ABC Wednesday - I is for Intricate

I is for Intricate.............








This sweet little Lady Slipper Wildflower is one of my favorites.

They are actually part of the orchid family and it is the state wildflower for my state.

Their unique shape is said to resemble a lady's slipper, hence the name.

This image was taken last spring. I rarely see them as we walk in the woods, but last year they were quite prolific and I was overjoyed by this beautiful gift.

This past spring was late and very wet, and there were only a few that bloomed. Their colors were very dull - so pale they were almost white.

If you click on the picture to view the larger one, all the intricate details in this little beauty will be visible - all the veins and the fine hairs.

There was a fine thread of a spider's web that needed to be cloned out of the leaves above the bloom. I never noticed it when I took the photo, but it was quite evident during the processing.

That Mother Nature - she really outdoes herself sometimes!


This is the third round of ABC Wednesday. If you would like to join in please visit this site for the details.

Preventing Turmoil

Preventing Turmoil








There is a great resource online that I believe every parent should have bookmarked in their sidebar.

It is the list of registered convicted Child Molesters that can be searched by state.

I remember when Megan's Law was passed back in 1995, and these lists were made public.

We had a very hard time finding any information about the registered individuals in our area.

When they finally put them online, it was very limited and hard to find for our area, but enough digging and searching finally brought us to info for our state only.

It is good to see this central database for the whole country. Parents need to use all the resources in their possession to keep their children safe.

This is a great tool that should be reviewed frequently as these people move around constantly.

Let's keep our children safe!

Rose Hips

Rose Hips for Green Thumb Sunday







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Rose Hips - the fruit of the rose.

These hips are from a very hardy wild rose plant - notice the rich, thick green leaves. The leaves on the hybrid and cultivated roses are much thinner and the vein patterns are not as vivid.

These hips are green which means they are unripe. When they are fully mature, they will turn a bright or deep red, and they will then be ready to harvest.

They are used mostly in herbal teas, and are valued for their high vitamin C content.

The lady that first told me about rose hips mentioned that she liked to make jelly with them.

For many years I have made apple jelly, and various jams, and I know it takes a lot of fruit and sugar to make them.

I can only imagine the amount of hips it must take to make Rose Hip Jelly. I have never tasted it either, and I wonder if it has the flavor of the roses it comes from.

I would love to know anyone's experience with this jelly - how is it made, and most of all, how does it taste?

Published Posts

Published Work on the 'Net








I joined a syndicated network for blogs back at the beginning of July.

Since joining, I have had several posts published in a couple of major online newspapers.

As of this date, the Chicago Sun Times has published 8 of my posts on their site.

Reuters has published 4, and Computer Shopper has published 1.

I have posted a link in my sidebar that takes you to a page that lists the sites and articles.

I am quite excited and pleased to have been included on these publisher's sites.

Hopefully it brings increased exposure for my blog and website, and it's not too shabby for my portfolio credentials either.

ABC Wednesday - H is for Hoop

H is for Hoop.............








The court had just been cleared for the upcoming fire works, and I sneaked in around the back to grab this shot.

There had been a steady game of basketball going on since we arrived at the park, and I didn't think I would have an opportunity to take any photos of the hoop.

As the clouds parted, the sun peeked through the opening, and I just couldn't resist going back in around the fence and snapping a few frames.

Even though we were being told to clear the area, nobody said anything to me, and I quickly left before they had a chance to.

The fireworks shots came out really lousy. I was later surprised by this image when I saw the effect of the sun looking like a ball that had gone through the hoop.

I was hoping for a nice silhouette shot, and was pleased to end up with this one instead.





This is the third round of ABC Wednesday. If you would like to join in please visit this site for the details.

Silky Milkweed for Green Thumb Sunday

Silky Milkweed for Green Thumb Sunday







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As I mentioned last week, this photo is the final one in the series of Milkweeds and Thistles.

It shows how that cushy green pod in last week's post has dried up and become hard and brown.

The silky fluff inside has also become dried and each seed waits to catch a ride on the wind.

This image was taken with the 35-80mm kit lens that came with my camera.

It was before I had purchased my macro lens, so this was as close as I could get to it and still have the focus sharp.

The details of this plant were just beautiful in the afternoon sun, and I can just imagine how the macro lens would have captured the fine silky hairs with even more definition.

It is one of my favorite shots.

I remember, it was one of those perfect, warm, fall afternoons, and we had slipped out for a quick ride on the motorcycle before the kids came home from school.

This photo was an unexpected surprise on an impromptu ride - one reason my camera comes with me everywhere I go!

ABC Wednesday - G is for Gingham

G is for Gingham.............








This blue and white checkered piece of cloth is also referred to as gingham.

Gingham comes in many colors - most people are familiar with the red and white checkered tablecloths that get used for picnicking in the summertime.

It is made of cotton and there is no right or wrong side to this fabric - both are identical.

The stitching that is done on this cloth is known as Chicken Scratching and it is only done on gingham cloth.

The design pattern is embroidered only on the very dark and very light squares. The stitches are embroidered in the opposite color of the square.

It sounds confusing, but if you look closely you can see the white stitches on the dark blue square, and the dark blue stitches are on the white squares.

Check out the in-between hues - they look almost solid against the stitches.

I like the effect - and you only get it from gingham cloth!



This is the third round of ABC Wednesday. If you would like to join in please visit this site for the details.