Six HaveUHerdLandscaping Goats have been munching some undesired vegetation behind Tupelo Honey Teas in Millvale, PA. They’ll eat anything, I’m told. Even poison ivy!
We were knitting at knit night on the back porch of the shop, and I snapped a few shots of the goats.
Murphy sat on the back porch before bed. When I went to let him in, I saw a popcorn looking sky from the moon and the glow of the porch motion light- on and off, on and off- as he turned his head. The deck wood looked red.
No time to get a remote cable and eliminate camera shake.
A deep breath as I propped the camera against the edge of the sliding glass door. Depressed the shutter button while I held my breath. No worries that WordPress forgot to issue their weekly photo challenge.
Lots of people enjoy the satisfaction of popping bubble wrap. Even the virtual kind. On one listing for a computer game it’s called the ultimate time waster. There are apps with popping bubble wrap games. Some people find it a stress reliever and like hearing the pop. Lately I have been receiving packages with a different kind of plastic with air trapped inside and they aren’t nearly as fun, just half heartedly filled with air and don’t make a good POP! More of a fizzle.
You don’t have to explain the rules to this activity. Here’s Maura on Aunt Linda’s back porch, concentrating on the task. A detailed post of various methods of popping bubble wrap has been published over at 1000 Awesome Things( #840) so check it out here. There’s a photo of someone jumping on a big sheet of it! And there are various size bubbles.
Maura was popping the bubbles one at a time and it was fascinating to watch her take her time. It seems a skill that’s a natural one. Pick it up. Squeeze. Pop!
and Jack has found another use for bubble wrap
Friends joined me for tea, even though they weren’t in Pittsburgh.
You can see out the kitchen back door window to the back porch and garage, the bare trees. The shortest day of light. Winter officially here.
Two dear friends in KY sent a shipment of fancy English muffins and the Fed Ex man delivered them Wednesday afternoon. It seemed a good time to split one, toast it and spread some butter (with my Grandmother’s silver butter knife) and spoon some apricot preserves.
Went to fire up the kettle to brew tea but I’d burned the kettle dry on Monday so boiled a pot of water to make the tea. Pulled out the camera on the phone to capture the scene
Oranges were on sale 10 for $2 today and lately they were almost a dollar apiece.
A faithful blog reader in Virgina, C, (and best friend of a my good friend J in Omaha) made me the little quilted mug mat last year and it was J who gave me the lidded butter dish another year. The Botanic Garden mug matches my mother’s cereal bowls.
I was home alone but in the presence of friends and family remembered. Finding the joy of winter. My neighbor called to report a vibrant rainbow spotting and perhaps I could photograph it. i went outside and it was still raining and saw the colored arch across the street. I photographed it but it didn’t make the cut for posting but i appreciate when people see something and I come to mind. There was thunder and lightning, too.
Yes, that is a stack of woven potholders on the left counter top.
Purchased in 1977 in New York City at Creative Playthings. Rubbery farm animals. Nice to clutch and carry around when you’re almost two. I bought them for baby Mark who’s 34 now. Maybe the paint is unsafe for the grandchildren, plus they have a hole in their stomach so whatever dirt and mold in the basement the past 20 years is living inside them. I put them in the contractor bag to drag to the curb and I swear the cow’s eyes looked at me. I took them out. Photographed them.
I remember having one c.1959. My hula-hooping skills were weak. Got some good sports photography practice capturing Anna (6 1/2) on the back deck. She can do it with very little movement or a lot of twist and sway. She even knelt and “hooped” for what seemed to me to be a long time. Maura(19 mos) clapped and yelled,” Yay Anna”. Perhaps a video camera would have been better but the objective was to show motion with a still photograph. (And I learned how to make the registered trademark symbol using the alt-R on the keyboard)
Dorothy’s Back Porch Fly Control- results not in at this time
V sent an email the other day with the zip lock plastic bag, pennies and water tip. She had received it from a friend who had received it from someone else. You know how it goes around. And this particular email (SNOPES says it is UNDETERMINED)I forwarded to Dorothy and I went to Dorothy’s for tea today and what did I see? An actual zip lock bag with pennies and water, reflecting the setting sun. SNOPES has not confirmed this email as true/or false. There is a website called How to get rid of stuff, too. Click link for the info on how to get rid of flies. Will get the report from Dorothy on whether or not this method repels flies.