live anywhere from fifteen to twenty-five years in captivity. His body is 18 to 25 inches (46 to 63 cm) and his wingspan is 3.3 to 4.8 feet (1 to 1.5 cm). His weight is 2 to 5.5 lbs. (1 to 2.5 kg). The male is smaller than the female and has a much lower-pitched call.

Its range is large as it can be found in North, Central and South America, from Arctic tree regions in the north, to the Straits of Magellan in the south. It lives in woodlands, along cliffs and canyons, and at the edge of forests.

Its coloring is great camouflage as it has brown, white, gray and black markings that look like the bark of a tree.Another way of recognizing the Great Horned Owl, is by the white patch on its throat.

As you might already know, owls have very good eyesight and excellent hearing that help it hunt at night. Its loosely packed feathers make it almost silent when flying. This makes it easier to sneak up on its prey. They also only see in black and white but their eyes are as large as humans and are 35 times more sensitive. They cannot move them up and down like we can, so they have developed the ability to rotate their heads approximately 270 degrees. They have 14 neck bones whereas humans have 7.

Adults have large tufts on the head. These are called "plumicorns" and resemble horns to some and catlike ears to others. Those tufts of feathers that stick up like ears aren't ears at all. No one really knows what they are for. An owl's ears are actually on the side of its head. When an owl is hunting and hears an animal, the sound of it is louder in one ear than in the other. This tells the owl that the animal is closer on that side. The owl turns its head until the sound is equally loud in both ears, then it knows it is facing the animal. They do not have a good sense of smell but their hearing is so acute that they can hear sounds 10 miles away.

The stiff feathers around the eyes act a lot like dish antennas. They reflect sound toward the ear openings.

The structure of an owl's foot is referred to as zygodactyl. This means that two of the toes face forward, while two face backwards. This enables the owls to capture and grasp prey with greater ease. Sometimes the third toe can be rotated forward into a position occasionally used for perching. Of all the owls, the Great Horned Owl has the strongest talons. About 30 pounds (13,000 grams) of force is required to release the owl's grip on an object.

The Great Horned Owl is nocturnal and hunts for small mammals like, mice, rabbits, squirrels and skunks. It also eats birds like ducks and quail. We were also told they have even been known to make off with cats if the opportunity presents itself. It can eat small prey whole but larger prey it will tear into pieces that it can swallow. It cannot digest hair, bone or feathers, so nature fixes that. It regurgitates the undigested parts in owl pellets -sorry if you've just had a meal. You can often tell what an owl has eaten by looking at these pellets.

In January and early February it is mating time for the Great Horned Owl. The male and female call to each other during courtship and also bob up and down and puff up to attract a mate. They use abandoned nests of other birds, usually hawks or crows. The female lays two to three eggs. She will raise one family each year. Both the male and female incubate the eggs and provide food for the owlets.

It is a very hardy species and can not only survive temperatures close to forty below zero, but it can sit in that frigid air while incubating those eggs, keeping them at a toasty 99 degrees F. (37 degrees C). A healthy bird's body temperature fluctuates more than a human's would, but a Great Horned Owl's body temperature in Minnesota during February, has been recorded from 100 degrees F (37.5 C) to 105 degrees F (40.4 degrees C). The owl's abundant, thick body feathers allow her to share her warmth with the eggs while keeping the frigid outside air out. Of course, her body is warming the eggs from above.

Would you like to know how it got its name? The scientific name comes from the Latin word 'bubo', which refers to an owl, and the Latinized name is for the state of Virginia, where the first specimen was taken for scientific collection. The common name refers to the large size of the bird and the feather tufts on its head.

This owl has also been called Big Hoot Owl, Cat Owl, Chicken Owl, Eagle Owl, Horned Owl and King Owl.
The Great Horned Owl can hoot, bark, chuckle, growl, hiss, screech, scream and clack its beak.

If crows, jays, magpies and songbirds find an owl roosting in their neighborhood, they will harass or 'mob' the owl until the owl finally decided to leave. This is undoubtedly because unwary crows or songbirds are likely to wind up as one of their snacks.

I have enjoyed learning about the Great Horned Owl. I am very grateful to The Raptor Conservancy of Virginia, and I look forward to attending another of their photo sessions in the not so distant future.

Once again I would like to wish all of you who are celebrating, A Very Happy Thanksgiving. To everyone else have a great week. This will be my last post until after the holiday.

A foody post with a bit of a ramble

2011-11-21T00:02:00.007-05:00

Saturday night Gregg and I had a very enjoyable evening listening to the American Festival Pops Orchestra at the Hylton Theatre Arts Center in Manassas. They performed a salute to our Veterans. We listened to patriotic music from WWI to the present day. There was a young lady who joined in for two or three of those songs, a soprano from the Washington National Opera. She sang beautifully.

I took the photos when we first arrived and the orchestra and audience were just beginning to seat themselves......

and Gregg was reading the program we had been given at the door.

There is also box seating up there.

We arrived a half hour early but it wasn't long before the performance began. Throughout I was very impressed with the conductor talking to his audience as though we were all sitting in his home, so naturally warm and friendly with a great sense of humor. He is the founder and artistic director and also Associate Director of George Mason's School of Music, who had brought together 60 very talented musicians from the DC metro area. He had his audience captivated as did this wonderful orchestra. We heard pieces originally composed by George M. Cohan, John Williams, Duke Ellington, Glen Miller and John Phillip Sousa.

High energy music for most of the evening, but there was a slow piece playing in the background as a letter going back to the Civil War was read by one of the conductor's neighbors, a two star army general. He spoke eloquently. The letter was written by a man called Sullivan Ballou to his wife, a soldier who was subsequently killed a week later at the First Battle of Bull Run. It was very moving and you can actually read that letter if you click here.

All round a fabulous evening and one we look forward to repeating at another concert in the not too distant future.

Earlier on in the day we went out for lunch. Gregg felt like a hamburger but I asked if we could find a new place, rather than go to the usual ones we've been to before.

I remembered several weeks ago our son told us about The Counter at the Reston Town Center. He had said the burgers were great and so we decided to drive over and give it a try, about a half hour drive.

When we looked at the menu we found the items a little pricier than usual, but everything was organic and I try to eat organic foods whenever I can. They have a set menu but you can also build your own burger, choosing the size, what kind of roll you want, any kind of topping, ticking all these off on a form you give to your waiter. He was very nice by the way and that's always a big plus. Much to our delight we both agreed that they were the best burgers we have had in a long, long time.

To be perfectly frank I couldn't decide what toppings to use on my burger, there were a lot of choices and when we go there again, I will not order the guacamole but go for the lettuce mix and the sundried tomatoes. I loved the roll and the blue cheese and the grilled onions, but I will probably also check the menu ahead of time so that I will be more prepared.

Gregg had a horseradish cheddar cheese, a slice of avocado and chopped red onions. He had a ranch dressing on the side. Of course he says the best topping is French's mustard, a true American Classic. I'm not a fan which I know he finds strange because he says a cheeseburger without French's mustard is like McDonald's without the golden arches. I said I don't think a classic burger has avocado on top either but we're both open to new taste sensations and we both like avocado.

We also added onion strings, rings or whatever they're called. They were good but a little too much food and the burger was more than enough. We will probably not get them again.

We probably won't be going here too often as it's just that much further away, but next time Gregg feels like a burger, it's definitely the place we'll head for. You can click here to check out their website.

Sunday was a quiet day. Gregg enjoyed his football games and I enjoyed relaxing and pottering around the house.

To those of you who are celebrating it this Thursday, I want to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving. May you all have a wonderful day with your loved ones.

This is nothing to do with the holiday but as I have been talking about food and it's been a while since I put a recipe on my blog, I thought I would add a dish that I made the other night. I got it off the Food TV Network. I am always hunting around for soup recipes now that the colder weather is here and we also have some tried and true favorites that I have been making for years, but an added bonus for this one is being able to prepare it first thing in the morning. By the time Gregg walked through the door the house was filled with a wonderful aroma. This is for the Slow Cooker (Crockpot) and I had everything inside the pot by 9.15 a.m.

The show is called "Quick Fix Meals with Robin Miller" and you can find the recipe right here.

Minestrone Soup with Pasta, Beans and Vegetables

Total time: 4 hours 15 minutes

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 4 hours 0 minutes

Yields: 4 servings.

Level: Easy

Ingredients:

3 cups reduced-sodium vegetable or chicken broth (I used vegetable)

1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 (15-ounce) can white Cannellini or Navy beans, drained

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

1 cup onion, chopped

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried sage

2 bay leaves

Salt and ground black pepper

2 cups cooked ditalini pasta

1 medium zucchini, chopped

2 cups coarsely chopped fresh or frozen spinach, defrosted

4 tablespoons grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

Basil sprigs for garnish (optional)

Directions:

In a slow cooker, combine broth, tomatoes, beans, carrots, celery, onion, thyme, sage, bay leaves, and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and black pepper. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours.

Thirty minutes before the soup is done cooking, add ditalini, zucchini and spinach. Cover and cook 30 more minutes. Remove bay leaves and season to taste with salt and black pepper.

Ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle Parmesan cheese over top. Garnish with basil if desired.

We both enjoyed the soup and it will be one I will be making again.

I had one request from Gregg, to use cabbage instead of spinach next time. He doesn't really like cooked spinach and I had thought that because it was part of many other ingredients that I could slip it on by, but I saw that he had left quite a lot of the dastardly green stuff in the bottom of his bowl, and he had actually picked out as much as he could. He also said it had taken 60 years for him to eat cooked spinach - meaning why would I cook it after all this time? Yes I am smiling. Every once in a while I try to camouflage said dastardly vegetable into a dish and we play this game, will he find it? I used to play the same game with beloved son, like all mothers have done at some point I'm sure. Sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't. This is one of the times it didn't.

The other thing I didn't do which I wish I had, was to thaw the packet of frozen spinach out before I put it into the pot. I took it out of the freezer last night and it was still a block of ice this morning. What I should have done was thaw it out in the microwave, or remember to take it out earlier to thaw in the fridge.

Also the carrots were cooked but what you would call crisp-tender. Some people like this - Gregg does - but I like my carrots totally cooked through, I don't enjoy the al dente effect. Now, did I alter the cooking time by putting in the frozen spinach? That could well have been the case. Or should I parboil the carrots before I put them in the crock-pot? Puts an extra couple of steps in there but wouldn't be too bad. I cooked this soup on low for 8 hours and maybe I should have cooked it on high. Everyone's crockpot is different. All this being said, I will be making this soup again as the broth and other ingredients were delicious. I will, however, be using cabbage next time and also making sure the carrots are cooked to the way I like them.

I had also made some cornbread and it went very well with this.

For those of you who have never had cornbread, I have included this recipe I found online. I took the easy way out and used Jiffy, a mix from a box. This is Gregg's favorite, his Mom used to make it for him. That's good enough for me, and he always has seconds. I remember the first time I ever tried it at one of my first meals when his Mom cooked for us as a married couple. It was delicious and what I thought was, "Hmmm, interesting, Americans actually eat cake with their main meal." Of course, it isn't 'cake' but it is on the sweeter side, more than bread. It's more crumbly, just like cake can be. Hence my confusion at the time because I hadn't been in this country long. I had experienced a lot of new taste sensations. Traditionally it is served with chicken or turkey. People will often make cornbread stuffing at Thanksgiving. You can find a recipe for that here.

The following recipe I have not made before but it does look good and it will be a change to make cornbread from scratch, which I have not done in a very long time, thanks to Jiffy. Jiffy has always been fail-proof. I got it here, from a blog called The Fresh Loaf, and the recipe also gives you a pretty good history of corn. For instance, did you know that it was first cultivated in southern Mexico 7,000 years ago?

Basic Cornbread

1 cup corn meal

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

1/3 vegetable oil

1 egg

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Combine dry ingredients in one bowl, wet ingredients in another. Combine the two and mix until just blended. Pour into greased pan. Use an 8 x 8 inch pan if you like it fairly (2 to 3 inches) thick or 13 x 9 inch pan if you like it thin. I used a 13 x 9 inch pan for the loaf pictured above, which produced a 1 inch thick loaf.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove and serve while still warm.

TODAY'S FLOWERS # 170

2011-11-20T00:05:00.000-05:00

Taken a few weeks ago when a few hardy flowers were still in bloom.

TODAY’S FLOWER’S was created by our good friend Luiz Santilli Jr.

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

Camera Critters - The Great Horned Owl

2011-11-18T14:49:00.011-05:00

It's been quite a while since I joined Camera Critters. I can honestly say I have missed looking at all these wonderful critters from around the world, and I am happy to be participating again.

This is a preview of my photographs when I had the opportunity to take shots of rescued owls and hawks last Saturday as shown in a few previous posts.

If you would like to hear the call of a Great Horned Owl, click on its name.

Thank you Misty, I truly have missed joining in. To see other fun critters please click here.

Owl in Flight

2011-11-18T00:03:00.003-05:00

My friend Anne let me know about this beautiful video. It was identified as an Eagle Owl. Thanks Anne!

Click on the picture to enjoy full screen on your computer.

White-Faced Scops Owl

2011-11-17T00:03:00.007-05:00

When I took these photos, I could not remember what kind of owl he was, so I searched for images on Google and the Scops Owl was the closest I came. I wrote to the Raptor Conservancy and they confirmed my identification. Here is what they wrote:

"The owl is a 1-year old male, white-faced scops owl. He was hatched and raised in New York State, but is a native to South Africa. There is an amazing amount of personality packed into the little guy; he is very aware of what is going on around him."

My thanks to the Conservancy for their quick reply.

This is my third owl post with pictures I took last Saturday. If you missed the others and would like to take a look you can see them here and here.

So, although this little bird had not been injured physically, I learned a long time ago that those birds kept in captivity or raised as a pet, are so imprinted with humans that it would be impossible for them to fend for themselves if released, as happens with any wildlife of course. I am still not sure if that is the case with this little fellow however as I don't know his full story.

All birds have a second eyelid that cleans and protects their eyes. It is called the nictitating membrane. Owls actually have three eyelids. They have a normal upper and lower eyelid, the upper closing when the owl blinks, and the lower closing up when the Owl is asleep. The third eyelid is the nictitating membrane, and is a thin layer of tissue that closes diagonally across the eye, from the inside to the outside. This cleans and protects the surface of the eye. Owls and hawks have large eyes that protrude and need constant cleaning. Any debris or dust blowing by will stick to the moist surface of the eye.

If you enlarge the collage of three photos above, you can see this membrane in a couple of them. I found some of this information on a great nature blog while trying to find information on the subject. It is called called 'All of Nature'. You can see the post I was reading here.

Of all an Owl's features, perhaps the most striking is its eyes. Large and forward facing, they may account for one to five percent of the Owl's body weight, depending on the species. The forward facing aspect of the eyes that give an Owl its 'wise' appearance, also give it a wide range of 'binocular' vision (seeing an object with both eyes at the same time). This means the owl can see objects in three dimensions (height, width, and depth), and can judge distances in a similar way to humans. The field of view for an owl is about 110 degrees, with about 70 degrees being 'binocular' vision. By comparison, humans have a field of view that covers 180 degrees, with 140 degrees being 'binocular'.

He was very cute. It was a little awkward getting to him because he had been placed on a branch not as easily accessible as the Screech Owl before him. Not a problem for most, only a few more feet into the trees but lots of fallen branches and wet leaves covering hidden, broken off ankle twisters and since my last bad sprain I am a bit nervous of uneven ground. But as I usually am when I see something I really want to take a photo of, I'll go pretty much anywhere and the nice thing about the shoot was that the two ladies wanted us to have as natural a background for our photographs as possible, which I was very grateful for. I have never actually seen an owl in their natural habitat.

I had been ankle deep in wet leaves, lots of overhanging vines and branches, and when one of the other group members came up behind me and said, "Excuse me but you have a spider on the back of your coat, may I remove it?" I answered calmly, "Oh please do!" After thanking the gentleman I looked at his hand and on it was the biggest daddy-long-legs I had ever seen. No it didn't phase me, 20 years ago it might have. However, here we are 20 years ahead of the scared little namby-pamby and this thought crossed my mind. I wished I had my macro lens to take its photo, but that was also in the boot of the car and I wasn't going back again to retrieve it.

Attention span diverted momentarily, I was instantly back to my little owl. I might have mentioned this before, that I can turn into a laser and become extremely focused and he was most definitely what I was focused on. I wended my way carefully towards him but not really caring what landed on me, and after 20 minutes or so I came away hoping that I had at least a few decent photos to show for my trouble.

This is the generalized anatomy of the owl. I found it online.

My Evening Visitor

2011-11-16T15:22:00.010-05:00

An interruption of my raptor photos to show you my visitor last night. We went to bed early but about an hour later I went downstairs to get a glass of water. As I passed the patio door I could just about make out a dark shape on the deck, and when I put the outside light on I was very surprised to see a raccoon munching on the bird seeds.

I always keep my camera at the ready on the side table, just in case. I haven't seen one around for ages but there he was. I said, "Well hello there." He must have very sharp hearing because he heard me and turned around.

All of a sudden he was pressing his nose up against the glass just staring at me, using his paws to anchor himself and we looked at each other for a few seconds. I was so shocked at the sudden closeness of this little fellow that I shook the camera as I pressed the shutter button, and of course it came out fuzzy. Oh well!

He must have decided I was no threat because he continued his munching.....

and after a while ambled off into the darkness. I went back to the kitchen, got my glass of water and took my camera upstairs to show Gregg.

I wonder how long he roamed the neighborhood before he went back to his den?

Yes my visitors make a bit of a mess, from the birds to the squirrels and now the raccoons, but to me they are so worth it. Now where did I put that broom?

Added note: as you know I always enjoy reading all your comments and I loved reading about blogging friends' experiences with the raccoons they have come into contact with. If you want a chuckle you can click on the comment button below. Yes they are little rascals.

Eastern Screech Owl (Red Morph)

2011-11-14T19:28:00.036-05:00

I mentioned in my previous post that last Saturday I had the opportunity to join a photographic session put on by the Raptor Conservancy in Falls Church. It was being held at the George Mason University Campus in Manassas, on the grounds of the Hylton Theater for the Arts.

My session started at 10.00 a.m. What a start to my day. I had driven two miles - thank goodness it wasn't any longer - when I looked on the passenger seat where I had placed my purse and my camera, and realized I had forgotten the tickets. So I turned around and drove back home. Wouldn't you know it and I thought I had been so organized as I had gotten everything else ready, right down to my choice of clothing, the night before. I had left the tickets on the kitchen table ready to pick up that morning. One of my mental notes, put them in my purse or actually on the seat of the car before I go to bed. I also am not a morning person and should make allowances.

Even though I had given myself lots of time, my unexpected turnaround put me behind schedule and when I got there I found that I still had to go inside the theater to show that I had turned up. The friendly chap at the door said, "You have to join everybody over there." "But I already have my tickets" I answered hopefully. He smiled patiently and said "That's great but have you paid your main entrance fee?" I should have known better shouldn't I? To add to the joy of the day he also said, "I hope you're not in the line for A-H." When I looked at my line, yes that was where I had to go. It was about three times as long as the others and there was a lot of grumbling around me as I joined the queue. People who had already been waiting a while were not happy. I was wishing my name had started with a V, W, X, Y or Z. There was no one waiting there.

I found out why I had the longest line - it didn't seem to be going anywhere very fast. When it was finally my turn they did not have any record of my name. Not to worry, they said a lot of people had had the same problem. Apparently it was not our lucky day if your name started from A to H. I finally was told that all was well but then was sent to the RCV table 'over there' to pick up my name badge, so that those outside could see that I was 'one of them', and I had paid for my ticket. At the time I didn't think of asking if there was a table plan, which there probably was somewhere. Remember I am not a morning person.

Good grief, sigh, sigh, sigh. Over there meant going from table to table to try and find the Raptor Conservancy of Virginia (RCV), and none of the other vendors knew where they were or were too busy to be bothered answering silly questions. It was a bit chaotic to say the least with lots of people milling around. and there was no way easy way of going back to the entrance to ask another silly question. I normally have loads of patience but found myself getting a little out of sorts. I did not have Gregg to help get me into my zen zone. He's so good at that.

I finally found them on the second level and by this time I was running late by about 20 minutes. However, once I had had a chat with the nice young lady who said, "You must be Denise", which took me aback and at my look of surprise she explained that I was the only person who hadn't signed on the dotted line yet. Oh joy, last one to the party. I said their names must all have started with V, W, X, Y or Z. She didn't get it and I wasn't hanging around to explain, so I smiled my thanks as I asked her where the session was being held. She gave me good directions.

Ten minutes later I was with my group......30 minutes late.....not so bad really......BUT online somewhere I had read that we would be about six feet from the birds and would not need a zoom lens. Thinking about carrying the extra weight I left it in the boot of the car and so I attached my regular lens. It didn't take me long to realize that I needed that zoom and I was mentally kicking myself for not being more prepared on so many levels. As fast as I could I half-ran, did not walk, back to the car, attached the 300 and half-ran, did not walk, back to my little owl......all done without falling flat on my face I might add. I don't have the greatest reputation for staying on my feet when I rush through life, so I have been trying to slow down and smell the roses.....

and this little guy made it all worthwhile. I soon forgot about what had gone on before as I returned to my zen state. Gregg would have been proud. Meeting "Fire", who didn't seem to mind me being so tardy, put my day back into kilter. Yes by this time I am smelling the roses. Many of the birds I met that day had sustained some kind of injury and sadly none of them would be able to return to the wild. Fire, if I identified him correctly from the Raptor Conservancy website, came to them in late 2003 after he had been hit by a car. It was determined that he could no longer be released back into the wild because of severe loss of vision in both eyes.

Doing a little research I found that the Eastern Screech Owl (Megascops asio) is the most common owl in the woodlands of eastern North America and is nocturnal. It often nests in tree cavities and nest boxes in close proximity to people. They grow to an average length of about nine inches, though the male of the species is roughly an inch shorter. The female has an average wingspan of 22 inches versus the male at 21 inches. The normal weight of the female is 7.3 ounces with the male near 7 ounces.

There are two color morphs of the Eastern Screech Owl, a gray phase and like "Fire", a rufous (reddish-brown) phase. It can be difficult to distinguish the Eastern from the Western species but the color of the bill will decide. Eastern Screech Owls have gray-green bills while Western Screech Owls gray to black bills. Their "call" can also separate the two species. The call of the Eastern male includes a long trill or a whinny during courtiship, while the females may hoot or bark while defending the nest.

Breeding season will normally begin around mid April but can start as early as mid March and continue into May, depending on the geographical location and temperatures. They nest almost exclusively in enlarged natural tree cavites but they will also use old Pileated Woodpecker and Northern Flicker cavities. They readily use owl and wood duck boxes. The female will lay between two and eight eggs. The period of incubation is normally 26 days following with the young fledging at 31 days.

The adult owl will remain in their home territory year-round, whereas the young will disperse in the fall. An interesting fact about the Screech Owl is that pairs are mostly monogamous and remain together for life. Some males, however, will mate with two different females. The second female may evict the first female, lay her own eggs in the nest and incubate both clutches.

I hope you've enjoyed meeting Fire. I certainly did as well as his other friends who followed him. I had bought two tickets, one for the owls at 10.00 a.m. and another for the hawks at 11.00 a.m., so there will be more posts to follow.

I also found out that the RCV will be coming back next year and am very happy about that. Next time I will remember my tickets and won't give myself an hour-and-a-half head start, I'll leave at the crack of dawn AND I won't believe anyone who tells me I won't need my zoom lens. Oh yes, I'm also thinking of changing my name to something beginning with Z.

I returned home via Starbucks where I treated myself to a cafe latte. The shot of caffeine did not alter my tranquil state and for the rest of the day I went through the dozens and dozens of photographs I had taken, organizing and resizing all of them.

Gregg was visiting Virginia Beach this past weekend and took his Dad for a ride on the Sunday morning, and the day before they were at a local restaurant. Good to hear and they all had a great time too. Gregg took a few photos which I will share later on.

An Owl

2011-11-13T18:40:00.005-05:00

"A Wise Old Owl"

Nursery rhyme and its history.

"The origins and history of "A Wise Old Owl" are vague, however its meaning isn't. Basically it would be told to children in an attempt to teach the child the virtue of being quiet. The words in the poem of "A Wise Old Owl" are derived from the saying 'a wise old owl' based on an owl's behavior, of watching and patiently waiting when hunting its prey. Legends concerning the owl are recorded in Greek, Celtic, Native American and Aborigine mythology. The owl is especially associated with wisdom in Greek mythology being linked with Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom. Athens is named from the Goddess Athena and its emblem is the owl. The owl was also for many years viewed as a sinister bird only hunting at night when only evil spirits and witches were abroad, hence the connection with a Witches Familiar (remember Harry's Potter's owl who was called Hedwig?) Therefore, the wise old owl's meaning might be, 'Children should be seen and not heard.'" Hard to imagine that sweet little owl in my picture, or any other for that matter, being once thought of as evil.

A while ago I learned of the Nature Visions Photography Expo taking place this past weekend in Manassas, and on Saturday I had the opportunity to photograph birds of prey from the Raptor Conservancy of Virginia. I had a marvelous time with a small group of people, as we took dozens and dozens of photographs of the beautiful owls and hawks in their care. It was an amazing experience. We were given about 20 minutes to be with each bird, under the condition that if they showed any stress, the session would be terminated. Fair enough. These birds had been through enough, all being injured and unable to be returned to the wild, and thus being used for educational purposes. The birds that I saw seemed pretty comfortable though and were obviously quite used to having people around. Their volunteer carers were ever watchful and it was written on their faces how much they loved being with their charges.

I will be showing more photographs of those birds in the days ahead.

TODAY'S FLOWERS # 169

2011-11-12T00:03:00.003-05:00

A camellia found blooming at The Norfolk Botanical Garden two weeks' ago. The garden is a great place for a walk at any time of the year. You can click here to go to their site.

TODAY’S FLOWER’S was created by our good friend Luiz Santilli Jr.

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

ASK THE ZEBRA

2011-11-11T00:03:00.001-05:00

“I asked the Zebra,

are you black with white stripes?

Or white with black stripes?

And the zebra asked me,

Are you good with bad habits?

Or are you bad with good habits?

Are you noisy with quiet times?

Or are you quiet with noisy times?

Are you happy with some sad days?

Or are you sad with some happy days?

Are you neat with some sloppy ways?

Or are you sloppy with some neat ways?

And on and on and on and on and on and on he went.

I’ll never ask a zebra about stripes...again.”

~Shel Silverstein~