YESTERDAY WE....

took a break from painting the room and did yard work.  

Finally got round to planting the coneflowers.  We couldn't plant in the spot I wanted as Gregg found a big rock, that I swear if we dug down deep enough, it probably would turn into a huge boulder.  There are so many of these in our yard, we keep hitting them whenever we try to plant anything.  

I tidied up the roses on the end of the house while Gregg worked in the front.  I also did some weeding until he told me to knock it off. I had that focused look on my face that told him I would be there til way past sundown, and truth be told I was getting tired.  There is a spot in the back where the weeds are taking over.  I need a scythe!  Okay, not that bad but you get the drift.  We also have to be very careful because there is poison ivy out back.  We had a professional come in after one nasty episode after Gregg did the weeding.  He had to make a trip to the doctor and it has made us wary of tackling it by ourselves.  However, the dreaded stuff is starting to come back and it has to be taken care of.

Back to painting today and back to weeding tomorrow. It is going to be in the 90s this week but last night it was lovely and cool, and we left the windows open.  Nothing like that sweet breeze for good sleeping, and we both slept like logs.

Earlier in the day we were out and about running errands.  The home gardening store, the supermarket and a new sandwich shop for lunch.  The day went by fast, so nothing too exciting but it was fun to us and good to get out.  

My photos today were taken in the front of the garden center where there was a small pond. They only had three koi swimming around but they were very pretty.  One was a solid dark color that was hard to make out as it was in a shaded area, but it had the prettiest smoky white tail fin.  I like koi, a beautiful fish and so pleasant to observe. 

I hope you all have a great day today.  Thanks again for all the wonderful comments you leave.  

I WENT TO THE GARDEN CENTER

I have been looking at our garden again, seeing what I can find to attract bees and butterflies.  A few days ago we visited a nearby garden center.  

I found the pretty frame above on my PIP app, the same app as I used for the collage in my previous post.

Not being that knowledgeable about such things, all I had to do was look at what they had in stock, and which flowers attracted the most bees.  However, I only bought one plant, a coneflower in a deep orange, almost red color, still to be planted at the side of the house where it will get plenty of sun.  

This is called a Pincushion Flower - Scabiosa columbaria - 'Butterfly Blue'.

I also took photos of a lot of other flowers I would like to add eventually.  It is a lovely place and fun to browse around, I will be going again soon.  The pretty flower below is the same photo as the top one in the frame, cropped.

Gaillardia - Blanket Flower

This is Agastache - 'Black Adder'.

Coneflowers

The Blanket Flower again.

I either forgot to or didn't see an ID on these.  At first I thought they were Ox Eye Daisies.  Noticing the yellow tinge on the leaves I looked on line.  The nearest I came to identifying them was a Banana Cream Shasta Daisy?

Because I am very happy with the quality of photos from my phone (and sometimes my iPAD), I didn't bother buying a point and shoot camera when my last one stopped working.  Most of the photos I take now are with my phone, unless I need the other one with the zoom lens when I am trying to take photos of birds and other wildlife.   

I have a few more photos from here, but as they are of a different theme I will share them next time.

FLOWERS AND A POEM

I'll plant and water, sow and weed,

Till not an inch of earth shows brown,

And take a vow of each small seed

To grow to greenness and renown:

And then some day you'll pass my way,

See gold and crimson, bell and star,

And catch my garden's soul, and say:

"How sweet these cottage gardens are."

~Edith Nesbit, the poem 'Seed-Time and Harvest from the Pomander of Verse, 1895~

MONDAY FOOD POST and the FIG AND OLIVE IN WASHINGTON DC

No recipe today but a restaurant we went to last
week called The Fig and Olive.  It was in a plaza above the underground parking lot we had found when in Washington DC.  We had already been to the convention center - see this post if you missed it - and were walking back to our car.  

We decided to have a late breakfast somewhere special to celebrate the Father's Day weekend, and found this place while walking to the elevator, which would take us down to our car.  The Plaza is close to Chinatown.  

The restaurant's description here reads: 

"Fig and Olive is about passion for the best olive oils, flavors and cuisine from the Riviera and Coastal regions of the South of France, Italy and Spain.  Our large variety of extra virgin olive oils was selected to be paired with each dish and to be offered for tasting at the beginning of each meal.

With locations in Los Angeles, New York and now DC, Fig and Olive brings the best of the Riviera to your table."

We weren't exactly dressed for this restaurant we thought.  I was wearing jeans and Gregg shorts.  However, when we looked through the window, there were people inside with similar clothing.  Throwing caution to the winds, in we went.  People seem to be dressing more casually these days.  No doubt the evening would bring in those who were more dressed up.

We decided on brunch.  The waiter, who was a very charming chap, asked us if we would like to try bread with a selection of olive oil.  He told us they were from Spain. We dipped our rosemary bread into each dish of olive oil and it was excellent.  

It was a hard choice ordering but Gregg opted for the omelette and....

I had the French Toast.

After discussing who was going to order a cocktail, Gregg said I should have one as he was driving.  We went back and forth and I told him he should have a cocktail and I could drive, that it was after all Father's Day but he said no, to go ahead and order what I wanted, he was adamant. Knowing his mind was made up I asked for a Bellini.  It was a drink I had never had before and was curious.  I was not dissappointed as it was refreshing and delicious.

The following you will find the drinks listed....

and the food.  There were more items but I only took photos of these that we were interested in.  The truth is I forgot my reading glasses at home and instead of asking Gregg to read the menu to me, I took photos so that I could magnify the menu on my phone.  It is not the first time I have forgotten my glasses.  I have done this several times before.

For special occasions and from our experience, I have no hesitation recommending this restaurant.  It is a very convenient location with the underground parking lot below the Plaza.  We had a very nice time and it was a lovely ending to a very special day in Washington DC.  

AN OLD FAMILY PHOTO

Gregg was at his Dad's house looking through old boxes of family photos.  There have been some treasures he has come across, ones of his mother he has never seen. 

 

This, however, is a mystery. There are no people here that we recognize. There were lots of photographs with nothing to identify them on the back.  A reminder to us both to start looking through the boxes of photos we have taken over the years (before the digital era).  We are guessing this was taken in the late 20s, early 30s.  I loved it!

I went on line and found the following poem.  Says it all for so many of our photos found.

"I love my family photos,

Such a simple treasure to me.

So many wonderful people

That are part of my history.

I look upon their faces,

My uncles, cousins and aunts.

I see myself in some of them,

The eyes...the smile...the stance.

Decked out in Sunday fashion,

They gathered for a quick snapshot.

Some clothes were made at home,

And some of them they bought.

And look at how far back they go,

To the horse and buggy days.

Perhaps we were not born yet,

Or were small with the past a haze.

Oh, look at Grandpa's trophies.

He tooks so very good.

He knew he was quite a hunter,

Though he wouldn't say out loud.

Let's not forget the animals

That helped to work the farm.

They too were part of our family

And had their special charm.

Just look at the family autos.

They had such class and style.

Yes, I love my family photos.

Come and look at them a while."

~Marilyn Lott~

Thank you Marilyn!

DRIVING HOME FROM WASHINGTON DC

Thank you for all the lovely comments you have left.  I will be answering them shortly.

After picking up our car from the underground parking lot at The Plaza, CityCenter, I took a few shots when driving through Washington DC on our way home.

The building in the photo below is the newest of the Smithsonian museums, The National Museum of African American History and Culture.  On our next trip into the city, it will be first on our list.  It opened in September 2016.

I have been taking photos of The Washington Monument for 41 years.  We started married life just outside of the city and brought our bikes in often, riding around all the monuments.  We rode for miles and miles.  Even though we have lived in several places on the East and West Coasts, we always seem to end up not too far away from Washington DC.

In the distance you can see The White House.

This is the Eccles Building, home of the Federal Reserve.

The statue of Albert Einstein had a lot of company that day.

And a quote by Albert, which I rather liked.
"Our task must be to free ourselves - by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty."

This building is part of the United States Institution of Peace.  

It is one of the newest buildings on Constitution Avenue, only about 10 years old.

We are driving by The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.  It is undergoing an expansion project.  I saw Swan Lake here when I first came to the States and a few years later, Madame Butterfly, a couple of other performances I can't remember.  I haven't attended any for a long time.

Here we are driving across the Potomac River via the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge.  The buildings are in Rosslyn.  When we cross we are back in Virginia.

It was a lovely day weather-wise.  Not too hot!

THE PLAZA, CENTERCITY, WASHINGTON DC

We had parked in an underground parking lot a few blocks away from the convention center.  Because there were thousands of people attending Awesome Con, I feel we were lucky getting a space in this one.  There are very good signs on each floor, indicating how many spaces are left.  Over each space is a light, red for not available, green for available.  When you are looking down a very long line of cars, that green light is clearly visible and you head towards it, hoping the space will stay empty until you can  reach it.  There are usually other cars driving around hoping for the same.  We drove into our 'green' spot and watched the light turn red as two cars passed by looking for their own green light.  



We took the elevator up into a large square (The Plaza, CityCenter) where there were shops and restaurants, and these lovely sculptures.   (We took our photos when we were heading back).

There are other sculptures around the city, and if you go to this site you can read all about them.

The artist is Hung Yi. 
From the above link you will read the following:

"Dromedary Camel (The Plaza at CityCenter) Hung Yi's Bactrian and Dromedary camels, aka two and one humped camels, represent travel, survival and journeying.  Bactrian, the two humped camel is named after the area once known as Bactria, or Central Asia, from where they originated.  Dromedary camels have one hump, and are native to African and Middle Eastern Deserts.  Not only did Hung Yi take two already unusual, almost mythical animals and make them even more wild and whimsical, he also is encouraging unity between the diverse cultures these two camels represent."

This link will give you even more information.

If you click on this you will learn what there is to see at the Plaza.  

In the following photo there are beachballs strung overhead.  These decorations change with the seasons.  The restaurant we went into was on the right just out of sight.

The same on the other side of the Plaza.

You can't really tell from the following photos but all those baubles are moving around at a fast rate of speed, up the wall, over your head and onto the other side, and then they appear again as if in a circular movement.  These also change design.  I saw a man floating through the air after this.  

I wish I had thought to take a video so that you could get a better idea of what it looks like. 

You can just about make out on the left the glass walls of the elevator shaft, which took us down into the parking area.  

Next time I will show you the views as we were heading out of the city.