Juniper Berries (338/365)

“Lady, three white leopards sat under a juniper-tree
In the cool of the day, having fed to satiety…”
 
T.S. (Thomas Stearns) Eliot (1888-1965), Anglo-American critic, poet. Ash Wednesday (l. 42-47). . . Oxford Book of American Verse, The. F. O. Matthiessen, ed. (1950) Oxford University Press.

TIME:  9:38 AM
PLACE:  Around town
SUBJECT:  Juniper berries

HH and I went to breakfast again while the children were at Sunday School.  As we were leaving, I grabbed this shot of the berries on the red cedar juniper planted outside the restaurant.  The rest of the day consisted of climbing into the attic to get the Christmas decorations down (because of the nagging urging of SD) and spending waaay too much time getting the tree up and the lights on it – this included a trip to K-mart to purchase two new sets of lights, because 5 of the sets I had wouldn’t work.  I decided I didn’t want to spend my time going through 750 lights (5 sets x 150 bulbs) to determine which one was loose.  Yes…I replaced the fuses first…stupid lights.

Spider Web (219/365)

“The means to gain happiness is to throw out from oneself like a spider in all directions an adhesive web of love, and to catch in it all that comes”

Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy (Russian moral Thinker, Novelist and Philosopher. 1828-1910)

TIME:  7:00 PM
PLACE:  Dr. Tom Amlung Nature Trail
SUBJECT:  Spider web

I rode my bicycle early this morning but forgot my camera.  Of course I saw many things I wanted to take a picture of, but since I didn’t have my camera with me, I couldn’t.  Grrrrrr.  This evening, after dinner, I escaped from the house and children and drove the Miata out to the Nature Trail (which is part of the bike trail) at the college campus.  I spent at least an hour there taking pictures and then headed to the nearby Wal-Mart to pick up some school supplies and other assorted items.  My, how my Saturday nights have changed from when I was in my twenties.

Rays Of Light (212/365)

 
“Though the circular round-and-round of routine be the bulk of life's affairs, make an occasional jutting diversion - of fun, love, or something that will outlast you - so the shape and motion of your life shall resemble the round life-giving sun with bright rays shining forth from all directions.”

Terri Guillemets (U.S. quotation anthologist, creator of The Quote Garden)

TIME:  7:15 PM
PLACE:  Red Bud, IL off Highway 159
SUBJECT:  Sun rays

HH and I went out to dinner with my friend Denise and her husband Rob at Robert Scott’s Grill.  After we ate, we drove down to Red Bud to find some Michelob Golden Draft Light that is apparently being test marketed in some of the smaller towns near us.  We found and purchased said brew.  On the way out of town, driving back home, the sun was making these rays as it went down behind the clouds.  Beautiful.

Illinois Wildflower (179/365)

 
“And what's romance? Usually, a nice little tale where you have everything as you like it, where rain never wets your jacket and gnats never bite your nose, and it's always daisy-time.”

D.H. Lawrence (British Poet, Novelist and Essayist, 1885-1930)

TIME:  5:10 PM (on Sunday)
PLACE:  Lake
SUBJECT:  Annual Fleabane - Erigeron annuus

I did not take a photo today so I decided to use one from the many I took yesterday.  ~Hey, it’s my blog, I can bend the rules if I want too!~ This is a common wildflower found all over the state of Illinois.  There were many of them growing along the banks of the lake where the kids were fishing yesterday afternoon.

Dragonfly (175/365)

 
“Clouds of insects danced and buzzed in the golden autumn light, and the air was full of the piping of the song-birds. Long, glinting dragonflies shot across the path, or hung tremulous with gauzy wings and gleaming bodies.”

Arthur Conan Doyle, Sr. (Scottish writer, creator of the detective Sherlock Holmes, 1859-1930)

TIME:  7:40 PM
PLACE:  Little League Fields
SUBJECT:  Dragonfly

MonkeyBoy had his 2nd to last game this evening.  We only had six players, so the other team let us “borrow” 3 of theirs and we played 6 innings.  Needless to say, it was considered a forfeit by us, but at least the boys were able to play some ball.

During the game, I wandered about the creek that runs by the ball fields, looking for a photo opportunity.  This dragonfly was resting on a large concrete block that was sitting at the top of the creek bank.  He was gracious enough to hold still for a close-up.

Musk Thistle (141/365)

 
“Untilled soil, however fertile it may be, will bear thistles and thorns; and so it is with man's mind.”

St. Teresa of Avila (Spanish Nun, Mystic and Writer, 1515-1582)

TIME:  8:12 PM
PLACE: On the banks of Richland Creek near West Monroe St.
SUBJECT:  Musk or Nodding Thistle

This is the Musk Thistle prior to blooming.  It is a native of Western Europe and was introduced in the U.S. in the early 1800’s.   It has been declared a noxious weed here in Illinois.
~*~*~
MonkeyBoy had a baseball game under the lights at 8:15 this evening.  They lost.

Conehead (065/365)

 
“All the flowers of all the tomorrows are in the seeds of today.”

Unknown

TIME:  3:42 PM
PLACE:  Homer Stemler Walking Trail
SUBJECT:  Wild coneflower seed head

Restless and out-of-sorts today.  Around 2:30pm I had to get out of the house because the breathing everyone was doing was annoying me.  I mean come on, is all that in and out with the air really necessary?  So, I went for a drive and ended up at the walking trail.  As I was entering the trail, another hiker was leaving so it was just me, myself and I in the woods.  Quiet, calm, peaceful – nice.

A Bird In The Bush (061/365)

 
“A bird in hand is a certainty. But a bird in the bush may sing.”

Bret Harte (American Writer who helped create the local-colour school in American fiction. 1836-1902)

TIME:  1:48 PM
PLACE:  Backyard
SUBJECT:  House sparrow

When I took the dog out this afternoon, I brought the camera hoping to capture a picture of the sparrows that are always alighting in the bush by our fence.  My mom would call these sparrows a “spatsy” – she said that was what her mom always called them.  She didn’t know why Grandma called them that.  I was only able to take seven pictures before they all flew away; this was the best of the lot.  I like how he is looking straight at the camera lens and is all puffed up from the cold.

Cocooning (299/365)

If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me
And just forget the world
Forget what we're told
Before we get too old
Show me a garden that's bursting into life

Quinn, Jonathan; Lightbody, Gary; Connolly, Nathan; Wilson, Paul; Simpson, Tom, “Chasing Cars.” Snow Patrol. Eyes Open. Polydor (UK), Interscope (US). 2006.

TIME:  5:40 PM
PLACE:  The backyard
SUBJECT:  Cocoon

It’s another dreary and rainy fall day.  HH, DQ and SD all were not feeling well and spent this Monday at home.  I went into work this morning from 8:45am until 1pm.  When I returned home, the dog needed to go out.  While standing outside waiting for her to finish, I noticed several of these on the bush by the fence.  I’m more than certain that they are some sort of chrysalis.  I must admit to feeling a little jealous of what is inside it.  Lately I wish I could insulate myself and hide from the outside world.

Truffula Tree (176/365)

 
“Who gathers thistles, may expect pricks"

Proverb

TIME:  7:23 PM
PLACE:  West Monroe Street by the Richland Creek bridge
SUBJECT:  Canadian Thistle

A double-header tonight for MonkeyBoy - they've quite a bit of rainouts to make-up.  The only catch - it was still 95 degrees at 6pm when they started.  By the time they finished at 10:00pm it had cooled down all the way to 84 degrees!  Ah, well, they won both games so that was good.  

This is another noxious weed that I think is quite lovely when not irritating the farmers.  I think it looks like the Truffula Trees in the Dr. Seuss book, "The Lorax".  At the risk of being politically incorrect, I never thought the Lorax character was a hero - I always felt that he was too big on complaining about what was happening to the trees and way too ineffective in actually doing anything to help save them.  It was the Once-ler who saved the last Truffula seed and gave it to a child in the hopes of growing more.  I think that this post at Super Punch really hits the nail on the head.

There's A Storm A Brewin' (159/365)

 
"Time and the bell have buried the day,
The black cloud carries the sun away."

T.S. (Thomas Stearns) Eliot (1888-1965), U.S.-born—British poet, critic. "Four Quartets 1: Burnt Norton," IV. lines 1-2, 1935

TIME:  5:25 PM
PLACE:  Looking Northwest off the Back Porch
SUBJECT:  Storm clouds

More rain arrived this morning.  Around 10:30am, it stopped and the kids and I left to spend big bucks at the grocery store, the farmer's market and the milk store (where I like to buy our milk in 1/2 gallon glass bottles-it just tastes better in glass!)  The sun peeked out for a little while this afternoon and then another storm front moved in.  This front arrived just in time to cancel MonkeyBoy's baseball game.  We had a tornado watch in effect as well.  I was hoping to capture some lightning, but did not have any luck.  

Tansy Ragwort (131/365)

 
"What ye have been ye still shall be,
When we are dust the dust among,
O yellow flowers!"

Henry Austin Dobson (English poet and essayist, 1840-1921)

TIME: 10:17 AM
PLACE:  North side of Cemetery on Green Mount Road 
SUBJECT: Tansy Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea)

I went back today to try to capture a photo of the yellow flowers I mentioned yesterday.  They are called "Tansy Ragwort".  This plant is an invasive, toxic biennial and is classified as a noxious weed in many states here in the USA.  This weed is one of the most common causes of poisoning in horses and cattle if consumed.  Even the milk from affected cows can contain this plant's toxins.  Still, I thought the fields looked pretty with all of these yellow flowers blooming in them. 

Bridal Wreath (117/365)

 
President "Bobby": Mr. Gardner, do you agree with Ben, or do you think that we can stimulate growth through temporary incentives?
[Long pause]
Chance the Gardener: As long as the roots are not severed, all is well. And all will be well in the garden.
President "Bobby": In the garden.
Chance the Gardener: Yes. In the garden, growth has it seasons. First comes spring and summer, but then we have fall and winter. And then we get spring and summer again.
President "Bobby": Spring and summer.
Chance the Gardener: Yes.
President "Bobby": Then fall and winter.
Chance the Gardener: Yes.
Benjamin Rand: I think what our insightful young friend is saying is that we welcome the inevitable seasons of nature, but we're upset by the seasons of our economy.
Chance the Gardener: Yes! There will be growth in the spring!
Benjamin Rand: Hmm!
Chance the Gardener: Hmm!
President "Bobby": Hm. Well, Mr. Gardner, I must admit that is one of the most refreshing and optimistic statements I've heard in a very, very long time.
[Benjamin Rand applauds]
President "Bobby": I admire your good, solid sense. That's precisely what we lack on Capitol Hill.

Being There (Jack Warden, Peter Sellers, Melvyn Douglas, Hal Ashby-director, 1979)

TIME: 7:27 PM
PLACE: The backyard
SUBJECT: Spirea bridal wreath flowers

Rainy day here.  MonkeyBoy's baseball game tonight was canceled due to wet fields.  So I had time this evening to go outside with my tripod and umbrella to photograph the Spirea which has just burst into blossom.  It reminded me when my mom asked my oldest brother (who was 12 or 13 at the time) to go out and trim the Spirea bushes one June day after they had stopped blooming.  She should have been more specific about the word "trim".  When Mom went out later that day to check on his labor, all she found were 3 inch sticks coming out of the ground! LOL.  Luckily, it is a fast growing bush and in about 2 or 3 years, you couldn't even tell that he had mowed them down.  We still like to tease him about his gardening error.  Isn't that what family is for?   

Claritin Clear (112/365)

 
“I used to wake up at 4 A.M. and start sneezing, sometimes for five hours. I tried to find out what sort of allergy I had but finally came to the conclusion that it must be an allergy to consciousness.”

James Thurber (American author, cartoonist & humorist, 1894-1961)

TIME: 6:14 PM
PLACE: The backyard
SUBJECT: Dandelion 

Just a gorgeous day today!  The temperature made it up to 72.7 degrees Fahrenheit (22.6 degrees Celsius).  My sister and I went walking after dropping the kids at Mother's Day Out.  My hair wasn't behaving and luckily my beautician was able to squeeze me in for a haircut right before their school let out.  That's the thing I don't like about short hair - it requires frequent trims to keep its shape.  After dinner I went outside and played around with the macro setting on my camera.  I went for a dandelion photo again.  I hope this doesn't cause anyone's allergies to act up!

Helicopters (110/365)

   
Paper whirly-birds.
They look so much
like pairs of insects’ wings,
spi-
ral-
ing
down
to the ground,
helicopters landing
on springy tarmacs
to deposit
next year’s forest,
gently,
like precious cargo.

Sweet to think
that trees
once had wings
and flew.

Rainshine, Sonny, Samara (Maple Tree Seeds), http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/samara-maple-tree-seeds/

TIME: 7:04 PM
PLACE: The backyard
SUBJECT: Red Sunset Maple seed pods 

Originally this maple was planted in our front yard.  During a storm, several years ago, it's trunk was snapped about three feet off the ground.  We dug it up and set it out for yard waste pick up.  Then I noticed that a branch had begun to grow from the damaged trunk.  Since I am a softy, even for plants I felt we just couldn't throw it away and replanted it in the backyard.  Except for its wonky trunk it has flourished.  This year both this maple and the maple that took its place in the front yard, are covered with more seed pods than I have ever seen before.  I love watching them rotate to the ground.

Everything's Just Dandy (095/365)

 
“The dandelion's pallid tube
Astonishes the grass,
And winter instantly becomes
An infinite alas.”

Emily Dickinson (American Poet who has been called the New England mystic, 1830-1886)

TIME: 3:40 PM
PLACE:  The front yard
SUBJECT: Dandelion shadow

We woke up to a steady rain this morning.  It was fairly breezy as well.  The perfect day for a nap after stuffing myself at another honors brunch with DramaQueen.  When I awoke mid-afternoon, the sun was out and I wandered outside to see what photos I could take.  I took several photos of the dandelions, the bane of HandsomeHusband's perfect lawn existence.  Out of all of them, I liked this shadow photo the best.  Soon after I returned inside, the sky clouded over and it began to rain again.  April showers have arrived.  I hope everyone has had a wonderful and restful Sunday!

Duck Amuck (093/365)

 
Rufus T. Firefly: "Remember, you're fighting for this woman's honor, which is probably more than she ever did."

Duck Soup (Groucho Marx, Leo McCarey-director, 1933)

TIME: 1:44 PM
PLACE:  Bellevue Park
SUBJECT: Female Mallard

After StellaDella's preschool let out, she and I went to a local park to feed the ducks.  This park is different from the one that I walked the trail with my sister and took the turtle picture.  I remember coming to this particular park with my family when I was a child.   There used to be a play structure my brothers and I would play on that looked like a rocket ship.  That "ship" is long gone now.  I also remember one winter got so cold, that we were actually able to ice skate on the lake.  But, it is now MANY years later and springtime.  The ducks were happy to see us with our stale hotdog buns.  SD had a good time heaving the bread into the water and then demanding having me push her on the swings in the playground.

A Very Flaky Night (088/365)

"The snow doesn't give a soft white damn whom it touches." 

E. E. Cummings (American poet, painter, essayist, author, and playwright, 1894-1962)

TIME: 2:53 AM
PLACE:  Looking off the back porch
SUBJECT: Snowstorm

Why was I up at this time and able to take this picture of the snowstorm you ask?  Was I still baking cakes?  No, my faithful followers, I was up because DramaQueen had tripped over a chain when walking to a friend's house late Saturday afternoon and had hurt her ankle.  At midnight, it was causing her so much pain and was so swollen, that I ended up taking her to the emergency room to get some x-rays.  On the bright side, the ER wasn't too busy at 12:30 in the morning.  The other good thing was, according to the doctor, she didn't break or fracture anything.  She just has a really bad sprain.  Ice packs, elevation and ibuprofen were prescribed.  When we left the ER, the snow was coming down so hard, it was difficult to drive!  Really big, wet flakes were covering everything.   By noon today, the snow was melted and my toes were frozen from working at the Cub Scout BBQ. 

Tiny Blue Beauty (086/365)

 
“He who hunts for flowers will find flowers; and he who loves weeds will find weeds."

Henry Ward Beecher (American Preacher, Orator, Writer, 1813-1887)

TIME: 1:33 PM
PLACE:  The backyard
SUBJECT: Ivy-leaved Speedwell

These are the tiniest flowers, a little over 1/16th of an inch across, and have such a pretty blue color.  The leaves are hairy and look like ivy.  They pop up all over our yard in the springtime.  Most people consider them a weed, but I find them quite lovely. 

The Grass is Getting Greener (078/365)

 
"Laying on the grass my heart it flares like fire
The way you slap my face just fills me with desire
You play hard to get
'Cause you're teacher's pet
But when the boats have gone
We'll take a tumble excuse for a fumble
Shocked me too the things we used to do on grass
If you fancy we can buy an ice-cream cone
Your mate has gone She didn't want to be alone
I will pounce on you
Just us and the Cuckoos
You are helpless now
Over and over we flatten the clover
Shocked me too the things we used to do on grass
It would shock you too the things we used to do on grass
Grass, grass.
Things we did on grass"

XTC, "Grass", Skylarking, Virgin Records/Geffen Records, 1986

TIME: 6:16 PM
PLACE:  The backyard
SUBJECT: Grass

Quickly shot before I left for my sister's Partylite soirée.  I had taken no pictures before this, I spent the day cleaning and folding laundry (the bane of my existence).  This picture was at the suggestion of HH.  He mentioned that the grass had several different shades of green underneath the cedars in our yard and that it would make a good photo.  I went out there and for the life of me, I couldn't see what he was talking about.   What can I say, I'm blond!  He would have taken a much better shot as well, he has a great camera "eye"...one day I will too!