End of May Garden Blooms

There are about a dozen oak leaf hydrangea plants scattered in the flower beds around our cottage. It is always astounding to see how quickly these plants grow during the month of May. Heavy, white blooms are now scattered among the handsome green foliage. They are simply gorgeous.

The Star of Gold daylilies are always eager to respond to the early summer weather. Our many other types of daylilies will be showing their fancy blooms next month. When I took this picture, I was surprised to capture a light glow in the bottom throat of the flower.

The French lavender bed is absolutely huge this year, with tall stalks of blooms reaching for the sky. The plants are not quite ready for their first harvest and may be ready in another week or two. I’ll be sure to share some photos before I start clipping away!

Bird Bottles

I hope that you are not tired of bird-related posts because I have another one! I wanted to get back with everyone about a previous mention of bird bottles. As shown above, we discovered these charming little bird houses when we visited Colonial Williamsburg in April. We love birds and like to have a variety of homes for them around our property. So we decided to add this type to our inventory, and purchased both a glazed clay bottle and a decorative delft style bottle. These unique bird houses can also be purchased online through the Williamsburg Marketplace, in the garden section.

An antique bird bottle was uncovered in the 1960s by an archaeologist in the James Geddy House yard of Colonial Williamsburg. The bulbous-shaped bottle was made on a potter’s wheel, turned horizontally, and then hung on a nail through a cutout in the bottom. The bottles are ideally hung under the eaves of a building, with the opening facing either east or west. There is a tab on the open end where a twig can be inserted for a perch. Martins and other small birds favor these bottles, and they earn their keep by eating flying insects like mosquitoes in the area.

After we got home from our journey, we hung our clay bottle on the inside eave of our bedroom porch (pictured above). As you can see from the twigs sticking out of the bottle, a house wren claimed it for a nesting site within a few days! It knew a good home when it saw this one! A transparent glaze over the reddish clay makes the bird bottle waterproof and provides some insulation. After the nesting season is over, these homes are also easy to clean and store. We added a little wooden dowel for a perch. But we found the dowel kept working its way out, so we eventually removed it.

I have been patiently waiting to capture a picture of the momma wren, and I was finally successful last week! There is a window seat in my home office which looks right out to this porch. After gently tapping on the glass to get momma’s attention, I was rewarded by this lovely pose. There must be growing babies in the nest because we have seen momma and papa wrens taking turns this week with food deliveries!

Memorial Day Remembrance

May we never forget our fallen war heroes who fought for our freedom.

And the Rest of the Chickadee Story

Thank you for everyone’s sweet comments about my recent chickadee pictures! How would you like to know more about the lovely birdhouse AND learn a little about the photography behind the pictures? A two-for-the-price-of-one kind of post? Oh my, I see a lot of hands raised up there! OK, get settled in your chairs and get ready to take some notes!

Hubby and I are fond of salt-glazed pottery. If we learn of a place that sells it in our travels, we make a point of visiting and shopping. On one of our many trips to the Lancaster area of Pennsylvania, we discovered the Eldreth Pottery showroom in Strasburg. We were immediately charmed by the style and ingenious design of their salt-glazed pottery birdhouses. At their store, they have so many hanging from the rafters, we found it difficult to decide which house we liked the best. Eventually, we decided to get a large and small one, both with floral designs. The one pictured above is the large birdhouse, and it was the residence of choice for the chickadee family.

If you don’t have a chance to visit to one of Eldreth Pottery’s three retail outlets, there is a small selection of their birdhouses for sale in the “outdoor” section of their web site. One design feature that we like is how the roof section lifts off for cleaning. There is a lip on the opening of the bottom half, and a metal hanging ring fits securely below it. With the first chickadee family raised and gone, we can easily clean out old nest and then wait for a second nesting season to start. During the winter, we store the birdhouses in the garage so that they do not crack in cold weather.

Now I will share with you a few photography tips behind the creation of new seasonal header featuring the cute baby chickadee. Of course, opportunities for shots like this particular example are largely due to the luck of timing. The picture above is the full-frame photo that I selected. I took about two dozen pictures in the course of about five minutes, and some of them I intentionally framed with the subject off-center, like this one, so that I could create a new blog header. I also made a few minor adjustments of the original file in Photoshop Elements, including cropping and the addition of text.

This one was among my top choices because of how the bird tilted its head, clearly looking in my direction. A light reflection in the crook of the tree in the background also provided a clear and distinct silhouette to the bird’s head. As I was taking pictures of the subject – the baby bird – I was mindful of what the background looked like so that there was contrast. I was slowly moving as I shot the series of pictures, working on the perspectives of the subject and the background. (And I also didn't want to startle the bird!) This is the first tip – know your subject and pay attention to the background so that it does not compete against your subject.

So how did I create that nice blurry background in this image example? I used two things in tandem while focusing on the subject: the f-stop and the focal length. The settings on my digital SLR were ISO-200, 1/80 second, f/5.6. And, I was using an 18-200 zoom lens. A small f-stop setting of 5.6 allowed more light into the camera and it decreased the depth of field. Additionally, the digital zoom was set on 200mm (equivalent of 300mm in 35mm format for film cameras). This setting flattens perspective, allowing the background to be much larger relative to the foreground. In contrast, if the zoom was set on 18mm focal length, the image would not only be wider in coverage, but more areas of the image would be in focus. This is the second tip – use your f-stop and focal length to your advantage.

Digital photography lets you learn much faster than film photography. You don’t have to break the piggybank on film and processing costs. And, you don’t have the time delay between when the image was taken and when you get a print back. By all means, experiment with your digital cameras! All it costs you is your time. Take notes while you take pictures. Set up a shot, mindful of your background, and take multiple images on different settings. Then check your pictures on the computer screen, while reviewing your notes. Have fun and learn!
Oh yes, and also sign up for periodic photo challenges by clicking on my sidebar link!

Photo Challenge: Doorways

Time for a new Brenda Photo Challenge! The theme is Doorways. Our current challenge hostess, Annie of Annie's Blog, picked the theme. Thank you, Annie! I love architecture, so it wasn’t too difficult for me to find a few doorways in my inventory of travel photographs.

Last November, we had a marvelous stay at the Beaumont Inn, located at Harrodsburg, Kentucky. Our guest suite was located in the stately Greystone Inn building, which dates back to 1931. What a grand entrance, don’t you think? The photo was taken at f/11 and 1/320 second.

This doorway is quite a bit more humble than the first example. It belongs to the Tan House of Hancock Shaker Village in Pittsfield, MA. The 2-1/2 story building of rubble masonry and frame with clapboarding was constructed in 1835. The structure originally served as a tannery and later served as the last blacksmith and forge shop of the Hancock village. Power for the machinery was supplied by a water turbine on the ground floor. The camera settings were f/5.6 and 1/125 second.

Small-town courthouses have a special charm in the United States, and the Moore County Courthouse in Lynchburg, Tennessee, is no exception. Grand wooden pediments top the courthouse doors, flanked by six-pointed stars. White painted woodwork contrasts brightly with the red brick of this 1885 building. The photo was taken at f/7.1 and 1/200 second.

A Chickadee's Tale

Time is swift, it races by;

Opportunities are born and die.
Still you wait and will not try –

A bird with wings who dares not rise and fly.

(A.A. Milne)

My sweet hubby alerted me this afternoon to a frenzy going on around one of our birdhouses. The baby chickadees were being encouraged by their noisy parents to leave the nest and spread their wings! I quickly grabbed my camera to capture some images before these dear creatures disappeared. This was the last fellow. I crept closer and closer to the birdhouse and successfully captured dozens of photos before he ducked back inside. After a few more moments, he was gone.

I was so happy with the impromptu photo shoot that I created a new blog header for the season. I hope you enjoy this magical moment, when a young life contemplates its new and unknown future.

Belated Thank You's

I won a couple of blog prizes a while ago and promptly thanked the givers. But it is long overdue for me to publicly acknowledge their generosity.

First of all, I won a cool beaded bookmark from Jeanette of Net on the Net! Ever since I got it, I have been using it as my bookmark of choice for the hardback books that I borrow from the library. She is a good friend who I met in the Photo Challenge about a year ago, and I have been following her blog ever since. Thank you, Jeanette!

Second, I won an Amish coloring book and crayons from Joni of Old Centennial Farmhouse! I plan to use a few of the drawings for redwork stitchery patterns, and then I will pass the book and crayons on to someone with children for their coloring fun. I started following Joni’s blog earlier this year. We share a common interest in country living and politics, LOL. Thank you, Joni!

Veggie Garden Progress

We got enough of a dry period last week to finally get the two vegetable gardens planted! Hooray! In the lower garden (near the back fence), we planted corn, watermelon, and winter squash. In the upper garden (near the kitchen side of the house), we planted tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, summer squash, beans, eggplant, and sunflowers. No sooner than we finished, here came a rain shower, saving us from having to water!

Time's Up!

I have been going through physical pain and mental turmoil ever since I fell last September. In that fall, my bad left knee bent to a degree that it had not experienced for many decades. Inflammation has set in and the bone-on-bone joint is now unstable. This knee has been tormenting me for quite some time, beginning with an encounter with a semi-tractor trailer rig at the tender age of 28, an event which broke both of my legs. Ouch. Knee surgery followed the next year, after I healed and learned how to walk again. Fast forward to about 8 years later, and I fell on unsecured metal grating at a power plant. Ouch again. More surgery gave me relief. But I always knew that it was a temporary fix.

You see, this left knee of mine has been living on borrowed time. And the time is finally up, thanks to its rapid decline from last year’s slip. I have successfully postponed knee replacement surgery for 20 years. During the intervening years, I was able to endure a physically demanding job as an environmental auditor at power plant facilities. I traveled with my sweet husband on countless trips, including three heli-hiking trips in the wilderness of the Canadian Rockies. I got physically fit for several years and enjoyed wearing clothes in single digits. And, I have done my share of landscaping and yard work for 17 years here at our large homestead. It is a wonder that I was able to do all of that!

I was hoping that I could postpone surgery until after the homestead was sold, and we got settled into a rental home or the villa home that we plan to build. However, sale of the homestead has taken too long. The first cortisone shot worked, but the second one did not. I am at the point now that my quality of life is greatly compromised, and I run the risk of falling and injuring myself further. Time is up.

I will begin medical preparation work in a couple of weeks and have surgery in late June. There are two things that I wish at this point. My first wish is that we don’t get into complications on selling the homestead. Once I go down this path, I will not be able to endure a move for a while. Physical therapy and recuperation will take top priority. My second wish is that I don’t have any complications from the surgery. Yes, I know that this is a common procedure, and everyone tells me stories of how their 70 and 80 year-old relatives do just fine. I appreciate the reassurances, but I don’t take complete comfort from those stories. They do hysterectomies every day too, but I still managed to get permanent phrenic nerve paralysis from that procedure several years ago. Complications can happen. I am wishing for better luck this time.

So, your kind thoughts and prayers are appreciated in the days ahead. Thank you, my blogging friends!

200th Post Celebration - Giveaway Winner!

Marty gave me nudge at the crack of dawn and reminded me that it was time to announce the prize winner for our 200th Post Celebration! He’s all jittery and bouncy, excited about the announcement. I swear that I am going to have to switch that little furball to decaf!

Oh my! All of the poignant comments that you posted about your pride in your country made me feel so happy and proud of YOU! The deep-felt expressions and personal stories of family sacrifices that you shared were awesome. It was like you have been bursting to tell someone, and excited that someone asked! Thank you to all who entered and opened up your hearts!

So without further ado, here is the name pulled out of the hat this morning by the esteemed blog greeter and carrot-eater:

Donna of Made in Heaven

Congratulations, Donna, on winning my handmade American flag ornament/scissor keeper! I’ll be mailing it out to you later on this week. Marty is so excited that he may jump into the package as well!

Happy Mother's Day!

Best wishes too all of the Moms out there! I would share a picture of my sweet Mom with you, but I think she would smack me if she ever found out! I will be calling her today and letting her chat about everything that is on her mind. She is a champion talker, and I am a champion listener. So it works out pretty well, LOL. She is having a lots of aches and pains these days, which comes with the territory after more than 8 decades. But she is doing remarkable well, all things considered.

God bless our Moms.

Photo Challenge: Circles

Time for a new Brenda Photo Challenge! The theme is Circles. Our current challenge hostess, Jeanette of Net on the Net, picked the theme. Thank you, Jeanette!

The Capitol building in Colonial Williamsburg is quite impressive. The structure has two round-shaped wings, each with large circular windows. We enjoyed a harpsichord concert one magical evening, with these round windows as a backdrop to the musician playing the role of Peter Pellum, an 18th century composer. Important history was made at this Capitol building. On May 15, 1776, Virginia’s legislators unanimously adopted a resolution declaring their independence from England, two months before the Continental Congress in Philadelphia adopted the Declaration of Independence.

The photo was taken at f/7.1, 1/100 second, and ISO 200.

These canteens hang in Colonial Williamsburg’s warehouse for military equipment and gunpowder. Known as the Magazine, this building dates back to 1716. Over the years, it has been used as a market place, church, and storage space for military supplies during the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the Civil War.

The camera settings were f/4.8, 1/13 second, and ISO 800.

I am making some lavender sachets and decided to use fabric yo-yos for embellishment. I picked an assortment from my fabric scrap pile, mostly consisting of hand-dyed Bali cotton, and quickly stitched up this lovely pile! Don’t these bright colors make your heart sing?

This photo was taken at f/5.6, 1/40 second, and ISO 200.

200th Post Celebration!

Marty has been keeping a close eye on my blogging tally, and he now tells me that it is time to celebrate my 200th post!

The direction of our country has been much on our minds lately, with governmental policies and actions wandering away from the original intentions of our founding fathers. But our patriotic spirit is alive and renewed, particularly after our trip last month to historical areas in Virginia, where the foundation of this grand country all began. Memorial Day is fast approaching and July 4th is just around the bend. Our brave military men and women fight and sacrifice daily to protect us and our allies from harm. I am proud to be an American. And there are no apologies here for my pride.

So I created a little giveaway prize that proudly displays the American flag! It shown as a little scissor-keeper in the above photo (scissors not included), but it can also be used as an ornament. I stitched it using a chart from a new Stars & Stripes booklet by the The Prairie Schooler, and finished it with a handmade twisted cord.

Here’s how to enter:

(1) Leave a comment on this post and tell me something that makes you proud of your country.
(2) For an additional entry, snag my celebration photo and put it on your blog with a link back to this post. Be sure to tell me in your posted comment if you have done this!
(3) If you enter and follow my blog, you will get a third entry!
(4) Entries outside the U.S. will be accepted. However, only entries from bloggers with active web sites will be eligible.

The last day to enter is Monday, May 11. Good luck everyone, and thank you for your friendship!

Busy at the Nest

Even though it has been raining nearly every day for the past couple of weeks, it seems like we have been incredibly busy here at the homestead. We have had quite a few interruptions for house showings (it’s that time of year!), and those consume a lot of time. We still don’t have the vegetable gardens planted, and it seems that the ground won’t be dry enough until perhaps next week. Thank goodness I got the flowers planted when I did. Despite all the sogginess, we are enjoying a spectacular spring!

Since this is an especially busy time of year for us, if you don’t see a post for a while, please check over at Twitter (see the link on my sidebar). It will show that I have not gone on a bender or been put in the poky, LOL. I am posting little tweets now and then so that my friends can discover my day-to-day innocent mischief or ruminations.

Speaking of tweets, we have a little feathered friend who has taken up residence on our bedroom porch. We fell in love with the bird bottles we saw in Colonial Williamsburg, and two of the bottles came home with us. We went ahead and hung one up on our bedroom porch to see if a bird would discover and claim it. After a couple of days, we found a little Carolina wren building a nest in the bottle! I have a window from my office that looks out onto this porch, so I hope to catch a picture of it and share in the days ahead.

I know everyone is waiting patiently to see my pictures of Colonial Williamsburg. Yes, it is on my growing “to do” list! It will take me a bit of time because I plan to do a Photobucket slide show of about 40-50 pictures. It will be hard to decide which ones to share!

Last but not least, my very next post will be number 200! So that means I will be having a giveaway to celebrate! I have made something special for a blogging friend to win. So please check back here and enter, OK?

Appomattox Court House National Historic Park

On our recent trip to Colonial Williamsburg, we stopped at Appomattox Court House National Historic Park. Located in middle Virginia, this is a hallowed Civil War site.

On April 9, 1865, Robert E. Lee, commanding general of the Army of Northern Virginia, surrendered his men to Ulysses S. Grant, general-in-chief of all U.S. forces. Though several Confederate armies remained in the field, Lee’s surrender signaled the end of the Southern States’ attempt create a separate nation. Three days later, Lee’s men marched before the Union Army, laid down their flags, stacked their weapons, and then began their journeys home.

When Generals Grant and Lee sat down in the parlor of the McLean home, Grant asked only that the Confederates pledge not to take up arms against the U.S. Conferderate officers were allowed to keep their side arms and any solider who owned a horse was allowed to take it home as well. The surrender terms were used as a model for the other surrenders that would soon follow. When Lee mentioned that his men had been without rations for several days, Grant arranged for 25,000 rations to be sent to the hungry men. The characters of Lee and Grant were of such a high order that the surrender has been called “The Gentlemen’s Agreement”.

It was an overcast day when we visited, and the dark clouds added to the somberness of the old village. We could feel the history and spirits around us as we walked the grounds and toured the restored buildings. If you have any interest in Civil War history, this site should undoubtedly be on your list of places to visit.

Please click on the link below to view a slideshow of some of my photographs. Enjoy!

Appomattox Slide Show

May - A Look Ahead

May? Already? I can’t believe how fast the spring season is zipping by! It seems that the landscaping is changing every day.

The purple and white iris are blooming. New leaves are covering the trees along the driveway and around the house. About a foot of new growth has appeared on the holly bushes. A hummingbird arrived and is presently enjoying a solo dining experience at the feeders. The birds are busy gathering materials for making their nests in the trees and our bird boxes. The hosta plants have sprung alive from their winter’s nap. The Spanish lavender is blooming and the French lavender is greening up rapidly. The rose bushes are blooming and the daylilies will start in a few weeks. The front porch furniture requires routine cleaning to remove the pollen. Yes, the winter season is now a distant memory.

The primary focus this month will be maintaining the landscaping and getting the vegetable gardens planted. We will plant the two gardens as soon as this latest batch of rains moves on through. We started mowing last month, and frequent mowing will be in store for us this month also as the grass does its early growth spurt.

We do not have any vacation trips planned this month. I am still recovering from the one last month, LOL! For now, I plan to pamper my knee as much as possible. I cannot get another cortisone shot until mid-June. I am doing some soul searching to decide if I need to move up joint replacement surgery to “sooner” rather than “later”. Chronic pain and a cane have been a way of life for me lately, and I am NOT very content about it. I am running out of time and options.

The homestead continues to be for sale. We have learned our lessons on patience. We are waiting for our contingency buyers to sell their home, and we have several new prospects now that spring has arrived. Time marches on and we continue to live our lives, never knowing what tomorrow may bring.

I am enjoying my new Nikon D90 camera and zoom lens! It is on my “to do” list for the month to further read the instruction manual (past page 32, LOL) and learn more about its features and its true potential. I also plan to get a few Photoshop Elements books and teach myself about more photo editing techniques. Are you ready for better pictures from me? Yes, I believe I can do better! You will be seeing more of my vacation photographs this month too.

I am looking at my blog posting count and see that I will very soon approach the magic 200 number! Gee whiz, I am WAY more talkative online than I am in real life! I will have some kind of giveaway to celebrate the occasion. Now, I just have to figure out what to offer!

This will be a good month for visiting with friends. An internet friend from Canada will be visiting our area next week, and we are looking forward to visiting with her and her special fellow. I also plan to get together with other friends this month and catch up with their latest news.

I’m ready for a busy month!