FLOWERS AND ANSWERS

Asters and Coneflowers

The answers to yesterday's questions.



1.  What is the highest mountain in the world?
Answer: Mount Everest in Nepal and Tibet is 29,028 feet above sea level.  The five highest mountains in the world are in the Himalayas.


2. What is the highest point in North America?
Answer: Mt. Denali in Alaska, at 20,310 feet, is the highest mountain on the continent.  It was also called Mt. McKinley, but the peak has always been known by the Athabascan name of Denali, which means "The High One" or "The Great One".  (Although my book says the elevation is 20,320 feet, I have since read other numbers.  However, in June 2015, a survey expedition used modern GPS equipment and methods, along with a better geoid model, to determine a new elevation of 20,310 feet, which is why I changed the original number.  So, there you go, my advice is to always check on everything, even though you have read it in a book.  Read several books if interested and cross reference them all to get the correct answer.  I have a voracious curiosity to get to the truth, and I'd say the same for every answer I give.  I'm just not doing that today for the rest as am still having iffy internet connections.)



3.  What is the highest point in the 48-contiguous United States?
Answer: The summit of Mt. Whitney in California is 14,494 feet above sea level.


4.  What is the lowest point on land in North America?
Answer: Death Valley, also in California, bottoms out at 282 feet below sea level.


5.  What is the lowest point on land in the world?
Answer: Earth's lowest point on land is the Dead Sea in Israel and Jordan, which is 1,312 feet below sea level.

I hope you've enjoyed this.  I think I will do this once a month.

TO LIVE CONTENT...

(Hayden Valley in Yellowstone National Park)

To live content with small means,

To seek elegance rather than luxury,

And refinement rather than fashion,

To be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not rich,

To study hard, think quietly, talk gently, and frankly,

To listen to stars and birds, babes and sages 

With open heart,

To bear all cheerfully, do all bravely, 

Await occasions,

Hurry never - 

In a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, 

Grow up through the common.  

This is to be my symphony.

by

~William Ellery Channing~

My Symphony

GOSIA'S FENCES AROUND THE WORLD

My contribution to Fences Around the World.  Thank you for hosting Gosia!

More Virginia countryside from some time ago.

If you would like to see other Fences Around the World, or join in with your own, you will find the link here.  

Thank you for looking and 

I wish you all a very happy and safe weekend.

TRAVEL THE WORLD...

Travel the world and you'll surely come to see

Ev'rything there is a part of you and me

Never let doubt put you in a spin

Ev'rything out is a part of in

Ev'rything wants you complete as you can be.

We each are meant to share our song

You'll find it sang within you all along

Small but strong.

Imagine that world stretching far and wide

Needing that song that you hold inside

Needing your gift to complete a grand design

Offer your gift to the world

And watch it shine.

~Lyrics by John Bucchino~

Music by Ian Fraser

From Simeon's Gift

You can read all about Simeon's Gift

 on this blog.  Click on the red lettering

if interested.

I have a book in my collection of 

"Julie Andrews Collection of Poems, Songs and Lullabies."  Its first edition was in 2009 and I think I have had it for as long.  I love the poems inside and when I remember that it is there, I take it off the bookshelf and start rereading them.  

So, there I was, dusting off the bookshelf again, and I picked up my copy.  It had been a while and it stopped me in mid swipe.  I went to sit down in my favorite corner, to start reading, dusting forgotten for the time being.  I had already put the kettle on as it was time for a cup of tea, and a good read.  The dusting can wait don't you think?

I picked this piece for my post today.  I also was curious about the title and truthfully I don't remember the story, but sometimes I just need to give the old brain box a dusting too.  Always good to get that refresher.  The link in red lettering above will take you to a review of Simeon's Song. 

SUSPENDED!

My title for this photo is an apt metaphor for life right now.   

"Better to be busy than be busy worrying."
~Angela Lansbury~

Take good care of yourselves, and I am very grateful for all my blogging friends out there.

THE PEACOCKS CONTINUED...

These photos were taken in the summer of 

2015, at Paignton Zoo in Devonshire.  

('Paignton' is one of those words with a silent 'g', and is pronounced Painton.)

When my father retired in 1965 my parents moved to Devonshire.  I had one year of schooling to complete and that school was opposite the zoo.  I walked by the zoo twice a day, the second time on my way into town back to the bus station, where I rode a bus home.  

After I married I went home as often as I could to visit my parents.  This was usually when hubby was on a six month, sometimes 8 month deployment.  If my parents didn't visit us for the summer, then I would take our son and we would stay with them. We all had a fun time visiting the zoo. It seems another lifetime ago now with a lot of great memories.  

 On this occasion in 2015, hubby and I were with my niece and nephew.  My niece remembered visiting the zoo with her parents when she was little, so there was a lot of nostalgia for both of us. 

 The peacocks were putting on quite a display I remember, which was one of the many things that made our visit memorable, along with talking about the old days.  As I was putting this post together, hubby and I enjoyed some of those memories.  We were sorting through a few things and came across a box of old photos, which gave me the idea for today’s (and yesterday’s) post.

Two maps to show you the location of Paignton.  Just like in many other areas, it looks like a lot of places are closed right now.

FINE FEATHERED PEACOCK

GOSIA'S FENCES AROUND THE WORLD

These are various fence post photos taken while driving around. 

 The above and below photos were taken while driving in the Virginia countryside.

Next is an old iron fence surrounding a churchyard in Norfolk (Virginia).

 A nod to our British friends, I am one day late but I wish you a Happy Saint George's Day. My photo was taken in Jamestown (Virginia), where the first permanent English settlement was established.  If you click on the red lettering above, it is a link to more information.

Thank you for hosting Gosia.  If you would like to see other Fences Around the World, or join in with your own, you will find the link here.  

  

FROM THE ARCHIVES...A LITTLE DIPLOMACY GOES A LONG WAY

On these days of sheltering in place, I am enjoying going through old posts.  This one is from a very hot day in July 2013.  And so we begin.

Yes I am still feeding them. The squirrels are delighted, though I haven't bought any peanuts for a while, just sunflower seeds. There is a bit of a mess outside on the deck right now.

This little one seemed a bit out of sorts that day.

Oh dear!

And diplomacy too. Look at his tail Mr. Chipmunk, isn't it a fine looking tail?

He's thinking about it.

Now here's a case of the pot calling the kettle black. It never fails after eating a healthy helping of seeds, for the squirrels to collapse on the deck rail in such a pose as this. But then don't we all sometimes feel the need to nap after a bigger than normal meal?

And let's not forget to put out a cool, fresh dish of water outside for our furry and feathered friends. They need it at all times, but especially in very hot weather. 

And as I remember how hot it was that day, I could do with a little bit more heat.  Won't be long now.

Thanks for looking and enjoy the rest of your week.

REVISITING A POEM ABOUT THE OPEN ROAD

This photo is from a summer road trip we took back in August and September of 2013.   It is fun for me to look back to see a previous post from a few years ago.  We were driving across country.

A Little Further

by

Berton Braley

The reason I never can quit the road

Is a reason that's plain and clear.

It's because no matter where I may stop

And whether it's far or near

There's a place beyond the place I am

Wherever I may be at,

And then beyond is a place beyond

And the world beyond all that!

And as long as a man has eyes to see

And a brain that wants to know,

I figure there's things he's bound to miss

If he doesn't go on and go;

For there's always a place beyond the place

I happen to hang my hat,

And another place beyond that place

And the world beyond all that.

There's some folks stay in a single spot

Or a town of which they're fond,

And never worry a little bit

At the thought of a place beyond;

But the place beyond the place beyond

Won't never let me rest,

For there's a sort of a kind of urge

That's burning within my breast.

To go and go till the end of life,

And when I've left it flat,

Go on beyond the place beyond;

And the universe after that.

A FEW FLOWERS FOR YOU TODAY

I love to look at the Water Lilies when they are blooming.  When the lily pads cover the whole pond where we go, it's a sight to behold.

Purple Clematis is another wonderful flower.  They were climbing all over a trellis at Meadowlark Gardens.  In fact, all these flowers came from there, except the last two.

These Lilies grow at the edge of the lake.  The name is derived from the flower which has the meaning of "pure", "passion" and "rebirth".  Lily is short for Lillian, Liliana or Lilith.  It might be derived from the Greek word "louloudi" which means flower.

I thought these were the Pom Pom Hydrangea but I discovered another called Smooth Hydrangea.  As compared to any common hydrangea, the flowers are denser in this plant.  This makes the flower ball look full and smooth, like a snowball, so it is called smooth hydrangea.  You will have to make your own mind up as I am still betwixt and between.

Coneflowers but I don't see too many bees and butterflies in this picture.

Purple Coneflowers, its genus name, Echinacea, means 'spiny', because its flowers are especially like a prickly sea urchin, which also has the same genus name.  Some people think its flowers resemble petals around pinecones, and so this genus is called the Coneflower.  

These Hostas grow in front of our house.  There are more than 6,000 name varieties.  I think mine is the Hosta Patriot.  They need to be split and spread around a bit.  I love them but then so do the ants and the leaves take a beating every year.  If you have a non-toxic, non-pesticide answer to get rid of them, I would love to know.
"Politeness is the flower of humanity."
~Joseph Joubert~