Fool's Spring...February 26, 2021

 When I saw the Winter Aconite blooming in my neighbor's yard, I immediately thought of another sign of spring...the red-winged blackbird.  I decided to hike out to Cedar Pond where I usually see them.

The main trail was completely snow and ice-free.

At the turnoff for Cedar Pond I saw the first ice on the trail.

I started down the trail.

It wasn't as clear as the main trail but it wasn't bad.  All I had to do was walk in the tracks of the "Gator"  that the staff uses to monitor the park.

However the tracks disappeared.  By then I was so far along on the trail I decided to keep going.  I had my pointed end walking stick with me.

Beside the boot track I spied a deer track...

And looking up I saw a deer trail.

I made it to Cedar Pond with only a few slips and no falls.

Still frozen...and no sights of a red-winged blackbird.  Maybe the next time I walk here...

As I returned to the parking lot, I saw park staff pulling in.

And before I left they were busy loading up sand to spread on the trails.  Hurrah for the park staff.

Maybe the Winter Aconite was an enticement to get me out on this walk.  It worked but I did decide that I was fooled by Ohio's Fool's Spring.  I would do the walk again.  I would hate to miss Ohio's Real Spring. 

A Dozen Roses...February 22, 2021

Who did these come from?  I don't know.  Last year on this day Tom sent a dozen roses to me.  But Tom died on April 19.  Someone is remembering Tom today just as I am remembering him today.  I was fortunate to have him by my side for fifty-eight years.  He will always be in my heart.

 

 

 

Latest Polymer Clay Project...January 2021

 Our latest polymer clay project.  I discovered when I brought it home that I could take out the lightweight cardboard cone it was made on, put a LED tea light under it and the tree lights up.  Polymer clay is FUN.

August 2, 2020...The Mystic Lilies are in bloom

On July 29, I looked out the dining room window and saw five Mystic Lily stalks.  Later, when I went outside I found more.

I call them Mystic Lilies because that is what Tom's dad called them.  He gave me a dozen bulbs shortly after we moved in this house over fifty years ago.  The bulbs multiplied, I gave some to friends and still they multiplied.  Just the kind of flower I like.  Plant them and they will take care of themselves.

On July 31, the first blooms appeared.

They grow tall, taller than the birdbath.

Just this year I learned their Latin name, Lycoris squamigera.  They are in the amaryllis family.

In the spring, the leaves come up, straplike leaves, densely packed, and over a foot high.  They die back and completely disappear.  But spirit-like, the flowers rise in late July or early August.

There are a lot of common names for them, Resurrection Lilies, Surprise Lilies, Naked Ladies.  Take your pick.  I will always call them Mystic Lilies.

Weed Pots, a Polymer Clay Project, Inspired by Alice Stroppel's Weed Pots, Adapted by Lilian Nichols

Butterfly Man

I posted this creation on Facebook.  Some of the readers wanted to know how I made it so I directed them to this blog.  As I planned this blog I realized I have learned a lot about polymer clay since I started taking classes from Lilian Nichols.  

I am doing this as a step by step. If you are interested in polymer clay there are many posts on the Internet from accomplished polymer clay artists. There are also many how-to books.  As with any craft or art, there is much to be learned in a class from a teacher in your area.

Here are the creations of the other group members.

Karen's and Lilian's pots

DeeDee's and Linda's pots

Barbara  did something entirely different with her pot.

Alice Stroppel used small glass bottles as the base form.  Lilian Nichols discovered that the empty amber medicine containers us old folks have can be used also.  The amber containers must be covered with clay before baking.  If the containers are put in the oven uncovered they will lose their shape.  They can't take the heat.

Throw away the lid. This is a small short container.

Use three quarters of a block of Premo polymer clay.  All brands are not created equal. Premo is easy for beginners to work with..

Roll the clay until it conditioned and thin enough to pass through the pasta maker at a thick setting.

Cut the clay to size and fit around the container.  Smooth the point at which the edges join with your fingers.

Fold a a length of clay to cover the threaded section of the container, the part where the lid was screwed on.

Fit to container.  

Work the clay collar into the rest of the clay covering.

Cut a circle to cover the bottom.

Attach bottom. The two gadgets at lower left can be used to release bubbles of air that may be trapped under the clay.  Both were made by members of our class.  Blend the clay with your fingers until the covering is smooth.  This step becomes easier as you become more proficient working with the clay.

Finished except for the fun part.

Finishing is easiest if you have been working with polymer clay for a while.  You will have an accumulation of left over canes from other projects.  (canes are described in some of my other blog posts and on the Internet and in polymer clay how-to books.)

I made the nose from a cone of the same clay I used to cover the container.

Bake at 275 degrees for 30 minutes.

I'm planning to use this covered container to make a companion for Butterfly Man. I will post her when I have finished her.

Family Gathering...July5, 2020

Sunday was the first family gathering we have had since Tom died.  It was a mini gathering, just those who live in Ohio and Michigan. We were missing Steve because he was at a resident camp.  Maybe next year we will have those from North Carolina, Colorado, and London, UK as well as Steve, with us.  I'm hoping the Covid virus is under control and no longer an issue.  

Usually we have the get together our house but this year, Samantha, our Ohio granddaughter, had it at her house.  It was a chance to see her mostly reconstructed house.  It was close to being destroyed in one of the 17 Memorial Day Tornadoes of 2019.

Before the Tornado she lived on a lovely wooded lot.  Now only two big trees are left, one in the front yard and one in the backyard.  They look different.  Their large branches were broken off by the tornado.  But the trees are hardy.  They are covered with green leaves on newly sprouted branches.

We arrived in late afternoon.  Everyone brought food.  Victor and Samantha provided the meat. The day was hot and humid, temperatures in the high 80s.(Fahrenheit).  We spent part of the afternoon in the family room. The light spot on the carpet is sunlight on it.

  

It is nice to have a chef in the family and nice, too, that he did the grilling.  I was impressed that John had all the meat...half chickens, hot dogs and hamburgers ready at the same time. After eating, the temperature cooled off a bit so part of the group sat on the patio.

 

Here are Eric and Katie from Michigan.

Samantha's dogs enjoyed the party, too.

Gizmo, the puppy, enjoyed the attention.  Samantha said he mostly caught up on his sleep on July 6.

Henry went from one person to another hoping for a handout.  I didn't see him get any, not even a bit of cookie from Sonja. I would not be surprised to learn someone sneaked him something. He did get plenty of loving pats.

Visit from My Grandson...June 26,27,28

Steve came to visit.  It has been a while since I have seen him.  We had a good time. 

I made a strawberry pie using fresh strawberries cut up, dumped into a jello, cornstarch, sugar and water mixture.  I dumped the filling into a ready-made graham cracker pie crust and put the pie in the refrigerator.  By the end of the weekend Steve and I ate most of it.  We took one piece to Eleanor, the neighbor across the street.  I never thought about taking a photo of it.  It has been a long time since I have been thinking about blogs as I go through the day.

I did get some photos when Steve, Jeanne, and I walked at Charleston Falls on Saturday morning.  

It is between blooming seasons.  The early flowers are finished blooming and the showy prairie flowers are just beginning to show buds.  But there were oxeye daisies along the trail around Cedar Pond.

And Steve spotted a lone Deptford Pink.

On Saturday afternoon, Steve and I visited Bill who lives nearby.  Bill let Steve run the CSX engine on his track.  It was the first time Steve had run the engine.  It was a birthday gift from his Meemaw in Florida.  He and Bill enjoyed talking in that special model railroad fans' language which I only partly understand.  Lots of references to numbers of engines that I don't understand at all.  Steve had a wonderful time.  Bill was happy to talk with Steve.  It sounded like it had been a long time since either one of them had had a good session with someone who understood their hobby.  Steve and Bill social distanced but Steve kept his face mask under his chin in case someone else showed up.

The next morning, Steve and I checked out Herrlinger Park.  He has been going to this park since he was a preschooler.  A railroad track runs along one side of it.  We met a woman who came to feed the squirrels.  She brings her brother to see the trains.  He likes to take photos of them.

Two long freight trains click-clacked by.  Steve tells me about the engines and what is special about the various cars.  His cell phone has a railroad scanner aps so he knows when the trains are coming.