#crepe myrtle after rain

[whatnext10]

Colorful Crepe Myrtles are Even More Beautiful After Rain

Wheel of Myrtle A little while back we had a morning where the rain came down steadily for several hours, and then in the afternoon it cleared out and was rather pleasant. I decided to take advantage of the fact that the plants and wildflowers would be covered in raindrops. I didn’t venture out too far in case it started to rain again (I don’t mind being out in the rain, but thunder and lighting…

[putah-creek]

a haibun

Here, we have a rainy season and a dry season.

So it is that after months of dry heat that the very first rain of the year is a gift and a blessing. As I write this, it is late in the dry season and I am watching the sky and waiting, passing judgment on the cloud formations. Oh, how lovely it would be to one day spy out that very first raindrop.

Bicycling in late summer on these dry and hot flatlands - crepe myrtle in bloom!

James Lee Jobe

[gaygardenhell]

Apr 1: wimdy crepe murder

yesterday wasn't too involved, though i did do a rough drainage test on the soil. at least at the very front, it's a lot better than i would expect with the heavy clay we have. maybe the rocks help?

today it was supposed to be dangerously windy, so we set off to pick up our native plant order from herring run nursery in baltimore fairly early. we also covered our baby plants. hang in there lil dudes.

herring run is super cool! it's a native plant nursery run by blue water baltimore, which is an org promoting clean water in the bay. it's small but gets tons of cool plants in and i wish id known about it sooner - there's a few things i ordered online that wouldve been nice to get there.

super excited to have our serviceberry tree! also picked up some low growing sumac, a funky stonecrop, little bluestem, virginia bluebells and pink muhly grass. some are dormant but im excited to see them grow! we also got a rain barrel, which will hopefully save me from having to buy water refills for my fussy baby tropical houseplants.

my flowering quince (seen here with the serviceberry) also came in early! it's so tall! which means we had to get to work removing the crepe myrtle roots. thankfully, there was about a single gust of wind until all the way after dark. a bit anticlimactic.

there's like half a stump still in the ground, and the top part is rotted but there's still live roots. im hoping clearing this main section will take care of most of the issue, though realistically, we'll still be getting suckers popping up for a while. the only way to stop them for sure would be to dig up literally half our yard, and while we'd be rich in rocks i think we might also die.

we at least got everything at the surface level out! tomorrow we tackle the big boy and plant our new pals that we didn't want to immediately snap in the wind.

[comfortspringstation]

Crepe Myrtle After The Rain

[sagehaubitze]

Crepe myrtles being weighted down by their own sins. (the sins being a billion tiny flower petals that get everywhere and are slimy after it rains and I bust my ass on the driveway because of it)

[putschki1969]

Hikaru//’s Free Writing Vol.#2

Note: This is my English translation of Hikaru//’s Free Writing Vol.#2. Please enjoy!

『teamLab Borderless Forgetting Time Within “Art without Borders”』〜 Hikaru//’s Free Writing Vol.#2〜

Hello, this is Hikaru//. In this second column I will be doing another "report" just like I did in Vol.#1. I was super thrilled on the day of the shoot because I have always been interested in this place! This time we went to... 『MORI Building DIGITAL ART MUSEUM: EPSON teamLab Borderless』 !

The nearest stations are Aomi Station on the Yurikamome Line or Tokyo Teleport Station on the Rinkai Line. In the stations you will see lots of posters guiding you to the venue. When you look at all the ads you will get even more excited!

At the venue itself visitors are asked to wear a mask as a measure against COVID-19. You also need to disinfect you hands at the entrance. If you wish you can also get disposable vinyl gloves. On the left side of the entrance there are also lots of coin lockers where you can store your luggage. You should definitely make use of that...I recommend going inside carrying as little as possible! When entering the first room your temperature is measured with a thermo camera.

After the temperature measurement there is this huge message plastered to the wall. What do they mean by "wandering"? That’s what I asked myself when I saw these words. But once you have experienced it all, the words will make sense *laughs*  Well then, let’s go inside! You have three options at the beginning. Many museums have a certain route that you need to follow in order to enjoy everything properly but with "TeamLab Borderless" it’s up to you where you want to go, you can go wherever you feel like going. Being led by your feelings is the best way to enjoy art!

I really like butterflies so I am going to the "Butterfly House" first. Butterflies are flying all over the room! If you try touching the butterflies because you think they are so beautiful and cute they will crumble and fall to the floor...The butterflies born here jump out of the room and move on to join the other art in the museum. So you don’t have to feel sad about saying goodbye to the butterflies since you will meet them again soon, you only have to take a few steps to see them flying around in various places.

After chasing butterflies I went to the "Forest of Flowers and People, Lost and Reborn". There are flowers all around the ground and across the walls! Flowers will appear where people are standing and after a while they scatter again, when you stay at a single place for a longer time the flowers will bloom. It’s a very photogenic space. It's large as it is but since there are so many mirrors the space feels even wider! ♪ You can easily take a ton of selfies here *laughs*. Enjoy the various flowers! There are some smaller rooms with several little spaces where the work is displayed on monitors. Also, you can see some animals decorated with flowers moving along the walls. Please try to touch those animals and see what happens ♪

After encountering the animals I entered a space with a big waterfall. The flow of water changes when people stand or sit on it and when you stay there for a while flowers will start to bloom. On the walls where the water doesn’t flow you can see all kinds of art. What might happen when you touch the flowing kanji? Please experience how the art changes when you manage to touch it!

"Team Lab Borderless" is a permanent exhibition but depending on the season you can see lots of different art! Right now you can experience a special "seasonal exhibition", I got to see it. iI’s amazing art that feels reminiscent of Japanese paintings! Apparently this is the first time the exhibition, “Proliferating Immense Life” is open to the public in Japan. Even though it’s a seasonally limited exhibition I would like to talk a little about the art. In the “Flowers - Layered Ultrasubjective Space” you can drown within countless semi-transparent images of hydrangea from June to July. The space “Memory of Topography“ depicts a rural mountain landscape of varying elevations. The scenery instills in the viewer a feeling of eternal permanence. From June to August you can enjoy lush rice fields and crepe myrtles. With the flow of real time the scenery is continuously changing so when I was there, thunder struck and it rained down heavily onto the rice fields (※ Please note that there is no actual water in this exhibition).

In the “Forest of Resonating Lamps” you can experience the sensation of being surrounded by the soft light of lamps whose colour scheme changes as people stand nearby. This production is very much reminiscent of the hydrangea you can see from June to July. The lamps are specially arranged and they are hand-made from Murano glass (Venetian glass). If you take a close look at each individual lamp you will notice that they all look different. The seasonal art is constantly changing. Even the staff members do not know when something new will be installed. So I consider myself very lucky to have been able to experience all these seasonal exhibitions.

Now, let's return to the permanent art. When you continue onwards you will be joined by crows as you enter the “Cave Universe”. This work is to be viewed from a position close to the entrance. The work begins when crows of “Crows are Chased and the Chasing Crows are Destined to be Chased as well” enter into the Cave Universe in the middle of the aisle.  If you stand at position close to the entrance the boundary between the wall and the floor disappears, the real space dissolves and the lines drawn by the trails of the crows appear to be drawn in three dimensions in the space. Eventually the body becomes immersed in the artwork world, and the border between the artwork and the viewer dissolves. I really want everyone to experience this!

The next space you will reach is "Wander through the Crystal World". This interactive installation artwork uses an accumulation of light points to create a sculptural body. The Crystal World is created when people use their phones to send elements of the natural world into it. It's beautiful and fun ♪

Then we continue towards the “Athletics Forest“ area. In the “Weightless Forest of Resonating Life” you can be three dimensionally immersed by various objects of light that move as though they’re defying gravity, they will also be changing colours... I tried putting an object above my head *laughs*. The “Aerial Climbing through a Flock of Colored Birds“ space features connected boards hanging in mid-air on ropes, creating a floating three dimensional space. You can train your body by trying to navigate the space in mid-air *laughs*.

In “Graffiti Nature - High Mountains and Deep Valleys, Red List” various creatures drawn by visitors live in a large, three-dimensional space consisting of slopes with different elevations. Challenge yourself and draw one of the endangered animals! I did it, I completed my drawing! Once you hand your drawing to a staff member it will appear within the space..It almost feels like you are a parent watching over your child *laughs* You start getting attached!

Last but not least I would like to introduce the "EN TEA HOUSE Genka-Tei". This is the only food and drink art space in the museum. The first thing you will notice when you enter the room is the strong aroma of tea. There are four types of tea, tea leaves from the mountains of Hizen in Kyushu are used. There is also a set menu with rich green tea ice cream filled with umami flavor and accompanied with shirotama. You have to order first at the reception. Then you will be guided to your seat. Tatami mats are used for the tables and chairs, making it a relaxing space. Tea and ice cream are brought in, the art starts once the set is placed in front of you. Make tea and a flower blooms inside the teacup. Flowers bloom infinitely as long as there is tea. Smell, taste, sight... It was a space where all senses were stimulated, a truly healing experience.

There are so many great artworks in "Team Lab Borderless", I cannot possibly write about all of them. I hope you will visit and experience it all for yourself! These are the words written at the exit.

This time, I was wanderiing around the museum for about two and a half hours without a map. Even though I spent so much time there I still couldn’t go everywhere, I only saw parts of it. There is still so much left to discover. I wanna come here again! And here’s a bonus pic for you! I was so absorbed in the art that I didn’t really take too many pictures of myself... *laughs*.

I had a great and exciting time, this experience gave me the opportunity to reflect on many things! Well then, until next time! Text = Hikaru// Photography = Yuki Ohashi, Hikaru//

[shepherdsvoice]

2020

Part of me wants to say that 2020 was just a terrible year. And in some ways it was. But I can’t ignore that in so many ways it wasn’t. In the macro, it was, for the most part, a pretty terrible year. It was a year of frustration and anger and disillusionment and violence and disappointment. I fear that it is a year that will have long-lasting and far-reaching repercussions. But in the micro, I am blessed to say that I was not too affected by the situation. I know that I could have and should have conducted myself with more grace and patience this year. I let my anger and frustration and worry take a hold of me and I took it out on those around me. But when I put aside those emotions, I can appreciate all the blessings I received.

I am grateful for all the unexpected time I got to spend with family this year. I am so grateful for the seven months I spent with Mom. Probably the last time we’ll ever live together again and maybe the closest we’ll ever be. I am grateful for that strange spring and that loooong summer that in some ways doesn’t feel like it happened at all. I am grateful for watching the sun rise most mornings from the sunny little office that I painted yellow. Watching the first wisps of pink crest the hill and illuminate the dew on the lawn and the grey cat on the fence and the roses blossoming on the bush in the back corner of the garden and the downy white blooms on the crepe myrtles. I am grateful for the chill of the hardwood floors in the morning and the baking heat as the sun shone full through the windows in the afternoon. I am grateful for calling to Rosie through the thin, warped glass windows as she lay on the deck or sniffed under the gate. I am grateful for Friday Facetime sessions with Ngawang. Sitting in the sweltering office and talking about nothing and everything. Making plans for future trips and lamenting what the world had come to. I am grateful for sitting on the top step in the afternoon when I was finished with work. Listening to Genesis or Leviticus, drinking strawberry milk or eating berries or an acai bowl, the sun browning my back and Rosie coming to sit beside me, nudging her head under my arm. I am grateful for throwing the Frisbee with her and playing keep away and running around the back yard under blindingly blue afternoon skies or beneath pale pink and purple sunsets as the crows squawked and returned to their roosts in the tall trees on the ridge.

I am grateful for my morning chats with Mom. Walking into her room once I finished my morning meetings, and commiserating about the news and laughing about our lack of plans and lamenting her empty retirement and complaining about my boss and talking about the neighbors who passed by on their morning walks and boxing with Rosie as she lay at the end of the bed. I am grateful for afternoons on the front porch, watching the little world go by on C Street, joking with Steve and Bill, playing American Trivia, reading languorous novels while Mom read the paper, looking at houses on Zillow and whiling away the long afternoon hours. I am grateful for weekend mornings at the dog park. For walking up the hill in invariably inconvenient shoes then sitting high on the bench at Gerstle Park as Rosie trudged through the ivy and did her looping patrol of the hillside. Or sunny, windy days at Mill Valley Park, watching dogs reluctantly run the agility course or race across the broad lawn after a ball or Frisbee or dive unhesitatingly into the muddy shore of the bay. And I am so grateful for mornings at Piper Park. Sitting on our favorite bench beneath the thin maple, looking out across the verdant lawn at Mt Tam standing sentinel over us with Hall nestled in the middle ground where I spent so many hours playing soccer or sitting in a circle with my friends in the back corner of the field or laughing over our lunches at the picnic tables. I am grateful for the familiar faces at the park, the people whose dogs’ names we knew but not their own. I am grateful for iced chai’s sipped on the park bench as mom and I talked about our school days while Rosie lay panting in the tall grass behind us in the shade of the great willow tree looking out at the high creek.

I am grateful for our afternoon drives when there was nothing else to do. For the chance to explore Marin. Driving down Center Street through sleepy Fairfax and over the hill to San Geronimo. Cows and granite boulders and scraggly trees dotting the fields that crept up the hillsides as hawks circled overhead. I am grateful for that long, straight road through that wild, wonderful country. I am grateful for the shaded windy road through the redwoods towards Nicasio and the little white school house on the corner. I am grateful for the backroads towards Petaluma past the Nicasio Reservoir with hills so vibrantly green and rolling and tranquil that I was reminded of Ireland. I am grateful for the turn onto Petaluma Road and the lazy bends up the hill with sudden vistas of the valley below. And I am grateful for the 37 towards Sonoma and Napa, for the horses on the hill and the bridges over the bay and the beached boat on the side of the road and the long low lane through the marshes. And I am grateful for all the laughs and talks we had during those drives while bluegrass and rap and oldies and classic rock played on the stereo. I am grateful for afternoons at Stinson and Rodeo when we could forget the wider world and enjoy the simple beauty that California still has to offer as we watched dogs and children frolic in the surf and dig in the sand.

I am grateful for my trip with Michelle and Dash. For honky tonk country music and long lazy drives through the central valley and the sunshine in LA and the quiet of Utah and the vastness of the sky and the rainbows of Bryce Canyon and the awe-inspiring beauty of Zion and the blinding white of the Booneville Salt Flats and the gaudiness of the Las Vegas Strip and my grueling hike with Dash and our long talks on the road or in the evening. I am grateful for the time I got to spend with Michelle. For our tours through the City and the East Bay, spending the whole day exploring and talking and complaining and laughing, agreeing on so much. For our dinner on New Year’s Eve, driving to a hilltop in South SF and eating dumplings out of to-go containers and exchanging Christmas gifts and trying to make sense of the craziness of this year. I am grateful for the time I got to spend with her family. At her niece’s birthday party while the children splashed in the pool and her dad told me about Nauru. And at Samuel P Taylor as we sat around the campfire and sang Russian and Slovakian folk as Steve strummed along on the guitar. And at Labor Day weekend with Mom, eating hotdogs with Michelle’s parents under the sprawling oak in their backyard and seeing Lenka and Janka and Kimmie and Alex. Mom and I talking on the way home about the unique sadness of being an only child and the joy that a big family brings.

And I am grateful for my three trips to Hawaii this year. And especially for this last one. I am so grateful for cool mornings on the lanai, watching the shadows recede across the lawn and the sea lighten from grey to blue in the morning sun, the myna birds stirring and shrieking, me slowly drinking my guava juice while reading or embroidering and then sitting with Dad and talking about movies and psychology and ideas for articles and albums. I am grateful for morning walks on the beach, for the dogs and the surfers and the damp sand and flip-flops left in the shade and the waves creeping up the shore. I am grateful for lunches on the lanai or at Hula or Mama’s. For the tropical rainstorm at Hula Grill as I drank my strawberry daiquiri and for the light rain at Mama’s as the colossal waves crashed against the coast. I am grateful for drives along the seaside while music played, with the multi-hued ocean to one side and the steep, sculptured mountains shrouded in fog on the other. I am grateful for lazy afternoons napping and reading and playing trivial and scrabble and cards. For time to be together and relax. I am grateful for home cooked meals, the three of us joining hands around the table for grace and piling the plates to one side to talk after we’ve finished eating. I am grateful for our dinner at Spago’s, watching the sun set behind the palms and the lights illuminate the beach, sharing sushi and keeping an eye out for celebrities. And I am grateful for nights after dinner watching good movies and bad. Talking through plot points, arguing about Gal Gadot’s attractiveness, predicting the storyline of Soul, and marveling at the athleticism of Gene Kelly. I am grateful for the warmth and beauty and slowness of Maui.

I am grateful for the breath-taking sunset that I saw from the plane last night, the sun dipping down into the Pacific and bathing the hills of Pacifica in gold while the city sparkled farther north. I am grateful for the sunrise I saw today from the back of an Uber on the New Jersey Turnpike, the sky confetti pink and yellow, silhouetting the Manhattan skyline across the Hudson.

This has been a hard year. A trying year. But a year for growth and reflection and pause. A year that threw most of my goals and hopes out the window but that gave me so many other blessings in return. This was the first year since 2013 that I did not leave the country. I got to spend 365 days in the country that I love so much and I got to explore new parts of it and fall in love with it more even as I worry over its future. I spent every holiday this year with people I love, Fourth of July with Dad and Susan, my birthday with Mom and Ray, Thanksgiving with Ngawang and Aja and Deanna and Abina and Ritcha and Christmas and New Year’s with Dad and Susan and Mom and Michelle. I must admit that I am glad that 2020 is over but I am thankful that I lived it.

[whatnext10]

Bright Red Crepe Myrtles are Beautiful After a Rain

Rainy Day Crepe Myrtles This has not been a very good week for me. It started with my loosing one of my favorite dogs, and ended with me resigning from my job of nearly nine years. Needless to say, it’s been very stressful and emotionally charged and has left me with no time or energy for anything except dealing with situations as they came up. Now it’s all over with, and I feel like a great…

[sylviajackson5]

How To Trim Shrubs Rochester Ny

Contents

-flowering shrubs anytime

Costs. average labor costs

9 top rochester trees

2017 г. step

Crepe myrtle bush pruning

It’s just as valid today as gardening books published decades earlier. Because the writer was based in New York, her “to do” …

Ready to learn how to how prune bushes and shrubs? Start by removing any dead, diseased, or damaged branches, then stand back and take a look. If your shrub is bushier than you'd like, or if you just want to encourage new growth, remove a few of the oldest branches at ground level.

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Most shrubs in the Webster, NY area need a trim at least once per year; many shrubs need a trim twice per year. If the shrub was just extensively That means that wherever one cut was made, two to four new sprigs of growth appear. Even if the shrub has not yet grown to the desired size, it is still a…

Pruning Plum Trees Rochester Ny The best time to prune the plum tree is from the middle of June until August. Choose a period when there is no rain or fog in the forecast as heavy moisture in the air after pruning makes the plum tree … Arborist Gear Rochester Ny Worker at 2 rochester rec centers tests positive for

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There are no weeds left to pull, bushes to trim or fruit trees to prune … Which, let’s be honest, doesn’t seem likely. The New York Times editorial board described such a scenario as …

This low maintenance shrub should not need heavy pruning; a light touch is crucial … her love of style and fashion while living in New York City and earning her degree at New York University.

Thus far, the resident spirits have not made themselves known to the Bushes, but the couple is … with Chelsea’s parents traveling to Rochester from the Buffalo area. On Halloween of 2019 …

Sow the seeds in pots or in cell trays and be careful not to wet the compost too much. All winter pruning should be completed …

Give us a few details and we'll match you with the right pro. Zip code. Shrub height, Less than 4 feet tall, 5-7 feet tall, Greater than 8 feet tall. Search …

Trimming and Pruning of shrubs and trees. Landscape Maintenance – Trimming and Pruning. Hedgerows; Ornamental Trees. Weeding of Beds (One time or …

Step by step directions how prune your shrubs spring. Опубликовано: 20 мар. 2017 г. step by step directions how prune your shrubs spring. How to trim hedges like a PRO. Hedge trimming tips, plus crepe myrtle bush pruning – Продолжительность: 11:05 Bermudagrass Central 3 074 просмотра.

The post How To Trim Shrubs Rochester Ny appeared first on Rochester Tree Service Pros.

source https://rochestertreeservicepros.com/how-to-trim-shrubs-rochester-ny/ from Rochester Tree Service Pros https://rochestertreeservicepros.blogspot.com/2020/04/how-to-trim-shrubs-rochester-ny.html

[christopherjdowdy]

Forty Years Forward

One morning this week I waited in the library for one woman to meet another. One had traveled a long way, the other had not. A husband, a sister, waited too with the one who had traveled--a woman with a cosmopolitan voice, clear, patient. 

There is a little happy commotion when her old friend makes it. They stand and talk, after they embrace, next to a dress she or the other had danced in. Maybe both, in the company they had started together: part of a display telling a history of this, the Black Dance Theater. Their Black Dance Theater. Yellowed clippings in a book and a case with playbills and photographs, brightly colored costumes, glistening faces in performance.

The old friend had stayed behind in this city to build the theater they started together and they have seen each other not infrequently but still they are glad, hugging one another. Both know our librarian, who seems to know everyone.

The dress is orange and blue underneath a sheath of white cotton. 

“You know the company started here?” the librarian mentions to me, while they are murmuring by the display case, a photographer clicking away, a theater staffer streaming things on facebook. 

“On the campus?” I say, surprised. 

Yes, and in a building since razed to the ground (green grass there now: a question mark, a possibility; a great emerald arm reaching to the next thing) on the south part of the grounds. They started dancing, and kept on, building around both of their arms and waists and chins held at precise angles. So many stories I have yet to learn.

They held themselves, together. Forty years gone by. 

-- 

Getting in the car this morning with S. I notice I have left a rake out by the porch this past week, exposed to the sun and, for the past day or so, the rain. It has gone from tan to grey; washed out. Around it a bush, which I think may privet, is unruly. Bright green weeds mix in with the purple diamond leaves of oxalas and the the freckled orange petals of transplanted day lily from L.’s sister’s yard. Though I don’t work as hard as I should to support it, in contrast to the faded wood of the tool the crepe myrtle is brown-green; shoots pushing out all around, waxy leaves and pink flowers around the four or five crooked stalks of trunk, heedless. It has endured the same week of punishing sun and sudden rain as the neglected tool. Though both are themselves independent of me, the contrast is sharp, given that --

the tree remains flowering

holds its color 

is alive

[haveaballstyleanddesign]

Miss Crepe Myrtle showing off after the rain..... colossal blooms ! Happy Sunday ! #Pjsinmygarden #ThankyaMotherNature #magentamagic @eloise_at_theplaza @haveaballstyleanddesign https://www.instagram.com/p/BznahdsFWS6/?igshid=ueqeqkwf68os

[mendingindrasnet]

Midwest City, Oklahoma 1952

The backyard is fenced by chain links. The screen door off the kitchen is scratchy and leads there. I tiptoe out. I am 5 and my mother and sister are napping. I know they are tucked in and wandering through the landscape of their dreams. My bare feet navigate the cement on the steps leading to the short brown grass. They are happy to feel the stickiness of the blades as they make patterns on them.

The sight of a hill of red ants awakens my breath. I maneuver around it and cannot resist the urge to fall on me knees to watch the lines of ants inching in and out of the hill. I am in awe. Their bodies are rust colored and shiny in the afternoon light. The spaces in between them in the lines are uniform. The ants are different sizes with different burdens to carry: a piece of rice, a cookie crumb, the corner of a bread crust. I crawl around after them wondering how far they are moving. There are more of these big ants than I can count. I am aware of their pace, their organization. i hear a song in my head as I lie on the parched weedy earth. It carries me somewhere on their trails. The lyrics insist, “I’m gonna live, live, live until I die.” I have entered their realm. The synchronization of their paths, the certainty of their faith. I do not know these words yet, but I feel the journey of the ants in the lyrics.

I am bitten by one of the red ants midway up my left thigh. It moves my attention from the reverie. I brush the ant off and hope it is not injured. I forget the sting. I am very much larger with this sense of the size of things. I crawl away from the ant lines. I am aware of the variety of the weeds and grasses in the backyard, each one making an impression in my knees and shins. I have made an impression too. I know they lie flat in some places but will rise up like me, like my mother and sister from their nap.

The chain link fence is hot in the sun and separates me from the dusty meadow behind our house and our street, but I cannot endure the limitation. I find a sturdy little stick and sit tailor style poking it through a hole in the fence. I move the stick in the rhythm I recall from the song, “I’m gonna live, live, live until I die.” In and out it goes in time. My breath keeps the beat. My eyes soften. The sun beams sparkles on the tall weeds so their brown turns golden. I sense movement on the other side. I keep up the rhythmic moves. And I prepare myself not to jump or wince as a mottled little turtle arrives and snaps the stick right off My fingers are not able to retain the stub of the stick. The turtle backs up. So do I.

The wind stirs up in step with the retreat of the turtle backing up from the chain link fence, the purloined stick swept from his mouth into the suddenly swaying grass. Breathing out, I feel the air pressure drop and smell the dust as it rises in a spiral upending the short grass and the red ants. So above, the flat yellow sun hides behind the clouds as grey as steel. The branches of the crepe myrtle bend and arch. I stand up and run with the rain. It runs cool and clear down my neck and back, over my bare arms. Not drops but rivulets all over me . And I turn, the rain running all the way down my bare legs to my ankles, my spine tingling with the grace of the liquid sky. Pulling off my shorts and shirt, turning again, leaning into the rain. The yard was too small for anything but running in circles.

I could smell freedom, knowing my mother and sister still slept in the little grey house, their stares, their words, their judgments

No longer found out No longer caught red handed My fingers under the covers Probing the sensations In my underpants

The cool sheet of rain fell over the hot hurt of my shame.

The russet-throated sparrow desperately spreads her wings and rump over her nest of speckled blue eggs. The preying mantis flattens himself on the matted grass. The swallows hover and dive under the eaves. It was as if all of nature were taking an in breath.

And then a rumbling commenced followed by a clap of thunder, the history of all the bolts before it resounding in the sky. The lightning did not hit the little grey house. It was the same source of fire and rain the storm had seen before. All storms were connected The rains enveloped the backyards, the roads, the trees ants, turtles. The sparrows were utterly drenched, stripped of any certainty of survival. Then, without a sign, the storm that lurked in the secret recesses of the wind receded. The clouds loosened. The sun sent her rays down to the newly baptized earth. The creatures who had not drowned looked up in wonder at what had passed and what would return.

- Patria Brown Submitted in 2016

[deedee1946foggycollectorstranger]

Bradford’s in all their glory.

We thought it would be cool to line both sides of our driveway with Bradford Pears. They’re beautiful, right? And fast growing and create lots of shade.

When we moved here thirty-plus years ago, it was a fairly new development. Farm land, to be exact. Hilly and treeless except for a few cedar trees the developer didn’t bulldoze down. Oh, and several Honey Locust trees with long, sharp thorns. Messy, too. Every time the wind blows, limbs fall all over the ground. But they bloom in the spring and create some shade, so we like them okay. We just have to be careful when we prune them. Those stickers hurt!

But the Bradford is a real beauty covered with white flowers like cotton balls in the early spring. One of the first to sprout new leaves and one of the last to lose them. Perfect for any yard.

Until rain turns to ice.

Now, we want to have them all cut down but that will cost a small fortune. But, from the looks of things, we can just wait and let nature take them down.

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Bradford’s in all their glory.

Bradford’s. I never knew they were so fragile.

Couldn’t get out the driveway that day. A kind neighbor across the road cut it up for us

Close up of the tree pinning us in.

If you look closely to the left, you can see the branches of one of the four trees that were down.

One of four trees down in one day during ice storm.

One of four trees down in one day during ice storm.

Another tree down in one day during an ice storm. Our next door neighbor and his son cut it up and hauled it away for us.

One of four trees down in one day during ice storm.

rainy day after rainy day after rainy day took this one down.

Rain, rain, and more rain took this one down.

We have many trees in the yard, but the Crepe Myrtles are my favorite. They’re not messy, their leaves are small, they’re easy to prune, and they bloom from early summer to late fall. Very friendly trees. Beautiful, too.

Why I Don’t Like Bradford Pear Trees We thought it would be cool to line both sides of our driveway with Bradford Pears. They're beautiful, right?

[starkravingcat]

Heavy from rain. Normally I can stand under this crepe myrtle. Branches are almost touching the ground. After the grayness, it's nice to see some pretty pink - but rain continues, and winds are gusting again. 💖💖💖 StarkRavingCat.com: Small batch artisanal cat toys. CatnipJoint, catniptoy, catnip and hip handmade gifts, #starkravingcat, from #Austin #atx #txhillcountry #wimberley #goawayharvey

[male-emporium]

Garden Prep

Outfit Details:

Express Dress c/o, Stubbs & Wootton Loafers

  Growing up, we spent a lot of our time in my grandmother’s many gardens. Our summers were filled with picking berries and nuts, climbing trees and trying not to get stung by the many bees buzzing around the flowers. When I think of roses, I think of my grandma. She’s still known as the rose queen (she’s even had stationery made with pictures of her roses on it- how cute is that?!). I’ve always loved flowers and gardens for this reason. One of the first things we talked about after we bought our house was where we would want to put our garden. Where will we put it? What plants and trees will it have? How big? How many? Luckily, Thomas has as big of a passion for it as I do, so we’ve both sort of come up with our dream list of what we want it to be- both are pretty similar. At the beginning of the year, we made our first trip out to the garden store to start on some smaller potted plants. That one trip quickly escalated to three, and then four, and then five. We were hooked! We’ve since created quite the mini (potted) garden at our place.

    Our two favorite garden centers in Charleston are Abide-A-While in Mt Pleasant and Hyams on James Island. We’ve made many trips to both! We love going and perusing through what’s in season and learning/reading about the different types of greenery, flowers, trees and more. The beautiful part of living in the South is that there is always something blooming. Right now it’s the crepe myrtles, and they are beautiful! We really go in with an open mind. Thomas is more practical than I am, planning out what will go where based on the necessities it needs (sun, shade, extra water, etc.), while I pick up what catches my eye, usually based on color, texture and size. It’s always a compromise with what we go home with!

    After we got home from our France trip, a few of our flowers didn’t survive our two and a half weeks away. Although we set up a watering system before left, we don’t think it evenly dispersed the water, so back to Hyams we went. We arrived first thing in the morning, and it was hot and raining, so we were one of the only people there. That meant we got the best pick! Aside from pulling some smaller plants to replace the ones that passed, I couldn’t resist these mini baskets they pre-made, filled with an array of different flowers.

    Visiting a garden store has become one of our favorite summer activities. Even if you don’t have a full yard or garden to fill with plants, it’s still fun to go and learn and see what’s in season and what you like. You can even start out with buying a few small pots and see where that takes you!

  And speaking of summer- I’m loving Express’s summer collection this year. It’s so good! Remember this gingham dress I wore last month? Well I recently found this striped shirtdress there, too. It’s so flattering and lightweight and easy- such an ideal piece for summer. It also comes in a classic light blue version here and a slightly different white version here. And if you’re looking for a few more affordable dress options for the season, I also love this lace-up gingham dress from Express as well as this white eyelet tie shoulder dress.

     Thank you to Express for sponsoring this post.

The post Garden Prep appeared first on Gal Meets Glam.

First found here: Garden Prep

[photomaniacs]

Macro Safari: Turn Your Backyard Into a Photo Adventure http://ift.tt/2t2WWJF

Yesterday was a rainy, hazy day at home. I didn’t feel much like going anywhere but I needed to find something to do that didn’t involve sitting or work. I decided to break out one of my macro lenses and a flash with soft box diffuser to go macro hunting around the house.

The random breaks in the rain would give me a few minutes at a time to venture beyond the front door to explore all the plants we have around the house. This macro safari managed to keep me entertained for the afternoon and on into the evening. I started out photographing some flowers but soon found some other more interesting subjects.

I chose for this residential adventure the versatile, amazingly capable AF Minolta 100mm Macro f/2.8 coupled to a Sony a7R II via a dumb (no communication with the camera) metal adapter.

A photo of the Minolta mounted to an a7r II with battery grip. A very reasonably sized package for handheld macro work!

This lens is capable of reaching 1:1 reproduction without an extension tube. I picked this lens up from a local camera shop a few years ago for a swell, used price of around $250. Considering the fact that it’s the same optical design as the modern Sony 100mm macro (Sony now owns Minolta), it’s a no brainer.

Minolta Maxxum AF Macro 100mm f/2.8 (1st Generation, 1986-1993) The aperture can be stopped down to f/32.

Why spend many hundreds more just for a Sony badge? This old Minolta mated to one of the most advanced, high-resolution cameras on the market shows just how good it still is. You’d be hard-pressed to find anything modern, at any price, that can outperform it.

Coming up are some photos made with this lens. Flowers and insects abound in Florida!

A Tequila Sunrise Hibiscus flower.

Here is a 1:1 macro of this same flower’s stigma (red bit) and anther (yellow stuff).

Another 1:1 shot, this time of the tiny white flowers nestled between the pink, papery leaves of a Bougainvillea vine.

I have no idea what kind of flowers these are. Each is about 1″ in diameter and sits in a hanging basket alongside some other pretty stuff.

A striking portrait of the new flowers on one of the Crepe Myrtle trees that line the driveway. Using a fast shutter speed and a tiny aperture of f/32, all ambient light was cutout, leaving only the flowers exposed by the closely positioned flash mounted in a 12″x12″ soft box. I like this shot because it includes all phases of growth: new buds, opening buds, open buds and then the full flowers.

I spotted this teeny tiny Long Legged Fly (Dolichopus Condylostylus comatus) resting on a frond of a palm tree; it’s about 1/2 the size of the common house fly but at 1:1 reproduction, you can really get in close to see all the interesting details. To me, it looks like some kind of alien flying machine.

After about half-an-hour of not finding anything else to shoot, I went inside to call it a day. That’s when my wife spotted a Florida Scorpion (Centruroides hentzi). These little guys are very common around here. They’re only about 1.5″ long, head-to-tail, and pack a very non-threatening venom that causes about the same sort of short-term discomfort as a bee sting.

Up close, I think they look like land lobsters. I’m not a fan of eating bug meat from the sea so this doesn’t bother my appetite any. After catching this little guy, I placed him on a piece of old, weathered Live Oak I staged on the dinner table. The scorpion was quite happy to remain on its perch no matter how many times I repositioned it or nuked it with the flash.

I had some closer shots but I preferred these images that showed the whole body. What an interesting critter! The scorpion never attempted to strike at me, preferring to lie flat and still, hoping I would just go away. When I was finished shooting these photos, I took the little guy outside and let him loose in a mound of pine needles at the base of a tree. I don’t mind having these around since they help control the population of other, ickier insects.

What a fascinating way to spend an afternoon! A good macro lens can have an enlarging effect on your sense of the world around you. Your neighbors will probably think you’ve lost your mind as you become more and more obsessed with crawling around in the dirt and rummaging through your planters looking for new things to get up-close with, but it’s worth it. Even the tiniest of yards will provide an endless supply of subjects if you’re willing to look hard enough.

If you aren’t already kitted out for macro photography, it doesn’t have to cost a ton of money. A simple extension tube set can cost less than $20 and will allow you to mount a lens you already own to get down into 1:2 or even 1:1 reproduction ratios. A cheap manual flash and a sheet of white paper is about all you need for lighting. There are plenty of websites out there with suggestions and reviews for this sort of thing. The world of macro photography promises to challenge you in new ways while showing you how much detail there is in nature that we often take for granted.

About the author: Tom Leonard is an amateur photographer, engineer, and father of 9. You can read his musings and follow his travels on his blog. This post was also published here.

Go to Source Author: Tom Leonard If you’d like us to remove any content please send us a message here CHECK OUT THE TOP SELLING CAMERAS!

The post Macro Safari: Turn Your Backyard Into a Photo Adventure appeared first on CameraFreaks.

June 24, 2017 at 07:01PM