Luthy Botanical Garden

Remembering a visit to Luthy Botanical Garden in Peoria, Illinois.

Linking to Today's Flowers

Reflections of Litter and Random Thoughts

I have probably posted this before, but it has been quite a while back. But I don't think it was posted for Weekend Reflections.

I recently used it as the photo prompt, begins with the letter L, for Camera Club. It didn't place, but I've always thought it was a cool picture. Litter floating in the water.

Linking to WEEKEND REFLECTIONS

RANDOM 5 FRIDAY
1. Fergus isn't an independant dog, he likes someone to hold his bone while he chews. If I'm on the computer too long, he gets bored and hops up on the bed behind me and sets the bone on my head.

2. Grandson Adam called me last night to tell me he would be mailing me a letter as soon as he got a stamp—and then proceeded to tell me everything he wrote.

3. I heard yesterday we will be getting a Joann's Fabric Store in the near future. This means I won't have to drive an hour, only 30 minutes to buy fabric. I am a closet quilter. Therefore, I am ecstatic.

4. I just finished reading a book titled The Boy in the Suitcase by Lene Kaaberbol and Agnete Friis. I couldn't put it down. If you like to read, add it to your reading list.

5. This is a very difficult task, thinking of 5 Random Things. Yesterday we went to town to buy groceries. Life is so full of excitement right now I can hardly stand it. I'm ready for a weekend excursion!

Happy Friday!

Weird Weather

Yesterday the car said it was 73° outside when I left work. The weathergirl says the high today will be 35°. I liked yesterday's temps better. We had thunder in the night and now it's pouring down rain with the possibility of a wintery mix.

I'm dreaming of spring!

The indefinable 'they' say it's just around the corner. I want to know which corner so I can hurry and find it.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Cheesecake Anyone?

I've been working on making a family cookbook. I'm titling it Such as It Is. My grandma always used to say, "Dinner's ready, such as it is." I don't really know why. I guess she was being humble. She shouldn't have been, she was a wonderful cook. Of course, the tradition followed and my mom said 'such as it is', too. Now guess who says it? Yep, me. And I still don't know why. It's our thing. So while trying to come up with a title, this seemed appropriate.

I'm trying to take some pictures so it won't be a boring cookbook.

Cheesecake anyone?

Linking to Our World Tuesday

Blue Monday

Fergus has a lot of energy, which means he requires a lot of walking, running, and tossing of frisbees. Last Saturday I took him for a walk down by the covered bridge.

The clouds disappeared and the sky turned a beautiful shade of blue. The snow was almost gone, the ice was melting, and the birds were singing. Had me dreaming of spring.

Today we are expecting temps in the 60s. Too bad it's a work day!

Linking to Blue Monday

You Lookin' at Me!

Canadian Goose wondering what I'm up to.

Linking to Bird D'Pot

WILD SALSA - Colourful

Wild Salsa is one of my favorite restaurants in Dallas. The idea behind “Wild Salsa” was to bring authentic Mexicana and cuisine to downtown Dallas. And this restaurant succeeded in its goal.

So why a skull at the entrance you ask? One might expect food to be poison laced or have some other deadly explanation for the skull, but in truth, the skull makes reference to the Mexican holiday Dia de los Muertos.

Dia de los Muertos—Day of the Dead is a Mexican holiday celebrated, not only throughout Mexico, but also around the world. The holiday is a gathering of family and friends brought together for the purpose of remembering those who have passed before us. The holiday is celebrated on October 31, November 1 and November 2, in connection with All Hallows' Eve a.k.a. Halloween. Traditions include building ofrendas, private altars honoring the deceased, using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the dearly departed's favorite foods and beverages. (I'm sure those beverages include tequila as my favorite drink there is the swirl margarita.)

Dia de los Muertos can be traced back hundreds of years to an Aztec festival dedicated to the goddess Mictecacihuatl.

In Aztec mythology, Micecacihuatl is Queen of Mictlan, the underworld. She rules over the afterlife with another deity, her husband.  Her roll is to watch over the bones of the dead and preside over the ancient festivals of the dead.

So all this talk of the dead isn't very appetizing, but I can assure you the food at Wild Salsa is. If you are looking for TexMex this isn't the place for you, but if your taste runs toward the authentic, take a drive downtown.

Wild Salsa
1800 Main St., Suite 100
Dallas TX 75201

Linking to Saturday Photo Hunt's prompt - Colour

Lent and Black and White

In case there is someone who does not know what lent is, it is a solemn religious observance of many Christian denominations. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and ends at Easter. The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer through prayer, penance, repentance of sins, almsgiving, atonement, and self-denial, which ultimately culminates in the joyful celebration on Easter
Sunday of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

I sometimes add something during Lent, such as religiously reading a scripture, but other times I give up something, such as sugar, chocolate, or ice cream. Once I gave up white foods. This included sugar, flour, salt, and potatoes. If it was white, I didn't partake. You can bet I raced out of church to indulge in baked goods and potatoes.

This year I gave up negativity. Of course, the moment I walked into work yesterday, that one was in jeopardy. However, with the help of my co-workers, I will try to stick it out.

March is also the month of the Lakeland Photography Exhibit. There are several catagories, with one theme chosen by the committee, which is different each year. This year's theme was Street Photography.  Below is my intended offering.

However, since I live in the middle of nowhere, I had to drive an hour to the city in order to buy an appropriate frame. Of course, this horrid winter prevented travel during my days off, so I wasn't able to submit a photo this year.  Hopefully, next year.

Anyone giving up something for lent?

A Rose is a Rose

Missing summer and my roses. This one is from last  year.

We are supposed to have temps up into the 50s next week. Looking forward to it!
I'm going to place an order for some flowers to plant along the fence. Having trouble making a decision though. Everything looks so nice in the plant catalogs. I need something that grows well in partial shade. Any suggestions?

Marion County Illinois

I recently attended a meeting at the Marion County Courthouse in Salem, Illinois. I enjoy visiting courthouses in other counties. I hated history in school, but have found most of my vacations now revolve around some kind of history and have developed an appreciation for most things ancient.

The Marion County Courthouse was built in 1910. Marion County was organized in 1823 from portions of Jefferson and Fayette Counties. It was named in honor of South Carolina's Revolutionary War Gen. Francis Marion, the "Swamp Fox".

Most of you may not realize The Swamp Fox was a TV series back in 1959. It was a Walt Disney Production and starred Leslie Nielson. I was but a mere child, but I remember the series. The series was set during the American Revolutionary War about a band of guerrilla soldiers who each week battle against the English conventional forces.

It was freezing cold with a nasty north wind, so I didn't feel inclined to take pictures outside. Below are pics from the inside.

 According to the sign, this canon was used during the Civil War in Shiloh, Tennessee on April 7, 1862.

 Domed stained glass window in the ceiling.

Looking up from the lobby. I wish I had taken more time to go upstairs. I could have gotten a better shot of Lady Liberty.

Off to brave the elements. It's yet another work day. Enjoy your day!

Fergus the First Six Months

Okay, so I know I haven't been posting in forever. Too much work, too little time to play. I am going to try to post at least once a week, which should help me get back into the groove.

Well, there hasn't been much to take pictures of anyway. Mostly just snow, snow and more snow—and ice— or a trash barrell stuck in the ice.

Hope this snow we are expecting misses you.

Fergus Update

Fergus is getting bigger. He is now officially tall enough to leap up onto the bed. He likes comfort.

 Last weekend I took him to my daughter's house to meet his human sister and his niece and nephews. He gave them a run for their money. Now they are asking for a pup of their own. All kids need a dog, especially boys. Fergus got to meet their 2 cats. He wanted to play with them, but all they wanted to do was puff up to look like blimps and turn their tales into what looked like a wire brush. He tried to chase them, but they would either run down the basement stairs or upstairs to the bedrooms.  Fergus is afraid of those scary stairs.

 Fergus enjoyed taking the kids for a walk down the sidewalk, dragging them as far as the playground at the school.  He had tons of fun and is looking forward to his next visit.

Happy Tuesday!

Fergus Update

Fergus 11 weeks

After a week into this dog gig, we are considering changing Fergus's name to Tasmanian Devil or perhaps Whirling Dirvish. Although he looks like an angel in this photo, Mr. Innocence he is not! With all the new toys we bought for him, he much prefers a stick found outside while avoiding doing what he is supposed to be doing. His favorite thing to do with this stick is NOT fetch. He likes to peel the bark off and leave it all over the living room carpet.  Children!

Today is the Day!

If anyone actually purchases this book, I hope you enjoy it. Have a wonderful Tuesday!

Back in the Day

This is a picture of the movie theater in our town back in the day. I got my fix of Elvis Movies here. You could buy a movie ticket, have popcorn, and a drink for a buck. My how times have changed. This picture must have been taken around 1941, before my time, since the movie, Among the Living was released that year. Billed as a horror/crime thriller, it stared Albert Dekker, Susan Hayward, and Frances Farmer. I've never heard of it, but, just for fun, think I'll see if I can find it. Hopefully it still exists. The movie theatre was torn down in the late 60s or early 70s to make way for a parking lot. It's too bad, since the kids without concerned parents in our area have nothing at all to do on Saturday night except walk the streets and get into trouble. A sad song repeated in small towns around the country.

 Feeling nostalgic, I decided to add a little sepia to the post today.

 Above is the picture of a road I took. It was very sunny, which washed out the colors. Delete or sepia...sepia won out.

This is Bro O's cabin which is a nice hike to the west of his house. It sits in the woods beside a pond. Nice place to camp. If you look at the screen door and not the sliding window, it could be 1941.

Happy Monday!!!

Crawford County Nature Preserve

On my days off, instead of going into St. Louis for the zoo or arboretum, we decided to explore some of the Parks around here. This one is fairly new and certainly new to us. It is a nice place to visit and will be even better as time goes on. It is still a work in progress.

It has a very nice shelter, perfect for family events.

And a walking trail.

We passed several people fishing in the lake.

It also has a fountain. I took tons of pictures, but liked this one framed by the trees and...

 ...the one below. Hubby took several pictures, too.

 We didn't see a lot of flowers, but there were a few. There were several varieties of wildflowers along the path, but the sun was too bright where they were growing.

 Along with some lichen.

 Does anyone know what kind of tree grows these?

Hope you are having a wonderful Thursday!

Photoshop Fun, a Cat, and a Barn

While my rambunctious pup is napping, thought I would take the time to post. Fergus is doing fine. We are working on house training. Not an easy task. Must watch very fast dog run around and try to get into trouble at all times in case he darts behind something to do his business. He has figured out he gets a treat if he cooperates outside. Now if I can only get him to ask when he needs to go outside. I taught Willie to bark at the back door. I read about someone else tying a bell on the door knob. Any suggestions?

Hubby and Bro O were getting in a little target practice the other evening. I was bored when I thought about the picture below. I took this picture a while back and really like the little girl with the umbrella, but it has too much background clutter. I had been reading my Phtoshop for Dummies book, learning how to put a specific object into another background, so decided to take a landscape shot to give it a try. Since she was standing under a tree with dappled sunlight on the umbrella, I walked to the dam side of Bro O's pond and along the woods, taking several shots. 

This is the original picture.

This is Umbrella Girl transplanted onto the dam.

This one in front of the woods. I think it turned out the best. Now for the fun. I didn't tell Bro O about this project. I emailed the Dam shot to him and told him I took this picture near the pond when they were shooting guns, and low and behold an odd little girl showed up in the shot. I asked if he knew who she was. I got an email back stating they had no idea. Sis-n-law said looking at the pic gave her goosebumps, but they decided it must be one of the neighbor girls playing dress up, adding that she sure was wearing strange clothes. I emailed back with an explanation. It isn't perfect, but it was good enough for a prank. 

 A leftover from a photo club assignment, put a book in it. Liked the cat in a basket.

Lastly here is the barn. These folks sure to like red. I wish I would have had time to take a picture of the house, which was across the road from the barn. It had the same red metal roof. However, Hubby was driving and refused to stop. Just because there was a car behind him...

Hope everyone is having a wonderful labor day weekend.
Linking to Barn Charm

Fergus

Meet Fergus. 10 week old Border Collie. Full of vim and vinegar. Will keep me hopping for sure.

I'm in love! lol
Happy Sunday!
Linking to Camera Critter Sunday

Anniversay, Birds, Flowers and an Announcement

Today is our Anniversary.  Six years with no divorce on the horizon. Success!

Since Hubby had to work today, we spent the last two days celebrating. We planned to go to the zoo, arboretum, or Union Station in St. Louis, but ended up hitting 2 Nature Preserves, a lake, and a couple of State Parks. We had fun hiking while searching for birds and other photo ops. None of my birds turned out worthy of posting, but I'll post the best of the worst. Why do those critters fly every time I get close enough to actually get a focused shot?

 Blue Heron Hiding

Two Tufted Titmice or Titmouses? Drinking. Or, how about a Tufted Titmouse and friend Drinking? Much better.

 Hummer Humming



Bob White Quail Running

 One of the Zinnias from my garden doing nothing. 

Hyacinth Beans on a trellis by the front porch. Climbing.

 

And now for the announcement...drum roll please...we are getting a new pup! He will arrive today around 4:00 p.m. I'm counting the minutes. It has been two months since Willie crossed the rainbow bridge. I miss him. I feel a little disloyal, but the house is way too quiet without a furry critter running around, so the decision was made. I'll post a pic tomorrow.

 

Happy Saturday!

 



Friday Fence and Some News

One of my aunts invited us over for pizza and a bonfire last weekend. I found this little fellow peeking at us through the fence. He wanted a carrot, but alas I didn't know to bring one.

 Some of you, not many, may have noticed I haven't been blogging like I used to. Once a daily poster, I am now down to every now and then.  Well, here is one of the reasons why.

I have a story published in this book. The acceptance letter gave me a much needed kick start. I sometimes get lazy writing...tire of rejection...so go off into my other world of taking pictures. Since I received this news, I am back working on my tween series and writing more short stories.

The release date is September10th, so feel free to stop by your local bookstore and pick up a copy. My story is titled, Fountain of Youth and written by Betty J. Roan. That's me. I'll be posting about this again, I'm sure.

Have a great weekend!
Linking to Friday Fences