Vines & Visitors (055/365)

TIME: 5:47 pm

PLACE: Saint Josephs Cemetery, Freeburg, IL
SUBJECT: Tree with ivy vines

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After work, HH suggested I take the Miata for a drive as it hasn't been driven in awhile and needs a run.

I drove down to Freeburg and stopped at St. Joseph's cemetery, HH has some family buried there and I wanted to see if I remembered where they were - Turns out, my memory is not as good as it used to be.

When I drove in, the sun was beginning to go down.  I was the only one there as well. That didn't bother me. I find cemeteries to be very peaceful.  Some people may be not like being in them and become uneasy, but I have never found that to be the case for me.

I was startled this evening. I heard some rustling in the grass behind me and caught some movement out of the corner of my eye - not going to lie, my heart started to beat a wee bit faster. 

Then I saw what made the sound and movement.

Deer!

There are four in this view and there was one a bit further to the left.  They took a look at me and slowly walked back into the brush.  I left soon after.

Vine Flowers (262/366)

TIME: 6:57 pm
PLACE: Front porch
SUBJECT: Hyacinth Bean Vine flower

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I bought this vine several years ago - well, not this vine, but it's great-great-great-great grandmother.

I save a couple of seed pods in the fall.  In the following spring, I plant the seeds in a large pot that sits in my front flower bed.  It a has a homemade "tepee" type trellis for the vine to creep up.

One year, I forgot to save  the pods, and had to use seed from some older pods - it still grew.

The perfect plant for bad gardeners like me.

 

Ivy Leaf (154/365)

TIME: 7:21 PM
PLACE: Back yard
SUBJECT: Leaf

I love the late evening light in the summer.

If only the wind would co-operate and stop blowing for just 30 seconds.

Most of the leaf is in focus at least – I’ll take what I can get.

The Man Of The House (231/365)

“Where wise actions are the fruit of life, wise discourse is the pollination.”

Bryant H. McGill (American, editor and author, b1969)

TIME:  8:21 AM
PLACE:  East side of the house
SUBJECT:  Male pumpkin flower

Did you know that pumpkin vines have male and female flowers?  Neither did I until today.  This is a male flower.  It has a center stamen that contains the pollen.  The female flower has a short stem close to the vine and has a baby pumpkin between the flower and the stem.  The female has a multi-centered stamen which must be pollinated in order for the pumpkin to grow.  Normally, bees or other insects are the natural pollinators of the pumpkin vines.  That’s what I’ve been relying on and judging by the small number of pumpkins I see growing on the vine, they are doing an ok, but not spectacular job.  I might need to be an active participant in a pumpkin pollination orgy if I really want a large amount of baby boos to harvest for this fall.  Since I’m freaky like that, I will be more than willing to lend a hand to make sure pollen is transferred.

Peek-A-Boo (212/365)

“If you're in a war, instead of throwing a hand grenade at the enemy, throw one of those small pumpkins. Maybe it'll make everyone think how stupid war is, and while they are thinking, you can throw a real grenade at them.”

Jack Handy (American Writer and cast member of Saturday Night Live from 1991-2003. Famous for his Deep Thoughts comedy sketches.)

TIME:  7:13 PM
PLACE:  East side of the house
SUBJECT:  Baby Boo pumpkin

We planted several pumpkin seeds this spring, but the only vine that grew was the Baby Boo variety.  I found this pumpkin on my early evening wandering and examining of the growth of our landscaping and gardening in our yard.  Tomorrow is August 1st; the kids go back to school in 17 more days and fall will be here before we know it.

Orange Peel (265/365)

 
“Try not thinking of peeling an orange. Try not imagining the juice running down your fingers, the soft inner part of the peel. The smell. Try and you can't. The brain doesn't process negatives.”

Douglas Coupland (Canadian novelist, b1961)

TIME:  6:28 PM
PLACE:  YMCA soccer fields
SUBJECT:  Shed wall

Soccer practice was on the agenda again for StellaDella this evening.  It goes without saying that she needed to use the facilities during the hour-long event.  Lucky for me, this weathered orange shed was located right next to the Johnny-On-The-Spots.

Milkweed Squared (213/365)

“Two-legged creatures we are supposed to love as we love ourselves.  The four-legged, also, can come to seem pretty important.  But six legs are too many from the human standpoint.”

Joseph W. Krutch (American, writer, critic, and naturalist, 1893–1970)

TIME:  6:10 PM
PLACE:  Backyard
SUBJECT:  A Milkweed Bug (Oncopeltus fasciatus) on a Honeyvine Milkweed

Lots of puttering around the house today and not much to show for it.  I did make spaghetti and meatballs for supper and invited my dad over to dine with us.  He did – why he even had seconds.  When he was leaving, I walked outside with him and we talked a little bit.  As we were conversing, I noticed this guy on the dreaded vine that seems to overtake all of the plantings in our yard.  Every year this vine and I wage a battle and every year I seem to lose.  Stupid vine.

Ghost Vines (115/365)

 
“Everything that ever walked or crawled on the face of the earth, swum the depths of the ocean or soared through the skies left its imprint here.”

Robert M. Fresco, and Jack Arnold. Dr. Matt Hastings (John Agar), Tarantula, Looking out at the desert. (1955).

TIME:  5:25 PM
PLACE:  High Street
SUBJECT:  Vine imprints on house

Ivy had been removed off the side of this brick building several years ago.  The impressions have remained.  It was raining when I took this photo through the front windshield of my car – if you ~click~ to make the picture larger, you can see a number of rain drops blurring parts of the photo.

A special shout out to Dad, who suggested this photo! 

Purple Berries (235/365)

 
“And the ambitious vine
Crowns with his purple mass
The cedar reaching high
To kiss the sky,
The cypress, pine,
And useful sassafras.”

Michael Drayton (1563-1631), British poet. To the Virginian Voyage (l. 31-36). . . Oxford Book of English Verse, The, 1250-1918. Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch, ed. (New ed., rev. and enl., 1939) Oxford University Press.

TIME:  6:40 PM
PLACE:  The backyard
SUBJECT:  Berries on Ampelopsis glandulosa brevipedunculate 'Elegans' (Variegated Porcelain Berry vine)

I can tell that late summer has arrived as my Porcelain Berry vine is starting to produce its fruit.  I first noticed the berries on Friday afternoon and made a mental note that I would need to take a picture of them.  I was busy today cleaning the kitchen and napping and didn’t take any pictures.  So tonight, after a delicious make-your-own-taco dinner, I went outside with my camera.  I found this cluster and was delighted with the spectrum of colors of the ripening berries.  I hope everyone out there in blogland also had a restful and relaxing Sunday.