Hearts and Flowers...

     The Camellia House at Planting Fields Arboretum,
      a greenhouse sanctuary from the cold and bleak -
  

       A luxury of abundance with restraint -
       containing over two hundred camellia trees and shrubs.

       The effect is so fanciful and controlled, it reminds me of the Queen of Hearts' rose garden
 in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.  I can imagine her gardeners approaching this white variety to paint it red, like - hmmm... those scarlet ones in the background -
            
                                                 Petals have fallen artfully to the ground ...

                                                  
                                                      Every variety a lovely surprise.

                                                         Perfect

                                                       Delicate

                                                Riotous                                             
                                                                                                                                                             

                     Exquisite. !
 Wishing you Hearts in this Valentine's week, these artsy designs making their appearance
 as stickers on plexiglass dividers
 at the International House of Pancakes -  another warm haven for a February day...

An enthusiast for Our World Tuesday and Skywatch Friday
  and ABC Wednesday

Big bird -

Like a Pterodactyl - pronounced terrodactill, that ancient flying dinosaur -
(he/she) looms over the fishpond.
I walk through the kitchen maybe sixty? times a day, and stop dead in my tracks
seeing this out the window -

It's one of those herons who shows up in winter -
The leaf cover is down and they can spot the pond from way up above.
To save the fishes, there is wire over the pond. They can only look.

 Another day, another one, perhaps younger -
 a wraith-like figure wavering in the mist and rain, as if it could be be blown away.
,  

 We added a loose mountain of hardware cloth over the pond for added camouflage,
 which seems to be working, no sightings this week.
 A dove surveys the yard from this new vantage;
 A gentle guardian and momentary king of the hill.

                              ... And the golden treasure lies safe in the depths of the water:

 This site is linked to Our World Tuesday, check it out !

Local farmyard -

       Blanketed on a wet snowy day...

        Sheep, ducks and geese congregate for lunch...

                                           
                           There are many conversations going on -

 

Some more heated than others.

White on white, the geese look like cotton balls ready to be picked, camouflaged by the falling snow...

        I had never noticed how beautiful the eyes of sheep were,
        or perhaps I had just never been close enough to notice -

The peace of  the scene overwhelmed me,

                                      None of this happens without loving care.

Linked to Our World Tuesday, my favorite site.

Bright Lights for the New Year

                     What time is it ?  Soon the New Year -
                               We rush towards the future

 Leaving behind the glorious chaos of Christmas 

                               Treasuring it's more quiet moments.

WISHING YOU ALL a 

                                                                              

Greetings to Our World Tuesday , where bloggers share their stories !

Christmas on Main -

     Trees decorated by Brownies line the street...

                                              Colorful and spirited...
                                      

Patriotic poppies and the Flanders Fields poem,

 pristine in red, winter white and blue -

 An eye catching starfish and shells bedazzed in glitter...

looking like cookies, good enough to eat.

The sky is gray gray gray but the air is warm so we don't mind -

                                                                  Banners beckon -

The wind blows.

This blog links to Our World Tuesday and Skywatch Friday

Strangelight -

       Brightness;
       There it is suddenly over the road    

                                                                        Wow.

                         How fascinating is a rainbow ?
                          One can take a lot of pictures....

                   In the time it takes for sun to meet rain....

This rainbow arced over route 25 a couple of weeks ago and made the papers.  Splendid.

Linked to Our World Tuesday and Skywatch Friday   great places to "travel" to....