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Saturday, June 30, 2012

Lotus!

A day trip out to Mackay Island Wildlife Refuge the other day yielded some beautiful photo ops!  The first came as we were approaching the refuge - I could have stopped right there and my day would have been complete.



From Wikipedia:  Nelumbo nucifera, known by a number of names including Indian LotusSacred LotusBean of India, or simply Lotus, is a plant in the monotypicfamily Nelumbonaceae.   This plant is an aquatic perennial. Under favorable circumstances its seeds may remain viable for many years, with the oldest recorded lotus germination being from that of seeds 1,300 years old recovered from a dry lakebed in northeasternChina.[1]
A common misconception is referring to the lotus as a waterlily (Nymphaea), an entirely different plant as can be seen from the center of the flower, which clearly lacks the structure that goes on to form the distinctive circular seed pod in the Nelumbo nucifera.
Native to Tropical Asian nations and QueenslandAustralia,[2][3] it is commonly cultivated in water gardens. It is also the national flower of India and Vietnam.









I loved the little centers - they looked like watering cans!  This was a most beautiful plant!




Linking to Floral Friday FotosSOOC and Your Sunday Best.


Thursday, June 28, 2012

Reach For the Sky!

Water tower at the Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach, VA on a beautiful, spring day.


Linking to Skywatch Friday

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Happy Birthday, Mom!

First thing - it is my mother's birthday today - Happy Birthday, Mom!  You are absolutely the best mother anyone could ever ask for!  I love you!  My blog today is dedicated to you!

Our Mentorship in the Garden night at the local botanical gardens last week yielded many opportunities to photograph the color red!  My first one was this plant - a new one for me.  This is a Pagoda Plant - very unique and pretty.
Pagoda Plant
Close-up of the bloom of the Pagoda Plant.
Great gold-digger wasp - in the thread-waisted wasp family.
Thanks to Ms. Becky over at Shaking the Tree, I now know this is a Sea Holly plant...
What a clever use of old boots!

Linking to Ruby Tuesday 2.

Sunday, June 24, 2012

SOOC and Sunday Best

 My rain lily - or fairy lily - or Zephyr lily
This small lily is a native of Brazil. It usually appears after a rain and the blooms resemble small amaryllis flowers.  It is always so wonderful when they appear - and always a surprise!  I walked out the other morning, after the rain, and there they were!  Three blooms - so delicate and pretty.  
My morning gift - I present to you!

Botanical Name: Habranthus robustusCommon Name: Rain lily, Zephyr lily, Fairy lilySynonyms: Zephyranthes robustaGenus: Habranthus



Linking to Floral Friday FotosSOOC, and Your Sunday Best.


Friday, June 22, 2012

What a View!

View of Westport, County Mayo, Ireland from a boat on Clew Bay
Linking to Skywatch Friday.

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Red Everywhere!

When OpSail visited Norfolk last week, the color red was everywhere!  There were red flags, red bicycles, a red train, and children dressed in red, white and blue performing.  It was a feast for the eyes!





 OpSail is an event that happens here occasionally - the last time in 2000.  This time, the theme was the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812.  As you can see, there was a lot going on!


Linking to Ruby Tuesday 2

Saturday, June 16, 2012

SOOC Sunday

This Rose of Sharon came from my Dad's front yard, a few years before he died.  I moved it when I sold my house and married Dan.  It has lots of babies coming up, and really needs to be moved because it is encroaching the driveway...but I would hate to lose it! 
Rose of Sharon (Althea), in my front garden

These were on the roadside - a large clump - and always make me smile.  They are such happy flowers!  Commonly called Black-eyed Susans, or Brown-eyed Susans, or a variety of other names...
Rudbeckia (along the roadside)

Linking to Floral Friday Fotos and SOOC.

Weekend Reflections

Party Time!
Reflections of a dinner party with friends at the Boathouse Restaurant at Waterside.  (Can you spot the photographer?)  Tall ships are in the background - courtesy of OpSail 2012.


Linking to Weekend Reflections.

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Masts in the Sky!

Continuing with photos from OpSail 2012...I was interested in the cloud shapes, with the tall ship masts reaching to the sky.
Almost looks like cannon smoke above the mast!
Piercing the clouds - looking for the sun!
Another smoke puff?
Beautiful day, perfect weather!
Linking to Skywatch Friday