Tulips at Longwood Gardens - May 2014

The timing of our visit to Longwood Gardens on May 2 was near perfect for the tulips just as it had been for the cherry blossoms in Washington DC back in April.  The day was near perfect for enjoying the gardens too: mostly sunny and near perfect temperature. 

We arrive about 10 minutes before the gardens opened. The beds of tulips in front of the entrance building gave us a hint of the colors that were to come.

It was quite a challenge to pick the images to include in the slide show below. Tulips come in so many colors…and there is a surprising variety in the shapes as well. Hopefully you enjoyed tulips growing in your area too!  They are a sure sign of spring.

On the Road to Philadelphia

Last week we made the trek into Philadelphia to pick up by daughter after her conference; she’d arranged to spend a few days with us in Maryland before flying back to Arizona. We left after the morning rush hour traffic and I managed a few pictures through the car window.

The Domino Sugar sign in Baltimore

The trees along the highway

The bridges over the Susquehanna River

Some of the big buildings of downtown Philadelphia

And a closer look at a building façade while we drove around trying to find parking.

We were going to the Mutter Museum of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia and the nearby parking along the river was blocked off because of overnight flooding (the water had retreated by the time we arrived at mid-day but the muddy sediment remained).

And then we were on foot and it was easier to get a closer look at some of the buildings. I particularly liked the church courtyard (First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia) next to the Mutter Museum.

After the Rain

The morning after the big rain last week was sunny. I ventured out to capture the aftermath of the heavy rain. Water droplets glistened on leaves.

Some of the fragile new growth on the oak tree had been plucked from the tree and became debris on the driveway.

There were also tulip polar seeds that had been swept by the water into piles.

Curiously - there was one very white feather than must have floated to the driveway after the rain since it did not look like it had been wet at all.

Gleanings of the Week Ending May 03, 2014

The items below were ‘the cream’ of the articles and websites I found this past week. Click on the light green text to look at the article.

A Ranking of the Deadliest Animals in the World - The mosquito is the only one more deadly than humans!

Rainbow Slime Recipe for Play - I couldn’t resist…it’s pretty and fun looking…a great activity for the child in us all!

Two items about bees: 5 Facts about Bumblebees—and how to help them (the bumblebees were very active on a redbud blooming in our area) and The Waggle Dance of the Honeybee (this is not a new video…but timely as the bees become more active this year).

10 Spring Cleaning To Dos for Your Digital Abode: Part I - This is a list written for teachers but it makes sense for others as well! Part I is the first 5 of the 10.

Some of the Strangest and Most Artistic Rooftops in the World - The ones that are green with vegetation are my favorites.

Exquisite Macro Photos Reveal the Miniature World of Insects - My favorite is the dragonfly catching a ride on the seed puff.

Mount Baldy at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore to Remain Off-Limits Indefinitely - Sand behaving in unexplained way….the world is not always easily understood.

Ethereal Silk Scarves Feature NASA's Photographs of Space - I want one of these for Christmas!

Elegant Animal Illustrations Created Using a Morié Pattern - The owl captured my attention…..and then the bats.

Optimizing sweet potato production - Sweet potatoes are one of my favorite foods. I’m glad they are becoming more appreciated. I’ve always had good luck growing them too.

Oak - April 2014

I am taking a much closer look at the oak in our front yard this spring using my camera and the 8x loupe. Over the past week or so the buds have come open. The first image is from the 19th. The bud is large but still generally bud shaped.

By the 24th, tiny leaves were in evidence and the beginning of the flowers and catkins were showing.

 

On the 26th, I was surprised at how different the tiny leaves still looked from their final form. They do not look like tiny forms of the mature oak leaf; there is still a lot of unfurling left to reach the mature shape.

On the 28th the catkins had a rosy color and the leaves had gown a bit more too.

And then the rains came and I won’t be able to take more pictures until May….so I’ll continue this closer look at the oak in a post next month.

Sunspots

Earlier this week (Monday, April 27) my husband set up his telescope to try out a recently purchased solar filter. As we looked through the eyepiece, two areas of sunspots were readily apparent (areas A and D in the diagram above.

We managed to line up my camera with the telescopes eyepiece to capture the picture and I was able to see two more sunspot areas (B and C) when I looked as the image on my computer. Pretty good for a first look with the solar filter!

Ten Days of Little Celebrations - April 2014

Noticing something worth celebration each day is an easy thing for me to do. The habit of writing it down reminds me to be grateful for these and a myriad of other things in my life. This month has been full of ‘little celebrations;’ here are my top 10 for April 2014.

Home again. It’s always sweet to come home after being away no matter how much I enjoyed being away.

“New” clothes. I am tired of winter clothes so I celebrated a warm day in April when I needed to raid the summer clothes for something to wear. I am looking forward to getting out all the summer wardrobe and doing some focused purchases in May.

Outdoor projects. Our April was pretty cool but we did some sprucing up outside our house. We put new mulch around the trees, got the gutters all cleaned out and mowed the lawn for the first time. It felt good to be out and getting things done.

Indoor to Outdoor projects. There were several projects that appealed to me that started indoors and will be moved outdoors in early May.  I am celebrating that all the seedlings I have in small pots are growing very well and will be ready for the garden soon. The bins we buy cat litter in have worked well as pots that I’ll just move to the deck and let the seedlings grow to maturity; reusing rather than recycling is very appealing.

Spring blossoms. The cherry blossoms were the highlight of April….big celebration. Dandelions bring more mixed feelings; the yellow blossoms are cheery but they are way too plentiful!

Outdoor volunteer gigs. There is always a serendipity celebration when I combine being outdoors and doing something good in the community.

Anticipating travel. In April is celebrated the anticipation of traveling to Rhode Island next fall and a vicarious trip to Hawaii through my daughter. I started looking at web sites and reading books (current and very old). I like the before and after of travel as much as the travel itself!

Photography adventures. This month I continued my explorations with the loupe and been very pleased with unfurling leaves and minute flower parts. The other adventure was an initial foray into time lapse photography with the seedlings. I always celebrate the successes….and try to forget the images that didn’t quite work out.

Sunny window. I like sitting in a sunny window on cool (or cold) spring morning….celebrating that I have the time and place to do it!

Spring events. Howard County sponsored a WomenFest in April. I exceeded my expectations!

Downtown Dallas

I’ve never spent a lot of time in a down area so I noted my perceptions as I moved around in downtown Dallas one day last month. It was a week day and the rain has held off on a warming spring day - making for a pleasant time to be in the city.

Tall buildings can be overwhelming up close. It is hard to get enough perspective on them without the frame including a lot of other buildings too.

I found myself using the zoom on my camera to capture the top of buildings.

I felt dwarfed and decided I was more comfortable with the older buildings that were not as tall. I also enjoyed the spaces that had been opened up into small urban parks and medians with trees. The downtown area had more vegetation than I expected.

The structures that were lower still seemed even more interesting. It was easier to see their architectural elements and enjoy their size.

I like the sculpture and the light fixtures that did not require a zoom at all.

These sculptures in a median seemed to fit right into the Dallas scene.

Dandelions

Dandelions grow too easily. They come up every year in the lawn….pre-emergent doesn’t ever get down early enough for us to be rid of them. This year I am feeling a little guilty that we even tried to eliminate them.

Their bright yellow flowers seem so cheerful.

They grow just about everywhere - in good soil and bad.

Supposedly the flowers and leaves are edible. I’ve never quite developed a taste for them although the flowers would add wonderful color to a salad. Maybe I should simply harvest the flowers from the dandelion that comes up in my Chaos Garden.

Their round puffs remind me of childhood - gently holding the stem and blowing the seeds into the wind.

And they are another great object for macro photography!

Lichen and Moss

Lichen and moss are plants that are easier to appreciate with some magnification. My first project simply captured them in the ‘wild’ - on trees or rocks or soil. The collage below shows lichen growing on tree trunks. The images on the left are using the 8x loupe. The one on the right was using the 22x loupe.

The mosses were awakening during March and April when I began the project and I was surprised at the variety that becomes apparent when the plants are viewed through even a the lower (8x) magnification.

Seedlings Finding Sun - April 2014

The small pots of seedlings are going out into the garden soon: cucumbers, tomatoes, chives, cilantro….and one sunflower. My husband and I did a daylong photography session with the tray of small pots earlier this week to see if we could catch the seedlings turning toward the sun. We put the camera on a tripod and set it to take a picture every 15 minutes. The slide show below shows the seedlings moving around as the day progressed. The sunflower seedling is the large one closest to the camera that moves around a lot.

 

Spring Maple

The maple I see from my office window has change a lot in the past month.  The snowy picture of the tree is from mid-March!  

By early April it was tinged in red flowers.

I took some close up pictures. The one on the right is with the 8x loupe. They are small but the color stands out in the springtime forest.

Now the tree looks drabber from afar

But that is just the blending of the red and green as the samaras develop.

Gleanings of the Week Ending April 19, 2014

The items below were ‘the cream’ of the articles and websites I found this past week. Click on the light green text to look at the article.

New city wall discovered at ancient Roman port - The Roman Architecture course I took via Coursera has increased my interest in anything new related to the topic. Evidently Ostia was on both sides of the Tiber rather than just the south side!

On Your Mark, Get Set, Grow: A Guide to Speedy Vegetables - I timely article. I am still in the mode of starting plants indoors to plant in the garden after the last danger of frost! The idea of micro greens appeals to me.

Spectacular Spring Photos of Cherry Blossoms in Japan - Cherry blossoms - a great bounty in the spring.

Scientists re-define what's healthy in newest analysis for human microbiome project - Evidently we still have a lot to learn about the microbiome. This study’s primary finding was how diverse the microbiome is....each person harbors a unique and varied collection of bacteria.

Watch 220 Years Of U.S. Population Expansion - There is an animated version….and then a map for each decade from 1790-2010

8 Photos worth the Wait - My favorite is the first one: the monarch butterfly chrysalis covered with water droplets

Researchers Say Mesa Verde National Park's Far View Reservoir wasn’t for Water - A ceremonial structure rather than a reservoir?

Food, Dieting, and the Power of Good Nutrition: The Meatless Monday Interview with Dr. Joel Fuhrman - An advocate for everyone to become savvier about nutrition

Future Technologies - An infographic from Richard Watson: Top 10 Innovations by 2050. What do you think?  One example: 40% likelihood of 150 year human lifespans.

Crane Fly Images

The crane flies were so numerous when I was in Dallas in late March that one somehow got inside the house where I found it on the carpet in the den - motionless. I got out my loupes to take a closer look at the insect.

The whole insect fit in the cup of the 8x loupe. The spindly legs and clear wings looked fragile. They were not quite the same as the insect would have been flying low over the grass alongside many more of its kind.

The 22x loupe showed more detail. Next time I’ll try with a brighter light. The flatter the specimen - the easier it is to focus. That is why the wing is better than the upper body.

Brookside Gardens Buds and Flowers - April 2014

Every spring I rejoice with the new growth at Brookside Gardens - the leaves unfurling, the early flowers opening. It is such a relief after the drabness of late winter. This week we have experienced some cold days (again); the images in this post were taken earlier in April on a warmer day.

I’ve been experimenting with the 8x loupe for much of this spring’s photography and noticed small features of opening leaves and flowers more than ever before.

Some leaves start out with pleats along their vein lines

Some flowers lift to the sun

And others bow.

Some fruit trees bloom so early that they are frequently caught by hard frosts.

The center of some flowers stays in the deep shade of the surrounding petals.

Zooming - April 2014

There were so many pictures taken in the last month to look at….to crop for this month’s ‘zooming’ post. I finally chose some favorites: a degraded shell spiral, water droplets on leaves, uncurling leaves, crocus, hyacinths, violets, tulips, daffodils, hibiscus, deciduous magnolia, the profile of a sculpture. Enjoy the views!

Jefferson Memorial and Cherry Blossoms

The Jefferson Memorial has always been one of my favorites in Washington DC and I took quite a few pictures of it as we made our way around the tidal basin last week. The Roman Architecture course I am taking (Coursera) caused me to look at the structure more thoroughly.

Ionic columns

Marble steps at the front

Triangular pediment

Barrel vault with coffered ceiling at the entrance

Dome with coffered ceiling (no oculus)

It is one of the many buildings patterned on the Pantheon in Rome.

I enjoyed taking pictures of the building from different vantage points around the tidal basin….enjoy the views in the slideshow below!

Cherry Blossoms in Washington DC

The cherry blossoms were at their peak around the tidal basin in Washington DC late last week.

It was probably the best walk around the tidal basin in my 30+ years in the area:

the blossoms were near perfect, the temperature was pleasant,

there were lots of people but few crowds, and

the monuments (Martin Luther King Jr., Lincoln, Washington, Jefferson) were nestled in the blooming trees.

One recent change: the scaffolding that had been around the Washington Monument since it was damaged by an earthquake is gone (i.e. repairs are complete).  The flight path for Reagan National Airport is along the Potomac so I managed to catch a picture of a plane descending with the cherry trees and paddle boaters on the tidal basin.  Enjoy the slide show from our walk around the tidal basin!

Gleanings of the Week Ending April 12, 2014

The items below were ‘the cream’ of the articles and websites I found this past week. Click on the light green text to look at the article.

Blood test could detect solid cancers - Another discovery that started with bioinformatics. It seems like the biological research arena is exploding with findings that are teased out of ‘big data.’ Biological research has met the computer age!

Viewing Nature’s Beauty through a New Lens - Watch the 4 minute video from Louie Schwarzberg imbedded in this post. I liked the bats and cactus sequence the best!

Yes! Yellowstone is a Volcano - A set of 3 videos. They were filmed in 2009 but I just found them. I remember a decade ago when we visited Yellowstone and my daughter being intrigued that is was a ‘super volcano.’

The Gamification of Education - Infographic that includes a timeline of gamification technology applied to education

Find the Closest National Park with This Handy Map - A handy map for planning a US National Park vacation. And just to add some incentive - a post about macro photography in the National Parks.

Global Air Quality Crisis - It is estimated that 7 million people died in 2012 due to air pollution. That makes air pollution the highest environmental risk on the planet.

Senior Discounts (list 1 and list 2) - Two lists posted by Feisty Side of Fifty/Baby Boomer Women. Some of them start at 55…many more at 60….and more at 65.

Jane Goodall: How she redefined mankind - An interview of Jane Goodall at 80.

New York Public Library Releases Thousands of Historic Maps to the Public - Yet another example of the revolution in libraries. They are making the content of their fragile historical collections that used to be accessible to very few people available to anyone with access to the Internet because high quality digitization has come to the fore.

You'll Never Look at Pond Water the Same Way after Watching This Video - There are so many good videos in my list this week. This one encourages me to collect water from the nearby river….and take a look through the microscope!

Glorious Hyacinths!

The hyacinths are blooming in Maryland this week - like the hyacinths were blooming at the end of March in Dallas. They are one of my favorite flowers of spring because they are early bloomers, they smell wonderful, and they last longer than the crocus.

My mother has planted a large bucket with hyacinth bulbs and then had to push the soil out of the way to help the flower spikes emerge. I took the opportunity to take some close ups of the flowers. Enjoy the macro images below!