2010 biodiversity reading challenge

i'm signing up for the 2010 biodiversity reading challenge hosted by sylvia at classical bookworm...if any feels like participating, please go on over and sign up!

halloween morning pictures

the moon

don't you just love the Moon? isn't it gorgeous, especially on crisp Fall nights?

big tree

a big tree, taken during a recent visit to biltmore house

i've been up since around 4am and i'm hoping that means i'll get alot done today, if i don't fall asleep while trying. we're entering Fall, one of my favorite times of the year, and i'm eager to get some projects, both inside and out, done before colder weather sets in for good.

this morning...

this is t, our large black cat, napping in the sunshine.

...it was biscuits, sliced fresh strawberries and a cool cup of herbal tea to start the day. still the sky threatens rain; we've had so much more rain this year than last and i think we're on the verge of being out of 'drought' status! the flowers, herbs and veggie plants (and the abundant, verdant grass) are all so very thankful---so are we, the people. this means an end to water restrictions; not that i mean to just haphazardly use water in whatever amounts i feel like, but we can actually water the garden adequately and not worry about everyone else having enough water, too.

memorial day was spent with friends having a cookout at their house. we were introduced to their five-year-old's new pet, a rat named cinco. very cute, for a rat! we spent mother's day seeing my sister married and then driving to my in-law's house, so both mothers were visited and loved and hugged.

now our time is filled with some deep spring cleaning, gardening, a bit of landscaping and enjoying the transition from Spring into Summer. relaxing into a routine not ruled by a school schedule is very, very nice.

nature pictures

i am enjoying more and more taking pictures with my digital camera. the following pictures were taken a few years back but i thought them worth sharing.

this a type of spine fungus, whose Latin name i don't know. some fungi have gills, some have pores (and look spongy on their undersides) and some have spines. the diversity is fascinating!

almost the entire patch of spine fungi growing on an old maple tree.

this is mountain laurel, Kalmia latifiolia. i'm uncertain if it's a cultivatar of some sort. this was the first good picture i took with my camera; i was pleasantly surprised at how well it came out.

more of the kalmia shrub.

pictures from Summers past

here are some lovely pictures from Summers past; enjoy!

our garden the first year; we moved in during the summer and let it lay fallow.

our storage shed. the other outbuilding is a root celler, partially built into the ground.

our rabbit statue, standing guard under the dogwoods and young black walnut trees.