How's the Cemetery Creek?

 
Today I decided to walk down to the creek. I used to go there nearly every day with Maggie (except in winter- it's too steep to snowshoe). I confess I haven't done as many daily walks since she's been gone. Also, there is a big tree down across my path and it's going to be a lot of work to cut it out.



But, today I worked my way down to the creek. It has no name, and it's only a couple of miles long. I've taken you to the headwater marsh (and learned it's covered in poison ivy, so that's not a good summertime walk). I've followed it to the Pere Marquette River, but it goes through a lot of private property, so I only did that once. And it was before I started blogging.

At any rate, it has water year round, and it's close to home, so I enjoy it. We had a strong warm wind last night so are nearly snowless again. The creek is a little ripple of brown across a sandy bottom nestled in the orange-brown leaves.



The deer sure aren't either good trail builders or environmentalists. Their trail just plunges straight down the bank. I took a more angled route across the face of the gully.



This is my favorite shot of the day- a scalloped edging on a patch of ice.

	See The Midwinter Visit to the Cemetery Creek
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Japanese White Pine

 

Last week when I was out working I discovered a tree that is new to me. That's not saying much when it comes to ornamentals. There are many trees and shrubs planted in gardens that I might not be familiar with at all. But it was very pretty and I wanted to see if I could identify it. That was actually pretty easy.

The tree is young, and so far the growth form isn't much to look at, but I wanted to show you the overview.





When I looked at the needles and then I got really interested. Each one has a white stripe along its length. I pulled out a bundle and counted five needles per sheath, the same as native White Pine, Pinus strobus.



The cones are interesting too, with curved and rounded scales, looking sort of like the plates of some ancient crustacean.



It didn't take much research to learn that this is Japanese White Pine, Pinus parviflora. As it turns out, I may have seen it before, but not recognized it. The species is a favorite for Bonsai. Since I always look at the Bonsai display at the Philadelphia Flower Show (sure hope I get to go in 2015!), I may have some pictures of carefully trimmed ones. I just looked at former blog posts, and have not featured one however.

It's supposedly a nice ornamental for gardens too. I suspect this one needs some trimming to make it look less scraggly.

I don't think I'll forget this evergreen, and hopefully I'll be paying more attention to what's been done with the specimen next time I see it.

	See Trail Work Day
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There's a Place Called Kokomo

 
And it's in the middle of Indiana. City of an auto accident I was once in. City today of Thanksgiving dinner.



They had a bunch of small murals of the local area. The train station was one of them. We ate at the Windmill Restaurant. If you're also ever in Kokomo, I recommend it. The food was delicious and it didn't cost an arm and a leg.



Loretta got caught in a huge detour around Louisville, so we warmed a booth and had hot drinks for over an hour waiting for her, and they were nice to us anyway. Then we ordered awesome dinners. I had pork chops, Loretta had steak and shrimp and Omer just had steak without the icky little crustaceans.



Now this is a realistic Indiana mural. Flat and corn.

We also saw some genuine Indiana history. This round barn is now part of the Fulton County Museum. That would be a fun place to go back to for a visit. Looked like they had quite a few interesting things to look at.



Home safe and sound (oh yes, with new windshield wipers for the day's excitement), and now I'm getting ready to go to work for the night.

	See Interesting Barns
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Winner and the Neverhood!

 
I spent a good part of the day playing a favorite computer game, The Neverhood. It's old now. In fact, it would barely play on Windows 7, so I'm glad I went through it one more time just for the fun of it. I had solved the puzzles long ago, but it's still challenging to see if you remember them.



This was prompted by the fact that a successor game is due out in 2015. Hoping it won't cost an arm and a leg. The new game is called Armikrog. You can read about it at Armikrog the Successor to The Neverhood if you are interested.

We are going to meet Loretta tomorrow for our T-day. So today was just a day to relax. I figured a game qualified!

Meanwhile, I put the 11 entries in the contest into a box and pulled out two. We have one on each side of the "pond." Winner 1 is Chuck of Secondary Roads. Winner 2 is Jean Knill who shares at Jean's Musings.

Thanks to all who entered because I hope it got me an extra few views. That was the point.

Chuck and Jean, just let me know which book you would like. Chuck, I'm good with an address for you, but Jean, you'll have to get me mailing info.

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Strawberry Fields Forever

 
Just a few more hours to get chances to win one of my books! Two winners announced tomorrow.

These pictures are from Tuesday, before everything was buried in white. But I know the beautiful red and green is there, hidden under the snow. Just pictured in someone's garden. Not mine. Enjoy!

	See Veggie Fun
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And... It's Back to White!

 

Just ONE more day to promote my blog, LET ME KNOW YOU'VE DONE SO, with a link or other proof, and you have a chance to win a book!

Meanwhile... I awoke to this. Looks so peaceful. Too bad I had to go out and drive.



This setting was absolutely gorgeous. But there was no where I could safely get off the road to take better pictures. I had to stop far away and put up with intervening wires and signs.



The coating on things began as slush and then gradually changed to snow. That's the reason it stuck so thick and so long. The last three pictures were taken at 1 pm, on my way home from work. Usually snow like that has long melted or fallen by that time of day.

Even the near vertical cattails have white shadows.



I wonder what tomorrow will bring!

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Orange Day

 

Just TWO days left to promote my blog in pretty much any way, let me know about it (a link I can see or a screen shot of what you did), and you get a chance to win one of my books for every share! Really low entries so far... you have a good chance to win. How about it?

Today, everything looked orange to me. It rained and rained. The snow is gone. I was out doing cases all day, and snapped some pictures. I don't like orange much, but I used to do a bunch of pictures to "please" Maggie when she was with us, so here are some orange shots in memory of Maggie Millicent.

The asparagus fields are feathery and golden orange.



The Pere Marquette River Flats are a monoculture of cattails that try really hard to completely obscure the river. But I found it for you.



This weathered barn is leaning with the grasses.



Almost home now. I topped a rise and the weeping willow, which always looks orange in winter, was sheltering the pale orange corn stalks.

	See Maggie Millicent 1998-2013
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Feeling Human

 
The quality in today is that I have felt pretty good. I sat up all day, in fact. That is not the same as saying I did very much! But I'll take it.

In the past few days I've seen a lot of this.



And eaten a couple of these.



This is real comfort food for me when I'm sick. Read more about it at Poached Egg on Milk Toast

Just three days left to enter the blogoversary contest!

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At the Bird Feeder

 
The best things to happen today happened at the bird feeder. Now we are having a real storm. The squirrel seems to have hunkered down, and the birdies sure took advantage of it.

The little junco seems to be asking the cardinal if he can share.

The answer is, YES.



A downy woodpecker showed up too. And the blue jay is usually nearby. That's his tail hanging down.



Don't forget to share my blog somewhere and send me proof of same through a link or screenshot for entries in the contest. You have 7 more days!

	See Tweaking the Bird Feeder
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First Snow- Continued

 

I'm really not complaining. We got much less than some places. Still, a foot of snow in mid November is a bit of a shock! The roads were pretty bad. But I made it out and back home safely. We may be done now for a few days

	See First Snow- Winter 2014- 2015
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