PhotoHunt - Three square

Marianne found this sculpture with squares online in February and it now hangs in our family room.

Sky Watch - Easter skies

Easter skies were filled with clouds and patches of blue, but Easter Monday brought blue sky and the moon.

Window Views - Night and day

Delaplaine Arts Center gift shop

Windows in the round

My World - Frederick in bloom

April 10 - Fairview Drive

April 14 - South Marker St.

April 17 - Near Baker Park

April 24 - Cherry trees our yard

April 24 - Beside Macaroni Grill

PhotoHunt - Dusty harvest

The rain is keeping the dust low this spring, but last September, this corn harvester created quite a lot of dust. And the wind was blowing toward our house!

Sky Watch - Wet sky falling

The storms that swept across the US last week leaving much destruction in the south brought us wind and rain on Saturday. There was some wind damage a few miles east and flooding all around. The ground was saturated from earlier rains and Saturday's rain quickly ran down stream from the hills to the Monocacy River. Twenty roads were closed in the county Saturday and Sunday morning. The second and last shots are looking across the farm behind our house. The third and fourth are Carroll Creek and the fifth is a recreational are beside the Monocacy.

Flooding in the lower pasture

Bridge construction on hold

The creek meets the road

No soccer on Sunday

Monday morning - almost gone

Window Views - VOLT windows

This mansion was built in the 1890's by the six daughters of Ezra Houck, a wealthy Frederick financier. The sisters lived in the 8,000 square-foot mansion for 30 years. In 1924 it became a professional building. Now it is the VOLT Restaurant, established by chef/owner Bryan Voltaggio, who left Frederick to pursue a career as a chef; and after success in New York and Washington, DC returned to establish VOLT. For more information see the VOLT website. Another VOLT window is posted on Lew's favorites.

My World - More First Saturday

The theme for First Saturday in April was "Egg-extravaganza", a celebration of both Easter season and the begining of Spring. The little kids were really enthralled by this costumed trio.

Firemen were raising awareness and money

Trees added color

Candy from the white rabbit

And the band played on

PhotoHunt - Country road

The road ahead (above) and the road back (below) at Ostertag Vistas. For other shots of this beautiful spot in Frederick County see my November post

Sky Watch - Iron in the sky

Iron dragonfly

Wrought iron sculpture at the Wrought Iron Bridge over Carroll Creek in Frederick.

Iron Leaves

Lamp post and iron tree

Window Views - More first Saturday

Here are three more window shots taken April 2 in Frederick.

My World - Fort Sumter

Approaching on the ferry

April 12, 2011 is the 150-th anniversary of the Battle of Fort Sumter that began a four yearlong civil war in the United States. In December 1860, South Carolina and six other states had seceded from the union and the governor demanded that all Federal troops withdraw from Charleston. Major Robert Anderson move his command to the island Fort Sumter. Maintaining the fort became newly elected President Lincoln's first crisis. When Maj. Anderson refused to surrender the fort, Confederate General Beauregard ordered the bombardment of Fort Sumter from shore batteries Maj Anderson surrendered the next day.

Fort Sumter is now a National Park. This year begins a sesquicentennial celebration, review, and reenactment of the Civil War. My hope is that this retrospective look backward will lead to resolve to solve those political, economic, racial and cultural differences that still cause much strife in the United States today.

These shots were taken in June 2006. I plan future Civil War themed posts in the future. There are many books on this war and much material is online. Photographs were taken and those of Mathew Brady are available from the National Archives.

Gun emplacement

Inside the walls

View toward Charleston

Flags, past and present

PhotoHunt - Trees in Spring

The trees on the National Mall in Washington, DC show their spring colors.

Sky Watch - April first skies

These were taken late afternoon as the clouds rolled in to start our April showers.

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Window Views - First Saturday in April

Grumpy

Beer Server

Boys in a window

Speciality shop