Rideabout the Lake

Since it is difficult for me to walk a distance, I commandered the Mister to drive me and my "camera buddy" around the lake because I wanted to take pictures of the many rhododendron bushes that property owners have planted through the years. I have none here - what everyone has I don't want. It's a "Gere thing." I already missed taking shots of the beautiful lilac blooms in a neighbor's yard because it has been raining and windy all week. Now they are gone.  

"The rhododendron (rhododenron maximum) is undoubtedly the most conspicuous understory plant in the mountain forests of Pennsylvania. In ravines and hollows and along shaded watercourses it often grows so luxuriantly as to form almost impenetrable tangles. In June or early July, large clusters of showy blossoms, ranging from white to light rosy- pink, appear at the ends of the branchlets. People travel many miles to witness the magnificent show which is provided by the rhododendron at flowering time."

Link for more info.

These are my rideabout results. Next door they are deep pink. The white ones in the middle of the bush haven't yet opened.

Down the road on the backside of the lake are a couple of lavender bushes.

And back on the homestretch are two places with a mixture of pinkish red and lavender plantings.

Closer to the cabin you will see more humble flowers such as wild phlox and little buttercups. The best part for me is my beachfront with the iris.

And one VERY THIRSTY Fuchsia. It drinks three cups of water every day!

To top it off, the Canada Goose family is doing very well.

Don't forget to click on an image to view all larger!

Memorial Day Memories

It's a rainy day and it is still for remembering our veterans who have served our country in all branches of the armed forces. I'm very proud to be an American and hope you are too.

2016 Photo

Looking back, 60 years ago, this son was born and was in the 

United States Navy when a young man. 

Looking back, I cannot forget that our youngest son joined the 
United States Air Force 30 years ago!

Looking back, on this date 57 years ago, our sweet and beautiful 
daughter Missy came into this world.

Looking back, and I cannot forget that I fell and shattered my shoulder five years ago on Memorial Day weekend; just another kind of remembering.....

CLICK ON LINK TO MY VIDEO OF TWO YEARS AGO

The Iris Heard Me

So they popped out of their buds and became blooms! I only cut one for in-house viewing. Enjoy!

Following up on yesterday's baby information:

 And..believe it or not, THIS is the EXACT car seat my first children sat in to travel. 

Blooms, Butterflies and Baby

As the weather becomes warmer Mother Nature is on the move. The burgundy bearded iris by the porch are in bud and the ones down on the beachfront are really large this year. I look forward to their beauty. These are old ones, often called flags, most likely started as rhizomes from my parent's home and planted here many years ago. Do you know that Iris is the name for the Greek Goddess of the rainbow?

Photo taken May 26, 2017

Photo taken May 30, 2016

I'm also starting to see various butterflies here. This one seemed to be weak and might have just hatched but soon flew away. It is an Appalachian tiger swallowtail. 

And, today is my first child's birthday. She is 61 and was brought home to a little OLD one room chinked log cabin on the top of a hill in rural North New Jersey. I had to push her in her carriage along with the laundry, down the hill to the landlady's home to use the washer and then go back up to hang diapers and other things out on a long pulley clothesline.  She didn't have a crib. We had a nice carriage and we had a "car bed" for travel. We also had a bathinett for changing and bathing. I haven't had the ambition to scan some of those old photos but the memories remain very clearly for me. The following photos are from the internet and are just like what I had in 1956.

Oh and yes, I still have some of these diaper pins saved.

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Portulaca Grandiflora

I never heard them called Moss Roses but Hootin' Anni brought it to my attention and, sure enough that is another name for them. Rose Moss is another. 

Now I wish I had a large spot to plant them in the ground. I would have a huge flowerbed FULL of these beauties. They are POWERFUL! - and come in a gorgeous array of colors.

      please click on image to view larger      

They are also called Table Rose and are widely considered to be an edible plant! In some areas they are thought of as an invasive type of weed. Some weed, eh? It is also known as Sun Plant because it needs sunlight for the blossoms to open.

It was suggested to me that I don't fertilize them as it could only produce more leaves than blossoms and might even kill them.  OK I won't. I can't detect any fragrance but the colors overcome that lack.

One more thing, they can be toxic to cats and dogs if swallowed.

Flowers Doing Well...

My few flowers are really doing well. The Fuchsia had endured very cool nights and very windy conditions. What amazes me is that it needs to be watered almost every day and not just a dribble, either! 

The Martha Washington Geraniums seem to be happy in their new pot. 

Best of all the Portulaca are amazing and REALLY doing well. If I were younger, I would have a garden FULL of them!

  I picked a few of the annual Lily of the Valley flowers.  They were my mother's very favorite flower and fragrance. They grow here still - in the old flower beds surrounding the cabin front porch. She said it was her father's favorite flower.

Lily of the Valley symbolizes sweetness and humility and “You’ve Made My Life Complete” is the hidden message connected to the flower.

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A New Family

When I looked out on the lake this morning, what did I see? I saw a new family of Canada Geese. Thank goodness there are only two goslings but they are well protected by their parents. There is a resident lone goose on the lake that came near the family and the gander aggressively went into attack mode.  I never saw the goose sitting on the nest but sure am happy that not more than two have arrived - so far! They leave very messy droppings when they come up on the beachfront of ours and others. My air horn ought to do the trick this year instead of the pot lid being rapped with a spoon to chase them away. The photos below show them on the grassy dam.

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