Welcome! I hope I bring a spot of calm and happiness into these uncertain times. I blog about my photography adventures, flowers, gardening, the importance of chocolate in a well lived life, or anything else on my mind.
Porchfest 2021, Abel Bennett Tract (a historic tract on the West Side of Binghamton, New York).
What is a porchfest? It's a neighborhood celebration of music and the arts. People open up their porches to musicians, who play half hour sets. (Some acts draw big crowds, well, big for a city of 47,000 people, and these were held on closed off streets this year). You wander until you find a band you like, or check the schedule and visit the bands of your choice. Neighbors talk to neighbors. People run into people they haven't seen in a while. It's all good.
The concept of Porchfest began in Ithaca, New York in 2007, and has now spread internationally. Our 2020 Porchfest was cancelled due to you-know-what but in 2021 it returned to Binghamton on Sunday. Sadly, Ithaca has cancelled its 2021 Porchfest. Ours came to pass mainly because of grants and a Kickstarter.
It's free (although fundraisers are run to finance this - after all, the organizers needed security, porta-potties and more).
It's family friendly. It's first rule is "Be Good to Each Other".
It has rules, although I will whisper that a couple of them were...um, not being strictly enforced.
This year, there were some 160 performances on 58 residential front porches. Some of the names you just have to love: Uke Nukem, 5 Man Trio, Moose and Squirrel, Such is Life, Tallahassee Birdbath.
I spent my first hour listening to a wonderful local cover party band, Wreckless Marci.
Here is a one minute clip (I ended the video right before someone walked in front of me) of them performing a cover of David Bowie's Heroes.
Interested in David Bowie's original? Here it is (the song begins about 1:44).
A nice way to spend part of an afternoon.
We were fortunate - Ithaca, New York, which originated the concept in 2007 (it's now international), won't have a porchfest this year.
Today is the last day of August. Where did the time go?
Who are the Music Moves Me bloggers? We are bloggers who blog about music
each Monday and if you have music to share with us, you are most
welcome to join! (Music Posts Only-meaning at least one music video, please!) First,
there isXmasDolly. Her co-hosts are:Stacy ofStacy Uncorked, Cathyfrom Curious as a Cathy,
and me.
Each month we have a guest conductor. Today, we welcome one more time this month- ME! It's been a joy picking the themes this month. I hope you enjoyed my themes, too.
Before
we get going, two brief announcements. First, I hope everyone who reads this blog was able to stay safe during Hurricane Ida.
Second, besides songs using today's theme, I want to pay brief tributes to two musicians who passed away this week - Don Everly of the Everly Brothers, who passed away August 21 at the age of 84, and Charlie Watts, drummer for the Rolling Stones, who passed away August 22 at the age of 80. Rock and Roll Heaven is getting crowded, but I bet these two greats had no problems gaining admittance.
My theme for today is "End of Summer or back to school songs". I'll try to fit in a Everly Brothers and Rolling Stones song at the end.
This is one of my favorite songs of all time, and I am starting with it: 1964's A Summer Song by Chad and Jeremy. I could listen to this all afternoon.
From 1964, the Beach Boys and "All Summer Long" should continue to put us in the mood for remembering summer.
Even if you weren't around in 1969, you'll be nostalgic for that year after hearing Bryan Adams and "Summer of 69". "Those were the best years of our life..."
Don Henley of the Eagles, in 1984, sang about "The Boys of Summer". Those opening chords are unforgettable. The studio version doesn't appear to be available on Youtube, so I chose this live version.
I've got to include one back to school song. Maybe it's more a general school song, but School Days by Chuck Berry will get anyone up and ready for another day of classes.
Now for songs by the Everly Brothers and the Rolling Stones.
Don and Phil Everly, the Everly Brothers, were a fixture of my late 1950's childhood. There are so many songs I love to choose from, but I originally decided on a song called "Goodbye Summer Sun" t keep with my end of summer theme. Problem is, I can't seem to find it online.
So, I will substitute this not-well-known song, When Snowflakes Fall in The Summer.
For the Rolling Stones, I am choosing "Summer Romance" from 1980.
Next month, we greet a new guest conductor, Cathy of Curious as a Cathy, so be prepared for some good September themes. In the meantime, it's a wrap!
Join me again next week, same time, same place, for another episode of Music Moves Me.
Today, Ed Asner, an actor I enjoyed so much on the Mary Tyler Moore show popular in the 1970's, passed away. He was 91.
In his lifetime he played over 600 roles, and if you don't know him from The Mary Tyler Moore show and Lou Grant, you probably know him from somewhere else. Maybe from Elf? Or UP? Or, earlier in TV days, in episodes of Route 66, The Outer Limits, and many other shows. He was also well known for political activism.
I hate to do these tributes, because it means another piece of my childhood or young adult life is gone. For those with some time, I offer this interview from 2019 (some 10 minutes long.)
Here's a clip that showcases another cast member, Ted Knight (playing a hapless news anchor, Ted Baxter) but Ed Asner (playing his boss, Lou Grant) is showcased here, too.
Or, here's a 1970's job interview conducted by Ed
(Lou Grant) where he hires Mary Richards (Mary Tyler Moore). You can always skip that one (it's quite non PC for today's world) but it does have glimmers of
1970's reality in there.
Now, as far as the Mary Tyler Moore show, Betty White is the last regular cast member still alive. She's 99 and I'm not about to jinx her health in any way.
Today, some photos from the last few days, as summer starts to wind down.
This past week, it was so hot, although I'm hoping it's the last heat wave of this year. The bumblebees wee certainly busy on the zinnias, though.
The next few pictures were taken today at our community garden. It finally cooled down, although it is still so humid.
Here's one of my green zinnias.
A variety of zinnia called Candystick.
A winter squash flower. This was planted later than it should have been, and I don't know if we will get any fruits.
Finally, these are from last weekend. It was just too warm and humid for much walking.
The late summer weed flowers are in full bloom. This knotweed was just opening up when I took its picture last weekend. It's in full bloom now. Sadly, this is an invasive plant, and if you are unfortunate enough to get it in your garden, it is almost impossible to eradicate. It's a common plant here, alas.
Yellow jewelweed. This plant is beloved by hummingbirds and bumblebees, although I have never seen a hummingbird feeding on one.
Continuing the after sunset I started to show last Friday, because it was so beautiful.
This was an after sunset I nearly missed. In fact, I missed the sunset, and it was only a a chance glance out a window that alerted me to what was going on.
Standing on a spot where I watch local sunsets.
Day is done.
The sun's final farewell before it...well, no, it doesn't ever sleep.
This final picture was taken with my iPhone zoom feature (which isn't too great). You can barely see reflection of the colors (lower middle) in some water.
But the weather was going to turn again with the tropical storm Henri hitting our area We were so fortunate - the storm moved to the east and we were spared most of the heavy rains forecast to hit our area.
But we still got some interesting skies on August 21 as Henri was approaching.
This past week, we've had (hopefully) the last heat wave of the year.
I blogged about this tree for Parul's bi monthly #ThursdayTreeLove back in 2018 but it's worth a repeat.
Consider this tree, which I photographed back on August 19.
Now think of tenacity, and some of its meanings. . Determination. Persistence.
Tenacity. The ability to grow where it was planted, and flourish despite all odds.
The lessons of a tree that grew in Brooklyn and inspired a best selling novel.
In 1943, a novel called A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith was
published. It was the story of an impoverished 11 year old girl,
Francene Nolan, who, during the course of the novel, endures many
hardships. When the book ends, Francene is seventeen and is ready to
embark on her adult life.
Like the tree in the yard of her apartment building, Francene survives
all that life throws at her. The tree is destroyed again and again, but sprouts again, and survives.
I fell in love with that book when I read it as a young teen. As someone who grew up in New York City, I was quite familiar with that
tree. It is a survivor.
The tree is called Ailanthus altissima. Or Chinese sumac. Another
name is the tree of Heaven, which may be a sarcastic name. It is
quite invasive, grows rapidly, and can live up to 100 years or more. If
chopped down, it will regrow from its roots. And, quite literally, the
tree can stink.
Back in 2015, when spouse and I had to make frequent trips to a northern suburb of New York City during the summer, I was amazed to see how it was taking over the roadsides of one of the parkways north of New York City.
With climate change, its range is rapidly expanding, and it now grows
where I live in the Southern Tier of New York State. It isn't just
there, either - if you head west on NY 17 towards Bath, New York, you'll
find it there, too as I did earlier this month.
But still...that tenacity. You have to admire this tree, even as you are saddened by its spread.
Back in 2016, I blogged about a pair of salt and pepper shakers that I
cherish, because they are one of the few things I own that belonged to my
late mother.
My Mom, who died in 1965, and lived her entire life life in New York City, never
told me how she came to own this. But, I was able to do an online search and found
they were probably made in the late 1940's, out of a material called
"Syroco Wood". They were possible manufactured in Syracuse, New York, a
city about 70 miles to the north of where I live. The "Syroco" in the name stands for the "Syracuse
Ornamental Company". This company came into being in 1890. It finally closed in 2007.
Don't these shakers look like they are intricately carved? I thought so, but
the truth is stranger (and more fascinating) than that. The story is
worth sharing, although it's a bit long.
Founded in Syracuse, New York in 1890 by immigrant Adolph Holstein, the
Syracuse Ornamental
Company (Syroco)
specialized in decorative wood carving, especially
for the local residential market.
Products included fireplace
mantelpieces and other types of interior decoration
popular in late Victorian homes.
To meet increasing market
demand and sales opportunities Holstein developed a
material looked and felt like
wood but that which could be
shaped, allowing multiple pieces to be produced
through a molding process. The
new product, which combined
wood pulp brought from the Adirondacks [a New York
mountain chain] with flour as a binder and other materials
to give it strength, was
extruded and then cut to fit compression molds,
which had were made from original
carvings in real wood.
The process favored shallow molds with little
undercutting, and this served well for the creation of a wide variety of "carved"
relief work to be applied to different sorts
of flat surfaces such as walls, furniture and caskets. Production of this new molded
product, known as SyrocoWood, was the
mainstay of the company's production through the 1940s.
It's Monday, and time for another episode of Music Moves Me.
Who are the Music Moves Me bloggers? We are bloggers who blog about music
each Monday and if you have music to share with us, you are most
welcome to join! (Music Posts Only-meaning at least one music video, please!) First,
there isXmasDolly. Her co-hosts are:Stacy ofStacy Uncorked, Cathyfrom Curious as a Cathy,
and me.
Each month we have a guest conductor. Today, we welcome once more- ME!
Before we get going, I'm thinking of the people of Waverly, Tennessee and surrounding areas, and the tragedy they suffered Saturday with (at this writing) 22 dead and others missing after a storm dumped 17 inches (43 cm) of rain, causing terrible flash floods.
My theme for today is"You Pick". I had some leftover 1970s-era songs that didn't fit into my theme from last week, where one had to be an artist who played at the Woodstock festival of August 15-18, 1969.
But while researching, I ran across some music I had long forgotten.
This first song was recorded by Henry Mancini in 1971, and many in the United States may know it best as the theme to the long running afternoon soap opera "The Young and the Restless". I had loved it (the song, not the soap opera), for so many years and never knew its name. I now present Henry Mancini and Nadia's Theme, which was originally called Cotton's Dream but was renamed for gymnast Nadia Comăneci, the sensation of the 1976 Summer Olympics.
Speaking of TV themes, how about Rhythm Heritage and the Theme from S.W.A.T, from 1976?
Barry White took the 70's by storm with his music (and oh, that voice). Here's a 1973 instrumental: Love's Theme.
Also from 1971, although it was on the charts into 1972, is my next selection. I don't know if you can truly call this a cover, but this next instrumental is inspired by Bach's 1723 composition "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring. Enjoy "Joy" by Apollo 100.
This next instrumental uses electronic music, and I have to admit, I love this type of music (usually in small doses). This piece was composed by Gershon Kingsley, born in 1922 (!), a pioneer in use of the Moog synthesizer. Here is Hot Butter and Popcorn. It's been an earworm for me - will it be for you?
Last but not least, Chuck Mangione and Feels So Good. Chuck's brother "Gap" still performs with his band on occasion, including in the Finger Lakes region of New York. I'm positive I heard him ("Gap") perform once at a Binghamton JulyFest but I tried finding it online and it must be a hallucination.
That's a wrap!
See you again same place, same time next week, for my last week of guest conducting at Music Moves Me.
We are fortunate but some other people along the Northeast United States coast are less fortunate. After my fears of yesterday that some forecasts late on Friday night were calling for epic rain where I live and worse just to the east, Henri took a more eastern track.
Putting my/spouse's Long Island and Rhode Island relatives in the path of the storm.
New York City was holding a Central Park concert yesterday to celebrate the return of the City, and at about 7:50 pm the concert was suddenly called, as Barry Manilow was singing "Can't Smile Without You".
Maybe he should have sung "Row, Row Row Your Boat" as the New York area parkways and streets are flooding. Meanwhile (some 150 miles away) our rain where I live started about 4:10 pm today.
This video was taken last night during the Central Park homecoming concert.
Occupants of a packed subway card (heading towards the 59th St./Columbus Circle stop maybe, can't quite tell) conducted their own concert (the last minute or so of this video, but you may want to check out the sky in various parts of the video first). What an interesting sunset.
It wasn't interesting later last night as the rain came and came.
I am curious as to why the subway riders chose the state song of West Virginia, "Take Me Home, Country Roads".
It's so hard to believe that this song turned 50 this year.
Hoping all my friends (blogging and otherwise) and family stay safe from the storm.
Also hoping you can join me tomorrow for Music Moves Me.
Our flooding was caused by two tropical storms, once hurricanes, Irene and Lee, which dumped massive amounts of rain on upstate New York. Irene was an active weather system from August 21 to August 28, 2011. Today? August 21.
You never forget. Once, the sound of rain was pleasurable. Since September of 2011, the sound of heavy rain makes me anxious.
And now, Henri. The weather models at 11pm last night had us, at one point, in the 5-8 inch range of rain, and, an hour to the east of us, 12-18 inches. I don't know what we would have done if those predictions came true.
I don't want this kind of flashback. I don't ever want to see a tent put up by the Salvation Army cooking meals for people in walking distance ever again. We were so fortunate, the water stopped literally feet from our house, but our basement was flooded and some of our first floor flooring also had to be replaced because of the water sitting there for several days. But several blocks away, it was worse. And we all dealt with the smell, the mud, and more.
The truth is, it is what it is. My friends and relatives in Florida have this to deal with every summer, not once every 10 years. This isn't the west with its wild fires and droughts. This isn't the Pacific Northwest, with the heat wave that killed hundreds.
It wasn't that we didn't have nice sunsets here and there. It was just that, by the end of the day, I didn't feel like going out there and looking. Especially when it got hot and icky.
But on August 15, the weather was nice. I took some pictures during the day. Then, I knew my sunset luck had changed when I saw this sight. I knew I had to put my shoes on and run out there.
Technically, the sun had already set and the blue hour was starting. (It isn't an hour long, but the blue hour, the time right after the sun has set, is a fine time for photography).
But I think many gardeners also like to grow some unusual things just because they can. Today, some of my herbs, three of which are in containers.
I grow more common herbs, too. Here are (clockwise) garden sage, one of my thymes, bolting small leaf basil.
These are in the ground but the rest of today's herbs are in containers, for various reasons.
First, Vietnamese coriander. I bought this plant last year at a garden clearance sale before they closed for the season. I had never seen it before. It grew nice last summer but it is not hardy in my zone 5b garden. I took cuttings before the frost, which rooted in water, and then planted in soil The plants grew over the winter under lights. I planted it out in the spring in a larger container. I am not sure I will overwinter it again.
We tried this maybe once or twice. As it turns out, we don't use this or the next two herbs in our cooking. We just grow these because why not.
Second, Papalo I saw this in a nursery near Ithaca, New York and decided it would be one of my experiments. It's a Mexican herb and has a sharp, unusual flavor used in Mexican/Central American cooking. Spouse tried cooking with it one time and hasn't since. We are just letting it grow. And I do mean "grow". Let's just say it is taller than I am and going strong. But once temperatures drop into the 40's it's not going to be happy. It will also be gone with the frost.
Third, cardamon in a pot. Yes, cardamon as in the seed that goes in some dessert baking. This was a gift from my guest photographer and I've had it, perhaps, four years. It replaced another cardamon plant I had gotten at a nursery somewhere several years before.
Until last year, it was in my office in a clay pot and very happy. When COVID came along and I was sent home, I brought the plant with me. It was not happy at all in the house until we put it outside when the weather settled. Was it ever happy!
Then, I almost killed it over the winter (I think it got too much light and not enough water) but spring came just in time. It's in almost the same location as last summer, in the same pot but is not as happy as last year. You see the yellow leaves. Maybe it needs a larger pot - this plant can reach 10 feet tall. By the way, this plant has never bloomed.
Alas, we approach fall, and I am going to try to overwinter my cardamon. Maybe it would bloom next year?
Have you ever experimented with growing plants that are a little bit unusual? Have you ever cooked with Vietnamese coriander or papalo?
A poster (picture also taken at the Woodstock Museum at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, town of Bethel, New York.) This poster predates when the festival lost its original site in Wallkill, New York.
Now, the Town of Bethel features a heritage trail. We didn't have time to do it, but maybe one day.
There is a Dove Trail throughout Sullivan County (the county where the festival took place). One of the doves is on the museum grounds.
One more dove, on the grounds of the Do Good Distillery in Roscoe, New York. (Veteran owned, and they offer free tastings - a donation, which will go to vet causes, is requested.)
If you want to see more of the Woodstock Music festival grounds:
Here's the rest of a story I started on my blog last week, tying in to the anniversary of the Woodstock festival of 1969.
My spouse and I finally made it, after all these years, to the site of the Woodstock Festival of 1969. I think I've told the story of how I had wanted to go so badly. I was 16, and there were posters up on New York City mass transit (where I grew up). The lineup of acts was incredible. But my father wouldn't let me go. It only took 52 years, but I made it.
I don't know how I even would have gotten there in 1969, but 16 year old adolescents aren't noted for their logical thinking.
But here we were, spouse and I. We had decided to walk the grounds before going to the museum that's on the site of what is now known as the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts. That was somewhat like not knowing what we were doing or where we were going, especially as we hadn't downloaded a map of the grounds, but 68/69 year old people...oh, never mind. We assumed there would be lots of signage pointing us to places of interest. Then, we could don masks and visit the museum.
We were wrong about the signage, and just kind of wandered around for a while. It was a nice mid-June day, sunny, low humidity. And, being a Wednesday, there weren't too many people around.
Grounds around the Woodstock festival site, June 2021
We decided to embark on a trail leading to the Bindy Bazaar trails that were part of the festival, and managed not to find those trails, either. But all wasn't lost. A bit ahead of us was a woman, walking confidentially, as if she knew exactly what she was doing. We followed her.
And followed her.
Finally, the woman stopped, and waited for us to catch up.
She greeted us warmly: "Are you trying to find what I am trying to find?" she asked, and we introduced ourselves to each other. (I don't remember her name.)
What she was trying to find was the original Woodstock historical marker. Well, why not? We finally had a purpose, and as we walked together, she told us her story.
She was from Brooklyn (a borough of New York City). She was six years old in the summer of 1969. Her parents owned a summer cottage not that far from the road leading to Max Yasgur's dairy farm. In fact, she said, one of the local roads is still named for him. Dairy farmer Max Yasgur, as you'll recall, rescued the festival at the last minute, after it lost its original site in Wallkill, New York, offering his property.
How could he know how he had just changed history?
Our walking companion was up at the cottage along with her older sister, a teenager.. Her Mom needed to run an errand and took her along. They got close to the main road. As far as the eye could see, were people. Masses of people,on foot. Walking. All in the same direction.
"Stay away from those dirty people!" her mother warned.
She has never forgotten the sight of all those people, she said.
At some point, her older sister snuck away to check the scene out. Our new walking companion confided that she was still a bit angry at her sister for not taking her to what (of course) was Woodstock, but it was all good - in fact, she was supposed to go shopping with her sister and was running a little late.
Our new acquaintance went on to tell us about visiting the site of the concert about 10 years ago. Locals didn't want masses of people coming to check it out, so signage was limited and you needed to know exactly where you were going. She did find the historical marker and wanted to see it again.
She told us that some locals were so angry at Max Yasgur for leasing his farm to the festival organizers that he had to leave the state. (He died, in Florida, from a heart attack in 1973.)
A couple of times, she saw what looked like familiar places but we never did find the marker. We finally parted ways.
On the way back, we found this, which I never did find out what this meant, because there was no signage to explain it.
And then, we found the marker, which had been moved. Its story is interesting - it was erected for the 15th anniversary of Woodstock. Louis Nicky and his companion June Celish, at the time, were the owners of the former Max Yasgur farm acreage. They had purchased the farm property from the estate of Max Yasgur. When June Celish died in 1997, the property was sold to a billionaire, Alan Gerry (now 91), and the rest, so to speak, is history.
But without talking to the mystery walking companion, I never would have been inspired to find out "the rest of the story".
I hope our New York City walking companion and eyewitness to a moment of history, now 58, ended up finding what she was looking for. Perhaps I should have left a message on the Message Tree for her.
This is an alternate version of the Crosby, Stills, and Nash and Young song "Woodstock" from 1971.
I devote this post to the memory of my Aunt Mary, who died on August 17, 2003.
It's Monday, and that means Music! Welcome to another edition of Music Moves Me, brought to you by these fine bloggers:
Who are the Music Moves Me bloggers?
We are bloggers who blog about music
each Monday and if you have music to share with us, you are most
welcome to join! (Music Posts Only-meaning at least one music video, please!) First,
there isXmasDolly. Her co-hosts are:Stacy ofStacy Uncorked, Cathyfrom Curious as a Cathy,
and me.
Each month we have a guest conductor. Today, we again welcome - ME!
My theme for today is "Because it was so much fun last time we did it, how about we build a playlist of one decade?"
When I created the themes for August, I did not dream that my spouse and I would visit the site of the iconic Woodstock concert in the town of Bethel, New York, held August 15-18, 1969. We have passed within perhaps 10 miles of the site so many times over the last 30 plus years. In mid June, we finally decided to take the two hour trip and actually see it.
And we're in the middle of the 52nd anniversary today. So let's take a little detour before the music, shall we, and see a little of the Woodstock festival site? (I also invite you to come back tomorrow, when I blog about an unplanned meeting with an eyewitness (sort of) to Woodstock.
The land. It's beautiful rural country. After all, this was once a dairy farm, the largest in Sullivan County, New York, owned by one Max Yasgur.
Where the musicians played, August 15-18, 1969.
The museum on the site, which is devoted to the history of the festival, and temporary exhibits related to the 1960's and early 1970's. Concerts are still held (paused for COVID-19, but back now) on the site several times each summer.
Why was the event called Woodstock when it wasn't held in Woodstock? Well, they were driven out of the original site because "hippies" weren't wanted there, and, as you can see, there was no love lost between those folks and the organizers of the festival. But the name remained the same because this was almost a last minute scramble. Literally, they found a new site a month before the festival took place.
I might be shorting myself, in a way, with my theme for today. For some of these groups, their best music was in the 1960's. I had decided on another 1970's playlist.
But I don't want to do a Woodstock playlist - I did that last year. So what I decided to do is build a 1970's playlist, but include artists/groups who performed at Woodstock. So, it's like taking these people and looking into their future. Shall we begin?
Some say that Woodstock never would have happened without Creedence Clearwater Revival, as they were the first major group to sign on. So, a couple of 70's hits from them starts us off.
Also from 1970, Have You Ever Seen the Rain" is one of my personal favorites. I may have had this on my blog before. I don't care.
Then, there was Santana.
An instrumental from Carlos Santana - 1971's Samba Pa Ti.
Also from 1970, Oye Como Va.
Next, there is Melanie Safka. My spouse can't stand her. I like her. What can I say? I admit, her voice is a bit "different". I'm choosing "What Have They Done to My Song, Ma" from 1970. It starts kind of fun, and then...I so love when she switches to French.
Arlo Guthrie comes next, and I must include his cover of "City of New Orleans", a 1972 hit, because I love it so. I chose a later live performance where he explains how he came to first hear the song.
Next up, The Who. Their setlist at Woodstock was mainly their album Tommy, and that album is not my favorite of theirs. So, a couple from The Who in the 1970's. First, from 1971, Behind Blue Eyes.
Then, from 1971, Baba O'Riley. Oh, that beginning...I just love it.
Blood, Sweat and Tears was one of the few Woodstock bands I saw in person, and I say "Long live horn bands!" Here, from 1970, two songs. The first, Hi-De-Ho, was co-written by Carole King.
And their big hit, also from 1970, Lucretia Macevil.
Last but not least, for my Woodstock but 1970's Playlist: the Grateful Dead and Sugar Magnolia, from 1970.
And that is a wrap!
Join me again, same time, same place, next week, for more music (and maybe, more peace and joy, too.)
It's the 15th of August. Where has the summer gone? Wasn't it just yesterday when we said hello to the warm weather?
Here in my zone 5b Southern Tier of New York State garden, we just got over a warm and humid spell. I'd say "hot", but we are seeing new definitions of the word "hot" elswewhere.
Early yesterday, a cold front came through and it is so comfortable now. Friday night, we got some much needed rain. In July, I didn't think I'd ever use the phrase "much needed rain" but that's how the weather seems to work nowadays.
Once again, so many flowers to choose from, although some of my flowers didn't last long enough to make it to August 15. On the other hand, my Japanese anemone, hardy mums, asters and turtle head are budding up now, meaning fall is on its way.
My day lilies are almost gone, and I took these last pictures yesterday.
But other flowers are taking their place. Here is my hibiscus (bottom is yellow pineapple sage, not yet flowering.)
Phlox (and a stray yellow day lily and glad).
My gladiolus (all the same color). We didn't dig these last year and they survived the winter, probably thanks to the 44 inch snowfall we had in December.
My last hosta, which I think is Guacamole.
Lantana.
A shy calendula.
Yellow nasturtium. My orchard flame nasturtiums didn't look good, but I'll photograph another time.
Nodding onion. This is a new plant for us; we purchased at a nursery in Ithaca, New York, specializing in plants that grow wild in our area.
So many flowers, I have to make even more collages.
Petunia.
An orange collage - clockwise, dahlia, the last two of my blackberry lilies, cosmos.
Variegated fuchsia in my fuchsia basket.
Geraniums.
Finally, an assorted planter with a lemon gem marigold and geraniums.
Before I know it, the first frost will hit, and these will be a memory.
