Gigglin' in the Rain

It's been a dreary couple of days - a bit cooler, some rain, and mostly cloudy.  It was beginning to get me down.  Until I looked out back to see all of the daisies blooming, as well as the volunteer sunflower further unfolding.  How could I NOT be cheered up by these? 

These daisies suddenly were so top heavy that they are falling over!  I'll have to get something to help prop them up.  Do you see there are still a lot of buds that haven't opened yet?  More days of cheer to come!!

All of the daisies make me smile, but noticing how many, many, many buds there are makes me giggle in anticipation!

And the volunteer sunflower . . . love the geometric proportions and spiraling in the center, as well as the bright yellow against the dark green.  Should have done some cropping to get rid of the garden hose in the background, but that just didn't happen today!  Oops, also see my left shoe in the shot, as well as part of my purple top!

From the "aerial" shot, it looked more like the petals were flat.  As you can see, they aren't yet.  I liked this view, especially since the other volunteer sunflower was taller and I couldn't do the shot from above.  That was one of the times I really dislike being so short!

Slightly different angle, but I liked the yellow leaves from the redbud tree in the lawn in the background.

Not a greatly different angle, but I liked how this one shows off how the petals seem to almost swirl.  I get a sense of almost movement.  I also like the green of the leaves blending with the green of the grass as well as the yellow leaves in the background . . .

Now, would you believe I took all of these pics with my cell phone??  I am so happy to have decent pics from it since I have it with me almost all of the time.  It's a whole lot less cumbersome to tote around, but it does have its limitations.

The best suggestion I ever received (and I wish I could remember who told me) was that if you weren't satisfied with the pictures you were taking, to keep working on them with the camera you currently had until you were satisfied.  That was a good indication you were ready for an upgraded camera.  It's not the camera for the most part.  It's composition, lighting, shadow, and usually, timing.  Every time you take a new type of picture or try a different angle, composition, etc., it takes work to get it right.  I feel very blessed when all circumstances fall together and I get the picture I envisioned, or one better than I had anticipated.

I've been itching to get out and take pics, but I've been swamped again with "have to do" things that couldn't be put off.  After this week, I'm hoping it slows down a little and I can get back out on a regular basis.  I have a meeting regarding potential volunteer work with Goodwill Easter Seals, and I'm mailing in an application to be an Ambassador for Dogs for the Deaf.  Neither of those would be a lot of hours at any given time, but they'll give me opportunities to get out and learn new things and meet new people.

Volunteer?

It really shouldn't surprise me anymore when I notice some of the coincidental things in my life!  Yesterday I noticed that the daisies were beginning to bloom, so I had planned to get some more pics today, but different angles (and mostly the buds, not opened blooms).  Then I remembered I should check on the volunteer sunflower that had come up under another bird feeder.

And wouldn't you know, that sunflower is almost in full bloom, too.  Nothing odd about that, except that this past week, I offered my services for two volunteer opportunities.  Blooming volunteer sunflower, and I submitted applications to volunteer . . . bizarre!

 Yes, I have applied to volunteer for Goodwill Easter Seals as a reader for their visually impaired subscribers; they have special radios for those who can no longer read the printed word, and then offer regular radio programming of different periodicals being read (some live, some taped).

The other volunteer work would be with Dogs for the Deaf, but probably not on a regular basis (they are not local).  I found out about them from a service dog and her family that I follow on Facebook (Hattie's Helpers).  Hattie is a chocolate lab who is a hearing dog for her "Momma," Jen; Hattie alerts Jen to sounds like the phone or a knock on the door or the timer going off or the dryer buzzer sounding.  They work as a team and take care of each other.  Hattie has also picked up other sounds that she wasn't trained to alert Jen on - one being that irritating emergency broadcasting system testing alert.  Dogs for the Deaf rescues dogs from shelters and trains them as hearing service dogs.  There is typically a long wait for dogs, so the more the word gets out about them, I'm hoping the quicker they can get MORE dogs and get them trained and out for service.  Oh, and if the dogs turn out to not be the right fit for hearing dogs, they do not return them to the shelters; they take care of adopting them out!  I can't imagine what it must be like not to hear the things I take for granted.  Jen has said that she really didn't sleep well most nights because of all of the things she was afraid she might miss hearing while she slept - a smoke alarm, the phone, etc.  She credits Hattie with allowing her to relax a little and really begin to enjoy life and not worry so much.    Getting the word out about service dogs for the deaf?  Sounds like a lot of fun to me!

These daisy buds are so compact, it doesn't seem possible that they can hold the bloom that eventually unfolds.  How?!?!

I'm hoping that my new volunteer opportunities will also bloom into wonderful experiences that I enjoy in addition to helping others.  I'm looking forward to learning all kinds of new things and meeting new people, starting Tuesday, October 16th.

W W W Wegerzyn (I may have to rename it Againerzyn)

Really wanted to go out to Germantown MetroPark today, but when I got there, it was deserted.  So I decided to head over to Wegerzyn, again.  It was HOT, and I'm glad I made it a short trip!  I went to a different section, so hopefully I'm not duplicating shots.

No real commentary to the pics today; too hot to think about what my brain might have been stuck on for today's pics.  Just enjoy the nature shots in the comfort of your air conditioned domicile.

Everything's Comin' Up Daisies

What a weekend.  I'm ready for the week to begin so I can get some rest!  So much to do, and so little time to cram it all in.

I spent quite a bit of time on Saturday dealing with the procrastination regarding the lawn, particularly the back yard.  I picked up a couple of inexpensive items to help "tame" the hummingbird vine a bit (okay, so I'm going to try to trick it into becoming what I want it to be, not what it wants to do!), but the biggest job was just getting the mowing done.

The front yard is almost always pretty easy, and the back more difficult, especially since it takes longer to dry out after several days of rain.  BUT, by the time I made it to the back yard, I was absolutely thrilled to see one of my Shasta Daisies blooming.

I had planted these buggers last summer, and loved them while they bloomed.  I wish they had bloomed longer.

One of the reasons I planted a couple of different kind of daisies was because of a very special lady named Daisy who I had known since I was 4 years old.  That's a long time.

When we moved into our house, Daisy and her husband and three boys, already lived next door.  The family is present in so many memories of my childhood, especially before I started school.


Daisy (but I NEVER called her that to her face) ran a pre-school at the Baptist church around the corner from our houses; I went for pre-school, but not kindergarten.  That was before kindergarten was required, plus my brother went and I soaked up everything he brought home!  Then, once we were both in school, we went to the pre-school before school started, along w/ Daisy's boys, then we were sent off to our regular day of learning.


One thing we made as a craft at Christmas when I was in pre-school I've actually held on to.  It's not a big deal, and it's certainly not inspired artistically, but it meant a lot to me at the time, and it continues to hold very special meaning to me.

Of course, as the years went by, I saw less of Daisy and the rest of the family, so busy with my own trials and tribulations (yeah, right).  It wasn't until I was an adult that I really appreciated the example the parents next door set for the entire neighborhood.

Oh, there were definitely times there were issues between our family and theirs (and yes, the rumor that I chased their youngest son with a baseball bat because he wanted to kiss me is true; I was 5 and he was 6.  EWWW).  Yet, they never festered and grew into problems.  This was a family that faced life and all that was thrown at them head-on, trusting that God would see them through.

Daisy had several medical issues over the years, including a couple of bouts with a few different types of cancer.  Yet, she continued to be a caregiver for others as long as she could.  When Mom experienced a series of TIAs (mini-strokes) and had to be hospitalized, it was Daisy who approached me and encouraged me to join an organization called National Family Caregivers Association.  She had been a member of the group, and valued the information they provided, along with the encouragement for the caregivers.  She continued to support me as a caregiver as her own health declined.


Sadly, it's been a few years since Daisy passed.  I miss her every day I walk out the back door and look over into their yard.  Her love of life shone every single day, regardless of the troubles she was facing.


In the summer now, I anxiously look forward to the days my daisies are blooming.  They don't have the same zest for life or ability to care as Daisy did, but they are bright and sunny, and they remind me of a wonderful woman.  Every time I see a daisy, I am reminded of that long time blessing who taught me so much about being a good neighbor without saying a word.

Changing

Started out the day with a nice brisk 1.5 mile walk with a friend.  After doing some computer stuff, I vegged out reading and napping outside for about 45 minutes.  Then it was time to get some errands run before visiting Mom.  She was in a pretty good mood and we had a good visit.  Days like this are definitely priceless.


I did take a picture of one of the roses beginning to bloom before I headed out, and then again after I'd gotten back.  I was surprised how different the bloom looked after a few hours.

Morning (around 11:30 a.m.) above.  Evening (around 6:30 p.m.) below.

Just a few days ago, many of these branches were bare.  Love seeing all of the blooms on the mock orange!

My peonies are still holding back their blooms!  My backyard neighbor's peonies are blooming as nicely as Mr. B's are.  Mine are still waiting to open up.  I'm getting impatient.  Okay, I admit, I AM impatient.

One of my daisies has it's bud!!!  Trying to be patient to see these sunny flowers (and will have to talk about Mrs. B for those pics).

Grapevines, above and below.  Love the super tiny beady things (that's my technical term for it).  I'm hoping I remember where this was so I can figure out what they end up being (I would assume grapes, but I try not to assume too often)!

I liked all of the curves in the shot above, especially the two intertwining vines.  

I love and hate this plant (above and below).  It really doesn't look like much for most of the summer, but this plant came from my grandfather's garden, so it will stay.  It's a yucca plant, and the blooms are pretty, but those stalks are pretty darn tall, and when they fall over, a royal pain!

When I got home, I was VERY happy to see my packages had been delivered from Spring Hill Nursery.  Some more plants for the front yard where the rain doesn't hit the plants (Mother Hen and Chicks in two different colors), and another butterfly plant for the back yard (hummingbirds like them too!). 

And, finally (until fall when they will ship another Lilac plant!!), Keys of Heaven for the back yard to help attract hummingbirds.


So excited to be adding to the plants already established, and replacing a couple that didn't make it through the winter.  Having an idea of what I'd like the back yard to look like certainly helps!  I won't be sharing that until it's starting to take shape.


But, as excited as I was about the plants (both the new and the already established plants), I also had a bit of a reality check.


My favorite pre-15 year old niece has been having a lot of stomach problems for several months now.  Sharp pains in the abdomen, and frequently throwing up.  Yesterday she couldn't keep any solid food down, so the GI doc put her on a liquid diet; she still threw up.  They decided today to admit her to Children's Hospital to get her pumped up on liquids, and run some tests.  I'm praying that the doctors figure it out this time and she can get past it all.


I keep thinking back to those first two pictures today.  Just a couple of hours in between the photographs and such a difference in the bloom.  All during the spring and summer, the plants go through a series of changes, including losing their blooms and shutting down for the winter.  They need that down time to come back in the spring and share their beauty with us again.  

I'd forgotten this picture until I wrote the paragraph above it.  Don't know why I didn't include it before, but glad I had it to include now.

Why do we think we can do it all for as long as possible without losing our beauty?  We NEED to take time to recoup and recover so we can come back blooming again.  And, like some plants, with the proper care, we CAN bloom almost year round.  


God's creations are amazing; let's take care of all of them, including ourselves.