Friday, 15 August 2025
The apples most exposed to the sun are beginning to color. They’re also gaining size, and squeezing each other…or something that causes the apples to drop sporadically.
The apples on the ground are like magnets for the deer, munch munch. They stand around as at a buffet, munch munch, so there’s, uh-hem, a downstream effect—watch your step.
Thursday, 31 July 2025
Many Queen Anne’s lace flowers look like this.
Others have a small dark center, which is, I believe, a colored floret amidst the sea of white.
QAL is not a native plant, although widely distributed here in North America. In fact, I believe it’s designated a noxious weed here in Michigan.
Oh, my. 🤣
Wednesday, 30 July 2025
Somehow, these harebells looked bluer in person, although I rather like the purple-pink cast.
Keeping the bluer shade in mind, know that I was going to make some sort of (weak) joke about blue and gold being overshadowed by green green green pretty much everywhere else. Thus, we can say “Spartans win!,” no?
Saturday, 26 July 2025
We stopped at a rest area with well-tended flower beds, and I took over a dozen shots. Looking through them, I realized all were of yellow or yellow-orange specimens, except for two rather desiccated white daisies. Am I part bee?
When we crossed the bridge, ever a hugely important landmark when connecting two immense peninsulas, the sky looked strange. I figured there were smoke particles in the mix with humid air, but never smelled it…which I’m happy about.
I took a lake-bath about 8pm, to sluice off the sweat and bring my temperature down after doing assorted cottage-opening chores in the heat and humidity. Now the temp’s dropped to 72° and it feels heavenly. The humidity is down to 82, but it’ll be picking up through the night, to decrease again when the sun arrives. After tomorrow’s heat (outrageous high of 90°F predicted), the highs are supposed to moderate. I sure hope so.
Friday, 25 July 2025
I always get a bit excited to see this long-view of the mountains, even though the powerlines-strung-with-orange-caution-balls disrupts the skyscape, as it signals that we’re leaving the Piedmont…in short: we’re On The Road!
Not pretty enough? Here’re some asters at dusk three states to the north.
Thursday, 24 July 2025
I always found the common name for this, monkey grass, is jarring, but often I remember it better than the “real” name: liriope. Anyway, now’s its blooming season.
Saturday, 19 July 2025
We endured one of those fast gulley-washers this afternoon; it lasted maybe three minutes, of total deluge.
Wednesday, 16 July 2025
Universal reason #8 for out-of-focus photo: very hot-and-muggy, so I didn’t hang around to take a proper photograph, and not merely a snap.
Okay, admit it: you smiled (or at least thought about it inside).
Tuesday, 15 July 2025
Pop of color coleus. [Just darned pretty.]
Already! The seedy season is here.
Monday, 14 July 2025
Like gardenias and camellias, I was unfamiliar with caladiums when I moved to the deep south. I’ve never grown caladiums, although one time I planted them at the new house of friends.