Monday, December 21, 2009
Cutting the tree
My sister-in-law and my niece's oldest daughter did the actual work of cutting down the tree.
The tree-cutting expedition
The first thing to do is load everyone into the vehicles. Actually, before that was making sure everyone put on warm clothes.
We get to the tree farm, and kids run off in every direction.
Grandma gets everyone organized.
We pick out a tree.
We get to the tree farm, and kids run off in every direction.
Grandma gets everyone organized.
We pick out a tree.
Children's treasures
Years ago, my sister's kids gave me this little stained glass picture. I try to keep it where it will catch the sun. It is in the window of my door, and it does bang around rather noisily when I come and go. But oh well.
My niece's children decorated my tree for me this year. In a way, you would think I would re-arrange it, as the garlands wander a bit.
And some branches are rather heavily loaded. But it actually looks quite pretty as it is, and it's so sweet that they did it.
I did make one change, which was I took this stuffed bunny out. It was just sitting on the branches, and I didn't want it to fall and maybe take some other stuff out on the way down.
Great tree.
My niece's children decorated my tree for me this year. In a way, you would think I would re-arrange it, as the garlands wander a bit.
And some branches are rather heavily loaded. But it actually looks quite pretty as it is, and it's so sweet that they did it.
I did make one change, which was I took this stuffed bunny out. It was just sitting on the branches, and I didn't want it to fall and maybe take some other stuff out on the way down.
Great tree.
Holy, holy
Morning shots on the Hannegan. In the summer, the sun comes up behind Mt. Baker, but in the winter it comes up behind the Twin Sisters.
The above picture has four swans flying across the sky. You see a lot of water fowl in this region. Often the winter fields have standing water in them, and ducks and swans are splashing and walking around. Yesterday I drove by one field with ducks and swans that had visible standing water between the rows; the next field was grass without visible water (but no doubt damp ground, as it's been rainy yesterday) and seagulls were strutting around.
My niece told a great story on Facebook about one of her little girls seeing the mountains. My niece pointed out Mt. Baker to her four-year-old and two-year-old daughters. She says Baker was especially clear and beautiful that day. The four-year-old asked her what the mountains next to Mt. Baker were called. She told her she didn't know, and the little girl said, "Let's call them holy holy."
That was such a beautiful and profound response that it almost gives me chills.
The above picture has four swans flying across the sky. You see a lot of water fowl in this region. Often the winter fields have standing water in them, and ducks and swans are splashing and walking around. Yesterday I drove by one field with ducks and swans that had visible standing water between the rows; the next field was grass without visible water (but no doubt damp ground, as it's been rainy yesterday) and seagulls were strutting around.
My niece told a great story on Facebook about one of her little girls seeing the mountains. My niece pointed out Mt. Baker to her four-year-old and two-year-old daughters. She says Baker was especially clear and beautiful that day. The four-year-old asked her what the mountains next to Mt. Baker were called. She told her she didn't know, and the little girl said, "Let's call them holy holy."That was such a beautiful and profound response that it almost gives me chills.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Child of the Seventies
They say the sixties didn't start until 1963 and they ended in the early seventies. I don't know when the seventies started, maybe when miniskirts went out of style, and I and my friends started wearing knee-length (top of the knee, but still miles longer than before) skirts. That would have been when I was in junior high, so maybe about 1974.
What I'm driving at is that I consider Queen a 70s band, or at least my enjoyment of them feels 70s to me, even though the only album of theirs I ever bought, The Game, was released in 1980, and I listened to them mostly in college, which I started in 1979.
And the Muppets were definitely a 70s phenomenon. That was the time of the original Muppet Show, when Jim Henson (may he rest in peace) was still alive and voicing Kermit the Frog.
And all this to wonder if I love the following more because I am a child of the seventies.
First, the classic "Bohemian Rhapsody," by Queen, who made a music video before there were music videos:
Then, a new classic, by the classic performers, the Muppets:
Words fail me when I try to express how much I enjoy this. I can only stammer, "The chickens . . . buck, buck . . . Animal . . . Beaker . . . Bunsen Honeydew . . . the cows . . . so many familiar faces from the past." I love it.
What I'm driving at is that I consider Queen a 70s band, or at least my enjoyment of them feels 70s to me, even though the only album of theirs I ever bought, The Game, was released in 1980, and I listened to them mostly in college, which I started in 1979.
And the Muppets were definitely a 70s phenomenon. That was the time of the original Muppet Show, when Jim Henson (may he rest in peace) was still alive and voicing Kermit the Frog.
And all this to wonder if I love the following more because I am a child of the seventies.
First, the classic "Bohemian Rhapsody," by Queen, who made a music video before there were music videos:
Then, a new classic, by the classic performers, the Muppets:
Words fail me when I try to express how much I enjoy this. I can only stammer, "The chickens . . . buck, buck . . . Animal . . . Beaker . . . Bunsen Honeydew . . . the cows . . . so many familiar faces from the past." I love it.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Touched with autumn
The impatiens have perished, and the creeping jenny is more straggling than creeping.
This calla lily produced not many blooms but very lush leaves. A few are turning yellow.
And the begonias are almost done. These blooms will not be replaced with new ones, and the petals and leaves are starting to rot.
This calla lily produced not many blooms but very lush leaves. A few are turning yellow.
And the begonias are almost done. These blooms will not be replaced with new ones, and the petals and leaves are starting to rot.
Approaching dormancy
Floral life is winding down on my deck, as November approaches its end.
It has been a fairly mild autumn, in temperature. We have had some storms with rain, hail, wind, and lightning, but we haven't had any hard freezes yet.
However it has been cold enough for the marigolds in the herb basket to die off. The tarragon, which was the only herb to come back on its own from last year's hard winter, has turned brown. The parsley has a couple touches of yellow, but the sage, rosemary, and thyme are all still green and full.
These stones were covered by the petunias for much of the summer, but now they are visible again.
The contorted filbert has shed most of its leaves. The verbena underneath it is still green, but with only a few random blooms left.
It has been a fairly mild autumn, in temperature. We have had some storms with rain, hail, wind, and lightning, but we haven't had any hard freezes yet.However it has been cold enough for the marigolds in the herb basket to die off. The tarragon, which was the only herb to come back on its own from last year's hard winter, has turned brown. The parsley has a couple touches of yellow, but the sage, rosemary, and thyme are all still green and full.
These stones were covered by the petunias for much of the summer, but now they are visible again.
The contorted filbert has shed most of its leaves. The verbena underneath it is still green, but with only a few random blooms left.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Hail
Yesterday we had some thunder and then hail.
Even standing a couple feet away, I could smell the herbs from this barrel because the hail bruised them.
Even standing a couple feet away, I could smell the herbs from this barrel because the hail bruised them.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Catkins and colors
As the leaves fall from my contorted filbert, the beautiful twisted branches come back into view. Those yellow pods are called "catkins." According to Wikipedia, pale yellow catkins on a filbert are male, while female catkins are small and red. I can't figure out from what I have read whether the whole tree is male or female, as I believe hollies are, or whether the same plant bears both kinds of flowers. I don't see any female catkins, but I haven't looked hard.
These are the leaves of a Japanese maple on the street where I walk my dog. Such a brilliant red.
My dad cleared the leaves off my deck, and to facilitate his work, he made this interesting arrangement of the chairs, hiking them over the retaining wall.
Here is some color in the yard.
These are the leaves of a Japanese maple on the street where I walk my dog. Such a brilliant red.
My dad cleared the leaves off my deck, and to facilitate his work, he made this interesting arrangement of the chairs, hiking them over the retaining wall.
Here is some color in the yard.
Fledged birds' nests
As the leaves come off the trees, you can see where the birds lived during the spring and summer.
In the Barbara Pym novel Less Than Angels, after the death of a loved one a character reads or remembers these lines of poetry:
He that hath found some fledged bird’s nest, may know
At first sight, if the bird be flown;
But what fair well or grove he sings in now,
That is to him unknown.
It is from the poem "Beyond the Veil," by Henry Vaughan. In the Harry Potter books, there is a room in the Department of Mysteries where a veil hangs over a doorway in the middle of a room, and when a character goes through it--goes "beyond the veil"--that is his death. Harry Potter, who has a lot of loved ones who have died, and Luna Lovegood, whose mother is dead, can hear voices beyond the veil, and Harry is very drawn to it. Death--the fear of death, the death of friends and family, facing one's own death, even longing for it as a means of reunion with those who are gone--is a central theme of the Harry Potter novels. Jo Rowling reveals her Christian faith in how she finally handles this topic. I believe she lost her mother at a rather young age, and I think part of her motive in writing the books was to work through that experience.
In the Barbara Pym novel Less Than Angels, after the death of a loved one a character reads or remembers these lines of poetry:
He that hath found some fledged bird’s nest, may know
At first sight, if the bird be flown;
But what fair well or grove he sings in now,
That is to him unknown.
It is from the poem "Beyond the Veil," by Henry Vaughan. In the Harry Potter books, there is a room in the Department of Mysteries where a veil hangs over a doorway in the middle of a room, and when a character goes through it--goes "beyond the veil"--that is his death. Harry Potter, who has a lot of loved ones who have died, and Luna Lovegood, whose mother is dead, can hear voices beyond the veil, and Harry is very drawn to it. Death--the fear of death, the death of friends and family, facing one's own death, even longing for it as a means of reunion with those who are gone--is a central theme of the Harry Potter novels. Jo Rowling reveals her Christian faith in how she finally handles this topic. I believe she lost her mother at a rather young age, and I think part of her motive in writing the books was to work through that experience.
Fall Scenes
The position of this leaf is pretty unlikely, but nature placed it there.
A pretty tree in our back yard.
Our neighbors' tree had very pretty color. Those leaves are gone now.
A Japanese maple shrub in front of our house had pretty color.
A pretty tree in our back yard.
Our neighbors' tree had very pretty color. Those leaves are gone now.
A Japanese maple shrub in front of our house had pretty color.
passion for dead leaves
This is the tree in our cul-de-sac with its leaves in color.
Here it is with the leaves pretty much gone.
From Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen:
"And how does dear, dear Norland look?" cried Marianne.
"Dear, dear Norland," said Elinor, "probably looks much as it always does at this time of year. The woods and walks thickly covered with dead leaves."
"Oh!" cried Marianne, "with what transporting sensations have I formerly seen them fall! How have I delighted, as I walked, to see them driven in showers about me by the wind! What feelings have they, the season, the air altogether inspired! Now there is no one to regard them. They are seen only as a nuisance, swept hastily off, and driven as much as possible from the sight."
"It is not every one," said Elinor, "who has your passion for dead leaves."
Here it is with the leaves pretty much gone.
From Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen:"And how does dear, dear Norland look?" cried Marianne.
"Dear, dear Norland," said Elinor, "probably looks much as it always does at this time of year. The woods and walks thickly covered with dead leaves."
"Oh!" cried Marianne, "with what transporting sensations have I formerly seen them fall! How have I delighted, as I walked, to see them driven in showers about me by the wind! What feelings have they, the season, the air altogether inspired! Now there is no one to regard them. They are seen only as a nuisance, swept hastily off, and driven as much as possible from the sight."
"It is not every one," said Elinor, "who has your passion for dead leaves."
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Lynden dog wins Nobly Pees Prize
In the humble hamlet of Lynden, Washington, a diminutive dog whose outsize effort in the realm of canine territorial marking during his twice-daily walks has captured the world’s imagination has won the Nobly Pees Prize. His actions have made it clear that he is helping the world move toward the day when no shrub, tree, or telephone pole will exist without the blessing that only a devoted dog can bestow.
His human assistant spoke on the prize-winner’s behalf. “It has been truly humbling to play a part in this little dog’s mission to the world. Just to hold the other end of his leash while he performs his task is so inspiring. Sometimes I stand for what seems like a long time as he carefully sniffs around for exactly the right spot. You can tell that for him, his vocation is really an art form. And, I know he would be too modest to mention this himself, but I think people will want to know that on almost every walk he also makes a larger contribution to the world, if you get my drift.” She added that on certain rare occasions he makes the larger contribution twice in one walk. “Those are the really special days,” she said.
The old song, “Let there be pee-pee all over the earth, and let it begin with me,” expresses his philosophy of life. This dog realizes his own role is small in fact—realistically, he can only cover a few blocks in his walks—but the symbolism of what he does is powerful. If every dog lived like him, no protuberance on earth would remain unanointed.
The prize-winner himself has often indicated that the only rewards he seeks for his tireless efforts are two bowls of dog food a day and a rawhide bone every so often. And maybe what you have on your plate would be interesting. And if he rolled over on his back, you could rub his belly. But even if no one pays attention to him and he spends most of the day sleeping on the couch, he will again get up and go forth on his mission in the morning and in the evening, every day for the rest of his life.
His human assistant spoke on the prize-winner’s behalf. “It has been truly humbling to play a part in this little dog’s mission to the world. Just to hold the other end of his leash while he performs his task is so inspiring. Sometimes I stand for what seems like a long time as he carefully sniffs around for exactly the right spot. You can tell that for him, his vocation is really an art form. And, I know he would be too modest to mention this himself, but I think people will want to know that on almost every walk he also makes a larger contribution to the world, if you get my drift.” She added that on certain rare occasions he makes the larger contribution twice in one walk. “Those are the really special days,” she said.
The old song, “Let there be pee-pee all over the earth, and let it begin with me,” expresses his philosophy of life. This dog realizes his own role is small in fact—realistically, he can only cover a few blocks in his walks—but the symbolism of what he does is powerful. If every dog lived like him, no protuberance on earth would remain unanointed.
The prize-winner himself has often indicated that the only rewards he seeks for his tireless efforts are two bowls of dog food a day and a rawhide bone every so often. And maybe what you have on your plate would be interesting. And if he rolled over on his back, you could rub his belly. But even if no one pays attention to him and he spends most of the day sleeping on the couch, he will again get up and go forth on his mission in the morning and in the evening, every day for the rest of his life.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
www = Western Washington Wildflowers
Along a chain link fence near where I work, there are a lot of weeds, but also among them some pretty wildflowers. These are just yellow balls.
This one is clover. When I was a girl, I would pick one, pull out the flower petals and gently nibble the base of the petals to release a sweet flavor. I wonder who taught me that, and who told me it was clover.
This bloom looks like a variation on the humble dandelion, but its leaves don't look like dandelion leaves to me.
This picture is somewhat indistinct, but these are white ball-like blooms.
This flower was a light purple color, though the camera didn't capture it. This particular bloom was among all these fuzzy ones.
And this is the same kind, but without the fuzzies.
I took all these pictures with my phone. The phone's pictures are never very clear, and the process of accessing the photos is somewhat time consuming. I have to e-mail them to myself one by one, and the phone takes a long time to send the e-mails. And sometimes the sending fails, and I have to resend. Still, here they are. I happened to have my phone with me when I decided to appreciate the wildflowers among the weeds.
This one is clover. When I was a girl, I would pick one, pull out the flower petals and gently nibble the base of the petals to release a sweet flavor. I wonder who taught me that, and who told me it was clover.
This bloom looks like a variation on the humble dandelion, but its leaves don't look like dandelion leaves to me.
This picture is somewhat indistinct, but these are white ball-like blooms.
This flower was a light purple color, though the camera didn't capture it. This particular bloom was among all these fuzzy ones.
And this is the same kind, but without the fuzzies.
I took all these pictures with my phone. The phone's pictures are never very clear, and the process of accessing the photos is somewhat time consuming. I have to e-mail them to myself one by one, and the phone takes a long time to send the e-mails. And sometimes the sending fails, and I have to resend. Still, here they are. I happened to have my phone with me when I decided to appreciate the wildflowers among the weeds.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Big tree
I just love this tree with its big, knobby, mossy trunk. Sometimes the moss shines such a bright green. Kids from all around come to this cul-de-sac to swing on that rope. They come by bike and scooter.
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