Day 129 - Bee and rhododendron

After taking a photo of the rhododendron bloom for the update (scroll down), I check the other bushes (we have 4 in front of the house). Several bees were busy gathering nectar. The honey bees darted in and out of the blooms, but this bumble bee just crawled from one to the next and stayed put long enough for a couple of shots.

Rhododendron update 2

May 8, 10:35 AM Here are two more updates of the bloom shown previously.

May 7, 7:00 AM

Day 128 - Spraying the fields

While we were sitting at the dining room table playing cards, we heard a somewhat noisy vehicle approaching. We looked out the window and saw a sprayer zip by rather close to our back fence. As it disappeared, I got my camera, assuming he would return. He did and I shot 4 quick photos. Three of them are similar to the above and the last (below) shows the backside of the sprayer. I have seen these machines on the roads around Frederick. They load up at a farm supply store and drive to the customers field and start spraying - no need to stop and mix chemicals or transfer spray from one container to the sprayer. The sprayer kept making passes back and forth across the field getting further from us and apparently finished the field. The spray booms fold up along side the vehicle for driving on roads. The booms are longer than I had estimated (30 feet), coming in 60 or 80-foot widths. For more information see the GVM web site. I also posted a picture of one of these on my other blog last Friday.

Day 127 - Glass aviary

I took Marianne's sister back home to Virginia today. She has a display of her exquisite glass collection on her mantel, with a large mirror above the mantel. This is one of three glass humming birds in the collection.

Rhododendron update

Same bloom, one day later.

Day 126 - Rhododendron burst

The rhododendrons are beginning to show their colors - check back in a few days for photos.

Day 125 - The Dalton gang

Marianne's sisters, brother and his wife came to visit Friday and we are having a grand time. Brother and wife went home on Sunday; the sisters will stay a little longer. There has been a lot of reminiscing, card playing, singing and listening to music (50's country and rock & roll). Someone will mention a song and all three sisters start singing it. As you can see, our blogging is (and will be) sporadic this week.

Day 124 - Another budding flower

Soon we will have a multitude of iris blooming. The background is a pink azalea.

Day 123 - Hawk on the wind

Yesterday a bird sculpture on a perch, today a hawk over the fields behind our house.

Day 122 - Bright pastels and stone

I went to get some stone blocks to use as edging for the flowerbeds on one side of our house. The stone supplier is in an industrial section of Frederick that is expanding. This strip of offices is new and only few appear to be occupied. The ones off the left are not yet finished. Bright, cheerful color scheme, don't you think?

The stone supplier (a few blocks from the above) has an attractive display area outside his building; with walkway, steps, fountain and this bird on a stone perch.

I posted some additional photos on my other blog.