Friday, September 30, 2011

A Small Primitive Rag Pumpkin

Once upon a time,
there was a
small
primitive
rag
pumpkin.
Formed by the hands
of a sweet ole
crafter,
it sat upon
a
dusty
shelf
in an
antique
shop.
Along came a lady
that frequented the
shop, having a soft heart
for old things.
"Now, my goodness!"
"Who's this sittin'
up hear all alone....
lookin' all sad?"
Standing on
tip-toes
the lady reached up high
and gently took
hold of the pumpkin.
"Well I declare,
you've been stuffed
with dried beans.
I like your style.....
and your coming
home with me."
-
You having a good week?
I hope so......Dee Dee

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Solarization


I find this phenomenon
in photography
fascinating. 
My first digital camera,
a Sony,
had a solarize setting. 
 Solarize and macro became
favorites
 as I explored and learned
 new and wonderful things
 about
digital photography.
-
In those first days,
my favorite subject,
not always willing,
yet patiently
complying......
 the Mister.
-
Seen here,
he is
 solarized,
or 
 in a word.....
overexposed.
-
Mid-week and all going well......Dee Dee

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Which Way Did He Go?

Everyone have a happy day!
Egret and Dee Dee
click twice on photos to enlarge

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Cinderella's Castle

Awesome shot of Cinderella's Castle.
Birthday celebration and trip to Disney
for big two year old grandson.
Photo taken at night with Nikon D3100
right before the fireworks began.
Note at very top Tinkerbell's line
where she descends .....lots of
ooooh's and ahhh's......
Enjoy your day,
and look for His blessings.....Dee Dee
click on castle to enlarge

Monday, September 26, 2011

"They Call Me Big Mike"

"They call these here fish mullet.
Cook  them just right
 and they taste  as
good as grouper." 

"Now this is a nice Flounder!"
"They call me "Big Mike" and
I've been liven'  round  these parts
all my life. I know a little bit 
 about everything.
Do you know the city tried to charge
folks for fishing on this here pier?
Mr Weaver left this property for us.
I called old Mr Weaver's folks,
 and they put a stop to charging us.
 Magin'  that, trying
to get money out of poor people.
I comes out here and catches a few
fish and sells 'em  to my neighbors,
just to make a little money now
and then. I gots to git enough
money today to pay for my prescription.
Just need  $l7.00 more and I can
go to the drug store and buy it."
Big Mike had been out on that hot
pier for almost 4 hours when we
came along.  The Mister asked about
the bait he was using and that opened
up  conversation and  a time for
getting to know a whole lot about him. 
 
"What's the biggest fish story you
can tell me Mike?" asked the Mister.
"Shoot, I caught an eighty-five
pound mackerel off this pier
not long ago.  Took me forty five
minutes to land it.  He was jumping
clean out the water and 
swooshing his tail."
"Now,...that was some more fish."
The Mister and I would comment later
on Mike's smile and
how his  eyes twinkled when he talked.
We had made a new friend, and
stayed out on the pier a nice long
while listening to his stories.
"We'll get on home now," said the Mister.
"Can't say that we need any fish today Mike,
but here's a few dollars to help pay
for that prescription. You take care now."
-
Feeling happy and blessed......Dee Dee

Sunday, September 25, 2011

The Library Butterfly Garden

Gravel pathway leading to the garden....



I've admired it all summer long,
and thankfully
this time I had the camera with me.
The Garden Club ladies
do such a nice  job of tending
this sweet place.

Have a blessed Sunday....Dee Dee

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Reva's Flowers






Reva is our next-door neighbor.
She travels a lot with the airlines,
so she's gone from home over long
periods of time.
She came home this past week,
and we had one of those great
ole over-the-fence conversations.
The whole time we were talking,
my mind kept  wondering away,
 fixating on her
beautiful yellow candle bush.
It is massive, growing over
seven or eight feet tall and
about four feet in diameter.
I admire it all summer long,
and early fall it takes on a
whole new look as it produces
seed pods.
This plant succumbs to the cold
weather and sheds it's  flowers
and the leaves each winter.
In late spring I watch as it comes
back to life.
"Take some seeds if you like,
and you can have
 all you want," Reva said.
"Do you mind if I take a few photos?"
"Take all you want."
So today, I spent some time with
the candle bush, inspecting  all of
it's nooks and crannies.  You can
see by the photos that I got up real
 close and personal.
The candle bush
is not your ordinary flowering plant,
seen here in these photos.
I took Reva up on her offer, and
brought home a few seed pods.
However, I'm in somewhat
of a quandary
about where I can
 plant something that will require that
much growing  space.
What to do, what to do.......?
Have a blessed weekend.....Dee Dee

Friday, September 23, 2011

Seasonal Change

It's a beginning.....today I placed a small
fall wreath on the front door of the cottage,
my first step in changing my
seasonal decor.....
-
Autumn is strutting our way once more.....
Fall flowers are blown aslant by the wind,
Chrysanthemums are a delight to the eyes....
God sends us beauty that is unparalleled
When Autumn's colors arrive on the scene...
~Barbara Cagle Ray
-
Good blessings for all.....Dee Dee

Thursday, September 22, 2011

My beloved mountains.....

.......have been taking up a lot of
thought space in my mind lately.
"You can take the girl out of
the mountains, but you can't take
the mountains out of the girl"
.....or something like that.
Each year about
this time, I begin  talking to the Mister
about our annual trip to
North Carolina and my home town.
 This year, I'm more excited than ever.
Can't wait to feel the mountain
breezes on my face, and walk
through piles of colored leaves.
Seems when I return to my
homeland, I find renewal, rebirth
and rejuvenation.
I suppose it comes from being
with family, saying and
hearing out loud,
the names of loved ones
no longer with us,
swapping stories and sharing
so called legends.
In short, it's just plain ole fun.
This quirky little painting
motivated by my feelings today.
Hope your having a good week.....Dee Dee

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Beverages For Children's Party

No longer is it acceptable to serve
sugery drinks at children's parties.
This past weekend we celebrated
a birthday for a rather rambunctious
little boy, and these were the choice
beverages served along with cake.
Remember Kool-Aid?  Is it the dye
and the sugar that parents are
concerned about now? Ah, but
we questioned so little back in
the days....
Offered on this occasion, were
two milks...chocolate and white....
raspberry tea and water.
"Nicely done," I said to the mother....
noting a display of vintage
glass containers placed in an old
galvanized tub. "Composition is everything."
I then took the photo you see here.
-
Enjoying these sweet  moments.....Dee Dee

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Fall Colors Signifying Seasonal Change

Ragged Zinnia

Fall colors, as seen in my
neck-of-the-woods.
Our season is slowly changing,
evidenced  by the sun's shadows.....
they are different, somehow.
Temps still in the 90s,
but the calendar is telling
me cooler days ahead.
My BSF Bible study
started back last week,
and our church choir is
soon planning
the Christmas music program.
-
Shops with 
bales of straw stacked high,
piles of orange pumpkins,
and cinnamon scented straw brooms
tease my brain with holiday thoughts.
-
Have a blessed day......Dee Dee

Monday, September 19, 2011

Pelican Reflection


On this day,
at the Safety Harbor pier,
we were looking for manatees,
had a few sightings and then I
snapped a few pics of this
fine Pelican. It's as though
the old  fellow was posing,
and showing us
his best side....
The water at that moment
was calm and 
the pelican's reflection
mirror-like.
Have a blessed Monday.....Dee Dee



Sunday, September 18, 2011

Homeschool Art Class

Matthew l9:l4
But Jesus said....
Suffer little children
to come unto me and
forbid them not:
for such is the
Kingdom of heaven

I'm impressed with  the art
program for the homeschoolers
very dear to my heart.
PreK through 3rd grade.....
they have taken newspaper,
 cut, pasted and colored,
 to come up with this
masterpiece.
Displayed in the
classroom  window for
all to see,
it sends a real clear
message.....
"Happy Children"
at work learning.
Dear friends and family.....
have a blessed Lord's day....Dee Dee


Saturday, September 17, 2011

Gardening.....A Labor Of Love

Heliconia Plants
Once upon a time we had a nice bed
of these in the garden.  In no time at
all that were out of control spreading
into areas not wanted. We dug them up
and replanted with something less invasive.
Similar to the Bird Of Paradise plant,
and  so beautiful.....we've decided
to try them again, preparing
a controlled area for replanting the
Heliconia plants.
-
Crotons
-
Through the years, I've posted on the
Crotons growing in our garden, more
times then I can count.
I suppose they are some of
my favorites when it comes to
landscaping here in this
tropical climate.  They
are colorful and hardy plants.
The photos seen here, were
taken a couple of years back
and you can see how vibrant
the Croton colors were then, and
 and the time  was mid winter. Since that
time, we've had some cold
winters and the Crotons have
been affected....now fair to looking
a bit cloudy.
So, the Mister and I are off
to the flower nurseries tomorrow,
 looking for these young
 colorful  plants to place
in designated garden areas.
This gardening thing is an
on-going ritual....
a labor of love,
and well
worth all the effort.
Have a blessed weekend.....Dee Dee

Friday, September 16, 2011

....Suggested Movie

 " Dolphin Tale" 
starring Ashley Judd,
Morgan Freeman,
Harry Connick Jr.
and of course
WINTER
premiers Sept 23rd.
-
Things have been exciting
around Tampa Bay
with this kind of star power
hanging out with the locals.
This is a must see
 family movie, about
Winter, a bottle-nose dolphin
who gets a prosthetic tail.
An amazing 
 story of one
little dolphin who learned
to swim again.
Filmed right here in our
community, home to
Winter......
the Clearwater
Marine Aquarium.
Enjoy!  Dee Dee

Thursday, September 15, 2011

In My Wildest Dreams....

Painting by Stephen Darbishire
"Teatime at Hill Top"
-
Images that bring about  all sorts
of  lovely thoughts of Beatrix...
"It would be very nice to
sit with you  Ms Potter and listen
to stories, 
about your  
little friends."

"Yes, I would love
to have tea  at your table,
here by the fire."
"What's that you say?....you've made
shortbread that is  still
warm from the oven?"
"Would I like mine served 
with delicious  lemon curd?"
"I would indeed...you are
much to generous and kind."


"Yes!"
"I would love to take a
walk about your beautiful 
farm house
and may I, or would you mind
terribly if I take a  peek at
your paints and drawings?"
-
In my wildest dreams.....!
-
Enjoying these
sweet imaginative
moments.....Dee Dee



Wednesday, September 14, 2011

This Eden



A serene place of natural beauty.....
eighty acres of pine forest...mangrove swamps,
marsh, tidal flats and sea grass beds.
I have but walked a short distance
down the trail.  Along the way,
 I am drawn to the wild flowers,
the trees, the colors...the sky.
On this day, we walked an hour
before sunset.


Small and nearly hidden from view,
the flowers I found were tiny, delicate
and unusual.
-
The island and all that
it has to offer is our santuary.
We never tire of this
beautiful place,
this Eden.
-
Have a blessed day....Dee Dee

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Gathered Shells From The Island

We brought the shells and bit of
seaweed home, placed them on
the bistro table and .....washed them
clean of salt water and beach sand.
The day was just beautiful....
not a cloud in sight.

I've left the shells where they were
originally placed...on the table.
I suppose they add a little
something to the ambience.
The ocean has been in constant
tumult these past few weeks
with first one storm after another.
As luck would have it, we
chose  the  right  time to visit
the island....the beach was
strewn with seaweed
and shells.
In no time at all, we had
gathered all we wanted of
 lovely and unusual shells.
Wish you had been with us......
Have a blessed day......Dee Dee

click twice on photos to enlarge

Monday, September 12, 2011

Fishing At Sunset

 One lone fishing boat....
bobbing and rocking
in gentle evening waters of
 the Gulf of Mexico,
close to the  shores of
 Honeymoon Island Florida.
I once read that after a storm,
when the clouds have an
accumulation of stirred up
dust and particles,
one can see a magnificent sunset.
Such was the case, this
weekend....

The small boat of fishermen
blanketed by some incredible
heavenly skies.....
remained anchored in place
to the very end.
Come to think of it,
so did the Mister and I.
Blessings.......Dee Dee
-
click twice on photos to enlarge

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Lurking In The Garden


The Crotons are just beautiful
this time of year.
A few leaves placed
in a fall arrangement
....very nice.
A closer look
 in the morning garden
 yielded an
 interesting sighting!!
Lurking in the garden,
one fine primitive,
shabbied tortoise.
"I am king of the garden.....
out of my way lizards!"
Tortoise has called the garden home
for quite some time, weathering the storms
of small grandchildren.  He has
one chipped  foot battle scar, as
proof of being loved to pieces.
-
Our temps have dipped on
the side of cooler this week,
and we
are quite content.
Have a blessed Lord's day....Dee Dee

Saturday, September 10, 2011

Fall Colors In The Garden

However, they belong to
our Hibiscus plants...
We've had so much rain
this summer....
everything has grown by
leaps and bounds.
The new Hibiscus plants
we set out late fall,
are now four feet tall.
So pretty.....
Have a beautiful weekend.....Dee Dee

Friday, September 9, 2011

The Rising Creek Waters

Sam (short for Samantha)
the dog, stops for a
drink in the rising creek waters.
She is unconcerned with  the
flooding conditions caused by
hurricane Irene and
recent  torrential rains....
Photo taken in the
Adirondack mountains
yesterday....sent to me
via Internet.
-
The most affectionate creature
in the world is a wet dog.
~Ambrose Bierce
-
Have a blessed day.....Dee Dee

Thursday, September 8, 2011

An Enchanting Place

Our walk along the wooden trail,
 led us through an
almost magical Cypress Swamp.
Tiny round green leaves
blanketed the still water, giving a
clean natural woodland carpet affect.
The further into the swamp
we walked, the more eerily
and out of the ordinary
things seemed  to be.
Why was the swamp so quiet?
Where were the wildlife,
and why no bird sounds?
Could the inhabitants be hiding?
But for an occasional butterfly,
nothing stirred. All was perfectly still!
-
"Just living is not enough, said the
butterfly fairy, one must have
sunshine, freedom and
a little flower."

-
An extraordinary,
 enchanting place, 
I wondered at the small
clusters of cypress needles.
I  deemed them  to be
  "swamp castles,"  ....
Were they, afterall
home to fairies and elves?
Had they closed their windows
and doors and pulled up the
drawbridges?

I wonder......hmmm
Sweet blessings for all......Dee Dee
-
click twice on photo to enlarge

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Oh Glorious Place.....

Cloudy skies reflecting in lake water.......
I wanted  to explore
the park and take photos. 
The day promised rain,
but we were hopeful for 
 sporadic splashes
of sunshine.
"Oh glorious place, how
magnificent!"
......my heart rejoiced.
I thought even further,
 "Here, in this natural
God made
environment,
mid-week,
 we are quite alone."
The clicks of  my camera,
 the sounds of our shoes
pounding the wooden trail,
and the occasional bird calls,
were the only sounds offered.
Thankful for a
 break in the clouds,
we had time for 
 wonderment and
exploration.
Discovery!
Of the many times we've
visited Chestnut park, this
time would be different.
Never before had it
 been practical, or safe,  to
walk through the thick jungle
foliage that surrounded 
 the beautiful and natural
 lake Tarpon.
Recently built, were
sturdy wooden nature trails, set
high above the swampy
waters. They lead  into the
thickest wooded areas winding
in no certain pattern.
Alone on the trail,
we passed by signs that read...
"Beware the Aligators"
and
"No Feeding the Squirrels."

We saw beautiful butterflies.....these flowers
grow in the shallow waters, along side the
wooden trails.....so beautiful.
-
...... enjoying ourselves greatly,
 alone with nature
until we stumbled upon this
odd bird.
I think he was as surprised to see us
as we were to see him.
-
"Look deep into nature, and then you will understand
everything better."~Albert Einstein

Have a beautiful day.....Dee Dee
click on photos twice to enlarge

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Sight-Seeing In Our Town

We were sight-seeing when we
came across this beautiful
 Fountain Hibiscus tree. 
That's what we
do, when family 
comes to visit.
On this day,
we discovered all sorts of
beautiful homes. One in particular
we especially liked. 
The black wrought iron gate on a
side entrance,
we thought especially beautiful.......
and, the tall palms and landscaping.

.......and then we saw the front gate.
A lot of workmanship went into that
bit of metal art. Love the tropical birds.
Note  newspapers in the drive....
seems  the owners were away.
-
"Isn't it splendid to think of all the
things there are to find out about?.....
it's such an interesting world. It
wouldn't be half so interesting if
we knew all about everything, would it?"
~L M Montgomery
-
Sweet blessings.....Dee Dee
click twice on photos to enlarge