Thursday, March 28, 2013

Sky Watch - Three views

X marks the spot
 

Horse in the clouds

Moon through the clouds

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Header Challenge - A Christmas verse

 
The lighting is poor
 and our eyes aren’t what they were.
So Brian will be here the 19-th at one
 to talk to us about what can be done!

The above poem (with apologies to Clement Clarke Moore) was my Christmas  present to Marianne in December 2011. We had talked about remodeling the kitchen before, but never reached decisions on what we wanted. This got the ball rolling and by the end of May we were using our new kitchen. Here in verse is the rest of the story.
 
Now Brian came and was precise;
 so off we went to get Maggie's advice.
The web revealed many choices to our chagrin,
 and decisions were made before we began.
 
Marianne searched the web far and wide,
 and I checked out local sources beside.
Choices were made on cabinets, on colors and floor,
 on lighting, on granite, on faucets and more.
 
Maggie laid out the cabinet design and it was precise.
We said okay and Brian sent us the price.
As Brian went off with check in hand,
We cleared the cabinets of every pot and pan.
 

Soon Brian and his crew tore out the old,
and the room was bare, a sight to behold.
The electricians put in new outlets and lights
Soon came the counter tops, much to our delight.
 
And as Brian the others drove out of sight,
Marianne said "I love my new kitchen tonight".
A phrase still heard as she prepares a meal,
And I must say that's same way I feel.
 

 
Search "kitchen" to see some of the previous posts on work in progress.

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Our World - First snow of spring

 Monday morning we got our first snow of spring, and hopefully our last! The storm that clobbered much of the US over the weekend did not have much left for us.
 

 
Below is the same field in late afternoon. Weather folks are predicting 60 degrees F by Easter. 

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Sky Watch - Clouds at sunset

Storm clouds coming on March 13

and the moment after sunset on March 19


Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Header Challenge - Looking down

I saw Ansel Adams pictures of Yosemite when I was a child (Dad subscribed to Popular Photography) and wanted to visit this beautiful place. In June, 1990 Marianne and I spent 3 days exploring the valley and mountains of Yosemite. These two photos were taken from Glacier Point looking down at Yosemite Falls across the valley and Vernal and Nevada Falls upstream on the Merced River. (It is about a 3200 foot drop to the valley floor.)


Looking down inside Luray Caverns.

Looking down at the USS Torsk, a WW II sub, from an upper level of the Baltimore Aquarium.

From the top of the base to the Statue of Liberty

 
And finally, Looking down at yard work to be done soon.

Monday, March 18, 2013

Our World - Wet and cold

On the 10-th and 11-th the weather folks were predicting up to 14 inches of snow out our way. While the moisture fell from the clouds, the temperature stayed above freezing, so no snow (see last week's Our World). As the sky cleared, the creek nearby overflowed its banks.
 


And again this Monday more snow was predicted, but not much has fallen yet. 

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Header Challenge - Purple

Light  purple crocus
 
In ancient times purple was a royal color and only the wealthy could afford the dyes to make purple. Nero is said to have forbidden anyone else to wear purple. Today it is safe to wear purple, but it is not as prevalent as reds, blues and other colors. The ancient cultures around this world were highly protective of the colors. Purple does not have its own spectral line so there is room for variations. Nature did not have to bend to Nero's laws, so I have some early blooming purple crocus that I choose for my header, and include some manufactured purples in my post. 
 
Pink ribbon, purple box from granddaughter's wedding

Purple bus used by one the Frederick churches 

Purple glow in a shop window

And one of my favorite flowers


Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Our World - Wet

Forecast was for about a half inch of rain over the morning. By 9 am it looked like way more than that.



Thursday, March 7, 2013

Sky Watch - Morning sky

The eastern sky on the morning of March 1 was a dramatic mixture of blue, gray and white.



Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Header Challenge - Fold

The "Fold" header
 
This lamb was born at the fair and returned with its mom to the fold back at the farm.
 
My first thought after seeing Kathy's theme for this week was origami. But I do not have any examples at home and a quick look around Frederick did not yield an example. So for my header I made my own folds and laid it out on some of my old photos. My post shows some other examples of folds.

 Folds make a box
 
 Folding card of the Frederick spires
(where members of Christ's fold worship)
 
 Folds with a message
 
 Neat folds in our linen closet
 
Pink folds seen in a shop window


Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Our World - Our cats

Buster, peering out the window and Zoey, doing a full pike while sleeping, joined our  family 12 years ago and are aging gracefully along with us. They were adopted from the Siamese Rescue Organization.