Black Friday Walk at Viaduct Park

CJ and I decided to take a walk at Viaduct Park (one of the Cleveland Metroparks) before we left to go back home so I could get ready for Saturday's craft show in Medina, NY.

Instagram Sunday: Spring Flowers

I find most of my Instagram photos are of flowers over the past few weeks...

Small pink rose from my rosebush.

 "Copper-Purple Sunscape Daisy Nuanza" (Osteospermum)  We got these yesterday to plant in the flower pots next to out front steps.

A white ranucculus I took a picture of at Wegmans a year ago...but only recently "Instagrammed"

Forget-Me-Nots from our walk in the Arboretum a few weeks ago

My rosebush.  This is the most roses I've seen on it in the 3 years I've lived here.  Not sure what I did this year, but I guess I did something right!

A photo of the first rose that bloomed on the rosebush.

Sunday Flowers

We have church at our friend's farmhouse.  This morning, while we were hanging out and enjoying the nice weather outside before church started, these new hydrangeas they'd just planted caught my eye and I was inspired to take some pictures (and go all Instagram!).

These hydrangeas had a story behind them though.  My friends Rachel and Tricia went to NYC last weekend for the National Stationary Show.  They had a booth there for their line of stationary, Fawnsberg.  

Apparently one of the other booths had some hydrangeas for decoration, and when the show was over they were going to throw them out (since they had flown there from Florida and weren't able to bring the flowers back with them on the plane).  So Rachel and Tricia's Dad decided to bring them home and plant them in front of their porch (there were six plants in all).  No sense wasting perfectly good hydrangeas, right?  I guess there was a LOT of stuff that people threw out after the show...like display stuff and even furniture.  Gah!...such a waste!  If I'd known, I'd have called my brother (he lives in NYC) and had him go down there with his truck.

Back to the flowers.  The question is...will they remain pink or turn blue? (Hydrangeas change color depending on the acidity of the soil.)  Either way, they are really pretty!

Pets' Pastimes & Birdwatching

Ever have one of those weeks where you know you've been busy, but feel like you have next-to-nothing to show for it?...and can't even really remember what you did this week?  I feel like I'm having one of those weeks.  Just trying to keep up with everyday life.  But let us pause and contemplate the simple life of pets...

 Luna has been enjoying walks in the backyard...and wandering over to the neighboring abandoned house's overgrown backyard...annoying to live next to, but good for taking pictures of a little dog bounding through the high grass and dandelion puffs.)

Terra has been enjoying looking out the window at the birds on the birdfeeders.  It's been almost as much fun watching her watch the birds (doing her little "chatter" at them) as it's been watching the birds themselves.

I've been getting lots of goldfinches...just like last year.  I've started trying to keep the camera on the table so I can get pictures of "new" birds.  I've been getting a lot of goldfinches, house finches/purple finches, and sparrows.  

I got a rose-breasted grosbeak one day, which was trying to get to my "squirrel-proof" bird feeder (above). (the "squirrel proof" feeders have a cage around the tube feeder that keeps squirrels and large birds out, but lets small birds in).  I didn't know what kind of bird it was when I saw it, and had to ask my bird-expert Grandma what it was when she happened to visit a few days later.  I'm pretty sure I saw a female oriole one day (but my camera was in the other room...by the time I went to get it, she was gone).  A woodpecker with a little red cap was out there a few days ago, but he was too fast.  By the time I clicked the shutter, all I got was a shot of the feeder and a blur of a wing in the corner of the frame.  I've having fun seeing all the "new" species that have found my feeders this year!

Still no blue/indigo bunting.  Although I swear I saw one a few weeks ago in my friend's driveway before it fluttered away! 

Lilac Festival 2011: Part 4 (The "Monet Tree")

Mom and I found this cool tree in the Highland Park garden...

I've seen this kind of tree before, but I have no idea what it is called. I call it the "Monet Tree", since the patterned, multicolored reminds me of an Impressionistic painting!

Lilac Festival 2011: Part 3 (Cherry Blossoms)

In addition to the pretty flowering trees we found in Highland Park on Saturday, was the Flowering Cherry Tree. From far away, at the bottom of a hill, I thought it was another magnolia, but when we got closer, we realized it was something else. Mom and I didn't even know what kind of tree it was at first (although I guessed Cherry Tree!). We even had a man ask us what kind of tree it was while I was taking pictures. The tree I was taking pictures of only had the scientific name, but the tree next to it had a sign with its common name.

(I did NOT pick these blossoms off the tree! We found them on the ground!)

Love this close-up!

*Next Post: "Lilac Festival 2011: Part 4 (The Monet Tree)"

Lilac Festival 2011: Part 2 (Magnolias)

Highland Park doesn't just have lilac bushes. There are a lot of other plants and trees there too. And there are some beautiful magnolia trees there that are in bloom at the same time of year that the lilacs are.

I love how the ground beneath the tree was carpeted with petals! When the wind would blow, a new batch of petals would come fluttering to the ground. It was so gorgeous! Moments like that remind me of the movies!

I LOVE this photo I took (above), but I need to take it into Photoshop and edit out that stupid yellow rope! They had that section roped off from some reason. Our theory was that it was to prevent children from trampling the plants that bordered the path.

I love magnolia trees! I'd love to have one in my yard!

*Next post: "Lilac Festival: Part 3 (Cherry Blossoms)"

Lilac Festival 2011: Part 1 (Lilacs)

I went to the Rochester Lilac Festival with my mom on Saturday. We like to go together every year. They have a big craft show on the 2 weekends. Someday I will build up the guts to have my own booth there to sell my plush critters! But for now, it kind of intimidates me...although I have a lot of support behind me from friends and strangers alike who are encouraging me to just go for it!

Mom and I got to the Festival early. Her car had an appointment for an oil change, so I picked her up from the dealership around 8:10am and we got to Highland park around 8:30am. The place we always park wasn't even officially "open" yet, but the lady was really nice and let us in. All the craft vendors will still setting up, so Mom and I went to see the lilacs first.

I love that dress! It's my favorite summer dress! I actually bought it last year at the Lilac Festival. I have one more from the same booth (well, two, now that I bought another one this weekend), but this one, with its bright colors, is still my favorite.

Mom enjoying the scent of white lilacs.

It had rained all night the night before. The sky was still overcast and the air was still damp and it felt like it was ready to rain again at any moment. But it was perfect conditions for the scent of lilacs! The smell was wonderful! I know there are lots of lilac scented soaps and perfumes out there (there were tons at the vendor booths) but none of them ever capture really the real scent of a live lilac in bloom. (I actually really dislike flowery perfumes in general).

I have a memory of when I was on a walk with my girl scout troop, when I lived in Kansas when I was a kid. I might have been 6 or 7 years old. During the walk, I caught the scent of lilacs and exclaimed "It smells like New York!"... because I had memories of the smell from our old back yard in upstate New York. (I have strong associations with scents. For example: the smell of woodstoves "smells like winter" to me). I didn't realize that the "New York" smell was from lilacs. I'm not sure I even knew what a lilac was. All I knew was the smell. I think it's kind of funny that years later, I would move to a city in New York state that has a whole festival dedicated to the flower!

When I was taking the following photos, Mom said "It's too bad you can't smell pictures!"

I know...but the flowers are still pretty!

The previous rain was not only great for the smell, but it made for some beautiful pictures as well. I love the water droplets that were still on the petals!

Oh, how I love the Macro setting! It is my best friend because I love close ups!

One of my RNEST friends recently opened up a separate Etsy shop for her photography. After taking these photos, I've toyed with the idea as well. Although...I know SO many photographers. It seems like everyone and their brother is a photographer nowadays.

If I ever decided to do it, I would just need to find a good place to print them professionally (I'm not sure if it's acceptable to just get them printed at Wal-Mart!). I probably won't do it anytime soon though. Focusing on doing the plush is enough for me right now.

*Next post: "Lilac Festival 2011: Part 2 (Magnolias)"