Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Life Everywhere.....


I spent a portion of yesterday roaming the yard and acres south of the house, looking for camera fodder. Everything has swung from Winter hybernation to life with one quick pass.....and we are under the scourge of some of the highest pollen levels I've encountered here. The sensible Anne would stay indoors and not venture out.
But that is not the Anne that grabs the camera and runs be it in night clothes or fully dressed!
I was surprised my redbud was doing this well. This is a native tree that has suffered from blight brought into the area by cheap trees imported from who knows where, diseased. I lost one redbud; it is on my list for this year to take down.


Under the protective branches and petals of the magnolia is my one lone Celandine Poppy. These used to be found is drifts in the woods, but with a good portion of old woodland going under the chainsaw, they are becoming sparser, harder to find. Mine was a gift from a friend who has a mass under one of her trees. I don't dig from the wild, although the occasional ditchrow gets some dirt and plants lifted. (the last time I did, I ended up digging into poison ivy roots and was at the hospital.....I am a bit more cautious now!)


The Jacob's Ladder that I purchased one plant of has multiplied and wandered throughout the front garden. Their delicate blossoms hold well when cut for bouquets, their tiny heads nod gently in the breeze. The chipmunk that is the resident *ground-mover* has not deterred this hardy plant from surviving. Perhaps it is not tasty.....which is a good thing! My poor garden is so ripped up (especially after not being able to care for it properly last year) that I am not sure what will be left until it blooms! If only I was a quick shot......which I am NOT!!! LOL!!!
After my camera adventure I succumbed to the allergy meds and promptly deposited myself into the comfy chair in front of the TV for the rest of the day and evening, and finally by nightfall the headache gone.
But who could miss the opportunity to record these beauties? My bit of Spring, captured in a mass of pixels, hidden away on a computer drive and waiting to be printed or saved to an external drive or put forth into the blogworld here. As much as it frustrates me, technology is wonderful!
And now I am off to check the weather, check the flowers and see if I can get myself again to the point of gasping for air, for the sake of photos.
It's not sane, but I love every second of it!
Enjoy!!!

Pax.

29 comments:

Anonymous said...

So pretty Anne!! I had a Jacobs Ladder but it froze out one year!! No kidding... as hardy as they are.
Lots of pollen here but thank goodness I never inhereted my Mother's Allergies!!
Have a Great Day!!
Love,
Marilyn

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Oh Marilyn.....you lucky girl! Even DH who never has them has had problems this year. I keep trying to tough it out without adding anything else to the chemical-brew!
I did enjoy the photo shoot yesterday, after effects and all! ;)

XXOO!!
Anne

Unknown said...

So glad to see you got out for a walking adventure yesterday. I, too, am known to be out in my nightshirt wandering around taking pictures. Aren't we silly. Nothing better than to come in from a long day in the gardens and plop down for a little T.V.... By any chance was it.... Dancing with the Star for you last night. Nothing better than a flower check and a little Tango to call it a good day.

Glad to hear you still have one Redbud. Hadn't heard about the bleath thing....icks...

Have another great day outside.

Kate

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Hi Kate!

No, my TV usually involves real forensic case stuff, and then my favorite non-real forensic show, Bones! I know...gruesome. I find it fascinating how all these little pieces of nature can timestamp a crime and how scientists are able to find them....
I'll probably be out again today but definitely getting the meds in first!
And yes, walking in nightclothes is a MUST for some shots! LOL!!!

XXOO!!
Anne

audrey said...

Oh, Anne, the beauty of nature that we have waited all winter long for! Beautiful, beautiful!!
My brother is suffering terribly with allergies in Texas ~ so it is everywhere. So far, I have no problem with it. The pollen is thick on my outdoor furniture that I ALREADY cleaned, thank you very much. Now I must clean it AGAIN!!
Payment for the lush, full blooms!
Good day, Anne!
♥ audrey

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Hey Audrey,

At least you have those darling birds to photograph, which I assume you can do from inside? And yes, thankfully, winter seems gone...I still am waiting in the wisteria!!!
Take care in all that pollen!

XXOO!
Anne

Janet Ghio said...

I love celadine poppies! When we had our house, I had a big patch of them. They are beautiful. All the trees are in bloom now and the pollen is wicked!!--Green dust everywhere!! Thanks for sharing your photos!

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Hey Janet,

I love those too....I keep hoping that one little plant will spread, but I think maybe my soil isn't too good.
Who knew Spring would whirl in with such a vengance! LOL!!!

XXOO!!
Anne

Jan said...

I don't have any of these plants so it is a pleasure to view yours. Thanks for sharing. I especially like that redbud. The poppy resembles greatly our buttercups which are not flowering yet.

I'm off to feed the critters, I see the little chipmunks hopping around on the deck, waiting, checking the empty feeder there.

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Damn chipmunk here! Jan, if only I was a good shot......oooooooo!
He sits on my studio steps like he owns the place (well, he does) and suns. If it had stayed OUT of the flowers, I would have been much kinder......
I bet the poppies would grow out there; your climate is such I would think they would do well.

XXOO!!
Anne

yoborobo said...

Hi Anne! I was wondering about my redbud, because almost half of the tree didn't bloom this year. The year before we lost a beautiful Japanese maple. Ack! Well, maybe I'll roll my pennies and see if the tree guy can come visit us. Gorgeous pictures! Have fun! xoxoxo Pam

yoborobo said...

PS My eyes feel like they have sand in them. Is pollen getting BIGGER? ;)

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

A. Yes, pollen, like our butts, gets bigger each day.

B. If you can afford it, have the tree guy come. I am concerned that some of the blight has spread to my red Japanese Maple and possibly my flowering crab.

C. I have glasses on and still can't see and contacts are out of the question!
Pam, I think we need a Bloggers Get-Away!!!

XXOO!!
Anne

Georgina said...

Like pistols, I keep my Alegra at my side!! I never used to have allergies, but when I moved to Germany, I began having problems, but only towards the end of the jerk's tour. I recall having a headache on one of our drives down to Bavaria and I was down for the whole ride in the back seat...didn't know what it was...sinus headache!! Then when we returned to El Paso, the allergies got worse. As the city grew, may people from other parts of the country brought in fauna and flora (reverse that) not part of the desert landscape, hence new pollen. The city outlawed non-bearing mulberry trees, but the city is still full of them, so those little wispy, ephemera pollens float along the sky and makes everyone miserable!!

Love the flowers. Need to plant mine before they die...not a garden type, but I do love beautiful flowers in pots!!

Love ya,
G

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Hey Georgina,

I, too, remember when I could spend every day out in this stuff and only had sniffles. I think the more *outside* plants brought into an area, the more problems one has. I'm hoping with this *surge* of pollen that they will all get it over with at once and I can resume some sort of seeing and thinking life! HAHAHAHAHA!!
Take care!

XXOO!!
Anne

Silke Powers said...

Dear Anne, I am so glad you went out and suffered for us - those photos are delightful!! No matter how many flower pictures I've seen, they always make me smile. That's the power of nature, I guess.

Funny thing happened to my allergies. All last year they were really bad, especially my sinuses were bothering me always. I lived with meds and nose spray - not much, but enough to bother me (I don't like to take things). When I just had my sinus infection, which was finally cleared up by antibiotics, it took care of my allergies as well. Which makes me think that maybe I didn't have allergies at all... Isn't that weird?

Anyway, I hope you are feeling better today!! No more headaches!! Love, Silke

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Hey Silke,

Feeling better today and trying to stay in and be good, but that is quite the joke...me? Good? LOL!!!
Messing with gesso again....not getting anywhere but having some fun!

XXOO!!
Anne

Tristan Robin said...

lovely pics!

we're finally seeing Spring blooms, too. It certainly took long enough!

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Hey Tristan,

I can't believe we are so far ahead of you all. Just now seeing blooms......well, enjoy them quick! Who knows what else we're in for! LOL!!!

XXOO!!
Anne

Deborah said...

So beautiful, Anne. Great shots. I love seeing all the different plants around the country...quite different from here. We had some heat and it's almost time to pull the petunias and put in the summer plants. **blows kisses** Deb

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Hey Deb,

I think that's one of the things I really enjoy on the blogs---how different the plat life is from region to region.
We're sunny today but I stepped outside and promptly came back in; the exercise bike was a lot warmer than the wind! LOL!!!

XXOO!!
Anne

Anna Rosa Designs said...

Hi Anne,
Gosh, once again you have really captured the feel of nature and its beauty here.
If I'm ever over your side of the world, I'll pop in for a stroll.
Happy creating,
Hugs,
Anna

Mary Helen-Art Saves Lives said...

I love these delicate flowers...I will look for them when I visit the nursery..Jacob's ladder right? Technology is what united us in joy and creation...I am learning every day and thanks to artist like you. Imagine and Live in Peace, Mary Helen Fernandez Stewart

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Hi Anna,

I would love that all us bloggers were closer!
That said, we connect and learn so much about the differences where we live, and my gosh! This is much more delightful than some of the old geography classes I remember! ;)

XXOO!!
Anne

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Hi Mary Helen,

Yes, *IF* I recall correctly, they are Jacob's Ladder. I am thinking there are some variants also, some smaller, some with bi-color leaves. Mine are just the plain type, and I think that is why they are so hardy.
Technology has provided us the opportunity to connect and learn SO MUCH!
And in a fun way too! :D

XXOO!!

Anne

Magpie's Mumblings said...

Such pretty flowers! I wonder if your poppy might not like the place you have it? Jack has found that if something doesn't do really well, chances are they will once they get moved to a different area (maybe it needs more sun/less sun?). AND...if your resident chipmunk is plundering your flowers...feed him with peanuts and he'll leave the flowers alone. At least that's what happens here.
p.s. - way back we were talking about the book that taught me to say 'no'...found it at the library today...'Enough Is Enough, Exploding the Myth of Having It All' by Carol Orsborn. It was published in 1986 so might be difficult to find. And yes, her last name is 'Orsborn' in case you thought I typo'd.

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Hi M.A.!

That poppy....well.....trying to move one means risking losing it. My girlfriend who gave it to me has lost a lot of hers. I think our winters are changing things; it is colder and wetter than it used to be.
The worst part of my parcel of land is all the dirt is the same---CLAY. And it is in probably a more sheltered area......
I have learned, as with that scamp of a chipmunk...whom I absolutely REFUSE to feed (ha!)...is that certain things make it here and others don't. Life in the country has it's drawbacks.
Of course, there are those beautiful dawns, sunsets, full arc rainbows......it all balances out, in the end! ;)

XXOO!!
Anne

Elena said...

I'm feeling your pain!! I hope you are doing better!

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Yep Elena.......me too!!! :)

XXOO!!
Anne

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