Last Hours in the Greenhouse

"God has sown his name on the
heavens in glittering stars;

but on earth he planteth his name
by tender flowers."
Jean Paul Richter
Today I was able to catch photo images of our
magnificent greenhouse in full bloom.Tomorrow we will haul out
most of the plants,forming new gardens around the yard,
but creating an empty, bare greenhouse again.
The scented geraniums have filled the air with a soft fragrance the last few weeks.
The jade plant is thriving with just the right amount of light and water.
Ah.... how different this will look tomorrow.

Sibling Assignment #98: A Single Photograph Illustrates Contentment

Raymond Pert gave the sibling assignment this week:

1. Go out and take a picture of a subject you do not remember having photographed since we started doing our blogs and using digital cameras.
2. Try to align this photograph with your mood at the time you are taking the picture.
3. Write about the subject of the photograph and how the subject and the way you shot it reflect your mood/feelings at the time you took the picture.

I will post my siblings' assignments when they are completed.
Today I was able to breathe in the first aroma of lilacs this year. Our white lilac was the first one to begin to bloom this season. When I walked around with my camera today it was difficult to find something I hadn't photographed in the garden since I acquired a digital camera. I was drawn to the while lilac bush. I had never caught photo images as it began to open its beautiful blossoms. I felt contentment as the late afternoon sun warmed my back, the stresses of the week began to fall from my shoulders, and the image of these lilacs generated pleasant feelings. I look forward to a warmer week-end so the rest of the lilacs can join this one in opening up and filling up the air with a fragrant cloud.

Collecting Images in Black and White

“There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs.” Ansel Adams

"Not everybody trusts paintings but people believe photographs. " Ansel Adams

“You don't take a photograph, you make it." Ansel Adams
"When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs. When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence. " ~Ansel Adams

photo images by inlandempiregirl

Tuesday Mug Shots

It is always fun to be in the right place at the right time with the camera. Here are some of my recent favorite mug shots!Annie clowning around!McDuff protecting the garage!Isabelle trying to decide which chair is just right...and Shelby trying to decide which cat is ready to be herded.

A Tribute to Tradition: Happy Mother's Day to Mom and Silver Valley Girl

A view from the deck of my mother's home.


Silver Valley Girl gave us our sibling assignment for today, which was to write a tribute to our mother for Mother's Day. Her post is filled with fantastic pictures which include our mother serving a volleyball! You can find it here.

Today is a special day to honor mothers. We celebrated Mother's Day with my family yesterday in Kellogg, Idaho. The word that kept rolling around in my mind as I relaxed in my childhood home, prepared a dinner for the two special mothers, and enjoyed time with my family was tradition. That is one reason why I love to go to my mom's house, especially after a very busy week of teaching.

Home is comforting and safe. Home holds traditions that I can always rely on. There is ritual in conversations, food choices, and expected events. Spending a day "at home" was a reminder of how important family traditions can be. They are the threads that weave our family together.
These were a few traditions we all enjoyed. When we arrived fresh flowers had been delivered from my brother and his wife. The new spring tablecloth was waiting on the deck if we chose to eat outside. Mom was ready to help prepare food even if the dinner was to honor her!
Traditional serving dishes were brought out including this vintage pitcher that I love. For this special dinner I served citrus white wine sangria. Favorite dishes were served, but often a new dish is introduced. For this dinner it was The Barefoot Contessa's Roasted Asparagus. Music is usually a big tradition at family gatherings. My three nieces kept things lively by serenading us after dinner with a roaring rendition of "Sisters" from White Christmas. We also got to enjoy a phone call from brother Raymond Pert and later a new dessert called Orange Blossom Trifle. Another big tradition in our family is appreciation of each other's company. It was so nice to watch my two favorite mothers open gifts, listen to singing, and visit on the phone with my brother. Mom took time to pose for a picture here between activities. Silver Valley Girl is appreciating her brother's wise-cracking words on the phone here.

Happy Mother's Day to my two favorite mothers that continue to keep tradition alive and well!

Early Evening Garden Tour: Friday Photo Special

It was a long, tiring week. When I was finally able to pack up and leave my classroom today I remembered that the first thing I was going to do when I arrived home was to tour the garden with camera in hand. It was well worth the trip. I could feel my body relaxing and my mind losing it's busyness as I looked at more flowers and snapped more pictures. Join me for a tour. No, it didn't snow again. These are the petals off the flowering plum after some wind and rain. They make a lovely top dressing for the emerging hostas. In the fall I got a bunch of tulips on sale that JEJ just stuck places. Now we are finding them. Today this tulip was my new favorite. The radishes are coming up nicely in the vegetable garden. I think shades of green and pink are a nice combination in any garden. I hope you enjoyed the tour.