The Trees Sue’s Dad Had the City Plant, 35 Years Ago
Yesterday Sue commented on the new tulip tree being planted in front of my house. She told how her father had the city plant trees up and down her street, thirty five years ago, and how they were a memorial to him. He was featured on the blog for a Veteran’s Day post- Martin H. Cooper.
Today I was driving by her street on my way home from the Waterfront. Took two cell shots of his trees. Thanks Sue for your good words on the blog.
The City Planted a Tulip Tree
Ten years ago, I lost the giant sycamore in front of my house. It must have been 100 years old. I even called in a tree doctor to see if it could be saved. It was a sad loss when in was cut down. I applied for a new tree through the city,
Last Saturday, volunteers planted a new tree in front- Liriodendron Tulipifera. A tulip tree. A yellow poplar. The leaves are the shapes of tulips. It is a beautiful looking tree and I am so grateful to have it planted. I read it is the state tree of Kentucky, Indiana and Tennessee and may grow to 170 feet tall.
Email instructions arrived on how to water it deeply by using a big bucket with holes in the bottom and how to not put mulch touching the bark so fungus doesn’t grow on the bark are a couple of tips.
Does anyone remember the television commercial encouraging the planting of trees? There was a quote – It’s a mature man who plants a tree under whose shade he will never sit. I looked it up and all I could find is a Greek proverb…
“A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.”
How about my crop of dandelions?
Black Pussywillow Branches Cast Wall Shadows
When we lived in Germany, we’d get Pussywillow with fuzzy gray shapes along the branch and hang wooden eggs and rabbit ornaments to make an Easter Tree.
Add MediaI’d never seen Black Pussywillows until Wednesday night at my friend J’s home. I was to take a photograph over to her and the evening turned into an impromptu supper. My crazy part is I went over without the picture I was to take. J followed me back to my house after we ate and got the photograph to take back to her own home but she didn’t seem to mind.
A great blog post about this unusual looking plant is here. The Latin name (Salix gracilistylus ‘Melanostachys’)
I can’t remember the name/type of ceramic vase holding the branches. (Taken with the iPhone)
Three Dog Ride – Weekly Photo Challenge: Unique
Three Dog Ride in Central Park NYC
WordPress puts out the Weekly Photo Challenge and this week it is UNIQUE.
I tried to find photos that seemed a tad quirky and not an everyday shot.
Some may be familiar to you if you follow the blog. One of a kind?
Fun to go fishing for some examples for unique.
Some kids watching the Penguins at the Zoo. No relation!
Work Boots Planter on Arlington Ave. Pittsburgh
Tree Stump Grinch
At the Food Truck Festival in Columbus. Still don’t get why you’d walk around with a Boa Constrictor draped around yourself.
Why I photographed the twisted carrots on this placemat is beyond me……
Fuzzy Dice in the Fourth of July Parade
Lewis Center, Ohio
Black and Gold Rosary in Bloomfield Religious Store (STEELERS colors for those who don’t live here)
Unique Backpack at the Food Truck Festival Columbus OH
Pink Toilet in the Snow
Kiss My Grits Santa in Roanoke VA
Looks like a stone table in the street
Trapped in the Bride’s Garden at the Conservatory
The sisters-in-law take a photo class and Saturday morning was the field trip to Franklin Park Conservatory. They invited me to go along. They went out to the Bride’s Garden and the doors locked behind them. I was photographing the Fairy Gardens and the model railroad and they were looking for me. Laura called me on the cell and I went and opened the door. I saw this view as I approached the doors.
I was focusing on photographing the two of them instead of the butterflies and the flowers and this added to my series.
Everyone shoots this one- Chihuly’s Glass.
Sisters-in-law shoot the fountain. They have to create a slideshow with ten images to show to the class.
Bubbles from the fountain.
View from the Gift Shop windows.
Summer Still Life
My friend Barb brought these beautiful figs. I rinsed them and put them in a bowl to take out to the front porch. They looked so lush and colorful, I pulled out my phone and photographed them before we picked one to eat. They were perfectly ripe and delicious.
Weekly Photo Challenge: Friendship
The sunflowers are a gift from a friend.
This photograph was taken in the art room today on my iPhone. Most of the middle schoolers were on a trip. After lunch I had a few who didn’t get to attend. This wonderful painting was created by a young man named Scott. He painted the sunflowers a friend had brought me.
I didn’t want to leave the flowers at home alone so took them with me to school. They were so vibrant and summery.
Oh, the unexpected surprise of the gift of flowers from a good friend.
Friday after school, I put the bouquet on the front seatand when I arrived at my son and DIL’s home and took them out of the car, my granddaughter ran down the hill of the front yard to greet me and said excitedly when she saw them, “Oh we studied that artist! ” Later in the craft store she picked up a Starry Night Umbrella and told me it was the same artist as the Sunflowers. She’s 8 1/2 and just completed second grade Tuesday.
Thanks for the flowers, friend. I thought it would cheer you to see them in Scott’s painting.
(And that eyeball glaring from the chair is from the cover of a book that belongs to Scott’s classmate and friend, J, who told me he has checked out the photos on this blog! Cool. )
To see other responses to the weekly photo challenge click here
People at Work- Marie is a Horticulturist
Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild photo class went on a field trip to the Bidwell Training Center greenhouse where there are orchid “crops”. I learned how to use custom white balance in some strange light(thanks Jill) and I asked our guide how she came to be doing the work she is doing. She used to work in hazardous waste. Her undergrad was something to do the with environment (sorry Marie, I didn’t write it down) and she always loved the forest and growing things. She was inspired by a Ziggy comic panel which she still has of Ziggy on his knees in awe of a flower blooming. (didn’t write down the punchline either but Marie, if you read this post Friday please comment and remind me) Getting a Master’s Degree and being a horticulturist became the next step when work in hazardous waste started to disappear. She knows a lot about orchids and was patient as our class tried to get beautiful shots of the elegant flowers in a different full spectrum light. And thank you Marie for the informative tour and consenting to be part of the People at Work series. Marie is an example of finding your passion and doing that work!
Marie told me that photographers place her between the rolling flower holders so I did the same.
Garden of Marys
Northern Ohio
I was driving to Columbus OH from Conneaut Lake one August and took some back roads. I wish I could remember how I came to be on the other side of this outdoor statuary which was for sale. Perhaps a stop at a gas station. You might remember the story of how I retrieved a Mary statue standing out on the curb in our neighborhood. It just didn’t seem right for the trash. Then a nice woman who was doing some gardening for me, took the Mary statue home to her house to paint her since she was so weathered. The master gardener also a puppeteer had the urge to restore her since she was so beat up looking. Turns out she was plastic and hard to paint but she is in my side garden now, looking bright and renewed. I actually hope she weathers a bit. I did call her Our Lady of the Weeds but my sister is here and made the side garden really lovely so I will have to rename her. I am intrigued by private grottos and garden statuary. You may remember Mary in the Springtime or Mary in the Snow. Sometimes the placement of Mary statues in Pittsburgh is a real juxtaposition. Stuck in odd spots. No matter where I see the Mary statues, they look peaceful to me.
Weekly Photo Challenge: Flowers
Weekly Photo Challenge: Flowers. This is unretouched, shot with a 70-200L series lens. Nice bokeh in this image. The bee just happened to be in front of a light petal. Photographed as we left the Columbus Zoo a couple of weeks ago.
- I feel the bee adds interest to the frame.
Tending the Veterans Rose Garden- Washington PA
The garden is behind the old train station which is now a Visitor Center.
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