December moments

After a morning snowstorm...

View from Mountain View

Playing around...

In a garden store

December? Bah, humbug! Let me go back to sleep....

Happy holidays to all -- and to all a good night.

Snow and Skies

Winter brought snow and frigid temperatures this week...

but it also brought amazing skies

Take Five....

Starring Schlumbergera Zygocactus...

Otherwise known as Christmas Cactus

In the right light, at the right time, everything is extraordinary.
~Aaron Rose

Total frivolity

One fish...

Two fish, red fish, blue fish,

A duck in time saves nine

And I'll leaf you with that....

(with apologies to Dr. Seuss)

Mulling over Milkweed

Milkweed pods, exploding on a sunny Fall day. Here are a few fun facts about milkweed plants from Wikipedia:

"The milkweed filaments from the follicles are hollow and coated with wax, and have good insulation qualities. During World War II, over 5,500 short tons of milkweed floss were collected in the United States as a substitute for kapok. As of 2007, milkweed is grown commercially as a hypoallergenic filling for pillows."

"Being the sole food source of monarch butterfly larvae, the plant is often used in butterfly gardens."  

"Milkweed also contains cardiac glycoside poisons. As a result, many natives of South America and Africa used arrows poisoned with these glycosides for fighting and hunting."

These facts made me wonder if growing milkweed could be a lucrative business, and yes it is, according to Farm Show magazine. 
As you mull over the exciting prospects of becoming a milkweed farmer, have a good week....

The season of Fall

Autumn carries more gold in its pocket than all the other seasons.
 ~Jim Bishop

Autumn is the hush before winter.
 ~French Proverb

Winter is dead; spring is crazy; summer is cheerful and autumn is wise!
~Mehmet Murat ildan

Finding art

It can be presented to you when you least expect it -- Aesthetic plants, bugs sitting in symmetry.

I give you this until I have time to create one of my multi-photo posts (working waaaay too much lately). See you soon -- and may you find art when you most need it.

Impressions

Sometimes one creates a dynamic impression by saying something, and sometimes one creates as significant an impression by remaining silent.
~The Dalai Lama

Our moments of inspiration are not lost though we have no particular poem to show for them; for those experiences have left an indelible impression, and we are ever and anon reminded of them.
~Henry David Thoreau

Four views

These always bloom in early fall, their crepe-paper petals littering the lawns and paths.

Wishing you beauty -- and not too much litter on your lawn.

Morning after a storm

The wind savaged a few trees.

Others, with deeper roots, were harried, but left intact.

The storm cleared and freshened the air. And the sun rose, glowing, a beautiful light.

The many lives of plants

This must be Thursday. I never could get the hang of Thursdays.
~ Douglas Adams

Happy Friday, everyone.

Local wildlife

 

You can't just let nature run wild.

~ Walt Disney

Rollin' on the river

Boise is an outdoor-activities sort of town, especially during the summer.  

Floating down the Boise River is one of the most popular activities.

These two seem to be serious boaters. They've probably gone down wild rivers in Idaho's back country.

And then there's the drifters, moseying along, taking in the scenery, catching a little sunburn.

River time creates its own rhythm.

In rivers, the water that you touch is the last of what has passed and the first of that which comes; so with present time.
~ Leonardo Da Vinci