A Cake Mix Tribute to Dolly Parton #WordlessWednesday

I was going to blog about monarch butterflies today, but I find myself blogging about a different monarch.  So this will be a fairly wordy Wordless Wednesday.

Dolly Parton used to joke that she was the Queen of Tabloids.  She certainly was a queen: a talented singer who rose from poverty to enrich the world, the fourth of 14 children of an east Tennessee family.  She was also an actor, a songwriter, a philanthropist,a humanitarian, a re-creator of a Tennessee theme park to enrich and pay tribute to her local community, an entrepreneur, and the bringer of a free reading program called Dolly Parton's Imagination Library to the parents of thousands and thousands of babies and toddlers.  (That program is available in the United States, Ireland, Canada, United Kingdom, and Australia.)

You can read more about Dolly Parton here.

Dolly Parton died yesterday at the age of 80, just four days after she reassured fans about her health.  The cause of death was cancer.

I am not a country music fan, but I love every song I ever heard her sing.  I will feature her induction into Rock and Roll Heaven on my blog this coming Monday.

In the meantime, there is the matter of this cake mix. Yes, Dolly had a line of baking mixes.  I had two in the house yesterday, a cornbread mix and this coconut cake mix. I had never tried the coconut mix and now it was time.

Why not bake a cake as a tribute to her?   So I baked the coconut cake.  It was delicious.

Joining Sandee at Comedy Plus for her #WordlessWednesday. 

And a duet with Kenny Rogers...

Goodbye, Dolly.
 

The Beardless Beard and Other Music #MusicMovesMe

It's Monday and it's time for music!  It's also time for another induction into Rock and Roll Heaven.

Who are the Music Moves Me bloggers?  We are a group of music loving bloggers who blog about music each Sunday or Monday (or even later in the week). If you have music to share with us, you are most welcome to join!  We are brought to you by Cathy of Curious as a Cathy, Stacy of Stacy's Random Thoughts, Marie (Xmas Dolly), and myself, plus other music loving bloggers.  

Why not join us? This is our "you pick" week when we can pick any music we want.

Frank Beard, drummer and only beardless man in the group ZZ Top, died on August 17, 2026.  He was in hospice care, suffering from pneumonia and heart disease at the time of his death.

Beard was not ZZ Top's original drummer, but joined the band after their original drummer (Dan Mitchell) left in 1969.  Unlike the remainder of the band, who were famous for their long beards. Beard only grew a (short) beard for a time in 2013.  Beard, with some brief exceptions due to illness and other reasons, was their drummer until 2025. 

La Grange, released in late 1973, became a hit in 1974. 

 Cheap Sunglasses, from 1979.

Not an induction but a sad moment.  The Hollies officially retired from touring and broke up this past week, with their 80 year old lead guitarist Tony Hicks announcing his retirement due to health reasons.   Their drummer, Bobby Elliot (84) followed shortly after.  The band had been together for some 63 years. 

This is one of my favorite Hollies songs:  Stop Stop Stop with Hicks on banjo and Elliot on drums.  I never realized, until researching this post, that Hicks was playing the banjo and not sitar.

I wanted to include some music I listened to this week on the radio. 

The Babys - Every Time I Think of You, from 1978. This is such a beautifully sung song that I wonder why I don't hear it more.

The Four Tops - Bernadette 

And that's a wrap!

Join me again next week for another episode of Music Moves Me.

Backyard Plant Shadows #ShadowshotSunday

From this past Friday, let's take a quick visit to my shady back yard.

Last year, a woodland sunflower (according to my iPhone) showed up. This year, several other plants joined it.

Here is the first bloom.   Yesterday, a couple of more showed up.

While I was at it, I got a picture of my Persian Shield plant.  It looks a little wilted so I'll have to get a better photo one day.   I've grown Persian Shield now for many years.  The last two years, I've gotten my plants from Select Seeds.  This is all one plant.

Joining Lisa at This and That: A Blog for her #ShadowshotSunday.  Have a shadowy picture to share?  Why not join us at the linky at Lisa's blog post?  

Last Week Variety Pack #SkywatchFriday

Here are some random photos from the last week.

Variety of clouds. 

Framed puffy clouds. 

 I don't usually see a long streamer of clouds with little choppy waves. 

Peaceful park scene complete with an egret in the bottom half.  You have to have great vision to see the egret.

Building with sky reflections in the second floor windows. (Sorry about the fogginess; I was taking this picture through a dirty bus window.)

Joining Yogi and other skywatchers today for #SkywatchFriday. 

Tiny Toad #WordlessWednesday

I was in my back yard yesterday when I heard a rustle.

I saw some movement.  

 

Look above the leaf.

I believe it's a tiny toad, actually (possibly-I am not a toad expert) an American toad toadlet (Anaxyrus americanus). I would love it if any of my readers can make a positive ID.

 

Joining up with Sandee at Comedy Plus's #WordlessWednesday 

Musical Fruits #MusicMovesMe

It's Monday and it's time for music!

Who are the Music Moves Me bloggers?  We are a group of music loving bloggers who blog about music each Sunday or Monday (or even later in the week). If you have music to share with us, you are most welcome to join!  We are brought to you by Cathy of Curious as a Cathy, Stacy of Stacy's Random Thoughts, Marie (Xmas Dolly), and myself, plus other music loving bloggers.  

Why not join us? Here's our optional theme for this week:

August is the Abundant Harvest of Vegetables month. CoolKidFacts says these veggies are in abundance this time of year tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and peas. Use these for inspiration or go with vegetables in general found in artist/band name or song title/lyrics.

The only vegetable song I can think of is Green Onions from Booker T and the MG's and I suspect others may post that song.

I may have better luck with fruit.  After all, some items we call vegetables are actually fruits. So here's a selection of fruit-fresh songs.

Let's start with a song from 1968 that covers both vegetables and fruit.  Here is Marvin Gaye: I Heard it Through the Grapevine.  Grapes=fruit.  Plus, some cultures eat young grape leaves - think Greek dolmades, so I would  consider this song covering both a fruit and a vegetable.) This was a cover of a 1967 song from Gladys Knight and the Pips.

From 1962, Peter, Paul and Mary:  Lemon Tree.

Prince:  Raspberry Beret, from 1985.

The Beatles:  Strawberry Fields Forever, from 1967.

Harry Nilsson:  Coconut (yes, coconuts are fruits) plus the lyrics mention limes.

And that's a wrap!

Join me again next week for another episode of Music Moves Me.

Mid August Garden #ShadowshotSunday

August is over half over already!   

Bee on a hardy geranium flower. 

Sunpatien in my back yard.

Finally, an update on yesterday's blog post, where I stated I haven't seen any hummingbirds all season.  I saw one yesterday. I heard its wing buzzing when I was outside reading a book, looked at my cuphea plant and a female ruby-throated hummer was feeding on it.  Hurray! I wasn't in a position to take any pictures but that's OK.

Joining Lisa at This and That: A Blog for her #ShadowshotSunday.

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day August 2026

Welcome! It's hard to believe that we are already at August 15.  Wasn't it just yesterday that crocus were peeking out of the ground?

But here we are.

I don't normally post anymore on Saturdays, but today is Garden Bloggers Bloom Day, hosted each 15th of the month by Carol at May Dreams Gardens. This will be the last year for this meme, and I want to thank Carol for the years she spent hosting this day when gardeners from all over the world would gather to show what was blooming in their homes and/or gardens.

In my zone 6a garden in the Southern Tier of New York, we've had variable weather since the last Bloom Day.  Lots of rain (fortunately, our immediate area did not flood although other parts of New York State weren't as fortunate) interspaced with hot (for us) temperatures.

While we are at it, let's also think of those affected by massive floods, record heat, wild fires and other natural disasters in various parts of the world.   For example, I know someone whose parents live in France and they have really been suffering.

So what is blooming?

Hibiscus.

 Lavender Super Blue, a variety suitable for growing in pots, bought from Select Seeds. 

Glad and tall phlox.  The glads have survived without being dug up since at least 2020
 

Geranium Apple Blossom Variegata, a plant with variegated leaves, also from Select Seeds.

Perennial sweet pea.  

Cuphea Torpedo, from Select Seeds.  Not your typical cuphea, I don't think  I have to admit I was a little disappointed with how the flowers look in real life and I probably won't purchase it again.

Cuphea David Verity.  The hummingbirds love this but I haven't seen one hummer this summer (so far).

Fuchsia Pink Galore, also from Select Seeds.

Now to the aliums.  First, garlic chive (the pink in this photo is from a sweet pea flower). 

These next two photos are nodding onion I purchased (in either 2020 or 2021) from a native plants nursery in Ithaca, New York. I like how, at different stages of life, the flowers are pinkish or white, so I decided to post two pictures.  You can sort of see purplish pink in the flowers on the right side. 

What's not blooming is daylilies.  My last daylily (I probably have over 15 varieties) put out its final bloom of the year yesterday. It even looks sad today, knowing it missed GBBD by a day.

Why not head over, if you love flowers, to Carol's blog (link above) and see who else has flowers blooming this Bloom Day? 

Battle of Bennington Skies #SkywatchFriday

Bennington Battle Day is a state holiday in Vermont.  It commemorates an important Revolutionary War battle fought on  August 16, 1777. The actual battle was fought on a farm in Walloomsac, New York, which is about 10 miles (16 km) from Bennington.

On August 13, 2022, we went to a battle reenactment held in Hoosick Falls, New York.  There, I took a picture of an encampment under a partially cloudy sky.

Before the battle, we were able to visit the camps of those reenacting participants of both sides, British/Germans vs. Patriots (we would call them Americans today), in addition to about 100 Native Americans.

(If you are interested in the details of the battle, you can find information here.)

This year is our 250th birthday, and I could wish to be in Bennington this weekend but, alas, I won't be able to.

Joining Yogi and other skywatchers for #SkywatchFriday.

Almost Mid August Wildflowers #WordlessWednesday

Come take another wildflower walk with me.  I took these pictures this past weekend. 

Globe thistle (left) and goldenrod (right).

Goldenrod and barely visible bee.

Purple loosestrife and Queen Anne's Lace.

Lessor burdock.

Japanese knotweed getting ready to flower.

Wild morningglory.

If you like more domestic flowers I invite you to stop by my blog Saturday for Garden Bloggers Bloom Day.

 

Joining Sandee at Comedy Plus for her #WordlessWednesday.

Age is Only a Number #MusicMovesMe

It's Monday and it's time for music!

Who are the Music Moves Me bloggers?  We are a group of music loving bloggers who blog about music each Sunday or Monday (or even later in the week). If you have music to share with us, you are most welcome to join!  We are brought to you by Cathy of Curious as a Cathy, Stacy of Stacy's Random Thoughts, Marie (Xmas Dolly), and myself, plus other music loving bloggers.  

Why not join us? Here's our optional theme for this week:  You Pick.

I saw a meme on Facebook the other day that had a list of recording artists who were 70 or over and still recording and/or touring.  I decided to feature several of these artists and a past or recent song of theirs.

Willie Nelson, age 93 (April 29, 1933) who is currently touring. Dream Chaser, the song above, was released in May of this year.

Smokey Robinson, age 86 (February 19, 1940), touring in his "Legacy of Love" tour, is both a singer and a song writer. I chose his hit with the Miracles, Tears of a Clown, which he co-wrote.  This song was released on an album in 1967 and as a single in 1970.

Bob Dylan, age 85 (May 24, 1941) currently touring in his "Rough and Rowdy" tour. I chose the song that introduced me to him in 1965, Like a Rolling Stone, which was also written by Dylan.

Ringo Starr, age 85, performed in New York City last October and two of my in-laws went to see him.(They loved the concert).  It Don't Come Easy, from 1971, was co written by Ringo, with George Harrison. 

Steve Miller age 82 (October 5, 1943)will have a short residency in New York City in October (Steve Miller Rocks Rose Theater). I chose his 1976 hit Fly Like an Eagle, which Steve Miller wrote.

Finally, despite a diagnosis of Parkinson's disease made public last month, and also a diagnosis of breast cancer, 83 year old Carly Simon (born June 25, 1943) released new music in June.  That album included a song called Howl, co-written by Simon.

And that's a wrap!

Join me again next week for another episode of Music Moves Me.

Hydrangea and Pepper Shadow #ShadowshotSunday

 Today, a couple of photos of hydrangeas I took in a nearby town. 

It seems these are more popular as ornamental plants each year. 

Finally, here's a photo of a pepper display at a local farm market.

Soon, the veggies that say "autumn" to me will arrive at that same market.  There will be pumpkins and other winter squash of all varieties, early apples, Concord grapes, and pears.

Eventually the summer veggies: the sweet corn, the summer squash, the tomatoes that burst with flavor, will dwindle and eventually disappear.  

The wheel of the seasons continues to turn, as the days grow shorter and we approach winter, one humid day at a time.

Joining Lisa at This and That: A Blog, for her #ShadowshotSunday.

Puddles, Mural and Skies #SkywatchFriday

After the rains of last week where I live in the Southern Tier of New York, we cooled down a little but the past three days we returned to the heat and humidity.

July 30, puddles on the road after a deluge.

August 5, hot weather sky and a mural in a Southern Tier downtown.

August 6, mid day skies taken at same time in two different directions.

Yesterday, the weather report called for afternoon and evening thunderstorms. They passed to the north of us, but I took these pictures right before it started to drizzle.

Joining Yogi and other skywatching bloggers for #SkywatchFriday

Portland Parking Apology #WordlessWednesday

Seen in Portland, Maine, July 2024. 

Refreshing honesty. 

 

Joining Sandee at Comedy Plus for her #WordlessWednesday. 

Note:  If my blog disappears, Blogger is having a massive problem with them (or their AI?) taking down hundreds of  blogs for malicious content that doesn't exist.  They are trying to fix this, but if my blog disappears, you will know why. 

Heroes #MusicMovesMe

It's Monday and it's time for music!

Who are the Music Moves Me bloggers?  We are a group of music loving bloggers who blog about music each Sunday or Monday (or even later in the week). If you have music to share with us, you are most welcome to join!  We are brought to you by Cathy of Curious as a Cathy, Stacy of Stacy's Random Thoughts, Marie (Xmas Dolly), and myself, plus other music loving bloggers.  

Why not join us? Here's our optional theme for this week: 

"The first sandwich was allegedly made on August 6, 1762, and was given the Lord of Sandwich’s name.  The dish consisted of meat placed between two slices of bread, which he requested because he was in the middle of a gambling game and did not want to interrupt it.

This week’s prompt is sandwich. Build a sandwich (acrostic) with your favorite song picks, find song titles, lyrics, or band names with sandwich or items found on a sandwich. This is a lite assignment, the object is to have fun!"

There is a type of sandwich that has many names here in the United States, depending on where you live. It's a sandwich made with a long Italian or Italian style bread, and can contain deli meat, tuna, meatballs, or other sandwich fillings.  In New York City, these sandwiches are called hero sandwiches (at least, that's what we called them in my New York City childhood.)  Just north of New York City, where my spouse grew up, they are called wedges. In New England, grinders.  Others call them hoagies.  Much of the country now calls them subs.

I'm going to go in a different direction for my first four songs.  These are songs mentioning the names of these sandwiches, although they aren't written about them.

Hoagies (a commercial) for a maker of deli meat and cheeses. You'll see what the sandwich looks like, and the song is...well, listen to it.

A live performance of Heroes - David Bowie.

We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome) - Tina Turner, released in 1985 as the theme song for the movie Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome.  

Turning to subs:

Yellow Submarine - The Beatles, originally released in 1966.

For grinders, Judas Priest and Grinder, from 1980.

 Finally, a song mentioning bread: 1964's Bread and Butter - the Newbeats

And that's a wrap!

Join me again next week for another episode of Music Moves Me. 

Milkweed Shadow #ShadowshotSunday

Today, I am digging into the near past archives for this milkweed photo.

Taken July 4 at a local park.

Although this doesn't have shadows, I wanted to share it with you today because it is important.

I wasn't able to get close to this monarch butterfly so it isn't the best quality but it is the only one I've seen this year.  I took this picture July 26 and cropped it as much as I dared.

I can only hope there are more butterflies out there.  I see fewer and fewer butterflies each year.  My small yard can't support milkweed, but milkweed is so important to them.  If you do want to plant milkweed, you may be interested in knowing that some types of milkweed grown in warm areas can be dangerous to monarch butterfly migration.

Joining Lisa at This and That: A Blog for her #ShadowshotSunday.