A COUPLE OF OUR GARDEN FLOWERS

 

I was a bit worried about the flowers out front. We have had a lot of heavy rain lately and early this afternoon (7-1-25), a very loud thunderstorm. At the first opportunity I checked them out and am happy to say that, for the most part, they are hanging in there. There were no perfect petals, many had fallen off and only two of the plants have blooms right now, the Coneflower and the Ditch lily.

I am hoping to plant more of them as time goes on.

In the photo above you can see a hosta in the top right corner. I don't know what color of flower it will produce yet. 

"Happiness is to hold a flower in both hands."

~Japanese Proverb~

The above photos are mine. Hopefully with a few sunny days and lots of tender loving care, the others will be blooming soon. 

Great minds think alike as the old saying goes. Our son just sent me the rest of today’s photos on his walk, before I had finished my post. I told him I was just about to add my coneflower pictures from the garden. 

Whenever he and our daughter-in-law are out on a walk, they will often send photos. We are a photo-loving family and often send what we have taken. Photography is a favorite hobby we all share. If there is anything they know his dad would like, they send those too. Today he was on his own and saw the flowers which he knew I would love, as well as the little lending library, and what came with it. I love the fact that some dear person had put an umbrella over the box. A talented person also painted the word ‘peace’ on its pole. There are several who have added to the story garden, which brings a smile to most. I recognize Alice in Wonderland, the White Rabbit and the Mad Hatter. Our son and daughter-in-law have taken their own books to that little library. On our recent tidying up of things and opening of boxes, I found several old children's books I used to read to him when he was little. I have asked him to add them the next time they go that way. They are still in very good shape, almost like new.

These photos cheered me. It is an important reminder that there are still many kind people out there.

I asked him if I could share and he said absolutely. Thank you son!

And thank you for stopping by everyone.

I wish you all a great day!

ODDS AND BODS - 7/1/25 - HAPPY FIRST DAY OF THE MONTH

and as this tickled my funny bone.

The kitties are wondering if the rain is going to startup again. We have had a lot of the liquid sunshine in these parts, as well as hot and humid weather.  

I am still a bit tired. How about you? 

Time for breakfast! I think I will start off with blueberries.🫐 

Muffins maybe…

Or this one.

Or something I used to have when growing up, one of my mother’s desserts. I could easily eat this for breakfast.

I love cute and pretty art.

This week I am very much enjoying seeing the bees and loving any bee-art I find…

and butterflies. A different kind of art which I find lovely!

Here is an interesting word below. It is the wrong time of the year for fires, but I find sitting next to a crackling fire very soothing. A memory: I was on a road trip traveling to a family reunion and we were in Canada out in the boonies somewhere. My dear other half wasn’t able to go with us. This was long before retirement and he was working on an important deadline. And so, son and I joined the rest of the family on this wonderful adventure. We had stayed at a small rustic lodge mid-journey, and built a fire that evening, in a fire pit, on a sandy area next to a large lake. Our cabins were behind us. I was the last one to move from the fire. Everyone else had gone to bed. I could have stayed there all night listening to the crackling of those burning logs, and watching the smoke curling up and disappearing into the night sky but, the supply of logs was just about done, getting down to ashes and well, my thoughts were on bears and other night creatures. Finally, and reluctantly, I went to bed. This memory makes me smile and even after all these years, it is very soothing to me. 

After our dinner earlier, the owner of the lodge was going fishing the next day and he told us just to toss the keys on the table where we had eaten the night before. (We didn’t meet his wife as she was visiting her family.) He told us he never locked the doors, that he wouldn’t see us again as he would be leaving early. I heard a seaplane take off on the lake in the wee hours, and assumed it was our lodge keeper.  I was absolutely in awe of his trust in us.  

And this next one should be titled, those were the days…

and while we are on the subject, do any of you have those ring or similar doorbells\security cameras, and what do you think of them?  I am toying with the idea of getting one. I would also like to have an automatic floodlight in a couple of places around the house. I feel, apart from the obvious, if I find myself out there in the dark, I would like to see where I am going and not fall flat on my face. I have a strong flashlight but would like a larger coverage in case a fox or a raccoon is about. Yes, I know they would scurry off into the dark. Anyone who has them, I would love to know what you think. Thanks in advance!

As it’s my birthday month I thought this would be fun. An oldie we all know probably.

This week’s iPad Jigsaw Puzzle I put together.

How about a few wise words?

I am me and what you see is what you get.

…and again, having come across this and how it also tickled my funny bone…

So on that note my dear friends…

I thank you for looking at the whimsical side of me,

and I wish you all a very happy July.

With my thanks to Pinterest for today’s inspiration. 

NO MONDAY MORNING RECIPE POST, BUT A RESTAURANT.

 Another whole week has gone by, and I haven't made one new recipe. Our last meal was a salad. My dear other half fixed it. We had different tastes in our additions. This is mine: we both had the lettuce, sautéed mushrooms, sliced radishes with the miniature chicken and cilantro dumplings which had been dropped in boiling water to cook, plus a few blueberries and raspberries on mine. There’s also diced tomato in there somewhere. No dressing for me but dear man liked a little blue cheese dressing on his. We enjoyed them immensely and I think we will be eating a lot of salads this week with all the hot weather we are having.

I thought I would share a restaurant I mentioned in my daily journal shortly after we visited. March 20th, 2025 was the day we were there. (I will begin doing my journals again sometime, I miss doing them.) It had been my dear other half’s birthday a few days earlier and he wanted to try this restaurant after it was recommended by our son and daughter-in-law.

This is the Lazy Dog Restaurant and we were greeted by a sculpture in the window. We had come through the front doors into a small foyer. Beyond the glass window was the restaurant. I thought it would have been a dog, but I could see a horse's head made from metal parts.

Here is the view directly across the street.  We were in a large shopping area.

You can read a bit of its history here on Wikipedia.  The menu is quite extensive. I have added pages below and if you click on them, you can enlarge and hopefully be able to read what they have.

We were asked if we would like to sit inside or outside. Even though there was a little bit of a breeze, we felt it was nice enough to sit outside.  We were having a lovely beginning to the year and the weather was sunny if not hot. We were wearing sweaters and were very comfortable.

The appetizer above is what everyone was given. They were like crispy home-made potato chips. I ordered trout and Gregg the fish and chips, though no photo of his. 

We took a piece of cake home for us to share later, called Confetti Cake, and it was very good. 

When Gregg saw that I had written my blog post about this restaurant, he said he really liked the place and wants to go again. 

That's about it for today's food post. Thanks for looking and I hope your day is a good one.

HAPPY SUNDAY EVERYONE - WALNEY POND

 A favorite spot when we come here. There is a bench under the trees which offers welcoming shade. 

No sign of the beaver, and the beaver lodge nearby looks a bit dismantled. I am wondering if they have moved on. 

We have been thoroughly entertained on previous trips (not the last few times) and have watched them swimming and diving under the water. They are herbivores and like to eat the leaves, shoots, roots and even the seed capsules of the waterlilies. You can see them at this link from our visit in July 2021, which is where I found the above photo.

Looking across from the other side of the pond. The pathway goes all the way around.

We were here on the 19th June. The weather was lovely. I think the temperature was about 80 degrees. F. (26 degrees C. (?)). The heat didn't bother me as it wasn't humid. My dear other half, being a southern Virginia lad his whole life, let's just say the more heat and humidity, the better he likes it. It is the humidity that will turn me into a puddle. (As I type this at 2.29 p.m. on 6-25-25, it is currently 93 degrees F. (34 degrees C.) and I hear thunder - a few degrees cooler than yesterday. For the next few days we will be having thunderstorms and showers, so I don’t think we will be going for walks.

I have started using my cell phone full-time for photo taking. When I need to get a closer look to something far away, I ask Gregg for the camera with the zoom lens. He uses it mostly because a) he enjoys taking photos too and b) it's a bit too heavy for me to carry. He jokingly tells me he is my porter/Jeeves. He bought me a shorter lanyard for my phone that goes around my wrist, and I hardly notice it when I am walking along, until I need that photo. 

The plant is a Common buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis). The buttonbush is moderately toxic to humans and toxins can be found in the entire plant. It is a native to the United States and is a magnet for pollinators. Besides the bee you will find butterflies and hummingbirds enjoying the buttonbush.

The following is called Pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata) and native to the United States. It is found in marshes and along the borders of muddy ponds, which is where we found this one. I have only seen it grow in the wild but it can be cultivated for the garden or as a house plant. Also, it is non-toxic to humans and pets, not considered a weed and likes full sun. 

I always enjoy finding out the origins of plants name histories if I can. My plant app - PictureThis - says the name is a tribute to the 16th-century Italian botanist Giulio Pontedera. The genus name was given to recognize Pontedera's contributions to botany. 'Cordata' refers to the plant's heart-shaped leaves, with 'cordate' meaning heart-shaped in Latin. Commonly known as 'pickerelweed', it likely derives its name from its popularity as a hiding spot for pickerel, a type of fish, as they seek shelter amongst its leaves and stems in their natural aquatic habitat.

I have other photos but will share them another day.

Thanks for looking, and I hope your day is a great one.