Wish I'd Said It

Weeds are flowers too - once you get to know them.

- A. A. Milne

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

This & That & Pictures Too (#172)

A couple of short updates and then some photos:

I’m still getting mail from the Pillow Talk column of several weeks ago and thought I’d update all you folks who took the time to send me your suggestions.

My aged, decrepit pillow still lies, unused, on my bedroom floor next to my dresser. If it had eyes, it would be staring reproachfully. I’ve been trying to adjust to one of those living-foam jobbies. I find it pretty comfy when I sleep on my left side but not so great when on my right. Beats me why that is. Pillows are weird. Can't be me.

Most likely, I’ll eventually get around to getting my old one cleaned and stuffed into some new ticking. I’m stalling though, because I fear it will be Too Different and the magic will be gone forever.

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Hilary and I revisited the Fishy Feline (#169) and she was still pregnant and still hungry. This time, she didn’t make an appearance until after we’d put away the fishing gear and were about to leave. She was still very, very shy but came out of hiding to gobble down bits of cheese.

Unbeknownst to me, brother Karl went fishing there a couple of weeks ago and made sure she had a feed of fish.

I hope to take a drive down that way again sometime this summer and will check on her.

I will NOT come back with a kitten.

I will NOT come back with a kitten.

I will NOT come back with a kitten.

I hope.

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This is Benny.



Many of you enjoy reading about his antics. Hilary recently posted an amusing story about his most recent stinky adventure. If you missed it, it includes some pictures and a short, entertaining video. Her site can take a little while to load because she posts a lot of pictures. Be patient. It’s worth it. You can check it out by clicking here or visiting: http://thesmittenimage.blogspot.com/ and scrolling down to the post called “The Scent of a Puppy.”

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Now for some recent photos:

I have a fairly large magnolia tree in my front yard and this spring was blessed with a bountiful crop of blossoms. I've taken dozens of photos of them over the years and decided to try a different perspective one rainy day. I like how this one turned out. (You can click all these photos to see a somewhat larger version - then click your browser's back button to return to the post.)



The path goes ever on....



As does the creek....



This small pond is home to ducks, frogs and minnows and is a hunting ground for herons, kingfishers and raccoons.



"What the heck is this next one?" you may well ask. I may well tell below it.



It's one in a series of "proof positive of life after death" pics. The dead tree stump is hosting a riot a new life - all of which, at some molecular level, harbour traces of tree DNA. Or something. Dammit Jim! I'm a writer not a scientist! I just think it's nifty.

I'm a fan of trees, of wood in general. And I love how moisture can add richness and texture to wood as evidenced in the next shot, taken shortly after a rainfall.



Back home again to wrap up with a couple of photos from the garden. First, one of an explosion of poppies. Somewhat like the magnolia, these blossoms are spectacular but fragile and short-lived. One day earlier this week there were over 50 blossoms like this one. It rained hard the next day and there were none.



And finally, three tulips. I just like the colours.

19 comments:

Lori A. Basiewicz said...

Benny would like a kitten. He e-mailed me and told me so.

Hilary said...

You could probably sleep better on your right side if you got that tooth looked after...

Ack, no you can NOT come home with a kitten, because it would just end up at my place!

Beautiful photos, Frank.. I especially like the post rainfall trees, life after death and the magnolias. You're getting good at this! ;)

Hilary said...

And thanks for the linkage. :)

Stace said...

When mentioning two females in the same sentence, do not then follow up with "she" as this makes it unclear to which female you refer. I spent an interesting moment thinking that Hilary was pregnant!!

I'm sure Benny would love to have a kitten. He's in need of discipline, right? A feline is just the thing to provide that! After having lived most of my life with at least one dog and one cat, trust me that cats always get the upper paw!

Leah J. Utas said...

Love the pics though you clearly need a kitten. Benny needs one, too.

I feel your pain. Some pillows are geared for left-side sleepers, some for right-side sleepers, still others for on-their-backs sleepers. I saw them at Jysk and decided to go somewhere where buying a pillow wasn't such a commitment.

Frank Baron said...

Lori, Ben's a notorious liar. You can't believe everything you read on the interweb. ;)

Thanks Hil and not to worry. I will NOT come back with a kitten. I will NOT come back with a kitten....

Stace, that would not only be interesting - it would be darn scary. Sorry for your confusion. ;)

And I've owned cats and dogs most of my life. Most cats did indeed rule the roost. But I dunno about one where a JRT has taken root....

Leah, I'm realizing I took my pillow for granted. I had no idea it would take so long for me to adjust to something else. It's like trying to establish a relationship for Pete's sake!

And I will NOT come back with a kitten. I will NOT....

Stace said...

Oh yes... we had a cat, a labrodor, and a JRT, all at the same time for a while. Puddy tat certainly ruled that roost!

MagnoliaGirl said...

I have an entire bed made of that spongy space stuff - and love it! But it took a bit of getting used to.

Every kitten deserves a good home:)

Love, love, love the photos, especially the magnolias....Feel free to e-mail some of your favorite shots...

Thanks for always giving me a much needed glimpse and reminder of green and growing things and swimming and meowing things.

Reb said...

I am jealous of your magnolia tree! That is a wonderful photo, I like the glimpse of the rain in the background. I like the tree stump with it's new life too. In fact they are all great photos.

I am sure that Benny would love to have a live play toy, well, at least until the play toy is big enough to take him down.

Frank Baron said...

Stace, I think it matters which of the critters came first. That one usually gets to rule the newcomers. My rottweiler, all 130 pounds of him, would give way to both cats and Lucy (the parrot) because they preceded him in the pack pecking order. :)

Sandra, I think a bed of this stuff would be VERY comfy - but the dang pillow is an adjustment. Thanks for the compliments. They're extra special coming from a fine photographer. :)

Thanks Reb. Usually, squirrels nibble the flower buds to some extent every spring. But this year I kept a bird feeder loaded and scattered peanuts around daily. They left the buds alone so I really got a bumper crop of flowers. You can bet I'll do likewise this winter/spring.

And...I will NOT bring a kitten back....

Kappa no He said...

You are sooooooo coming back with a kitten.

Maybe two.

(^0~)

Frank Baron said...

Nuh-uh Terrie. No way. Nope.

Okay. I'm not even going back that way this year! No point taking a chance.... ;)

Moby Dick said...

it is all beautiful. Reminds me of the Devil's Millhopper State Park in northwestern Florida.

Nature is so beautiful. Sad that if you got everyone excited about it, they would move in, start developing the land, pave most of it over, add some shopping centers, and then you would end up with a lot of people living around a small park. Sometimes even the park becomes a condominium. Welcome to Florida...

Lori A. Basiewicz said...

Do you have a kitten yet?

Frank Baron said...

Spidey, if it gets you down, c'mon on up to the Great White North. We've got millions of acres of unspoiled wilderness and the mosquitoes would love the company. ;)

Lori, nope. Not gonna either. We were there on Friday for a quick visit but didn't see Mom or her kittens.

Thank God. ;)

Jo said...

A new kitten would be so cute...and Hil would take great care of it :)

Your photos are beautiful! Darn if you guys don't have versions of flowers I see all the time but never in those colors...the magnolias & the purple-white tulip are amazing!

Frank Baron said...

Nature sure does have an eye for decoration, doesn't she Jo? :)

Anonymous said...

that is the happiest dog I have ever seen. you must be a nice person.

Frank Baron said...

Ben is indeed a happy pup and how kind of you to make that connection. Thank you Mom. :)