Archive for the ‘Photography’ Category

Fall is naturally my favorite season. But for some one reason this year is better than some. It is turning cool slower and the early fall days are very comfortable.

It has been years since I pulled our some quilting and cross-stitching. I love cross-stitching. It is one of those old timey things that was done for utility before it it was done for a craft. Used for edging tea towels, table cloths, and pillow cases this cousin to embroidery has been around for centuries. By the time I got into it I was using it to make pictures, add to towels, or various smaller utility objects.

I joined a quilting group a few years back and did a few pieces. I was reminded of that today when I pulled out a fall sampler piece and completed it for my table top. I had forgotten some of the pieces I did until I found these old pictures. It was eight years ago when I made the matching baby quilts for my twin grandchildren. The other quilt my husband made homemade buttons to put on the quilt so it was a joint effort!

I opened up my sewing box this morning and decided it has been much too long since I did these things. Maybe it is time to do some more.

Today we are all finding ways to remember those who died on 9-11-2001. Words just do not seem to express the emotion. I am a visual person. I share with you a digital remembrance.

(Click on remembrance or click/paste link below)

http://911digitalarchive.org/

Another great walk in the woods this morning. After Tropical Storm Lee came through it left behind cooler temperatures and a lovely misty morning. Two important ingredients to take my Springer Spaniel out for a walk. While I do not hunt with my Lizzie girl she still has the desire so I tried to help her get some of it out her system. I think I was a springer in another life because I love it too!

As the story goes he was one of those young men who fell under one of three conscription acts beginning in 1862. The majority of draftees were facing conscription during “July 1863 and in Mar., July, and Dec 1864”. And most were from the ages “18 to 35”. However, later they were as young as 17 or as old as 50. He had just turned 18, a mere boy, barely in his manhood. Because the government was plagued with a shortage of manpower the draft was instituted so he went. He became a legend, as the story goes.

The story of the Confederate Rose that was at one time pure white. He was fatally wounded when he fell upon the rose laying there for two days. He bled for those two days until the beautiful flower was turned pink, really almost red. This is the story of how the flower turned from white to a deep pink.

So goes the legend of the Confederate Rose or Cotton Rose. The Confederate Rose is not a rose at all but in point of fact, a hibiscus. Like many flowers and plants that are found in the southern United States this one is a Chinese export, gaining popularity around the colonial period. It is from the “Mallow family of plants….the confederate rose is kin to cotton, okra, hollyhock and rose of Sharon”. You can almost see the resemblance to a cotton boll when it blooms.

The Confederate Rose gained wider popularity after the Civil War because it is hardy and easy to to grow. I got my mine from a friend. Propagated from just a couple of sticks I put it in the ground and now it is over 10 feet tall.It blooms in the fall and two days ago it began to show off its flowers.

Once it is done for the season it is easy to manage a winter pruning by cutting back the long cane-like branches to about 4-6 inches from the ground. No worries they will easily come back again next year with little to no care from you. Also, knowing that this plant absolutely loves high humidity it is easy to see how it found a perfect home in my growing zone!

Now that I have read the legend of the Confederate Rose I will be reminded of the Civil War story each year as it blooms. Stories that connect a planting to its history are wonderful to add to my gardening journal so that generations from now my family can enjoy where I planted and why.

Cited:

http://www.civilwarhome.com/conscription.htm

http://www.gardenstew.com/blog/e8170-2-the-legend-of-the-confederate-rose.html

http://www.suite101.com/content/the-confederate-rose-a71294

Today I needed to take my Lizzie dog in for her yearly dental work. I wandered about with no motivation to get through the business at hand. I questioned if business always needs my attention and determined that it did not.

So I went to the park, took a nice walk then headed out to visit some friends. It was a good day. We talked kids, dogs and gardening for two hours. For me wasting away two hours in leisure is a huge deal as I am working on something all the time. Once I got to the park as you can see it was easy to just let go.

This is Gold Star Park on the Coosa River. Recently the city built a walking trail through the park which is a wonderful place to walk. As I walked I was reminded that Hernando DeSoto and his group were the first Europeans to travel the Coosa Valley in 1540. Using this river as a major waterway. During the 17th Century the French believed the forks of the Coosa and Tallapoosa Rivers as they fed into the Alabama River were the key to the country.

I stood on the riverbank imaging DeSoto and the French moving on this waterway. Somewhere in the edges of my imagination I hear “the Coosa” slapping her paddles in the water. She is the first steamboat that traveled up the river gently passing in 1845. I came back to the present, blinked, and saw fishermen sitting on the bank with poles cast. I am glad I stopped here today to enjoy the Coosa River and Gold Star Park.

I love dogs. More importantly I am “breed” specific in that, I love English Springer Spaniels. Their temperament and personality fit my personality along with their traits and behaviors. Why?

One reason is they are fun, eager to please, obedient and affectionate. They love their families and with that comes loyalty and companionship. Because of their energy they are good with children, but I have a lot of energy so they are the perfect breed for me because they are ready to go on a moment’s notice.

I think the only down side to a springer is the shedding and grooming. I have had two bench bred and one show bred. The difference is obvious. My bench bred dogs were shorter coated and only required a good brush out weekly to the undercoat in control. But my little show bred has the longest coat ever! It grows fast and thick causing my house to be easily be overtaken with fur everywhere. She can be very pretty when her fur is cut in a show cut. I love the look but she is a “tomboy”, she needs be outside to dig a hole, chase a squirrel or corner a lizard. None of these traits are dainty so I basically keep her cut shorter. It is not the greatest look but it is functional. When I want to show her off I take her in to the groomers to get the show cut. My groomer is very good and I get back a springer “diva” at the end of the day.

I have had two liver and white springers. I think these are the most common color seen for a pet. And I have had one black and white springer. Lately I have seen some pretty tri-color springers and thought about what they would be like to share my home with. All my springers have had their tail docked. If I had my druthers I would have never docked their tails, it has a pretty flag look to it like Golden Retrievers. I love the look of a long tailed springer.

One of my favorite things about springers is they sing. They are happy and have a joie de vivre. It would take a lot to find a springer who suffered from depression because they are so happy, they love you and they love life.

If you live with a dog you already know they have a distinct personality depending on their breed. I tend to stay away from any dog that is too much smarter than me, like Border Collies. They are the kings of smartness in the canine world. They need to be with someone who can work them and help them reach their full potential.

If you have a dog you love please feel free to share your story with me.