Pushing Up Peonies (066/365)

 
“And the Spring comes slowly up this way.”

Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834), British poet. Christabel (l. 22). . . Poems [Samuel Taylor Coleridge]. John Beer, ed. (1993) Everyman.

TIME:  5:01 PM
PLACE: Front yard
SUBJECT:  Peony shoots

We had some lovely weather today, we made it to 60 degrees.  We did get a quick downpour mid-afternoon, but the rain, although heavy, was over after less than 5 minutes and the sun came out again.  When my dad came by on Friday, he had mentioned that he noticed the peonies were coming up.  After the rain stopped, I went out to look for them.  Yep, they were there.

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.

Slipping Away (064/365)

“Often while traveling with a camera we arrive just as the sun slips over the horizon of a moment, too late to expose film, only time enough to expose our hearts.”

Minor Martin White (American photographer, 1908–1976)

TIME:  5:54 PM
PLACE:  Going south on Highway 15
SUBJECT:  Sunset

My dad came over at 5:30pm, we packed everyone into the Ford F150 extended cab pickup truck and headed south by the Kaskaskia River to eat fish for dinner tonight.  I sat in the front, between HandsomeHusband, who was driving and my dad, while the three kids sat in the seat behind us.  As we were heading down the highway, the sun was setting.  My dad rolled down the window and I attempted to hold the camera steady and focus on the scene.  Apparently I was taking too long as the kids began to complain about the cold air rushing into the cab of the truck.  I quickly pressed the shutter-release button and took my one and only photo for the day before Dad rolled up the window.  It is not in focus nor is it composed very well, but I do like the red glow coming from behind the trees.

Magically Delicious (063/365)

“I won't eat any cereal that doesn't turn the milk purple.”

Bill Watterson (American Author of the comic strip Calvin & Hobbes, b.1958)

TIME: 8:57 PM
PLACE: Kitchen
SUBJECT: Before bedtime snack

I was in Target this afternoon, picking up yogurt for lunches and snacks (Target is 20 cents cheaper per Yoplait carton than my regular grocery store!) and a few other items that we needed. I wandered down the cereal aisle – we are running low - and saw that they had Lucky Charms on sale. I love Lucky Charms, so do my kids. For awhile I refused to buy it because they would sneak in the pantry and pick out and eat just the marshmallows, leaving me with plain old toasted oats when I went to have some. Talk about disappointing. Now they eat both and when I pour myself a bowl, I get the full Lucky Charms experience.

Basket Of Balls (062/365)

“One of the virtues of being very young is that you don't let the facts get in the way of your imagination.”

Sam Levenson (American Author and Humorist. 1911-1980)

TIME:  6:20 PM
PLACE:  Living room
SUBJECT:  Plastic balls in wicker basket

I’ve found that certain toys have withstood the test of time with my three kids  - wooden blocks, Schleich figurines, Playmobil, Fisher Price little people, Legos and balls.  We have had these hollow, plastic, holey balls since DramaQueen was one year old.  If I remember correctly, my sister gave them to DQ on her birthday.  Eleven years later, they are still played with on a fairly regular basis.  Today, SD has been dumping them over her head and throwing them in the basket to “practice” for when she plays basketball.  A couple of stuffed animals have been placed in the basket and given “ball baths”.  Finally, she made the larger ones “parents” with the smaller ones becoming “kids”.  They ball family rolls around the living room, having adventures.  For example, the parents were teaching the kids how to properly roll down a yardstick that was leaned against the couch.  I love her imagination!

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.

Lego Tower (060/365)

 
“The loftiest towers rise from the ground.”

Chinese Proverb

TIME:  6:15 PM
PLACE:  Living room
SUBJECT:  StellaDella and her Lego tower

SD brought out the container of large Legos this evening and proceeded to build a tall tower.  It was rather unstable and fell shortly after this photo was taken, exploding Lego bricks across the floor.  Those plastic bricks made a really loud noise when they hit the laminate.  Jack and Oreo did not like that sound at all.  Unperturbed, SD went ahead and rebuilt, even after it crashed several more times.