tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7247783469026556072024-03-12T19:33:23.472-07:00The Northern New York GardenerIf You Love It, Photograph It!
If You Know It, Write About It!Sue Linkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07190179382458092983noreply@blogger.comBlogger107125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-724778346902655607.post-83324546108116254582018-09-20T20:01:00.002-07:002018-09-20T20:01:46.097-07:00And Just Like That - It's Fall!!!<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0c85ARk5Xvs/W6RTpYJJEEI/AAAAAAAALHg/vCx8lzqdz2EQMRaMaGcD-JP477h_mpb_gCLcBGAs/s1600/DSCN6789b.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0c85ARk5Xvs/W6RTpYJJEEI/AAAAAAAALHg/vCx8lzqdz2EQMRaMaGcD-JP477h_mpb_gCLcBGAs/s400/DSCN6789b.JPG" width="400" /></a>Well, not fall officially yet, but soon to come by way of the calendar in a few days.<br />
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The days are still pretty warm here in the northeast! We've had several days in the 80's, but it's gradually cooling off. It made it down in the 50's last night and in the mid 60's today. It's been very dry around here as well. We never did get any rain from Hurricane Florence that went through the Carolinas last week and they continue to receive damage from the rising rivers. Our prayers go out to those families and businesses that have been ravaged by the devastating rains and floods.<br />
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The leaves on the trees have a hint of fall colors in them, but most of the leaves appear to be drying up, turning brown or a very dull yellow. They look very crisp and I'm not sure whether or not there will be much colorful fall foliage to speak of.<br />
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The crickets singing in the fields have replaced the songbirds who have left for their wintering grounds in the south. I hope they didn't get blown off of their flight pattern by the hurricane. We're still seeing some Monarch butterflies, and it's also been reported that there are still Monarch caterpillars in the area so that's a wonderful sign. We have seen several Monarch butterflies this year and their large numbers have been reported in other areas as well. That's great news!<br />
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The countryside is now starting to smell with the scent of the tag alders' dying leaves. After a heavy frost they can get really stinky (to me, anyway). Once in awhile you might smell the fragrant flowers of wild Joe Pye-weed. This is a very beneficial plant to bees and butterflies. I purchased some of the miniature Joe Pye-weed once, and planted them, but we have so many wild ones around here in the fields that I didn't bother to fuss with them and they died out. I really think they needed more sun than where I planted them and sun is at a premium in our yard in Mexico, New York.<br />
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We haven't had a frost yet. That's a good thing. During one night we got down in the 40's, but so far so good. I'm not sure I'm ready for that. After a heavy frost around here the fields turn brown and that's it for the wild flowers.<br />
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I was rewarded (???) this year for seeing some unusual moths and bugs. First time seeing some of them and I had no clue what they were so I "Googled" them and looked under the "images" and was able to identify the Beautiful Wood Nymph Moth (which I don't know where they came up with that name. It was actually pretty creepy looking to me) and the Azalea Sphinx Moth, however, I'm not sure that that is a positive identification on that moth. I'm not a bug expert (as a matter of fact I was never that interested in them), but these guys showed up this year and thought I'd share them with you. Another moth that Ted spotted when he opened our shed door was the Celery Looper Moth. I got help identifying this moth from one of the photography groups that I'm in on Facebook. I spent quite a bit of time trying to identify that one.<br />
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The Beautiful Wood Nymph Moth was spotted on the frame of our back door. I had no idea what it was. It didn't even look like a bug or moth to me. It actually looked like some burnt marshmallows from a campfire but we did not have any recent campfires or marshmallows (I can't keep marshmallows in the house because our grandchildren love them). So after I did a search on the internet I was able to identify it. I was looking for a link to post here for you for additional information but there doesn't seem to be much other than pictures, but I did find this quote on Wikipedia rather amusing about the Beautiful Wood Nymph Moth: "Adult is visually comparable to bird droppings, presumably beneficial for camouflage". Sounds about right to me!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ex5iHT2xt1E/W6ROD7uvVPI/AAAAAAAALG0/xVCLu-Fi48Asfq5s4GJ6ndYrKKz2e3ygwCLcBGAs/s1600/DSCN5768c.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1145" data-original-width="1600" height="286" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ex5iHT2xt1E/W6ROD7uvVPI/AAAAAAAALG0/xVCLu-Fi48Asfq5s4GJ6ndYrKKz2e3ygwCLcBGAs/s400/DSCN5768c.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful Wood Nymph</td></tr>
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The Azalea Sphinx Moth looked like a dead leaf to me. I was out watering our window boxes and I was picking off some dead leaves when the leaf I was going to pick off wasn't a leaf, but a moth. Nature is so unique in disguising insects and animals to keep predators from harming them. <a href="https://ficonservancy.org/2017/08/azalea-sphinx/" target="_blank">Azalea Sphinx Moth</a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0M72l7XMrAA/W6RJ_Xnv_DI/AAAAAAAALGo/FMp1_Ts4m34aypHpmwdvRgUH_1qc447qgCLcBGAs/s1600/DSCN5787b.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1141" data-original-width="1600" height="285" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0M72l7XMrAA/W6RJ_Xnv_DI/AAAAAAAALGo/FMp1_Ts4m34aypHpmwdvRgUH_1qc447qgCLcBGAs/s400/DSCN5787b.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Azalea Sphinx Moth</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In this photo it shows where I thought the moth was part of a <br />dead leaf and I was going to break it off.</td></tr>
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And the Celery Looper Moth was just as weird looking as the Beautiful Sphinx Moth. It looked like it had a cape around its neck (it is hard to distinguish in the photo). I've never seen colors in an array like that on a moth. Very unusual to me. <a href="http://www.cirrusimage.com/moths_celery_looper.htm" target="_blank">Celery Looper Moth</a><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ted found this guy hanging on one of our beach umbrellas <br />in the shed. Celery Looper Moth</td></tr>
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And another bug that I saw that caught my eye because I thought it was a leaf blowing around, but leaves don't blow up into flowers, was a Katydid. It looks so much like a leaf that if I didn't see it land on this perennial I wouldn't have been able to find it. <a href="http://songsofinsects.com/katydids/common-true-katydid" target="_blank">Katydid</a><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Katydid. This guy is pretty well camouflaged, too. Nature is so amazing!</td></tr>
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Another moth that we've seen before is the Hummingbird Moth (also called the Clearwing Moth). We've been seeing these moths for quite a few years now. It actually flutters around like a Hummingbird and isn't much smaller than one, but it's definitely a moth. Ted got a great picture (below) of this moth. <a href="https://www.massaudubon.org/learn/nature-wildlife/insects-arachnids/hummingbird-moth-clearwing-moth" target="_blank">Hummingbird Moth (Clearwing Moth)</a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xT8pNnJAHAs/W6RETdThlzI/AAAAAAAALGc/PCqa0ALUb54XcpoYUQa0yx3D-DbiWNJyQCLcBGAs/s1600/hummingbird%2Bmoth%2BTed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xT8pNnJAHAs/W6RETdThlzI/AAAAAAAALGc/PCqa0ALUb54XcpoYUQa0yx3D-DbiWNJyQCLcBGAs/s400/hummingbird%2Bmoth%2BTed.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hummingbird Moth (Clearwing Moth)</td></tr>
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Well, hope you are not too freaked out with some of the photos, but just thought I'd share some interesting things that were spotted in our yard this season! Happy Fall, Ya'll!<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">Jump, and you will find out how to unfold your wings as you fall.</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">~Ray Bradbury</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Drop me a line in the comments if you'd like!</span> </span></div>
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<br />Sue Linkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07190179382458092983noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-724778346902655607.post-71280927693528006522018-06-21T08:23:00.000-07:002018-06-21T08:32:42.039-07:00Summertime and the Summer Solstice in Central/Northern New York<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Summer is here and who isn't excited about that! School is pretty much over in Central New York and most high school graduations will be coming up in the next week or so. Families are so excited! Let the parties and celebrating begin! Good luck to all those graduating this year including my grandniece in Niagara Falls, Julia!<br />
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The northeast certainly had a crazy and cold spring. We left for Florida the end of February and we were having a warm spell here in the northeast so I thought for sure we were going to have an early spring. Well, that never happened. Usually when that happens I'm not as excited about going to Florida that time of year because then I'd be missing out on all the early spring flowers and also getting a head start on lawn and garden chores. I was wrong and winter returned to the northeast with a vengeance in March and continued for a few more months after that. Usually, when we're in Florida I'm anxious to start heading back the beginning of April, but I wasn't in any hurry this year.<br />
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When we returned to Central NY I was wondering if I missed any spring flowers blooming. Nope. All the spring blooming bulbs, perennials, and trees hadn't started yet. It was a very hard winter (I don't think I'll get many disagreements on that) and two of our spring flowering trees never bloomed: our Weeping Cherry and the Redbud. We have two Rose of Sharon shrubs that suffered quite a bit of damage as well. They have lots of leaves on them, but a lot of dead branches, too, that will have to be trimmed out.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My son made this clever pail planter for me for Mother's Day! I love it!</td></tr>
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<i>We have arrived! (Video of Canadian Geese on Lake Ontario by Ted Link)</i></div>
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This year we've had a nice spring. Not much rain and even though it's getting a little dry up here, the water level on Lake Ontario is still above the average height for this time of year. After all the damage from the high waters last year this is a relief. So many people, businesses and our State Parks had shoreline damage from last year's heavy rainfall.<br />
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Our perennial beds are looking pretty good. Still have to do the usual weeding, but not too bad. Our perennials and ground covers are well established now so they help in crowding out some of the weeds. We plant very few annuals. I like annuals, and they really add a boost of color to your spaces when the perennials are done blooming. Most perennials usually give a short burst of color for a few weeks and then they are done until the following year. The annuals will keep on awarding you with color, fragrance, and beauty for the rest of the season. If you have a lot of annuals in baskets or pots just remember to water them frequently on hot, windy days. Sometimes you might even have to water them twice a day.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bluebird on a wire </td></tr>
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We were lucky to have some Bluebirds nest in one of the birdhouses that Ted made several years ago. It's made out of PVC pipe. It's been very successful because the Tree Swallows have used it and in one of our other birdhouses there is a House Wren nesting. Ted got some great pictures of the Bluebirds.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby Bluebird peaking out of the nest while the male bluebird watches over it. </td></tr>
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We also have Baltimore Orioles, Eastern Towhees, Great-crested Flycatchers, Wood Thrushes, and several other species visiting regularly.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Male Baltimore Oriole</td></tr>
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Our surrounding farms are busy in the fields. They've been mowing the hay and their corn is coming up pretty much on schedule. It's still small but it should be "knee high by the 4th"! That means that the corn stalks should be up to your knees by the 4th of July. It will be quite a few more weeks after that until the corn is ready to be harvested.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Female/immature Eastern Towhee (previously named Rufous-sided Towhee). <br />
The male of this species would have a black head.</td></tr>
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And in case you didn't know, today, June 21st, 2018 is the Summer Solstice. Last night, here in Central/Northern New York, there was a bit of sunset glow in the northwest sky until at least 10pm. Here is some information on it: <a href="https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2018/6/19/17479094/summer-solstice-2018-june-21" target="_blank">The Summer Solstice is Here: 6 Things to Know About the Longest Day of the Year</a><br />
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"Summer was on the way; Jem and I awaited it with impatience. Summer was our best season: it was sleeping on the back porch in cots, or trying to sleep in the tree house; summer was everything good to eat; it was a thousand colors in a parched landscape; but most of all summer was Dill."</div>
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~ Harper Lee, <i>To Kill a Mockingbird</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Feel free to leave a comment~</i></span></h2>
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<br />Sue Linkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07190179382458092983noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-724778346902655607.post-90976502959459907252018-02-21T15:39:00.001-08:002018-02-21T15:39:16.564-08:00They're Back . . .<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well, maybe not all of them are back, but they're starting to come back. On Ted's walks this past week he was able to get some photos of Robins looking for worms and water. They have been searching the ditches where the snow has melted in search of the early worms.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eastern Bluebird</td></tr>
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And the Eastern Bluebirds have returned as well. We saw one today sitting on a wire checking out the landscape. The male usually returns first to check out nesting sites before the female Bluebird returns.<br />
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These two pictures of Eastern Bluebirds were taken last fall by Ted. It could be they were lining up the nesting sites for this season. It's time to clean out your birdhouses and put them out if you stored them for the winter. It won't be long now before you hear the Red Wing Blackbirds in the fields and the Robins singing their morning songs.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pair of Eastern Bluebirds</td></tr>
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But, one of our most exciting times this past week was to be able to capture some photos of Snowy Owls right here in Mexico, NY. Ted and I used to take off in the car in winters past looking for Snowy Owls along the Lake Ontario shoreline and the open fields of Jefferson County. We know that Snowy Owls like open fields to hunt for mice, voles and other small creatures. Our Town of Mexico has beautiful farm fields, but there is also a lot of woods around here so I wasn't sure if we would find any in these spaces.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Female Snowy Owl - photo taken in Mexico, NY on February 14, 2018</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another view of the female Snowy Owl- this view shows a very dark head and broad dark bands on the back.</td></tr>
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So last week on his way home from skiing, Ted spotted a Snowy Owl perched on top of a telephone pole on one of the country roads in Mexico, NY. Well, he didn't have his camera with him so when he got home he asked if I wanted to go with him to try to get some photos of this magnificent bird. Of course I wanted to go! It's been on my bucket list to see and photograph a Snowy Owl. Well, at the time I was on the phone talking with my sister, Betty, so I had to hang up on her. (Sorry, Betty) But I did call her back later. When I first got a glimpse of the Snowy Owl, I almost thought it looked more like a hawk because it was so heavily striped and very dark. But it definitely was a Snowy Owl.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Male Snowy Owl - taken by Ted Link on February 20, 2018</td></tr>
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One of my neighbors, years ago, said that he had seen one not too far from our road. And a few of my other friends in Mexico had also spotted Snowy Owls this year in the Mexico area. Snowy Owls actually live and breed far north in the Arctic. The immature Snowy Owls migrate to areas south of their breeding grounds when the food supply for winter in their northern habitat has diminished. So the Snowy Owls you see in the United States and Southern Canada are immature owls.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another photo of the male Snowy Owl - taken by Ted on February 20, 2018</td></tr>
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After the spotting the first Snowy on February 14, Ted was on his way home from town (February 20) and he spotted the Snowy Owl in the same area. He didn't have his camera with him and he debated about going back for more pictures because the weather was foggy and drizzly. So the curiosity in Ted led him back for more pictures. After he loaded the pictures on the computer we noticed a distinct difference in the Snowy Owl from the first one we photographed on February 14, and the second one he photographed on February 20. One was more lighter than the other one which most likely was a male and the darker one most likely is a female.<br />
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The immature male is more white that the immature female. Also, the dark bands on the feathers of the male are narrower, and the immature female has darker and broader band markings on her feathers.<br />
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Here is a link that gives some information on identifying immature Snowy Owls.<br />
<a href="http://www.birds.cornell.edu/crows/snowy.htm" target="_blank">http://www.birds.cornell.edu/crows/snowy.htm</a><br />
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It won't be long now before the Snowy Owls will be returning to their breeding habitat in the arctic tundra. Snowy Owls like to perch on items in open fields or lake shores and if you're out driving around and hope to see a Snowy Owl look for them on telephone poles, fence posts, roofs of barns, hay bales, garages, etc. They also will sit on a raised hill or mound.<br />
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Here is some more information on Snowy Owls. <a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Snowy_Owl/id" target="_blank">Cornell Guide - Snow Owl</a><br />
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And a link to one of my previous blog posts: <a href="http://suelink.blogspot.com/search?q=snowy+owl" target="_blank">Still Looking for Those Elusive Snowy Owls</a><br />
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Another link to one of my blog posts that has more information on Snowy Owls:<br />
<a href="http://suelink.blogspot.com/2014/02/are-we-there-yet.html" target="_blank">Are We There Yet (Feb 2014)</a><br />
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And it's time to think about your spring gardening, too. Time to order and start some seeds. I tried starting seeds several times indoors, but I found out that it's a lot easier to go to the nursery and buy sets. I just don't have the right amount of light, heat, space, or patience to grow seedlings. When I have tried it the seedlings usually get moldy, too leggy, or don't germinate at all. But I admire those who can grow their own flowers and vegetables from seed.<br />
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USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map <a href="http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/" target="_blank">USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map</a><br />
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<a href="https://www.ufseeds.com/learning/garden-planting-guide/" target="_blank">Garden Planting Guide</a><br />
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This is the time of year when you might have the opportunity to see migrating birds. So plan to check out some good birding spots or go for walks in the State Parks and you might find a new species to add to your list.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Good luck birding and spring planting!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>Feel free to comment and leave me a note-</i></span></div>
<br />Sue Linkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07190179382458092983noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-724778346902655607.post-32686409598049008712018-01-18T16:05:00.000-08:002018-01-18T16:05:22.094-08:00It's A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood - For Some PeopleHi There!<br />
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Yes, it's winter now- for those of us in the north country we are used to these cold winds, below zero temperatures, and heavy snowfalls. I really shouldn't say that we are used to them, we just get to the point where we tolerate them and some people don't really tolerate them very well either. (Did I ever tell you my husband loves winter? Probably.)<br />
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Occasionally we have January thaws where things start melting and sometimes really fast. In this case, this past weekend it was too fast. Because then you end up with major flooding.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6Y_QhYLGS1I/WmEYxx7S0iI/AAAAAAAAKvk/ZpoCoate-R4JyMj0SDXQr58vCxjfXlOXACKgBGAs/s1600/DSCN4991.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6Y_QhYLGS1I/WmEYxx7S0iI/AAAAAAAAKvk/ZpoCoate-R4JyMj0SDXQr58vCxjfXlOXACKgBGAs/s320/DSCN4991.JPG" width="320" /></a>We've had lots of snow up to this point. I mean so far this winter, Mexico, NY, had over 100". We got some snow for Christmas and then after Christmas we got quite a bit more. It was great for snowmobiling, skiing, snowshoeing and other winter activities. And with our sub zero weather for over a week straight, with no thaws, the area streams and creeks froze up pretty fast. Then the warm jet stream came through and we had above freezing temperatures, almost close to 50 degrees for over 24 hours. Then the rains came. So when that happens it melts the snow significantly and starts to break up the ice in the streams and rivers and when it breaks lose with the current it can cause major damage to shorelines and buildings that line the shores. It also causes problems with peoples basements/houses flooding. Several homes have sump pumps that pump water out of basements when the water table gets high but when it's raining heavy and the snow is melting sometimes the sump pumps can't keep up with the water levels. So then you have flooded basements. During this same time period when it was raining the temperature started dropping so the wets roads, parking lots, sidewalks, etc. start freezing and causing major problems. At this point you never know if the rain is going to turn to sleet, freezing rain or snow. It did turn to snow but we didn't get a significant amount. We were fortunate that we didn't have freezing rain because that could have caused more problems with everything icing up and possibly causing power outages.<br />
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If you drive around northern/central New York, you'll see houses and barns with metal roofs. One of the major factors that people in the north apply these roofs is because it's much easier for the snow to slide off a metal roof than asphalts roofs. And that's important when you are talking 100"+ of snow piled on your roof. Many people in the north country have to get their roofs shoveled off or they might risk major damage by the roof collapsing under the weight of the snow. In our case, our metal roof is getting older so it's not as slick as a new metal roof so the snow doesn't slide off as easily as it once did. We still have to shovel our roof off because unless the temperatures warm up a little above freezing it won't melt and slide off.<br />
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Another problem this time of year is when you get rain, freezing rain, and melting snow that creates ice dams on your roof. Ice dams occur when the snow melts on your roof and then the temperature drops and forms a row of ice along the edge of your roof which causes the water behind it to back up under the shingles. Ice dams will cause any other run-off from warm temperatures to back up which could eventually leak into the house and cause interior damage to your ceilings and walls.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can see the ice under the snow on our roof (this was taken a few years ago).</td></tr>
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Another strange winter rarity is that when temperatures are extremely cold you might hear your house occasionally make some loud cracking sounds. This can be extremely alarming because you have no idea what is happening. That most likely is the wood structure of your house contracting in the below zero temperatures. And most of the time it doesn't do any damage, but it is kind of creepy sounding.<br />
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But snowfall does have its benefits. It lends itself to nature's beautiful and serene landscapes. You get lots of birds visiting your feeders. And if you are an outdoor enthusiast there are plenty of winter activities in the area without going too far.<br />
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Below is a 20 minute video of the Ice Storm that hit the Watertown, Northern New York and Montreal Canada area in 1998. You will be amazed at the amount of damage that occurred during this storm. It lasted four days and several people were without electricity for many weeks and even months in some places.<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">"I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields that it kisses them so gently? And it covers them up snug, you know, </span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;">with a white quilt; and perhaps it says, </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">"Go to sleep darlings, till the summer comes again."</span></i></div>
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<b>Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass</b></div>
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<b>~Lewis Carroll</b></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-naH53b9Vooo/WmE1bDguXlI/AAAAAAAAKxk/N4dg929gy3oBTr8ZPs0ij-49AwDDTc40ACKgBGAs/s1600/DSCN5262.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-naH53b9Vooo/WmE1bDguXlI/AAAAAAAAKxk/N4dg929gy3oBTr8ZPs0ij-49AwDDTc40ACKgBGAs/s320/DSCN5262.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Hope you enjoyed your visit to our Northern New York area! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Feel free to leave a comment ~</span></div>
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Sue Linkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07190179382458092983noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-724778346902655607.post-85297913920057964862017-12-21T15:46:00.000-08:002017-12-21T15:46:09.372-08:00Yay!!! It's Winter! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3lxee0dV4Fo/WjxBi6wV9jI/AAAAAAAAKmE/86-Qjc3m7e8JexqJ-PaLfzS-78HNmOP7wCKgBGAs/s1600/DSCN4817b.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3lxee0dV4Fo/WjxBi6wV9jI/AAAAAAAAKmE/86-Qjc3m7e8JexqJ-PaLfzS-78HNmOP7wCKgBGAs/s400/DSCN4817b.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Today is the Winter Solstice which marks the beginning of our winter in the northern hemisphere. Meaning today is the shortest day in the year, but after today the days will start getting longer. If the days started getting sunnier that would be wonderful, but here in the Northeast we know that's probably just wishful thinking. </span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FH4B1fdkUWg/WjxBSWvLniI/AAAAAAAAKl4/75rfjqJbAhcAI3xXzz318hXBXhQemPUDQCKgBGAs/s1600/DSCN4823.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FH4B1fdkUWg/WjxBSWvLniI/AAAAAAAAKl4/75rfjqJbAhcAI3xXzz318hXBXhQemPUDQCKgBGAs/s320/DSCN4823.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Last week we got our first significant snowfall and below zero temperatures (-5), but it warmed up a couple of days ago and so some of that snow melted. </span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BydbQhU-xBs/WjxBb0rEvAI/AAAAAAAAKmA/dlmkadYB1KIGmCX7BuW5KPouyyUJ9tijgCKgBGAs/s1600/DSCN3408-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BydbQhU-xBs/WjxBb0rEvAI/AAAAAAAAKmA/dlmkadYB1KIGmCX7BuW5KPouyyUJ9tijgCKgBGAs/s320/DSCN3408-001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CjQ75Tx_UoE/WjxCCnYDHEI/AAAAAAAAKmQ/4BqM2zP_YoMgvX3WzANSMH3UFqwtt2lcgCKgBGAs/s1600/DSCN4880b.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1146" data-original-width="1600" height="286" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CjQ75Tx_UoE/WjxCCnYDHEI/AAAAAAAAKmQ/4BqM2zP_YoMgvX3WzANSMH3UFqwtt2lcgCKgBGAs/s400/DSCN4880b.JPG" width="400" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">We still have snow on the ground now, but it's melted significantly. </span><span style="font-size: large;"> And then in the next few days the weather report is calling for a "winter mix". I just love that. It's either going to rain/snow/sleet or it could be rain that turns to ice or maybe snow. Who knows! I just like that temperature readout in the car when you're on the road so that when the roads are wet and your thermometer is reading below 32 it's time to get off the road and quick because that's when you could have black ice and you probably can't even see it or know it's there. That's why it's called black ice. It actually just looks like the roads are wet, but it's actually ice. So be careful out there if you're going to be traveling over the weekend for the Christmas holidays.</span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BE5rPWoxUNw/WjxChD7XMAI/AAAAAAAAKmU/4tLt3H6mV3gZWQz2vsw6h0GQ_Ogm4SCIgCKgBGAs/s1600/DSCN3423-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BE5rPWoxUNw/WjxChD7XMAI/AAAAAAAAKmU/4tLt3H6mV3gZWQz2vsw6h0GQ_Ogm4SCIgCKgBGAs/s400/DSCN3423-001.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I really don't mind winter. Not that I spend a lot of time outside in it, but I do like watching the birds at the feeders, and going for rides to get some nice landscape and wildlife photos. And I also really like a winter storm. And I like it even better when I'm in the house and watching it snow and blow from my windows. That's when you can get some awesome photographs of the storms. </span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VjKlmSGVWFs/WjxCpmlwIFI/AAAAAAAAKmc/zob88MaffZETWoAyDyspXYdDdRGj5jleQCKgBGAs/s1600/DSCN4804b.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VjKlmSGVWFs/WjxCpmlwIFI/AAAAAAAAKmc/zob88MaffZETWoAyDyspXYdDdRGj5jleQCKgBGAs/s320/DSCN4804b.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two Turtle Doves (not really - they're Mourning Doves)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ewv52MLvtg4/WjxDv_-LRtI/AAAAAAAAKms/C_CXZGBfEpYlfudfnpHQEY-FU2sOCet5gCKgBGAs/s1600/DSCN4850b.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ewv52MLvtg4/WjxDv_-LRtI/AAAAAAAAKms/C_CXZGBfEpYlfudfnpHQEY-FU2sOCet5gCKgBGAs/s320/DSCN4850b.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pileated Woodpecker (female) eating poison ivy berries</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I'm sure many of you are rushing to get ready for the holidays. Remember to take time for yourself and to reflect on all your blessings. It's so easy to get caught up in all the preparations, I know I've done that myself.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Just remember the reason for the Season ~</span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aARLyBDfZ-s/WjxEW5pGTII/AAAAAAAAKm0/2ijW3-Yxn-0ArfFTmTW9G96Y414_-dYoQCKgBGAs/s1600/DSCN4879b.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1142" data-original-width="1600" height="285" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aARLyBDfZ-s/WjxEW5pGTII/AAAAAAAAKm0/2ijW3-Yxn-0ArfFTmTW9G96Y414_-dYoQCKgBGAs/s400/DSCN4879b.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>Merry Christmas </i></span></div>
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<i>and Happy Holidays to all !</i></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Feel free to leave a comment -</span></div>
<br />Sue Linkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07190179382458092983noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-724778346902655607.post-35926796032798520762017-04-15T21:51:00.000-07:002017-04-15T21:51:42.155-07:00S...l...o...w...l...y But Surely ! ! !<span style="font-size: large;">Now, that's a funny title isn't it? </span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mpf-rZ2p2-k/WPLy8-p6cFI/AAAAAAAAKPU/vS6H-7kTISUb6nvlE6ugwVl5UhymhhxiACLcB/s1600/7-26-2012%2B058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mpf-rZ2p2-k/WPLy8-p6cFI/AAAAAAAAKPU/vS6H-7kTISUb6nvlE6ugwVl5UhymhhxiACLcB/s640/7-26-2012%2B058.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Yes, I'm referring to Spring! And Mother Nature. She takes her time. When she sees fit to make it happen. It gradually "breaks" through.</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ET6woWEB0OA/WPLrvLCDRzI/AAAAAAAAKOo/7XdTbvVYpZURVcO6QFHZ0tRIir7l-8mkwCLcB/s1600/DSCN8178.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ET6woWEB0OA/WPLrvLCDRzI/AAAAAAAAKOo/7XdTbvVYpZURVcO6QFHZ0tRIir7l-8mkwCLcB/s640/DSCN8178.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I think the birds are more excited than ever. The early arrivals are checking out nesting sites, and other birds are happily singing their spring song. And you're patiently waiting for the days to get warmer. Yes, you've been teased. But that's just typical New York spring weather. A warm week, then back to winter, and then the rains start- . <br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zX1719Zc9BI/WPLptxbYBOI/AAAAAAAAKOc/OL479bB6rjEcoljbJPcdOvzOgzBTo6clwCLcB/s1600/DSCN3792b.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zX1719Zc9BI/WPLptxbYBOI/AAAAAAAAKOc/OL479bB6rjEcoljbJPcdOvzOgzBTo6clwCLcB/s640/DSCN3792b.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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But now we know better - the days are getting longer, the grass is greening up, the peepers are "peeping", the perennials are popping up and the spring bulbs are starting to show their colors. And oh, how we love the smell of the earth after a rain. Did you know there was even a name for that? It's called petrichor. Who knew??? It's actually the smell of the dry earth after a rain. Here is an article on why and how that happens: <a href="http://www.livescience.com/49520-smell-of-rain-aerosols.html" target="_blank">Why Rain Gives Off That Fresh Earthy Scent</a><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WQFfNkg-12o/WPLsOhrZ5SI/AAAAAAAAKOs/yRCLLEeQiw4nvUTaJiO2F1_UdUtdH1w9QCLcB/s1600/DSCN8231b.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WQFfNkg-12o/WPLsOhrZ5SI/AAAAAAAAKOs/yRCLLEeQiw4nvUTaJiO2F1_UdUtdH1w9QCLcB/s640/DSCN8231b.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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The trees are showing their little buds swelling up and getting ready to burst open. But why does it take so long for these trees to green up and display their leaves?<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7HR1yFlMJ4U/WPLtpvFlgNI/AAAAAAAAKO8/Q4fY204AWBYVPwZbPbpE9tVcjqS30k0WQCLcB/s1600/DSCN6955b.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7HR1yFlMJ4U/WPLtpvFlgNI/AAAAAAAAKO8/Q4fY204AWBYVPwZbPbpE9tVcjqS30k0WQCLcB/s640/DSCN6955b.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">How impatient we are. . . </span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ecLvBFE8l-Y/WPLxrGdp4NI/AAAAAAAAKPI/cXmGVaCbMcQKei9dz393PN3ZNMpE6MA4wCLcB/s1600/DSCN4427b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ecLvBFE8l-Y/WPLxrGdp4NI/AAAAAAAAKPI/cXmGVaCbMcQKei9dz393PN3ZNMpE6MA4wCLcB/s640/DSCN4427b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>Come on Spring - Let's get this thing started!</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Happy Easter to All! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">May your Spring be filled </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">with sunshine and glorious memories!</span></div>
<br />Sue Linkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07190179382458092983noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-724778346902655607.post-61546042014086355212017-04-05T12:50:00.002-07:002017-04-05T12:50:48.616-07:00Cloudy, With a Chance of Rain (or Snow???)It's that time of year again. Spring! On the calendar anyway. Still awhile before we will be able to plant outdoors in the north, but if we do get snow it shouldn't last too long.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1rIe0d1HeAU/WOVJwg71FBI/AAAAAAAAKMw/bjlmGbzWWG4dYiOWsnt5XkAZYBeCIWO-gCLcB/s1600/DSCN5798b.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="274" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1rIe0d1HeAU/WOVJwg71FBI/AAAAAAAAKMw/bjlmGbzWWG4dYiOWsnt5XkAZYBeCIWO-gCLcB/s640/DSCN5798b.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Were you ever a fan of Simon and Garfunkel? If so, you might remember some of the words to one of their songs,<i> "Cloudy"</i>. It was on the album <i>Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme</i>. If you click on the link below, it might refresh your memory. <br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/3Tth-lt1TvI/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3Tth-lt1TvI?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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So what better way to enjoy this time of year than to study the clouds and watch them blow by and reveal to us the sun and warm days that are hiding behind them.<br />
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Here are the lyrics to "Cloudy" that was co-written by Paul Simon and Bruce Woodley of the Seekers.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Cloudy. The sky is gray and white and cloudy,</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Sometimes I think it's hanging down on me</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>And it's a hitchhike a hundred miles I'm a rag-a-muffin child</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Pointed finger-painted smile</i></span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fCj9CfpUGx4/WNWITBdb9xI/AAAAAAAAKGw/NgNlFFhwsFoJqngWSSahDUKGmEBhByCdwCPcB/s1600/DSCN2582.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fCj9CfpUGx4/WNWITBdb9xI/AAAAAAAAKGw/NgNlFFhwsFoJqngWSSahDUKGmEBhByCdwCPcB/s400/DSCN2582.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>I left my shadow waiting down the road for me awhile.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Cloudy. My thoughts are scattered and they're cloudy,</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>They have no borders, no boundaries</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>They echo and they swell</i></span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VRoy-G4WrPg/WNWJyAfDvwI/AAAAAAAAKHE/N9yOS9o75gUq-G41A6Qd6FM3dI8tOepDwCPcB/s1600/DSCN2710b.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VRoy-G4WrPg/WNWJyAfDvwI/AAAAAAAAKHE/N9yOS9o75gUq-G41A6Qd6FM3dI8tOepDwCPcB/s640/DSCN2710b.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>From Tolstoy to Tinkerbell</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Down from Berkeley to Carmel</i></span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m-4ur4W1Nfs/WNWHCDra42I/AAAAAAAAKGQ/ly61cgMBr4s8t78AqJ8It_t7p-qgX3s6ACPcB/s1600/DSCN3265b.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m-4ur4W1Nfs/WNWHCDra42I/AAAAAAAAKGQ/ly61cgMBr4s8t78AqJ8It_t7p-qgX3s6ACPcB/s400/DSCN3265b.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Got some pictures in my pocket and a lot of time to kill</i></span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0RLyYNkiz4Y/WNWIsIn2umI/AAAAAAAAKGw/4FQ6fQBzaE4q317KOy5In5VgUfH3vdSnACPcB/s1600/DSCN2624b.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0RLyYNkiz4Y/WNWIsIn2umI/AAAAAAAAKGw/4FQ6fQBzaE4q317KOy5In5VgUfH3vdSnACPcB/s400/DSCN2624b.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Hey sunshine</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>I haven't seen you in a long time</i></span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZDetxTbck3Y/WOVHV0kISfI/AAAAAAAAKMk/KxUWr87U4K89g3Wgi5tWsWTOMdd670HvQCLcB/s1600/DSC_0288b.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZDetxTbck3Y/WOVHV0kISfI/AAAAAAAAKMk/KxUWr87U4K89g3Wgi5tWsWTOMdd670HvQCLcB/s640/DSC_0288b.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Why don't you show your face and bend my mind?</i></span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ybUyNDh6vAQ/WNWFhBc8IWI/AAAAAAAAKF4/4SkTTvjQpmAHiItTPS39Fph1KNuW_ff3QCPcB/s1600/DSCN3745b.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="498" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ybUyNDh6vAQ/WNWFhBc8IWI/AAAAAAAAKF4/4SkTTvjQpmAHiItTPS39Fph1KNuW_ff3QCPcB/s640/DSCN3745b.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>These clouds stick to the sky</i></span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lrR1SIPQ-nE/WNWDqzPx39I/AAAAAAAAKFM/5wBh-Dar7RwSOZQD2krTHxpUaZPHjn5bACPcB/s1600/DSCN3703b.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lrR1SIPQ-nE/WNWDqzPx39I/AAAAAAAAKFM/5wBh-Dar7RwSOZQD2krTHxpUaZPHjn5bACPcB/s400/DSCN3703b.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>And they linger there to die</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>They don't know where they're going, and, my friend, neither do I</i></span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SAFmwfVcfxo/WNWTrAuuPmI/AAAAAAAAKJw/1S9tm2gioWsBOhgDmxKoW5LiTDHBVXnsQCPcB/s1600/DSC_0244b.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SAFmwfVcfxo/WNWTrAuuPmI/AAAAAAAAKJw/1S9tm2gioWsBOhgDmxKoW5LiTDHBVXnsQCPcB/s640/DSC_0244b.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Cloudy</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Cloudy</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Cloudy</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Don't let all the cloudy days discourage you, </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">but let it inspire you! Have a great Spring!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Thanks for stopping by and</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Feel free to leave a comment!</span></div>
<br />Sue Linkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07190179382458092983noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-724778346902655607.post-78710611966148319842017-02-14T08:21:00.001-08:002017-02-14T08:21:23.158-08:00Go Red for February - or Valentine's Day!The picture below is a photo I took of a tropical hibiscus that we have on our back enclosed porch. In our area of Central/Northern New York this plant would not survive our winters, but it does nicely in a large pot in a bright location indoors. During the spring and summer we locate it outside in a sunny spot. There is another perennial that will survive our winters here and that would be the hardy hibiscus.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iQjOoeBPoYg/WKMDFdjOazI/AAAAAAAAKBI/TRQhwP4etsoYWxktnvIqRPIFSo0Wos0LQCLcB/s1600/DSCN6490b.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iQjOoeBPoYg/WKMDFdjOazI/AAAAAAAAKBI/TRQhwP4etsoYWxktnvIqRPIFSo0Wos0LQCLcB/s640/DSCN6490b.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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Another flowering plant that you see quite frequently indoors this time of year is the Amaryllis. You can pot this bulb up in late fall and usually by Christmas or January you have large blooms to brighten up your living space. This is another plant(bulb) that would not survive our winters. I either pot mine up in late spring or plant them right in the ground when it warms up (but then the bulb has to be dug up in the fall). </div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rqxgfDeigEo/WKMSGJ5HReI/AAAAAAAAKCA/CmnCUssK6cw3Ll1EgHRDpsvLI8Pw3iDggCLcB/s1600/DSCN0509h.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rqxgfDeigEo/WKMSGJ5HReI/AAAAAAAAKCA/CmnCUssK6cw3Ll1EgHRDpsvLI8Pw3iDggCLcB/s640/DSCN0509h.JPG" width="458" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another variety of Amaryllis</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7nGkSVulKoc/WKMp_qHI2GI/AAAAAAAAKC4/PGFG1G0K5ZAk7a2e7EtvUPvsRcd-0OdRwCLcB/s1600/amaryllisNancyEthierCarrod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7nGkSVulKoc/WKMp_qHI2GI/AAAAAAAAKC4/PGFG1G0K5ZAk7a2e7EtvUPvsRcd-0OdRwCLcB/s400/amaryllisNancyEthierCarrod.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another variety of Amaryllis. Photo courtesy of Nancy Ethier Carrod. </td></tr>
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The picture below of a Freesia (although not very red) was a surprise to me. I purchased this plant when it was blooming last spring. I planted it directly in the ground because I thought it would rebloom after the initial one, but it never did. I really didn't know much about them, but the flower was very graceful looking and the colors were nice and bright. In late summer the plant died completely back and I thought it just died out. But a few months later when I was cleaning out the garden for fall I noticed that this plant had started sending up new shoots. So after I read up on it a little, I found out that this bulb would not survive our winters either. So I dug these bulbs up and potted them up. I also have a purple one that opened its first bloom today. I think what I might do next fall after they die back, dig them up and not re-pot them, but plant them outside in the spring. Then they should flower later in the summer. The foliage is rather strappy and has to be staked which is not very attractive, but the flowers make up for it.</div>
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And is there any other bird that looks more beautiful against a snowy backdrop than the Northern Cardinal? </div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GYvkWl34D4I/WKMDTdhBpYI/AAAAAAAAKBM/6XTGejsaAKQOBkHsz-wmbTmE1LZmDwybwCLcB/s1600/DSCN6474b.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GYvkWl34D4I/WKMDTdhBpYI/AAAAAAAAKBM/6XTGejsaAKQOBkHsz-wmbTmE1LZmDwybwCLcB/s400/DSCN6474b.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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The picture below is of a male Pileated Woodpecker. It's native to North America and found around the Great Lakes and Canada in deciduous forests. It's male identifying characteristics would be the red moustache from the beak and the red on the top of his head that extends to the beak. The female would have a black moustache and the red on top of the head would not extend that far down the front of the face. They drill large holes with their beak on dead trees in search of ants and bugs.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kPquLbjrq-o/WKMiSJy258I/AAAAAAAAKCo/RMwQaUKLP34qW1GcRqEz_j18z5AI4HVMwCLcB/s1600/DSCN8890.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kPquLbjrq-o/WKMiSJy258I/AAAAAAAAKCo/RMwQaUKLP34qW1GcRqEz_j18z5AI4HVMwCLcB/s400/DSCN8890.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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My husband got the great capture of Robins in our side yard last week. There was a very large flock of Robins that flew in and they were here most of the afternoon drinking from the exposed water areas of the ditches and run-off. We usually don't see Robins in this area until the end of March so we're thinking that maybe the Punxsutawney Phil Groundhog was wrong this year and we'll have an early spring.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E7c5M7IC4HI/WKMOj8yOQiI/AAAAAAAAKBo/8WFcHZO4Xc0GqbRrvZUGsVSXnyO1gMnpgCLcB/s1600/DSCN2712b.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E7c5M7IC4HI/WKMOj8yOQiI/AAAAAAAAKBo/8WFcHZO4Xc0GqbRrvZUGsVSXnyO1gMnpgCLcB/s640/DSCN2712b.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sumac against the winter gray sky.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vj6Q-AfRNRc/WKMMU6y2U1I/AAAAAAAAKBc/iRXyKjpWmVQl7n8JBvAQczxNjtNQTLJZQCLcB/s1600/DSCN6811b.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vj6Q-AfRNRc/WKMMU6y2U1I/AAAAAAAAKBc/iRXyKjpWmVQl7n8JBvAQczxNjtNQTLJZQCLcB/s320/DSCN6811b.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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And what a surprise it was last spring to find out that we had a den of Red Foxes (babies are called kits, cubs, or pups) living under our shed. We thought something was living under there, but we were thinking maybe it was a raccoon or possum. So my husband set up the trail camera in the area to find out what it was and this showed up.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxQNYeZ0Xd58LJxbZfwffeDQuZcegka4ZJWolMJee0Q6FsWiUdu3SDbZVR4Z-fY99AsLGimTTh2LENZTs4y2w' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c5wNPnC2YBI/WKMPbijYPaI/AAAAAAAAKBs/1udApHHK4VEVM1CNSQHP1x_fdthXzjB2wCLcB/s1600/DSCN2631.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c5wNPnC2YBI/WKMPbijYPaI/AAAAAAAAKBs/1udApHHK4VEVM1CNSQHP1x_fdthXzjB2wCLcB/s320/DSCN2631.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><i>"All you need is love.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><i> But a little chocolate now </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><i>and then doesn't hurt." </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">~ Charles M. Schultz</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>Feel free to leave a comment ~</i></span></div>
<br />Sue Linkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07190179382458092983noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-724778346902655607.post-12541705145132644072017-01-17T16:07:00.001-08:002017-01-17T17:00:26.941-08:00Is This "The Winter Of Our Discontent"?<span style="font-size: large;">For some reason this title came to mind for this blog post.</span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K2Il_opfdrQ/WH6inc8sMPI/AAAAAAAAJ_g/RQX5aoHa_qQI9gQoiuKxUKQ34buN_ZRVwCLcB/s1600/DSCN5812b.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="454" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K2Il_opfdrQ/WH6inc8sMPI/AAAAAAAAJ_g/RQX5aoHa_qQI9gQoiuKxUKQ34buN_ZRVwCLcB/s640/DSCN5812b.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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Can you guess <i>Why</i>? I'm sure I don't have to tell you; so many people are dealing with personal emotions of grief and loss after the Presidential Election of 2016 where Donald Trump won enough votes in the Electoral College to be the 45th President of the United States.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a30x1GYaxuk/WH6iqy_f0NI/AAAAAAAAJ_k/iJNTW9imp1sJZ_7qwJU7SZI46ANZot3mACLcB/s1600/DSCN5847b.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a30x1GYaxuk/WH6iqy_f0NI/AAAAAAAAJ_k/iJNTW9imp1sJZ_7qwJU7SZI46ANZot3mACLcB/s640/DSCN5847b.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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This blog post is not about applauding either political party or Donald Trump, but it's just my thoughts on thinking about the decisions we make and how we look at life. It's not meant as a post to argue or share disparaging remarks, but rather to look at the results and outcomes in a different light and try to experience awareness and sensitivity to what others are feeling at this time from either side of the political spectrum.<br />
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-b5i1gooGM0k/WH6iheAzN1I/AAAAAAAAJ_c/EP0VZdy9Nw4ba-4x8DIFy3f39Q7CGC_KwCLcB/s1600/DSCN5837b.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="454" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-b5i1gooGM0k/WH6iheAzN1I/AAAAAAAAJ_c/EP0VZdy9Nw4ba-4x8DIFy3f39Q7CGC_KwCLcB/s640/DSCN5837b.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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I've never read the book <i>The Winter of Our Discontent </i>by John Steinbeck, but after Googling it, I think I'll have to put that on my reading list. Does this book relate to our election? I can't say because I haven't read the book yet, but the title fits. After I read it I'll let you know what I think. The original lines were William Shakespeare's from his play <i>Richard III</i>. (Haven't read that play either or if I did I forgot it.)<br />
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Most of the pictures I have posted in this blog post are in black and white. There are a few in color, but this time of year, if we have an overcast day here in the northeast, there is not much color in the landscape, especially where there is snow cover. Pretty much black and white, drab landscapes or when there is not much snow in the fields then the brown fields and trees of the landscape take on more of a sepia tone.<br />
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To me personally, life and our decisions are not just black or white/right or wrong, but a series of events or situations that lead us to to a somewhat murky view or answer. After we carefully consider and examine where our thoughts and answers are leading us we usually make final decisions based on those thoughts.<br />
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My thoughts on this leads me to a chapter in Deepak Chopra's book <i>The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success </i>which highlights non-judgmental practises.<br />
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A quote from his book is:<br />
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"Judgment is the constant evaluation of things as right or wrong, good or bad. When you are constantly evaluating, classifying, labeling, analyzing, you create a lot of turbulence in your internal dialogue. This turbulence constricts the flow of energy between you and the field of pure potentiality. You literally squeeze the "gap" between thoughts. . . Non-judgment quiets the internal dialogue, and this opens once again the doorway to creativity."</blockquote>
So much of our energy can be spent evaluating and judging (and I know I'm guilty of this as well). When we use our energy for judging we cannot be creative. It takes so much of our energy to judge and we really don't know what encompasses other peoples' decisions and why they do or say the things they do. But remember it's not just black or white/right or wrong.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">Many people are dealing with several "gray" areas in their lives and in the decisions they make. What's necessarily not right for you might be ok for them after making their own conscientious decisions and evaluations. It's not all cut and dry or black and white. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">Just like in photography in the photos I'm showing you in this post. If everything was black and white we really wouldn't see the nuances or intensity of photographs. As in life, in peoples' actions and decisions we don't know what they are dealing with or why they come to the conclusions they do. So much enters our decision-making that we have to rely on our hearts and minds to make the best decisions that are right for us where we are at any particular time in our life. You all have heard the phrase "Don't judge a man until you have walked a mile in his shoes". </span><br />
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Here is link to Deepak Chopra's blog: <a href="http://intentblog.com/becoming-non-judgmental/" target="_blank">Intent Blog Deepak Chopra</a><br />
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The photo below illustrates just a black and white picture - no gray areas. You don't see any of the nuances of shadows or warmth from forests, or the intense blues of the sky, or fluffy white clouds....<br />
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Same picture as above with more depth by adding shades of gray (not just black & white). . .<br />
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And lastly, the same picture. . .<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Just like in photos, life's decisions are not all right or wrong/black or white. It's based on all that comes together in peoples' hearts and what's right for them. Their <b>Consciences. </b>Practice non-judgment in your life and you will be a happier person!</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>Thanks for stopping by ~</i></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>Feel free to leave a comment!</i></span></b></div>
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Sue Linkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07190179382458092983noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-724778346902655607.post-30087351843819014822016-10-26T10:42:00.000-07:002016-10-26T10:42:21.442-07:00If You Blinked - You Might Have Missed ItWow! What happened to fall???<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boonville, New York</td></tr>
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First I thought it would take forever to get here, and then last week we got hit with lots of rain and wind - and so much for our fall display. There are still some colorful leaves on the trees around here, but most were knocked down from the rain. But there are several other areas around the State that still have a lot of fall color left.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Salmon River Reservoir, Redfield, NY</td></tr>
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Fall arrived late in the northeast, and several of us didn't think it would even be as colorful as previous years especially due to the severe drought we received this past summer.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">State Route 13 near Williamstown, NY</td></tr>
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Ted and I headed up to the Adirondacks the end of September because we thought the leaves up there would certainly be getting close to its peak for autumn color. We were actually somewhat disappointed because the leaves were just starting to change colors there. And the colors that we did see were mostly dull reds.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moose River, McKeever, NY</td></tr>
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So after that brief stay the end of September, we went for another ride up to the Adirondacks the middle of October. That was a more fruitful attempt at photographing the changing seasons.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thendara, NY</td></tr>
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We really had a warm and mild fall so far. In our area of central Oswego County, we have not had a heavy, killing frost yet. That could change here shortly. There is still some colorful leaves hanging on the trees, but not sure how much longer they'll be around.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tobie Pedestrian & Bike Path, Thendara, NY</td></tr>
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Most of the photos in this post are from our second trip to the Adirondacks in the middle of October. Quite often at this time of the year the leaves are past their peak color display in the Adirondacks.<br />
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We only took the Tobie Pedestrian-Bike path for a short distance. Being as this was just a day trip for us, we wanted to drive around this area of the Adirondacks to photograph the autumn colors. The bridge pictured above crosses the Moose River in Thendara. It was once the site of a railroad crossing. The path is a 14 mile trek from Thendara through Old Forge and Eagle Bay to Inlet. There is parking at various stops along the trail, but sometimes the parking area were not marked that well.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Migrating Robins stopping for berries on their trip south.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Probably the most photographed boat house in Old Forge, NY</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blue Mountain Lake (taken Sept 27, 2016) - see photo below for same view two weeks later.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blue Mountain Lake - taken October 14, 2016 - quite a big difference from the above photo taken a few weeks earlier.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seventh Lake, Inlet NY</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sea plane rides leaving Long Lake for fall views over the Adirondack Mountains.</td></tr>
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We stopped for a late lunch at the Adirondack Hotel which was across the road from the sea plane docks.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hunter's Moon, Harrisville, NY October 14, 2016</td></tr>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">Hope you get a chance to go for a drive in your area to see the fall colors before the leaves are windswept away. It won't be long now before the next season arrives. Actually we got some snow this morning, but I was not ready to go out and photograph the first snowfall. Maybe the second snowfall - </span></i><br />
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Links:<br />
<a href="http://www.adirondackscenicbyways.org/resource/tobie-pedestrian-and-bike-path-inlet.html" target="_blank">Tobie Pedestrian and Bike Path </a><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">Feel free to leave a comment ~</span></i></div>
<br />Sue Linkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07190179382458092983noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-724778346902655607.post-77306867161821011702016-09-19T09:51:00.000-07:002016-09-25T19:31:53.681-07:00That Golden Time Of Year<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A few days ago as my husband and I were driving up Route 3 in northern Oswego County into Jefferson County, I was really inspired by the glow of the country landscape. It's not quite fall yet - still summer actually, but only for a few more days.<br />
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The countryside was all a-glow. Washed in a golden hue. Not bright yellow, but a warm golden color. A nice end-of-summer day. This is the time of year when the leaves are still holding on to the trees, but the color is fading from the bright luster greens to the yellow-greens before the trees change into their full autumn color and glory.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great Blue Heron</td></tr>
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Lots of yellow and amber colored flowers in the fields scattered around. Many fields are flooded with goldenrod, wild sunflowers, Black-eyed Susans, dried corn stalks, soy beans ripening and turning yellow, and a variety of fall grasses.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maple Ridge Wind Farm, Lowville, NY (Lewis County)</td></tr>
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This time of year is so quiet to me. No birds singing in the early morning. A few hanging around scavenging for seeds to hide for winter, like the chickadees and nuthatches. There are a few tree frogs chirping in the areas, and some crickets, too.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red-breasted Nuthatch</td></tr>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6JoCOuUxbXY/V9_6yOdL1YI/AAAAAAAAJrE/Qo54e2dTYf08Nu_mPyqvPy-2zVNgLVfeQCLcB/s1600/DSCN3618.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6JoCOuUxbXY/V9_6yOdL1YI/AAAAAAAAJrE/Qo54e2dTYf08Nu_mPyqvPy-2zVNgLVfeQCLcB/s200/DSCN3618.JPG" width="200" /></a>We've seen quite a few butterflies this year. There were lots of swallowtails visiting our gardens throughout summer, but very few monarchs. I did notice there are several milkweed plants (which the monarch lays their eggs on) around our place, but with the drought we had this summer I'm not sure all the plants survived. I hope this doesn't contribute to the loss of habitat for the Monarchs.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm not sure what kind of butterfly this is. I think it might be a Silver-border fritillary.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Giant Swallowtail Butterfly</td></tr>
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When I was thinking of a title for this blog post the movie "On Golden Pond" (1981) came to mind. It must have been because I was using "Golden" in the title of this blog post. What a great classic movie that was. Not only was it filmed on a beautiful lake with gorgeous scenery, but the characters and story were certainly something that everyone could relate to at one time or another in their life. It's a story about family relationships, including conflicts, love, caring and understanding, presented in a way that will bring a smile to your face. The movie won three Academy awards. Best Actor (Henry Fonda), Best Actress in a Leading Role (Katharine Hepburn), and Best Adapted Screen Play (Ernest Thompson). One of our favorite lines from the show was: "So, how fast does this old tub go, anyway?" If you have an old boat you'll know what I mean.<br />
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It's also that time of year when the salmon are heading upstream in the local rivers. Pulaski and Oswego are popular fishing spots for salmon.<br />
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The above two photos were taken a few years ago by my friend, Karen Liscum, of the Salmon River in Pulaski. You can see the fish in the river heading upstream to spawn.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">These salmon were caught in Lake Ontario <br />off of Henderson Harbor in early September.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">So as we say good bye to summer, </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">let us welcome the new season of Autumn!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><i>"Don't cry because it's over, </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><i>smile because it happened."</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;">~ Dr. Seuss</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This is a great time of year to get out and enjoy the beautiful end of summer. Go for a ride and pick some apples at a local farm stand or go for a hike in the woods!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>Thanks for stopping by; </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>feel free to leave a comment!</i></span></div>
Sue Linkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07190179382458092983noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-724778346902655607.post-8155629448037514052016-08-29T20:53:00.001-07:002016-08-30T06:46:01.879-07:00Summer Garden Tour: Pulaski/Sandy Creek, NY July 2016<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qwE6UakNpzE/V7Xxmuvy-eI/AAAAAAAAJfY/gTac2Mvqv0I5sZZXSNmmgffPYpNvA8g2ACPcB/s1600/DSCN1343b.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qwE6UakNpzE/V7Xxmuvy-eI/AAAAAAAAJfY/gTac2Mvqv0I5sZZXSNmmgffPYpNvA8g2ACPcB/s400/DSCN1343b.JPG" width="400" /></a>Last month, the <b>Gardening Friends Club o</b>f Pulaski, New York, sponsored a local garden tour of five beautiful and romantic gardens in the area.<br />
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My husband and I toured these gardens and were pleasantly surprised. Being as this area is a rather rural area you don't think of country gardens being on the elaborate side. They did not disappoint us.<br />
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They were all so impressive and most certainly gave a great delight to all those who were able to attend.<br />
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There were five gardens that were open to the public and they each had a unique personality. This tour took place in early July and that was the start of our drought period, but by the shape and color of these gardens you wouldn't know it.<br />
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The above photos were from the residence of Marci and Stan Groman whose property borders on Sandy Pond. The home on the water is very welcoming. The views of the pond are gorgeous and wildlife and waterfowl frequent the property. There were several gardens to take in which included a tree garden, hosta garden, and a friendship garden which is shared with a neighbor. Unfortunately, after the garden tour, the club lost their well-loved member and owner of this garden, Marci Groman, to a long illness. Our deepest condolences to their family and all those who knew Marci.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TaalSELMF2g/V7XxmpcGeoI/AAAAAAAAJfY/ju29Ds539Ro2CPB_2KOELr-fE-1JC99JQCPcB/s1600/DSCN1372b.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TaalSELMF2g/V7XxmpcGeoI/AAAAAAAAJfY/ju29Ds539Ro2CPB_2KOELr-fE-1JC99JQCPcB/s400/DSCN1372b.JPG" width="400" /></a>Our next garden we toured was the home and farm of Steve and Laurie Jones from Jones Apple Farm. Their gardens featured perennials, annuals, vegetables, and country artifacts displayed uniquely among their gardens.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lTbBdQWhBPQ/V7Xxmo9rnYI/AAAAAAAAJfY/S23puvmOYT8tzY4hCnNsZrdn5fTcRImGACPcB/s1600/DSCN1351b.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lTbBdQWhBPQ/V7Xxmo9rnYI/AAAAAAAAJfY/S23puvmOYT8tzY4hCnNsZrdn5fTcRImGACPcB/s200/DSCN1351b.JPG" width="200" /></a>Their small commercial orchard has over 15 varieties of apples and several assorted grape vines.<br />
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We enjoyed all the miscellaneous farm implements and decor that accented their lovely gardens.<br />
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The next garden on the tour was the gardens of Barb Smith. Barb is a Master Gardener and her gardens were originally created for the purpose of teaching her gardening students. I featured Barb's garden in one of my previous posts a few years ago (<a href="http://suelink.blogspot.com/2014/07/gardening-friends.html" target="_blank">detailed photos of Barb Smith's gardens</a>).<br />
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Barb likes to try different varieties of perennials in her gardens to see how they perform. She has/had several varieties of clematises growing up supports. She has lost a few of them which might be due to our hard winters up here in northern New York.<br />
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Barb also had a beautiful water feature complete with ducks and beautiful statuary complements her many different garden areas. She also has a fruit and vegetable garden that she maintains.<br />
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The next garden up on the tour was the home of Suzanne and Tom Pfister. These gardens were very colorful and they were enhanced with decorations in the MacKenzie-Childs style.<br />
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The gardens were color-coordinated with adornments in each area, and the areas were connected by stone pathways.<br />
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There were lovely urns (at right) that greeted visitors at one of the entrances.<br />
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The main feature of these gardens was the large man-made pond and waterfalls with a beautiful inviting gazebo. Evergreens and grasses offer a sense of coolness and shade. You can see the beginning of the drought in this area in the lawn. Several dry patches were noticed in some of the areas.<br />
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I'd like to open up that umbrella and lay on that lounge and read my book.<br />
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And then when I was done reading - have tea and sandwiches in the gazebo!<br />
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And of course finish it off with ice cream and fresh squeezed lemonade!<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fqKMTCOLFyY/V8Rs6h3UaOI/AAAAAAAAJkA/Gz8889kX0jw4GaAgnn9DJvu-hQ7kPBHsQCPcB/s1600/DSCN1080b.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fqKMTCOLFyY/V8Rs6h3UaOI/AAAAAAAAJkA/Gz8889kX0jw4GaAgnn9DJvu-hQ7kPBHsQCPcB/s400/DSCN1080b.JPG" width="400" /></a>The last garden we stopped by belonged to Wayne and Maryann Hanley. They have spent 35+ years caring and tending their beautiful yard.<br />
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When you walk through their garden gate you are very surprised at the lush hostas, lawns and colorful displays of perennials and annuals.<br />
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There were several sitting areas to view and enjoy the birds and wildlife.<br />
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The natural slop of the land appeared to be terraced and gave the property a three-dimensional look.<br />
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The different gardens combined herbs, shrubs, trees, perennials and annuals. Scattered throughout the expanse were fairies and other colorful characters.<br />
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And of course a cat! Every garden needs a cat! The one we saw was hiding under one of the hostas but he did come out and let Ted pet him.<br />
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If you have a chance to attend a garden tour in your area, I hope you'll take the time to stop to do so. Garden tours are very educational as most sites have members on hand to answer questions and offer gardening tips. Also, it's nice to be able to see how certain plants perform in your area before you purchase them. <br />
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<i>Note: You can click on any photo and view them in a larger image. You can also scroll through all the photos in this blog post in the same view. </i><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><i>Thanks for stopping by </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><i>and I hope you enjoyed your tour!</i></span></div>
<br />Sue Linkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07190179382458092983noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-724778346902655607.post-75032484120985180442016-07-29T17:24:00.001-07:002016-07-29T17:24:32.474-07:00Summer of 2016 Drought<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WFa_-XrFjMI/V5uYBH13vsI/AAAAAAAAJaQ/6r7wKmANbTc7GmEeX7yojrAuA9hLe9l1QCLcB/s1600/DSCN1881b.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WFa_-XrFjMI/V5uYBH13vsI/AAAAAAAAJaQ/6r7wKmANbTc7GmEeX7yojrAuA9hLe9l1QCLcB/s400/DSCN1881b.JPG" width="400" /></a>Wow!!! Can't believe it's the end of July already. Summer is half over. Actually, I hate to say it, but it looks like September around here. Everything is drying up. The trees are drying out from extreme drought. And the leaves are falling! Perennials are shriveling up. What's going on here? New York State has issued a statewide drought "watch" in effect for the entire state: <a href="http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/5017.html" target="_blank">Current Drought Conditions in NY State</a><br />
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Of course Northern and Central New York aren't as severe as other parts of the Country so we can't complain too much. In northern Oswego and Jefferson counties, and along the St. Lawrence River there is not much top soil because of the rocky terrain so these areas burn up rather quickly from the lack of rain.<br />
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We actually had a little rainfall last week around the Mexico, NY area. About 1/4 inch. Syracuse fared better with over an inch of rain.<br />
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People that live in residential areas, while on a restricted usage, have been able to water their gardens and lawns somewhat. People that live in rural areas, that depend on well water (like us) have to be careful when watering so that our well doesn't dry up and burn out the water pump. If that were to happen families would have to have water delivered and have their well filled up. We've personally been very fortunate that our well has never ran dry. Once, when our children were young, that almost occurred when they were playing in the sprinkler and forgot to shut the water off.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dog-sitting</td></tr>
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Last week we went for a walk in the Robert G. Wehle State Park in Henderson, NY, and the pictures in this blog post show the drought conditions in this area. The Robert G. Wehle State Park consists of 1,067 acres. The property was originally owned by the United States Government and was known as the "Stony Point Rifle Range".<br />
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Mr. Wehle was know around the Henderson area as a breeder and trainer of English Pointers. Mr. Wehle raised his famous dogs in this park. There are several sculptures of dogs on view in the park created by Mr. Wehle.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the dog sculptures by Mr. Wehle at the State Park. Elhew Kennels is Wehle spelled backwards.</td></tr>
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This State Park has recreational activities open to the public that consist of several trails totaling 14 miles for hiking, cross-country skiing, and mountain biking. The trails also offer beautiful views of Lake Ontario as well. <b>NOTE: The cliff-side location may not be suitable for families with children. </b><br />
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Here is additional information on the State Park <a href="http://nysparks.com/parks/137/details.aspx" target="_blank">Robert G. Wehle State Park</a><br />
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Even though we are now currently under a drought "watch", earlier in the season we had sufficient amounts of rain for the gardens and area farms. I'm not sure how the drought will be affecting our local crops of fruit and vegetables. I am pretty sure that the local produce most likely will be smaller this year than normal.<br />
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Thought I would post some photos of our daylilies. Even though it's dry now we previously had an ample amount of rainfall until about the middle of June. The daylilies flourished in those rains.<br />
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Some of the daylilies have had buds that did not develop fully and dried up, but for the most part the buds were beautiful.<br />
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The drought has been so severe that the rhododendrons are curling up their leaves to prevent dessication (dehydration). This rhododendron did pick up when we watered it (don't forget- we're on well water so we have to be careful when it comes to watering our plants).<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>This photo kinda sums up our drought! Poor birds (robins and sparrows) have been looking for relief under the sprinklers!</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Hopefully we'll all get some relief shortly-</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>Feel free to leave a comment - </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>and thank you for stopping by!</i></span></div>
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<br />Sue Linkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07190179382458092983noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-724778346902655607.post-83249554764232618762016-06-27T14:00:00.001-07:002016-06-27T14:00:15.600-07:00A Step Back In Time: Thousand Islands Park<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last summer (2015), my husband, Ted, and I went for a drive up to Wellesley Island in the Thousand Islands to visit the Thousand Island Park. To get to the Thousand Island Park you have to cross the Thousand Islands (toll) Bridge at Alexandria Bay. Wellesley Island is part of the US so if you are a US citizen you do not need a passport. But if you are coming from Canada you will need a passport to visit this Island.<br />
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The Thousand Island Park is a small community of summer cottages on Wellesley Island. It was founded in 1875 as a Methodist Campground. People originally tented in the area and a large Tabernacle was built and is still standing today. It is a historic district and has been recognized by the National Register of Historic Places.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thousand Island Park Library</td></tr>
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By the early 1900's several hundred cottages were built in the Thousand Island Park. But in 1912 a fire destroyed quite a few of the businesses and cottages. Presently, there are about 325 cottages.<br />
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The cottages reflect various styles of Victorian architecture. Some still have gingerbread trim while others were updated to current styles and trends.<br />
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The cottages have public water but only from about the middle of May to the middle of October. The water is shut off for the winter months due to freezing temperatures which could burst the waterlines.<br />
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The TI Landmark Society offers a Garden & House tour every other year in mid-July and the next one will be scheduled for 2017. While we missed their Garden & House tour, we did our own walking tour of the area. We parked our car near the hotel and walked and photographed the beautiful cottages, boats, and views of the St. Lawrence River.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Replica doll house of one of the cottages</td></tr>
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The Community has a governing body called the Thousand Island Park Corporation which is a private entity with shareholders. The Corporation owns all the land and commercial buildings within the Thousand Island Park. Residents own their cottages but have a 99-year lease on their lots. Residents have an extensive manual called the "Green Book" for rules and regulations for vehicles, construction/repairs to buildings, and other related items.<br />
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The Island also has golf courses which overlook the St. Lawrence River, and several marinas. Wellesley Island also has a State Park which offers camping for tents, trailers, and cabins to rent. Website: <a href="http://nysparks.com/parks/52/details.aspx" target="_blank">Wellesley Island State Park</a><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Detail of cottage pictured above</td></tr>
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Websites<br />
<a href="http://www.thousandislandparklandmarksociety.org/" target="_blank">Thousand Island Park Landmark Society</a><br />
Thousand Island Park: <a href="http://www.tiparkcorp.com/" target="_blank">TIParkCorp</a><br />
Thousand Islands Community: <a href="http://www.thousandislandslife.com/ThePlace/Communities/tabid/416/agentType/View/PropertyID/10/Default.aspx" target="_blank">1000 Islands Life</a><br />
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<b>Local Garden Tour sponsored by Gardening Friends: Pulaski, NY</b><br />
<b>July 9, 2016 from 10 am to 2 pm. The tour begins at the Pulaski Wesleyan Church 4591 US Rt 11. Tickets $10 each (children under 12 free)</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">Hope you enjoyed your tour of Thousand Islands Park. Thanks for stopping by!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">Feel free to comment below~</span></div>
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<br />Sue Linkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07190179382458092983noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-724778346902655607.post-40250698524330438552016-06-02T17:18:00.002-07:002016-06-02T17:18:30.816-07:00Birds and Ferns and Other Growing Things<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's still spring, right? Well, around here you never know. It could be a cold season like we had in April or a hot summer/spring like we had last week with temperatures in the high 80's. We started off with a slow spring and then the heat brought out all the spring bloomers as well as the black flies and mosquitoes and other annoying bugs that fly in your eyes when you're trying to get some stuff done in your gardens.<br />
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Warm, dry temperatures are predicted for the northeast for this summer. That will mean dragging your hoses around to keep those flowers blooming and the vegetables coming.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo taken by my husband, Ted, looking down into one of the ferns. </td></tr>
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I usually like gardening in cool weather because you can cover up with long-sleeves and sweats and not be bothered with all the bugs that get in your eyes or bite which causes itching sometimes for several days.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bleeding Heart</td></tr>
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Quite a few of the spring shrubs and perennials are just gorgeous this year. Like the Lilacs, Alliums, and Irises, but yet other perennials seem to be struggling like the Bleeding Hearts and Poppies. My guess is that possibly some plants perform better under stress. I have a Weeping Cherry tree that had only one poor blossom on it. Hopefully, the (fruit) cherry trees will not suffer from the cold snap we had in April-May.<br />
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I have several hostas that have not all leafed out yet. I think they were very late in our area.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sweet Woodruff in bloom around the hosta garden.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bumblebee on Wood hyacinths (Bluebells)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Close-up view of Sweet Woodruff and Lily-of-the-Valley</td></tr>
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We are enjoying the return of our migratory birds that spend their winters in the south. We've either seen or heard the Woodthrush, Catbirds, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Brown Thrashers, and Bluebirds.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eastern Towhee -female </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rose-breasted Grosbeak -male</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eastern Bluebird </td></tr>
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Ted made the PVC birdhouses (pictured above) several years ago to attract Bluebirds. We've had Tree Swallows nest in it every year, but this year the Bluebirds beat out the Tree Swallows to the box.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ted got a great picture of this female Ruby-throated Hummingbird with her tongue out.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pileated Woodpecker - Male </td></tr>
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My husband, Ted, got some great photos of a Pileated Woodpecker (in the photos above). The Pileated Woodpecker is one of the largest birds of the forest. They do not kill trees. These woodpeckers drill large rectangular holes in dead or fallen trees. They are searching for carpenter ants which is their favorite food. These large holes in dead trees also offer great nesting sites for owls, ducks, and other bird species. We have never seen them at any of our suet feeders, but a friend of mine had them at one of their feeders.<br />
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<b>If you are in the area the Pulaski Garden Club will be having a Plant Sale on June 18, 2016 from 10am to 2pm</b> at the Pulaski Wesleyan Church, 4591 US Rt 11, Pulaski, NY. Also, the Pulaski Garden Club will be hosting a Garden Tour on July 9, 2016. Hope you can make it!<br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><i>In the midst of movement and chaos, </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><i>keep stillness inside of you.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;">~Deepak Chopra</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Thanks for stopping by,</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Feel free to leave a comment ~</span></div>
Sue Linkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07190179382458092983noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-724778346902655607.post-30694664566227569902016-05-10T18:04:00.000-07:002016-05-10T18:04:28.820-07:00Spring in the Country of Northern New York!Here we are in Central/Northern New York and it's mid May ~<br />
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Our spring is slowly emerging. Taking her good old time. Well, one thing we northerners can say - "At least it's not snowing!" We did have a heavy frost last night here in Mexico, NY. Tonight is supposed to be cold too, so keep those tender plants covered overnight until it warms up again. And hopefully, that won't be too long. I saw a weather report where it might get close to 80 on Thursday. A good rule of thumb to follow has always been to wait until after Memorial Day to plant your garden and flowers. Usually by then the ground has warmed up and frosts are over.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White-breasted Nuthatch </td></tr>
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About the only thing blooming profusely are the dandelions. But the grass looks great - nice and green. And the pollinators love the dandelions so that's a good thing.<br />
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After the cold and snowy April there doesn't seem to be any great displays of daffodils, even they got set back after the snow that hit last month. And the tulips are coming into bloom slowly, too. I'm not sure how my Irises are going to do this year. I think I have to dig them all up, separate them, and plant them in a drier, sunnier spot. That Iris bed can be used for additional perennials that I split up. Also, I'm thinking of taking some Hydrangea cuttings along with some cuttings from other shrubs to start in that garden, too. When we visited our daughter and son-in-law this past spring in Northern Georgia, they had several Oak-Leaf Hydrangea seedlings that had sprouted beneath their tree so my husband dug up some of them to plant around here. They had a set-back from the transplant and cold weather up here, but they appear to be picking up.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White-throated Sparrow</td></tr>
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The leaves on the trees are finally making an appearance, but still wrapped up in their little cocoon-shape buds. It's really a hard transition after spending several weeks in the south where spring has been blooming there for several weeks, and then when you return to the north the landscape looks like it could be fall.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Still not much growth on the trees and shrubs.</td></tr>
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Some early perennials are doing fine, like my Pulmonaria (Lungwort). A great shade plant and the leaves stay green all year. This perennial also makes a nice ground cover. The Bleeding Hearts are coming up, but the buds are still very small so it will be a few more days before they are blooming.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brunnera </td></tr>
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In the photo of the Brunnera, pictured above, I thought I was purchasing Jack Frost which has a light blue flower, but this one has a white flower so it must have been mislabeled when I purchased it. The little flowers will bloom from early to mid-spring. The flowers look like Forget-Me-Nots. The Brunnera makes a nice ground cover, but the variegated varieties do not spread as much as the older species. They grow 12"-15" tall and spread about the same in diameter. They are hardy in zones 3-8. They will grow well in full shade, and will tolerate morning sun as long as it doesn't dry out. They are deer resistant.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fern Fronds. The leaf of a fern is called a frond. That's to separate them from a leaf on a flowering plant. Leaves on a flowering plant uses leaves for photosynthesis only, whereas the function of a frond if for photosynthesis and reproduction.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zUPUJVxA1Lg/VyYqKwkZzQI/AAAAAAAAJBI/yHQSNK6xnIcRgTLxlpweCB0Thu9Pq-27ACKgB/s1600/DSCN6849b.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zUPUJVxA1Lg/VyYqKwkZzQI/AAAAAAAAJBI/yHQSNK6xnIcRgTLxlpweCB0Thu9Pq-27ACKgB/s400/DSCN6849b.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Male Goldfinch in flight on left, female Goldfinch on right, Purple Finch center.</td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The migrating birds have returned to our area and we're enjoying their songs during the day. We have several pairs of Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Goldfinches, and Grackles, that are taking turns at the bird feeder.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-D_DUafIKNWI/VyYqK9-uZSI/AAAAAAAAJBI/MY1E1mIUX-0cbwnbOQVn5d1zQrJ8HQwRwCKgB/s1600/DSCN6875b.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-D_DUafIKNWI/VyYqK9-uZSI/AAAAAAAAJBI/MY1E1mIUX-0cbwnbOQVn5d1zQrJ8HQwRwCKgB/s320/DSCN6875b.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Song Sparrow</td></tr>
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The Trilliums have started blooming.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YKRW-0vd52A/VyYqK6mN00I/AAAAAAAAJBI/nvukP_IuOFQPw0oP5e7CtXFU2VJ-MScnwCKgB/s1600/DSCN6937b.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YKRW-0vd52A/VyYqK6mN00I/AAAAAAAAJBI/nvukP_IuOFQPw0oP5e7CtXFU2VJ-MScnwCKgB/s320/DSCN6937b.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cultivated Trillium</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wild Trillium</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; line-height: 21px;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">“Spring was moving in the air above and in the earth below and around him, penetrating even his dark and lowly little house with its spirit of divine discontent and longing.” </span></i></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; line-height: 21px;">― </span><a class="authorOrTitle" href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3843.Kenneth_Grahame" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Lato, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 21px; text-decoration: none;">Kenneth Grahame</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; line-height: 21px;">, </span><span id="quote_book_link_49954" style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; line-height: 21px;"><a class="authorOrTitle" href="https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/1061285" style="color: #333333; font-family: Lato, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">The Wind in the Willows</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><i>Have a great week! </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><i>Hope you can get out and enjoy it!</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;">Feel free to leave a comment. . . </span></div>
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<br />Sue Linkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07190179382458092983noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-724778346902655607.post-20467815822151643892016-04-13T09:25:00.000-07:002016-04-13T09:25:41.648-07:00Think Spring (#2)! Yard Art! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uLvyuLUlQfk/VwvpUvgDMJI/AAAAAAAAI4s/VTMqIV8m0AE4icCpga4eDnMhaDFF_k8pQ/s1600/DSCN8630b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uLvyuLUlQfk/VwvpUvgDMJI/AAAAAAAAI4s/VTMqIV8m0AE4icCpga4eDnMhaDFF_k8pQ/s400/DSCN8630b.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
Well, we'll try this again! The weather was doing so great in the northeast, but recently winter reared up its head and there have been cold temperatures and even SNOW! Noooooooo!<br />
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March was so mild and everyone pretty much thought that spring was here, but oh well, we New Yorkers are used to dealing with storms and change.<br />
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Thought I'd post some photos that might bring a little sunshine to your day.<br />
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Even if you are not into gardening you might want to add some fun things that will attract a visitor's eye and bring some color or whimsy into your yard.<br />
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Yard Art can be in the form of colorful, unusual containers, re-purposed household items, or recycled goods from the thrift store. I've also found some very unusual and colorful pieces at Hobby Lobby, JoAnn Fabric, Michaels, and other craft stores. Or you can shop online. You can do a search on Google, type in 'Yard Art', and if you select 'Images' you'll find an array of items.<br />
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Birdhouses can also add some interesting forms to your gardens and yard as well as being beneficial to the birds. Bird baths are another example of adding a point of interest to your yard.<br />
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Or you might just need a focal point to draw attention away from a not-so-nice area of either your back yard or a neighboring distraction.<br />
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I also like the use of banners in a garden or yard. It's a quick way to add a splash of color where you want to brighten up a spot.<br />
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And don't forget the use of colorful containers:<br />
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Decorative items can also serve a dual purpose!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These are sold as bee "houses".</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i><b>"In the spring, at the end of the day, </b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i><b>you should smell like dirt." </b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>~Margaret Atwood</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Thanks for stopping by! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Feel free to leave a comment.</span></div>
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<br />Sue Linkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07190179382458092983noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-724778346902655607.post-8354207554404882602016-03-19T19:44:00.000-07:002016-03-19T19:44:10.651-07:00Think Spring (and Summer)!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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With the mild winter the northeast experienced this year I'm sure many of you are getting excited about what's to come this year in your garden.<br />
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The garden nurseries have been busy starting seeds and stocking their shelves for the onslaught of shoppers to brighten their yards, porches, and containers.<br />
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I thought I'd share with you some perennials that you might be interested in trying this year in your gardens. Some of these photos were taken from the Henderson Garden tour from last summer. If you missed my blog post on the Garden tour you can check it out by clicking on this link: <a href="http://suelink.blogspot.com/2015/07/a-garden-tour-on-lake-at-henderson-ny.html" target="_blank">Henderson NY Garden Tour</a>.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Japanese Forest Grass (Hakonechola)</td></tr>
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The photo at right features a variety of<b> Hakonechola grass (or Japanese Forest Grass)</b>. I'm not sure of the variety. This grass will grow in the shade and will do best in moist soils. I think it's a nice edging or filler grass. You can also plant it in containers. I'm not sure if it will survive a winter up north in a container because the roots might freeze if they are not protected. This grass will spread by rhizomes, but it is a slow grower and not invasive. In the colder climates of our area this grass will die back, but will return in the spring. In warmer areas of the country this grass will remain green. The grass will grow 18"-24" tall and has an arching habitat. The grass comes in many shades of green and may also be solid or striped. Most varieties are variegated with white or yellow stripes. This plant is best suited for <a href="http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/" target="_blank">USDA</a> Zones 5-9.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hakonechola grown along the edges of this path with other perennials. </td></tr>
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<b>Fringed Shasta Daisy (Leucanthemum). </b>This is a semi to double Shasta Daisy. It is sometimes referred to as a 'Crazy Daisy'. It is very prolific in its flowering. If continuously deadheaded, it will flower for several weeks in the garden. They will mix well with other perennials in your flower beds. The Fringed Shasta Daisy will grow 24"-28" tall. They require full sun (at least 6 hours) and well drained soil. Winter drainage is very important for successful plants. This perennials hardiness zone is 5-9. It is usually short-lived so it's best to divide the plant up in the spring or fall every two to three years for propagation. These flowers also make an excellent cut flower.<br />
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I'm not exactly sure what the flower at right is, but after a search on the Internet I believe it to be a variety of <b>Heliopsis.</b> There is a similar variety called '<b>Sunstruck</b>' which I think could very well be this flower.<br />
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The leaves add a nice effect to the garden and when the flowers are finished blooming you still have the contrast of the variegated leaves. This plant prefers full sun and average to moist soil. They grow about 16" tall and are very easy to care for. They also attract butterflies and make a good cut flower. Another name for this variety is False Sunflower. It is also a native perennial and it is hardy to zone 4. The plant will flower from spring through summer.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Kv4x2t2zPdM/Vu2Uuw_XPRI/AAAAAAAAIwE/onX1QeyWyy0epj_UzLzAWoF1T9VHXJaiw/s1600/DSCN5100b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Kv4x2t2zPdM/Vu2Uuw_XPRI/AAAAAAAAIwE/onX1QeyWyy0epj_UzLzAWoF1T9VHXJaiw/s400/DSCN5100b.jpg" width="400" /></a><b>Dahlias </b>are a tuberous-rooted tender perennial. They usually start blooming in mid-summer when other spring and early summer perennials are finishing up. The flowers range in sizes from 2" miniatures to 10" blooms called 'Dinner Plate Dahlias'. And they also vary in the height from 8" to 5' tall. Many dahlias are now grown as annuals. But if you want to overwinter the bulbs you have to dig them up in the fall before a heavy frost and store them in a cool dark place that does not freeze. Then plant the bulbs in the spring after the danger of frost has past.<br />
To plant dahlia tubers, dig a deep hole and add compost or well-rotted manure. Then work in a 5-10-5 or 5-10-10 fertilizer according to instructions. Here are more complete instructions for planting dahlias: <a href="http://www.americanmeadows.com/growing-dahlias" target="_blank">Growing Dahlias</a><br />
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Here's to your dreams of lazy, sweet spring and summer afternoons basking in the sun and enjoying your view of nature's marvelous wonders of sweetly scented flowers, the birds singing, and glorious blue skies.<br />
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<b><i><span style="font-size: large;">It was one of those March days </span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: large;">when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: </span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: large;">when it is summer in the light, </span></i></b><b><i><span style="font-size: large;">and winter in the shade.</span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>~ </i>Charles Dickens,<i> Great Expectations</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><i>Thanks for stopping by.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><i>Feel free to leave a comment~</i></span></div>
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Sue Linkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07190179382458092983noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-724778346902655607.post-13644557445381998142016-02-24T10:18:00.000-08:002016-02-24T10:18:01.644-08:00Oswego, NY Has It All, In All Seasons!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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If you haven't been to Oswego, you might want to put it on your list of places to visit in Central New York.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oswego City Hall</td></tr>
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Oswego has it all, in all seasons! Fishing year round, boating, historic sites, parks and recreation, farmers market in the summer/fall, super-modified racing, and other activities for all ages.<br />
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The City of Oswego is also known at The Port City of Central New York. Oswego is in Oswego County and is located in northern-central New York on Lake Ontario. The <a href="https://www.oswego.edu/" target="_blank">State University of New York (SUNY) at Oswego </a>is located on the lake just west of the City.<br />
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History: The British established a trading post in Oswego in 1722 and it was later called Fort Ontario. <a href="http://nysparks.com/historic-sites/20/details.aspx" target="_blank">Fort Ontario</a> is now a State Historical Site. The Fort is currently open to the public and is now undergoing renovations.<br />
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The Fort also houses the <a href="http://safehavenmuseum.com/" target="_blank">Safe Haven Museum</a>. <br />
<b>"<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17.92px;">Safe Haven was the</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17.92px;"> </span><i style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17.92px;">only</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17.92px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17.92px;">Official U.S. Government activity to Rescue Jewish refugees during the Second World War, for victims of the Nazi Holocaust. The refugees were brought from Italy, but deliberately only from other parts of Europe. They were all fleeing from the Nazis. They were deliberately chosen so that some were non-Jewish to allay anti-semitic fears.</span></b><br />
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<b>They were placed in Fort Oswego, behind barbed wire, and given no official status, and were told they would be returned to their homelands after the war, and would have no rights as regards entering the United States. In fact, due to political pressure, at the war's end they were allowed to stay in the U.S.A." </b><span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span></div>
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<i>. . . From Wikipedia</i></div>
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"<span style="background-color: white; color: #767676; font-family: "lato" , sans-serif; font-size: 19px; font-style: italic; line-height: 24px;">The Safe Haven Holocaust Refugee Shelter Museum is dedicated to keeping alive the story of the 982 European refugees who were allowed into the United States as “guests” of President Franklin D. Roosevelt during the Holocaust in World War II. They were temporarily housed at Fort Ontario in Oswego, New York from August 1944 – February 1946."</span><br />
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<i>. . .From the Safe Haven Museum Website</i></div>
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The <a href="http://www.nycanals.com/Oswego_Canal" target="_blank">Oswego Canal</a> connects the Erie Canal at Three Rivers (Oneida, Seneca and Oswego Rivers) to Lake Ontario at Port Ontario.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lock in the City of Oswego. The Oswego River has seven locks.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oswego Public Library</td></tr>
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The Oswego Public Library was built in 1855 with funds that were donated by Gerrit Smith, who was an abolitionist, prohibitionist, and businessman. The library is on the National Register of Historical Places and the building is one of the oldest libraries built in New York State to serve continuously as a library. <br />
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The War of 1812 Bicentennial Peace Garden is at the Leotta-Seaway Trail Park and the gateway to the Oswego Harbor Rail Trail. There is a pedestrian bridge and trail that crosses the Oswego River and Harbor. The park includes benches to enjoy the view, and there are panels to read about the history of Oswego and the War of 1812. The colors of the flowers reflect the local schools' teams colors: Orange and green for SUNY Oswego and red geraniums in honor of the sacrifices made by the Oswego Patriots. <br />
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Oswego is also home to the Port of Oswego which was also once a major railroad hub for several major railroads (the New York Central Railroad, the Deleware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad and the New York, Ontario and Western Railway. The tunnel from the former Ontario and Western Railway is used as a rail trail.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Fishing anyone?</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">And SNOW!!!</span><br />
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One of the highlights of the year in Oswego is <a href="http://www.oswegoharborfest.com/" target="_blank">Harborfest</a>. Harborfest is an annual free four day event that occurs the last full weekend of July. They have amusement rides, live music, entertainment, and art and crafts for children, and other venues as well. Check their webpage for the schedule and events.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fireworks in the Harbor. Photo by Robert J. Clark. Printed with permission </td></tr>
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The fireworks again will be presented by world renowned Fireworks by Grucci: <a href="http://www.grucci.com/main.html?pgid=5&art_artcl_id=107" target="_blank">Fireworks by Grucci</a>.<br />
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And a visit to Oswego would not be complete without at stop at Rudy's on the Lake on the west side of SUNY Oswego for a fish sandwich or hamburger hots or hot dog hots.<br />
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Websites:<br />
<a href="http://www.oswegony.org/" target="_blank">City of Oswego</a><br />
<a href="http://www.oswegospeedway.com/" target="_blank">Oswego Speedway</a> is a nationally known racing facility.<br />
<a href="https://www.oswego.edu/" target="_blank">State University of New York at Oswego</a> (SUNY Oswego)<br />
<a href="http://www.visitoswegony.com/" target="_blank">Visit Oswego, NY</a><br />
<a href="http://safehavenmuseum.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Safe Haven Museum</a><br />
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oswego,_New_York#Safe_Haven" target="_blank">Oswego, NY </a>(Wikipedia)<br />
<a href="https://www.oswegopubliclibrary.org/" target="_blank">Oswego Public Library</a><br />
<a href="http://www.nycanals.com/Oswego_Canal" target="_blank">Oswego Canal</a><br />
<a href="http://www.ipgf.org/gardens/go.asp?siteid=oswego1812" target="_blank">War of 1812 Bicentennial Peace Garden Oswego NY</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Hope you get a chance to visit Oswego in the upcoming months!</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><i>Feel free to leave a comment. . .</i></span></div>
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Sue Linkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07190179382458092983noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-724778346902655607.post-31304191524242227122016-02-09T09:29:00.000-08:002016-02-22T19:30:34.051-08:00The Winter That Wasn't!<br />
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If you're from the Central/Northern New York area you're probably wondering what happened to winter? Well, it's not over yet, and around here you never know what to expect.<br />
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We started off in October with a bang of a snowstorm, that melted. Got some more snow in November and that never made it to Christmas, and then another little snow about two weeks ago. And now that's all gone, too. As a matter of fact we just have a couple of little snow piles around here and there. Most of the snow is gone from the fields.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our neighbors' (Sam & Nancy Weber) farm from their back field.</td></tr>
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Of course I'm not complaining, but I feel sorry for those that love their winter sports of downhill & cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, ice skating, and photographing beautiful winter scenes. The snowmobile trails around our house were opened for a few days and then they had to close them for lack of snow. The ski slopes can not make snow when the temperatures are above freezing so there is not much of a base and they are lucky if even half of their trails are open.<br />
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It certainly must be an easy winter for the deer to get around. When we did have snow on the ground, my husband noticed several areas in our back yard where the deer had bedded down.<br />
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We've noticed several hawks, osprey and eagles in the area. As long as they can get food they will stay in the area. Same for some of the other smaller bird species. We've had Goldfinches that were around most of the winter.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Goldfinch (Male) in their winter plumage. They are much duller than they are in the spring/summer.</td></tr>
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A frequent visitor for us this year has been the Tufted Titmouse. This was a surprise to me because we have seen them on occasion in the past, but they never stuck around. They would peck at some food at the feeder and you would never see them again, but this winter they've been around since fall.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tufted Titmouse</td></tr>
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We've also had some Purple Finches and House Finches visit the feeders. Last year we had the Red Polls visit, but they didn't stick around and I haven't seen any this year yet.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Purple Finch - Male</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Top to bottom: Tree Sparrow, Chickadee, Purple Finch (female on left, male on right)</td></tr>
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The woodpeckers have been feasting on the suet. We have the Hairy, Downy, and Red-Bellied Woodpeckers. We can hear the Pileated Woodpecker in the back woods, but he hasn't made an appearance yet. I have not known them to visit suet feeders too often so I don't expect to see them at the feeders, but they do like dead trees and we have a few of those in our yard for them to build nests in.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red-bellied Woodpecker - <span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Female </span></td></tr>
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We are expecting some very cold temperatures this coming weekend (Feb 13-14, 2016) and what concerns me is that with the lack of snow cover, which helps insulate your plants in winter, you might find that some of your tender perennials might not make it through to the spring. As a matter of fact, yesterday I found one of my purple primroses blooming in the backyard. They love the cold temperatures and will bloom in the early spring and then also may re-bloom in the fall. The cold temperatures won't bother some of your plants like the primroses and also if some of your spring bulbs have already started to show up.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Purple Primroses blooming in February 2016. </td></tr>
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Are we going to have an early spring? I'm thinking that we probably will. A friend of mine that lives closer to Syracuse has already had Robins and Redwing Blackbirds in her backyard. If you have any birdhouses around your place now is a good time to clean them out. Some of the male birds that migrate usually return first before the females and look for suitable nest building sites.<br />
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If you like to try your hand at starting your own seedlings now is the time to order or purchase your seeds. I usually don't plant many seedlings. I really don't have the room for them. It's much easier for me to purchase the plants from the nurseries in the spring. I have started perennial and annual seeds right in the ground in the spring after the ground warms up and the danger of a frost has passed. Don't start them too early or a late frost will kill them after they start to sprout. Some annual seeds take a long time to germinate so those wouldn't be feasible to start outdoors in this area. Check the package for the length of germination and the also how long before the first blooms appear.<br />
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Now that the days are getting longer, and there's not much snow around, I'm getting excited about spring. It won't be long now. Time to get all those indoor projects done that you haven't gotten around to yet. Once that nice weather comes you won't want to be inside!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>"I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields, that it kisses them so gently? And then it covers them up snug, you know, with a white quilt; and perhaps it says "Go to sleep, darlings, till the summer comes again."</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>~ Lewis Carroll </b></i></span></div>
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<i><b>Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking Glass</b></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>Thanks for stopping by. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>Feel free to leave a comment.</i></span></div>
Sue Linkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07190179382458092983noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-724778346902655607.post-67924773005349703962016-01-01T16:20:00.003-08:002016-01-01T16:20:26.200-08:00Pathways<span style="font-size: large;"><b>A new year, a new beginning. . .</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"> Just like everyday is a new page. Wiped clean. We can start over.</span><br />
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It's not only about how we feel, but it's also what we do about that feeling. We can be depressed and wallow in self-pity, or we can get up, get out, and do something. We're not limited to our physical capabilities, but we can expand our mental capabilities as well. If we can't get out, we can read, explore the vast Internet, or call a friend.<br />
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When I was a young adolescent, I can remember my parents explaining to me that they taught me right from wrong and it was up to me what pathway I chose to follow. And, as a parent, one of the hardest things for me to accept was the fact that my children, in their teens, were forming their own beliefs and creeds. I wanted and expected them to believe what I believed and practice those beliefs the way I practiced them. Well, that wasn't to be. They have their own thoughts and beliefs as adults and I respect that.<br />
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The paths that some of us follow are not always the short-cuts that we'd like them to be. Some have to struggle financially, physically. Some are dealing with discrimination. Some are experiencing the loss of a loved one.<br />
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Some pathways lead us to a friend's house, where we can enjoy the company of a neighbor, Sometimes we just need to have someone listen to us and be there for us. And it might be you that that someone is seeking out. And then the tables may change and we have to be the listener.<br />
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Sometimes along that path we might come across roadblocks, or<br />
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There might be obstacles in your path. . .<br />
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or encounter new friends along the way.<br />
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Other times we might have to take an alternate route.<br />
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And along the way signs to point us in the right direction<br />
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or disclose some hazards ahead.<br />
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Or sometimes you just might be out of control. . .<br />
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And several times we find ourselves going in circles. . .<br />
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There will be beautiful views along that path. . .<br />
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We never know what a new year will bring for us. I hope you see the beauty in all that comes your way in the upcoming year, and may you always choose the right path that leads you where you need to be.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Sending good health, </i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>peace, happiness, </i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>and blessings to you in 2016! </i></b></span></div>
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<i style="font-size: xx-large;">Thanks for stopping by. </i></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>Feel free to leave a comment~</i></span></div>
Sue Linkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07190179382458092983noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-724778346902655607.post-5066090011076263472015-11-08T18:17:00.000-08:002015-11-08T18:17:00.058-08:00More Fall Photos and Adventures<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q2gh6DYyJB4/VjPS0rG1q-I/AAAAAAAAIGE/r7q319ySbWU/s1600/DSCN5800.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q2gh6DYyJB4/VjPS0rG1q-I/AAAAAAAAIGE/r7q319ySbWU/s400/DSCN5800.JPG" width="300" /></a>Continuing on from my last post of<a href="http://suelink.blogspot.com/2015/10/an-autumn-drive-in-northern-new-york.html" target="_blank"> fall rides and drives</a>, I thought I'd post some more fall photos.<br />
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About a month ago, my husband, son, and grandson took a hike up one of the mountains in the Adirondacks that has a fire tower on top of it. It was <a href="http://www.cnyhiking.com/WakelyMountain.htm" target="_blank">Wakely Mountain</a> in the Moose River Plains. It is not too difficult of a hike, and the views are beautiful from the summit.<br />
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Over the past several decades we have hiked up several mountains. I've been up Wakely Mountain in the past, but now I avoid rocky, uphill terrains.<br />
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My husband has hiked several of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adirondack_High_Peaks" target="_blank">Adirondack High Peaks</a>. There is also a club called the 46ers and if you are interested and serious about climbing the High Peaks of the Adirondacks you can register and join their group on their website: <a href="http://adk46er.org/" target="_blank">ADK46ers</a>.<br />
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The Adirondack High Peaks are those mountains in the Adirondacks of New York State that are over 4,000 feet.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the trail up Wakely Mountain</td></tr>
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The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adirondack_Forty-Sixers" target="_blank">Adirondack Forty-Sixers</a> is a club open to all who have climbed, or intend to climb, all the peaks and have registered with the Adirondack Mountain Club.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wakley Mountain Fire Tower</td></tr>
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If you are interested in hiking some of the trails that have fire towers on them here is a link to them. <a href="http://www.frontiernet.net/~adktower/" target="_blank">Adirondack Fire Towers</a>. I have climbed three of them with my family that have fire towers on them: Bald Mountain, Snowy Mountain, and Wakely Mountain.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the many dirt roads found in New York State (Winona State Forest).</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Railroad bed near our house in Mexico, NY</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dirt road in Winona State Forest</td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/8072.html" target="_blank">Winona State Forest</a> is located in northern Oswego County in the Town of Boylston and in the southern part of Jefferson County in the Town of Lorraine. This is a recreational area that offers hiking, cross-country skiing, hunting, fishing, mountain biking, dog-sledding, horseback riding and other activities. It also offers over 8 miles of snowmobile trails that connect with other trails in the area.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oak leaves and acorns</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the roads in Winona State Forest</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Salmon River Reservoir</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Salmon River Falls, Orwell, NY </td></tr>
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In the above photo, we visited Salmon River Falls on a beautiful fall day during the Columbus weekend in October. It is a very popular tourist site this time of year because of the fall foliage. You can see several people on top of the falls. The falls is 110 feet high. There is also a trail you can take to the bottom of the falls, but it's quite steep so you need to be an experience hiker and physically fit. The link below will provide you with more information on the history and rules of the area.<br />
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<a href="http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/63578.html" target="_blank">Official Website of Salmon River Falls Unique Area</a> if you missed my post on another Unique Area in New York State click on this link: <a href="http://suelink.blogspot.com/2013/11/have-you-ever-been-to-unique-area.html" target="_blank">Labrador Hollow Unique Area</a>.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;">“He found himself wondering at times, especially in the autumn, about the wild lands, and strange visions of mountains that he had never seen came into his dreams.” </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;">― </span><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/656983.J_R_R_Tolkien" style="background-color: white; color: #666600; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;">J.R.R. Tolkien</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;">, </span><span id="quote_book_link_34" style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;"><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/3204327" style="color: #666600;">The Fellowship of the Ring</a></i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><i>May the trails you follow today</i></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><i> </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><i>lead you to peace, happiness, and solitude.</i></span> </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Thanks for stopping by ~</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Feel free to leave a comment! </span></div>
Sue Linkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07190179382458092983noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-724778346902655607.post-39903887145499853332015-10-30T13:56:00.001-07:002015-10-30T13:56:54.187-07:00An Autumn Drive in Northern New York<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mirror Lake, Lake Placid, NY</td></tr>
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We like to go for drives/rides this time of year - in the fall, when the leaves are turning colors.<br />
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The landscape is truly nature's beautiful palette. So many colors of reds, yellows, greens, browns, oranges, and against the background of the blue sky and white, puffy clouds the views are just amazing. And the smells, too! When the leaves have fallen, and they start to decay, you can smell the slight pungent odor of the leaves after a rain. That's when you know that fall is here and winter will follow soon in autumn's footsteps.<br />
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When we go for a leisurely ride in our car, it usually always involves a ride to either the mountains, a forest, or some type of water (that could be a river, a pond, a lake or a waterfalls, etc.), and usually we're lucky if we can get all three in on one trip.<br />
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And in the fall we usually head up to the Adirondack Mountains. From our place, in Mexico, NY, we can get up there in about 2+ hours. Of course that depends on how many times we stop for photos along the way of any of the above three mentioned items (mountains, forests, or water).<br />
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We're so lucky in New York State to be able to experience all four seasons of nature, and each with its distinctive qualities. The fall, as the days get shorter, allows for the transformation of the summer greenery in the landscapes of trees, flowers, and fields, to turn a golden yellow or brown, and other rich, glowing fall colors.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whiteface Mountain (in back) from Lake Placid, NY.</td></tr>
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The days can be brisk from cool mornings, to a warm and sunny afternoon. And then you have the autumn rains and wind that finish off the colorful leaves left hanging on the trees by disposing of them on the ground to be blown around the house and then to be raked up or left until spring. And you could even be surprised by a snow flurry or even an accumulation of snow this time of year.<br />
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Several areas of the Country experienced the effects of Hurricane Patricia as well as we did, too. In the last few days our areas have had high winds with some people experiencing power outages, and lots of rain. We were fortunate that we did not get as much damage as several areas of the south experienced. Personally, we just had some small branches come down.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Only in New York, in October (and no, that's not Ted)</td></tr>
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So back to our autumn drives around the area - this year we headed up to the Lake Placid area. Home to the winter Olympics of 1932 and 1980. There is a museum there that you can tour for the history of the games as well as visiting the sites where the competitions were held. And you might be able to see some athletes in training for the next Olympics.<br />
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Lake Placid also offers some great eateries as well as some great shopping. We had lunch at <a href="http://www.mirrorlakeinn.com/dining/cottage/" target="_blank">The Cottage </a>Restaurant, which is a pub-like restaurant offering wonderful views of Lake Mirror and the High Peaks. They have a woodburning fireplace both inside and out, and it was warm enough the day we visited so we were able to dine outside.<br />
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On a separate day, we took off for an afternoon drive on some of the dirt roads in northern Oswego and Jefferson Counties. With the heavy winds we've had the last couple of days, most of the leaves were down in that area, but the leaves scattered on the ground and in the woods make for delightful woodland fairy scenes.<br />
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Hope you are able to welcome in the "Trick-or-Treaters" or catch some of them in costumes at your local venues. I just love watching all the little goblins and ghouls running around the neighborhoods in search of their sweet treasures!<br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: georgia, 'bookman old style', 'palatino linotype', 'book antiqua', palatino, 'trebuchet ms', helvetica, garamond, sans-serif, arial, verdana, 'avante garde', 'century gothic', 'comic sans ms', times, 'times new roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>May Jack-o-lanterns burning bright</i></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: georgia, 'bookman old style', 'palatino linotype', 'book antiqua', palatino, 'trebuchet ms', helvetica, garamond, sans-serif, arial, verdana, 'avante garde', 'century gothic', 'comic sans ms', times, 'times new roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Of soft and golden hue</i></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: georgia, 'bookman old style', 'palatino linotype', 'book antiqua', palatino, 'trebuchet ms', helvetica, garamond, sans-serif, arial, verdana, 'avante garde', 'century gothic', 'comic sans ms', times, 'times new roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Pierce through the future’s veil and show</i></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: georgia, 'bookman old style', 'palatino linotype', 'book antiqua', palatino, 'trebuchet ms', helvetica, garamond, sans-serif, arial, verdana, 'avante garde', 'century gothic', 'comic sans ms', times, 'times new roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>What fate now holds for you.</i></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">~Author Unknown</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">Feel free to leave a comment. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">Would love to hear from you ~</span></div>
<br />Sue Linkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07190179382458092983noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-724778346902655607.post-61247977129820401502015-10-23T10:13:00.002-07:002015-10-23T10:13:45.699-07:00A Blank Page . . .<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As I stare at this blank page I'm pondering what I'm going to write about today. How technical do I want to get about "gardening stuff"? Maybe I just want to share some photos and thoughts on this page. Or some chores that you need to do this time of year.<br />
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One of my friends asked me a few months ago if I was worried I was going to run out of ideas to write about. I answered her, "Well, I can always find something to write about, even if it's about dirt." Well, here's the scoop on dirt! No, not really. I don't feel like writing about dirt right now. Maybe in the winter when there's not too much blooming or the skies are displaying their drab colors.<br />
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Actually we're getting closer to winter now. Can you believe it snowed in Mexico, New York earlier this week (October 18, 2015)? Yes, we actually got 8" of snow! I don't think it got above 38 degrees that day and we got our first frost. Not a very heavy frost, but a frost. I guess this is the end of our growing season.<br />
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I got quite a bit of my fall gardening chores completed the last few weeks with the help of my husband, Ted. I still have some hostas and other perennials to cut back and it's supposed to warm up this week, so I think I will still have time to finish most of gardening jobs before we get the big snows.<br />
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Today I write about Color! Color in the landscape and color in the sky! I'm not a professional landscaper, just a home gardener (and mostly flowers at that). I've learned by trial and error. Probably mostly error. But I try to keep my losses and mistakes to a minimum. When purchasing new plants for a garden I usually buy one and see how that does in my soil, climate, and environment. If the plant doesn't make it, and I really like the plant, I might buy another one and try it again. And usually after that I'll give up on a plant and find something else.<br />
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Plants with different color combination and textures make a garden interesting and can create moods of relaxation or excitement. But sometimes this can be very difficult to achieve. Especially when you have plants where the colors look great together, but in reality those same plants bloom at different times of the year. Some might bloom in spring and others in late summer. As an example, you can plant them together and even though they bloom at different times of the year they might compliment each other in their shape, color or texture of the leaves and stems. Many plants have more attractive leaves than they do flowers. Different colored leaves can blend your flowers and plants together.<br />
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When I'm planting perennials in my garden, I usually select a plant by it's color, size or shape. Not specifically for an overall plan, but that's usually my first priority. If it's visually appealing to me and it's the right height I'll try it out. Also, a lot of plants might look wonderful in a photo, but when you see it in person it could be much smaller or larger than you expected. Or it could also be a plant that is very much an aggressive grower and over grows its boundaries. Be sure to check labels on plants before you buy them for the size and requirements of that plant. Fall is a good time to plant shrubs and trees as well, as long as you can plant them at least six weeks before a heavy frost is expected so the roots can settle in. It might be a little late here, but trees do well when planted in the fall.<br />
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I'm also sharing photos from some of my friends and their beautiful gardens this past season. And some of my favorite photos from this past year as well.<br />
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Also, as most of you have noticed, I haven't posted my blog lately. I had a busy and enjoyable summer spending time with my family and friends. Also, when it was too hot to do any gardening outside, I started a queen-sized quilt for us to replace a well-worn out one. I finished the quilt top a few weeks ago and now it's at the quilt shop being machine-quilted.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A garden "bed"! Created by Colleen & Phil McAllister. Photo by Colleen McAllister.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Cynthia Kresman Hatalak of one her gardens<br />
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">with beautiful varergated New Guinea impatiens.</span></td></tr>
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I think we had a very beautiful summer, and September was gorgeous as well.<br />
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While the fall colors have been beautiful, I don't think they have been as brilliant as they have been in previous years.<br />
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I hope you get the chance (if you haven't already) to get out and maybe explore your area for the fall changes in the landscape. The fall colors look so glorious against a bright blue sky.<br />
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And it's also a good time to go for a ride in the country and check out the fall produce at the farm stands. Pumpkins, winter squash & apples!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of Sandy Nichols-Leinbach's beautiful garden borders (Photo by Sandy). </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A photo shared by Judith Lembree of one of her colorful perennial borders. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another photo from Judith Lembree.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A photo I took of my friends' (Jan & Jim Tighe) backyard retreat.</td></tr>
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Here is a very extensive guide to color in your garden from UGA (Georgia) Extension: <a href="http://extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.cfm?number=B1396" target="_blank">Landscape Basics: Color Theory</a><br />
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And a special thank you to my friends, Cynthia Kresman Hatalak, Judith Lembree, Sandy Nichols-Leinbach, and Colleen McAllister for allowing me to share their photos on this blog post.<br />
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<span style="color: orange; font-size: large;"><i><b>I would rather sit on a pumpkin, and have it all to myself, </b></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: orange; font-size: large;"><i><b>than be crowded on a velvet cushion.</b></i></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/10264.Henry_David_Thoreau" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">~ Henry David Thoreau</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><i>Thanks for taking the time to </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><i>check out my blog post. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><i>Feel free to leave a comment below.</i></span></div>
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<br />Sue Linkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07190179382458092983noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-724778346902655607.post-46050476808538456872015-08-17T08:12:00.000-07:002015-08-17T08:12:55.534-07:00Summer is Half Over<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Already??? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I know you don't want to hear that, and believe me, I don't either - but it's true. If you haven't done anything exciting yet that you were planning on doing during the nice weather then it's time to schedule that activity now and DO IT! before the weather cools off. . .</span><br />
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Can't believe that summer is half over. Where did it go? The days are getting shorter, the nights are cooling off. We've been below 60 F overnight, and some birds are already heading south like the tree swallows and purple martins.<br />
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This summer certainly has been a comfortable one here in northern/central New York. We've only had a few hot days with high humidity, and most of the days have been in the 70's with low humidity. It's been a pretty good gardening season, too. We had a sufficient amount of rain for the most part earlier in the summer so the gardens have needed little supplemental watering, but the past few weeks have seen little rainfall and now the trees and gardens are showing their stress.<br />
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From my observation, the Lake Ontario water level has been high since early spring. It hasn't gone down much at all yet. From all the rain throughout the Great Lakes this has contributed to the high water levels. There is a significant amount of large debris being washed into Lake Ontario from the tributaries that empty into it as well as from the other four Great Lakes. Several large logs and roots can be seen along the shorelines, and boaters have reported seeing these large logs floating out in the lake several feet from shore. Boaters beware because sometimes these large logs are floating just below the surface.<br />
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My daylilies have proved to be very beautiful this year. I'm not sure why, but it could be from all the rain we've had this spring and summer. Also, my husband cleared out a few dead trees in our backyard and that's opened it up a little to provide more sun for one of the daylily gardens.<br />
I wasn't sure how my daylilies were going to do, because it looked like some of them were not going to come up this spring and when they did come up they were extremely little. I don't know if they got damaged by all the snow and long winter or something else. I was remembering that last year I used some Slug Bait around the perimeter of the daylily gardens, and the directions advise not to use around daylilies. Well, I thought that if I used some around the edges that that would be ok. Well, it's possible that it harmed some of the plants and that's why some of the were slow in coming up. Also, some of them even failed to bloom. I hope they recover fully next year.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kqZ4fdunT0M/VcZ0x4Er0BI/AAAAAAAAHX8/ThB1aznEU30/s1600/DSCN8998b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kqZ4fdunT0M/VcZ0x4Er0BI/AAAAAAAAHX8/ThB1aznEU30/s320/DSCN8998b.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1sIDgxbwp9E/VbxPBnjGWcI/AAAAAAAAHT4/dn0oEMZOFrY/s1600/DSCN9224b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1sIDgxbwp9E/VbxPBnjGWcI/AAAAAAAAHT4/dn0oEMZOFrY/s320/DSCN9224b.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of several species of Globe Thistle (Echinops). <br />
This one was given to me by a friend and has soft leaves. </td></tr>
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My iris bed is a mess. It really needs a lot of work. I probably should move it to a location where it's a little drier and gets more sun. I might do this by gradually splitting up my irises and planting them in a different area (after I figure out where I'm going to move them to).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JoEHM2sAvK4/Vbw_hjd-SoI/AAAAAAAAHSc/iIQfngMcFdQ/s1600/DSCN9282b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JoEHM2sAvK4/Vbw_hjd-SoI/AAAAAAAAHSc/iIQfngMcFdQ/s320/DSCN9282b.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ligularia - The Rocket</td></tr>
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I've got some other chores lined up for later in the season. I'll have to dig up and split some of the more aggressive daylilies, and I have some tall perennials that need to be moved because they are too distracting where I have them planted currently. I'll also need to dig up a peony that's pretty close to a pine tree and no longer blooms anymore.<br />
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<b>Crocosmia.</b> (Pictured below) The crocosmia is a hardy perennial (Hardiness Zones 5-9) and is related to the gladiola family. When the plant comes up in the spring, it sends up tall narrow leaves that look like Siberian Iris leaves. The flowers appear later in the season (about the time the daylilies bloom) on arching spikes of little flowers that resemble the Cana lilies flowers only smaller. They are available in mostly hot colors and depending on the variety can bloom from mid-summer through early fall. They do well in full sun and most any type of soil. They may flop over so I've supported them by putting a peony hoop around a clump of them. They can grow from 35 to 45 inches tall. They attract butterflies and humming birds. They look nice in a border and do well in containers, too. They are also attractive as a cut flower in arrangements or as a single specimen. And another plus is that they are deer and rabbit resistant. If you live in a an extremely cold area you might want to mulch them well over the winter. I have had lost a few over the winter extreme temperatures. Or you can dig up the corms (like gladiola) and store them inside over the winter.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YaMEFzVigWQ/VcZtJx4Ql_I/AAAAAAAAHXY/2bt9XyYx6fI/s1600/DSCN0356d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YaMEFzVigWQ/VcZtJx4Ql_I/AAAAAAAAHXY/2bt9XyYx6fI/s400/DSCN0356d.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crocosmia (not sure of the variety, was given to me by a friend)</td></tr>
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A new bird to add to our list was a recent sighting of an American Redstart that found our birdbath in our backyard and used it for taking long refreshing baths for at least two days in a row. It was a nice surprise and I heard its call before in our backyard, but I wasn't familiar with it and I wasn't able to identify it until I saw the bird. I wish I had a better photo to share with you, but the one pictured below was taken from inside our house through a screened window.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KkLi0j18sDI/VdHwmB0rMKI/AAAAAAAAHa0/c2u_Dk8BvBM/s1600/DSCN1192c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KkLi0j18sDI/VdHwmB0rMKI/AAAAAAAAHa0/c2u_Dk8BvBM/s400/DSCN1192c.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">American Redstart</td></tr>
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Have you ever seen a woodpecker drink from a hummingbird feeder? Me neither.<br />
Also not as sharp as I would have liked it - taken through a screened window.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two baby Ospreys on left, and parent Osprey on right.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><i><b>May your summer days be filled with sunshine, rainbows, frogs, butterflies, and ice cream!</b></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><i><b>Have a great week!</b></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Feel free to leave a comment . . .</span></div>
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<br />Sue Linkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07190179382458092983noreply@blogger.com11