tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1539240372907368082024-03-18T22:41:14.254-07:00Urban Wildlife GuideJulie Feinsteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03498011976728882325noreply@blogger.comBlogger725125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153924037290736808.post-40707041416362695872024-03-17T10:19:00.000-07:002024-03-17T10:19:08.724-07:00Two More Days of Winter <p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3t1k16RpGslHB6DR8X3Oa67uF_TglBdKtW3qbyoQn2u3qH-txYbAkCEpmoM33EWR18N3FQ8cP2WAYY_aB_d8rtkuYZGGlv1lzahZdmwjJj1s8QldvRu3iaLaENtPZucFZbeeIV67wijpgOGSdfOazo0cSrIo3ni_cK2U7ntc60ZrFjYvt2ZuzVX0BASuk/s2048/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1357" data-original-width="2048" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3t1k16RpGslHB6DR8X3Oa67uF_TglBdKtW3qbyoQn2u3qH-txYbAkCEpmoM33EWR18N3FQ8cP2WAYY_aB_d8rtkuYZGGlv1lzahZdmwjJj1s8QldvRu3iaLaENtPZucFZbeeIV67wijpgOGSdfOazo0cSrIo3ni_cK2U7ntc60ZrFjYvt2ZuzVX0BASuk/w400-h265/1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Are you seeing more rabbits lately? It's March, it's almost spring, and the rabbits are calling attention to themselves. They breed in March around here, which makes them more visible than usual as they engage in courtship that involves running, hopping, leaping, racing, chasing, dancing, and other attention-getting activities. </span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNZT2sm1Ohha4MGtRFJ4f4clYSdN7RpfhSetlJdHXKgmzDS0icvTyW1F-C_2kCIxPJtdw8bTabVdXbmuHLnY6bj2p3FZH3NvXEeqx5lyGUfVdIEI8XFcN4Z7SboihPsBurel9QqS57rExFPxe4IFFIfAq5R9AzSCD_6DiJf6wwp9AyHE4tyfeqZ-Mh2JCA/s2048/DSC_3657.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1363" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNZT2sm1Ohha4MGtRFJ4f4clYSdN7RpfhSetlJdHXKgmzDS0icvTyW1F-C_2kCIxPJtdw8bTabVdXbmuHLnY6bj2p3FZH3NvXEeqx5lyGUfVdIEI8XFcN4Z7SboihPsBurel9QqS57rExFPxe4IFFIfAq5R9AzSCD_6DiJf6wwp9AyHE4tyfeqZ-Mh2JCA/w400-h266/DSC_3657.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">More rabbit sightings. Longer days. Warmer temperatures. Blooming flowers. The change of seasons will become official with the equinox on Tuesday, March 19. We have just two more days of winter. Click to enlarge. <br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: center;">For the occasion, an excerpt from <b>Atlanta in Calydon</b> by <b>Algernon Charles Swinburne. </b></p><p style="text-align: center;">
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: AppleSystemUIFont; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">"For winter's rains and ruins are
over,</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: AppleSystemUIFont; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">And all the season of snows and sins; </span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: AppleSystemUIFont; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">The days dividing lover and lover, </span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: AppleSystemUIFont; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">The light that loses, the night that
wins;</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: AppleSystemUIFont; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">And time remember'd is grief forgotten,</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: AppleSystemUIFont; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">And frosts are slain and flowers
begotten, </span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: AppleSystemUIFont; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">And in green underwood and cover, </span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: AppleSystemUIFont; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Blossom by blossom
the spring begins." </span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: AppleSystemUIFont; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: AppleSystemUIFont; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"> </span></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO6c3pxyF2Odp1-GaRAEGlffvBRthJeCVKKt1lmg8VnUDTyoW80qFG6IWYiwvsYH0osxuqC2BZ65prOy3Xjs0D-3ZLTHPdVGSPhd9zJweIArdqP-R4Iku4dfU1N8gDaA_LShFI5OJtnZ45itUs0dV4GUXnPaL1LJRvolyXQBaZlfs2W9bkrf8-Ss3tL17S/s3841/IMG_8365.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3841" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO6c3pxyF2Odp1-GaRAEGlffvBRthJeCVKKt1lmg8VnUDTyoW80qFG6IWYiwvsYH0osxuqC2BZ65prOy3Xjs0D-3ZLTHPdVGSPhd9zJweIArdqP-R4Iku4dfU1N8gDaA_LShFI5OJtnZ45itUs0dV4GUXnPaL1LJRvolyXQBaZlfs2W9bkrf8-Ss3tL17S/w315-h400/IMG_8365.jpeg" width="315" /></a></i></div><i><br /> </i><p></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><style>@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:roman;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}@font-face
{font-family:Aptos;
panose-1:2 11 0 4 2 2 2 2 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:swiss;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:536871559 3 0 0 415 0;}@font-face
{font-family:AppleSystemUIFont;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4;
mso-font-alt:Calibri;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:auto;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0in;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;
mso-ascii-font-family:Aptos;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:Aptos;
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Aptos;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;
mso-font-kerning:1.0pt;
mso-ligatures:standardcontextual;}.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
mso-default-props:yes;
mso-ascii-font-family:Aptos;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:Aptos;
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Aptos;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}</style></p>Julie Feinsteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03498011976728882325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153924037290736808.post-31675089018565611442024-03-10T14:17:00.000-07:002024-03-10T14:17:51.971-07:00Spring Forward<p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT2ZkWhOn8kmHh7FmmMbYqpyZdI9XRewRzq_S73JQVJfddunNgBFzhdMocYN7W7h4PagS_Uc67gdpJHY4hny9pI8Pli6PjLLwLsTuJVuLToBQukn6eO5lc-fQyj0Au_eF_2unQZQoElXtxwSKjme2Gly7DcthReYTxlZqvD3di8Sl6DVOfTUl38WZsxDqe/s2048/DSC_5740.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1364" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT2ZkWhOn8kmHh7FmmMbYqpyZdI9XRewRzq_S73JQVJfddunNgBFzhdMocYN7W7h4PagS_Uc67gdpJHY4hny9pI8Pli6PjLLwLsTuJVuLToBQukn6eO5lc-fQyj0Au_eF_2unQZQoElXtxwSKjme2Gly7DcthReYTxlZqvD3di8Sl6DVOfTUl38WZsxDqe/w400-h266/DSC_5740.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Daylight savings time started last night while we slept. There is still time to set your clock ahead one hour. I personnaly am with those who want to move this event to <i>4:00 p.m. </i>on the second<i> FRIDAY</i> of March, not 2:00 a.m. on the second Sunday. </span><span><span style="font-size: small;">Above, March sunlight
casts the shadows of a fence and empty cabanas on the beach at Cape May,
New Jersey. </span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha9GXw0G6BJHom8mOpfUAeAqdXSkQyqEpgzeTOmxpLNiTAey5_KQMtY7DfGv438YHJsjteEmo-SqMPdJqgg1D6wbg0L2bzULmn6FKELzbetXLRzDOKi_jJKyM5tAS5itSNQI4beeSS5uP7Fgmhy8_lzUQSyFsi7aapTnt1CIi57hUXG1LU7GEt4_TJZtuh/s2048/white.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1347" data-original-width="2048" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha9GXw0G6BJHom8mOpfUAeAqdXSkQyqEpgzeTOmxpLNiTAey5_KQMtY7DfGv438YHJsjteEmo-SqMPdJqgg1D6wbg0L2bzULmn6FKELzbetXLRzDOKi_jJKyM5tAS5itSNQI4beeSS5uP7Fgmhy8_lzUQSyFsi7aapTnt1CIi57hUXG1LU7GEt4_TJZtuh/w400-h263/white.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Note that today the sun will set at 7:02 in Philadelphia. Click to enlarge the sun-drenched white and gold crocuses. </span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Julie Feinsteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03498011976728882325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153924037290736808.post-25753406582200436052024-03-03T14:10:00.000-08:002024-03-03T14:14:39.378-08:00Dragons and Lions <p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkHgeWrdN-oZRNN-JnRv-ndHn08puKXBmmG14c-k75LpDoGSyE8vc11FnVzqYQRkn-Advb_BDOcBXmA6r4N-KFxfJXiqFiqkMYbMYxIpjNzsJuh5ANVTwW_rb9Wug-FFv_X21Hr1seTYnV5BMLO2kwj4zE-Z_24bISk_v0HiAvQbPV4nDE6DkvLvbwMA2Q/s4956/1.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3727" data-original-width="4956" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkHgeWrdN-oZRNN-JnRv-ndHn08puKXBmmG14c-k75LpDoGSyE8vc11FnVzqYQRkn-Advb_BDOcBXmA6r4N-KFxfJXiqFiqkMYbMYxIpjNzsJuh5ANVTwW_rb9Wug-FFv_X21Hr1seTYnV5BMLO2kwj4zE-Z_24bISk_v0HiAvQbPV4nDE6DkvLvbwMA2Q/w400-h301/1.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">I promised pictures from last Sunday's Lunar New Year Parade in NYC. Here they are! This dancing dragon looks like he's about to catch the globe that represents the "Pearl of Wisdom." He did not, just continued to follow it on down the parade route through the narrow streets of New York City Chinatown. <br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYUR4ciYRV8Kn8_KlhxGLPQi3g7vkZR-vqG-_rzN9ikAEb_3oYZ1bbfhsTNDiGoLqt8hZA2aE7v5_RlCD1CgAChrQ8L_GLm4qsf-QrqZAiY3Oi4xvP2UxGvD5JHo_fmke_57nT4Ly5LkGUptCbMWXayd91McHOoNdM0ktwqc3BWa-tAQadGphsu_Rzb-oV/s4024/2.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4024" data-original-width="2677" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYUR4ciYRV8Kn8_KlhxGLPQi3g7vkZR-vqG-_rzN9ikAEb_3oYZ1bbfhsTNDiGoLqt8hZA2aE7v5_RlCD1CgAChrQ8L_GLm4qsf-QrqZAiY3Oi4xvP2UxGvD5JHo_fmke_57nT4Ly5LkGUptCbMWXayd91McHOoNdM0ktwqc3BWa-tAQadGphsu_Rzb-oV/w266-h400/2.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Blue dragon!<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT1StTNBwOiMKvt17cxF4jSHfydYXo153ZGz7BArmRRXng28xTXE4KPvnKsoMpjCdbFr7sSW1OwAdfRQEgxGVpGcL-cWY_SEEsEr0n2WxSoZ2Fn78RdGt1Z4Y5Jij1SCALylxs7m4Q_PcMojOHcPzv_Tl1a2n1n8gvdFpMKsAnDTOXpF4PFElGs7zsUkrX/s2327/3.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1548" data-original-width="2327" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT1StTNBwOiMKvt17cxF4jSHfydYXo153ZGz7BArmRRXng28xTXE4KPvnKsoMpjCdbFr7sSW1OwAdfRQEgxGVpGcL-cWY_SEEsEr0n2WxSoZ2Fn78RdGt1Z4Y5Jij1SCALylxs7m4Q_PcMojOHcPzv_Tl1a2n1n8gvdFpMKsAnDTOXpF4PFElGs7zsUkrX/w400-h266/3.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Pink dragon! <br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXYHnebM0D0o51r692LUMkUNA9VPLkiXH1dUrkpNMo9Q6NdSBRSzfy3KRVIaLYEYRcvUI_v0KFym5dcz1jlclaI5gd0G8DWv07P1JIdZg8dcv_678D_d3WZiAckT47ltdVhcj1XQ_3j3bnyVgTWHkhWLUnkOCOJ20F7jgnLu4zADlJQmf5ccZOBptHp95I/s4594/5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4594" data-original-width="3047" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXYHnebM0D0o51r692LUMkUNA9VPLkiXH1dUrkpNMo9Q6NdSBRSzfy3KRVIaLYEYRcvUI_v0KFym5dcz1jlclaI5gd0G8DWv07P1JIdZg8dcv_678D_d3WZiAckT47ltdVhcj1XQ_3j3bnyVgTWHkhWLUnkOCOJ20F7jgnLu4zADlJQmf5ccZOBptHp95I/w265-h400/5.JPG" width="265" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">There
were also many fancy lions. They travel in lion dance teams with
drummers and cymbal players. Lots of noise and fierce dance steps from
the lions.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihLKpLP44r_ipHXdZ-eG4sVFfn5LO0RK4CFZqYTZaFe4tx-GiNyMnNmWMJM3GJy40v8iu5r1yFJLmnZ1hGE03gnTXCMQmZD-MaPRA5Jf3KUUbu9yoC63TyJga00KAAj2tSuMqGYVFMmZW3QFL6bkR9yLrmaHWjAtPnASBb7x8daLCSI16g3K7exHafaBEI/s3067/6.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3067" data-original-width="2515" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihLKpLP44r_ipHXdZ-eG4sVFfn5LO0RK4CFZqYTZaFe4tx-GiNyMnNmWMJM3GJy40v8iu5r1yFJLmnZ1hGE03gnTXCMQmZD-MaPRA5Jf3KUUbu9yoC63TyJga00KAAj2tSuMqGYVFMmZW3QFL6bkR9yLrmaHWjAtPnASBb7x8daLCSI16g3K7exHafaBEI/w328-h400/6.JPG" width="328" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Green lion! <br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGCwz9KRxGmsi1evJGb73yZx2fNdh0v7AG-gYy3hBLyXUVhxtT3IR8xGc0iP3u5g0tKAlBEOd4sf5Pqu0XYos2q7X70xxmPLw2oiMFC5RSRueaU-QHjxslPbJDwyh0JO2SAsl4gtmPG5VuUhhSgvG5DEBfdxmn8xIeG84Oy0Qra8tUGtEv-1kSkY6whopa/s3899/7.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3899" data-original-width="2594" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGCwz9KRxGmsi1evJGb73yZx2fNdh0v7AG-gYy3hBLyXUVhxtT3IR8xGc0iP3u5g0tKAlBEOd4sf5Pqu0XYos2q7X70xxmPLw2oiMFC5RSRueaU-QHjxslPbJDwyh0JO2SAsl4gtmPG5VuUhhSgvG5DEBfdxmn8xIeG84Oy0Qra8tUGtEv-1kSkY6whopa/w266-h400/7.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Click to enlarge. <br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhzqJdoIHiRXkb3TdXjs5XMu6ANNdU4wXuPeukfnxTnAES5qKXZdeZimSv5i0JuCHa2e4eiwG5kACLpbPfBwZhwor7-Rl_YpwN2vNAynU5YWm95x6ZfQIcnOqBixPErYZROSxN1tFCoqtj-DZx1tFPNO8fhEBvr1Wsx58qXrEzuv1toTqEdCwT_ky3fiRw/s4222/8.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4222" data-original-width="2809" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhzqJdoIHiRXkb3TdXjs5XMu6ANNdU4wXuPeukfnxTnAES5qKXZdeZimSv5i0JuCHa2e4eiwG5kACLpbPfBwZhwor7-Rl_YpwN2vNAynU5YWm95x6ZfQIcnOqBixPErYZROSxN1tFCoqtj-DZx1tFPNO8fhEBvr1Wsx58qXrEzuv1toTqEdCwT_ky3fiRw/w266-h400/8.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">This one isn't really blurry, it's shaking it's feathers, ur... its fur. <br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAuisGfjv7dT3sfTVF_m8I8eXgPNG7IGlOr9O45RixgLZtfGtB4LmcHYEl-dSG-1VdR45-x1n8yMvxvClZedGQx98N0YTnC4hFsp9enUZIPCABhs0lcdb9hKWUbXYFq04vCBbEFHEPz3aziPcDV7D-wKoC1rSO2VMmn11TDS3g919E2LYMB_PPrEkrBV6R/s3774/9.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2823" data-original-width="3774" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAuisGfjv7dT3sfTVF_m8I8eXgPNG7IGlOr9O45RixgLZtfGtB4LmcHYEl-dSG-1VdR45-x1n8yMvxvClZedGQx98N0YTnC4hFsp9enUZIPCABhs0lcdb9hKWUbXYFq04vCBbEFHEPz3aziPcDV7D-wKoC1rSO2VMmn11TDS3g919E2LYMB_PPrEkrBV6R/w400-h299/9.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Another action shot. The lions are restless creatures. <br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgATIZ08ayg0OX8S-muMjacfuH8LMv7BVLMI5eenpt1967_7if4fh1ial4iehvvmyuFNYh6rtyFZ-kHFN-OLCloZIkdFxdOLvZEZ3FGjXd66XtKt4cIsVT9xyhHzqETCEj01C-E1uX3yTuy_E5U7ZMAXx8POPRe39omDOFY-V88stJCybyN0JSTs9wwjKTO/s2917/10.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2917" data-original-width="2634" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgATIZ08ayg0OX8S-muMjacfuH8LMv7BVLMI5eenpt1967_7if4fh1ial4iehvvmyuFNYh6rtyFZ-kHFN-OLCloZIkdFxdOLvZEZ3FGjXd66XtKt4cIsVT9xyhHzqETCEj01C-E1uX3yTuy_E5U7ZMAXx8POPRe39omDOFY-V88stJCybyN0JSTs9wwjKTO/w361-h400/10.JPG" width="361" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">There was a lot more to see, like this big-headed guy. <br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQj7OoQ-LruJiqCf_cH5q29UDCqSanBh7-U3N-r4PaEepFIjHeUmGtiPCwylChGK-gH59LTnP3nbptaHdMvu2RsUD1y5IgMuR6u6JsCV4fk5CreCmfjRZXD6x_1UgzreN_wbN8q4510AZLGthWezQOsD2Xh0fQWpTkpOMbEMT9vWP24_c8u8Isf3fFxTjj/s5447/11.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5447" data-original-width="3505" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQj7OoQ-LruJiqCf_cH5q29UDCqSanBh7-U3N-r4PaEepFIjHeUmGtiPCwylChGK-gH59LTnP3nbptaHdMvu2RsUD1y5IgMuR6u6JsCV4fk5CreCmfjRZXD6x_1UgzreN_wbN8q4510AZLGthWezQOsD2Xh0fQWpTkpOMbEMT9vWP24_c8u8Isf3fFxTjj/w258-h400/11.JPG" width="258" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Senator Chuck Schumer makes it to the parade every year. <br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvKbV78FuQRUv1XZeEccR5_B7ABWXY9iJR5dv9nDSANSQQ9kr4eig_YPxT6zwFafmEUuhiSDR3Kb88TzEbK_hoOwr72N1UAwvTYYWbiG93OofrzwRhrC7HRiTbNyvVsVzDVu638aFnkRv4J_0lnqlVw0fm3UB9ET1VEHIiBo9pmafjOOnYqulPTp8TR0yb/s3400/12.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3400" data-original-width="3400" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvKbV78FuQRUv1XZeEccR5_B7ABWXY9iJR5dv9nDSANSQQ9kr4eig_YPxT6zwFafmEUuhiSDR3Kb88TzEbK_hoOwr72N1UAwvTYYWbiG93OofrzwRhrC7HRiTbNyvVsVzDVu638aFnkRv4J_0lnqlVw0fm3UB9ET1VEHIiBo9pmafjOOnYqulPTp8TR0yb/w400-h400/12.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Lots of colorful dancers, floats, marching groups, horses, music, and fancy cars. It is a great parade! <br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDzd5heUx5KaEjqMhIVOoueLecaVcheJXIdVt5BSae_qAHUaZwOMMKXWrOXXh6RAWP7JLl6RrHmPwkF5Vhocj0HQ6EsWq4hyW4K1LmMPR2I01JpBKmUdkiNMNYWGevi3al9Vzk9yc8RDfK2sxeONgRWu80eLexHFPMGxorZOR0QLNmEFjQVWkCqW0ajAnS/s6048/13.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4024" data-original-width="6048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDzd5heUx5KaEjqMhIVOoueLecaVcheJXIdVt5BSae_qAHUaZwOMMKXWrOXXh6RAWP7JLl6RrHmPwkF5Vhocj0HQ6EsWq4hyW4K1LmMPR2I01JpBKmUdkiNMNYWGevi3al9Vzk9yc8RDfK2sxeONgRWu80eLexHFPMGxorZOR0QLNmEFjQVWkCqW0ajAnS/w400-h266/13.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">And the location, among all of the restaurants of Chinatown, means that the parade snacks are fabulous and easy to find. There is nothing better than a big plate of hot fried dumplings on a cold NY afternoon.</span> <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Julie Feinsteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03498011976728882325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153924037290736808.post-44392655960431342192024-02-24T16:15:00.000-08:002024-02-24T16:15:36.670-08:00Happy Year of the Dragon! <p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGtuKCY_pk7s8mY4ipLrpDHElXGW4yEL6IoqUH6hq_ZRyTXIGwlfJr6cC9JXokp33-KaSprwaEC7HxCocnJdpcikPrx-6ZfM3daLa-59fd4DzAbqixQiF0kyb892pfgAL6MkwFV0bFJ7BM01RJfvEejB8IrInLCJ7MGv22UwRDUfplGeqPZbZQZ5GZv_IW/s2048/2%20copy.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1785" data-original-width="2048" height="349" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGtuKCY_pk7s8mY4ipLrpDHElXGW4yEL6IoqUH6hq_ZRyTXIGwlfJr6cC9JXokp33-KaSprwaEC7HxCocnJdpcikPrx-6ZfM3daLa-59fd4DzAbqixQiF0kyb892pfgAL6MkwFV0bFJ7BM01RJfvEejB8IrInLCJ7MGv22UwRDUfplGeqPZbZQZ5GZv_IW/w400-h349/2%20copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Lunar new year celebrations are about to come to an end with the first full moon of the year, tonight, February 24, 2024. I usually write a blog on Sunday, but I'm posting this early, so I can spend Sunday at the parade in New York City. There will be dragons, like this one from last year. I love this parade! Click to enlarge. <br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9czyEsPSxOCnG29cq1hDutJJZqZ6mEUW3RqN4qSkw2zfhve0sYSmfWkxw0z3GPv-OkwWKUIl1R2UTDtP-GZYt7fRl67xC7FE70vU6qNMEy94lHz_s2LKS6pdOJvxDu8Tc9XMRfbhmjfM7t6uWT8ByzLN9zoO0InL3sZ2DD4PBXr7Gv7zMwM_O0l6t2P9L/s2048/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1364" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9czyEsPSxOCnG29cq1hDutJJZqZ6mEUW3RqN4qSkw2zfhve0sYSmfWkxw0z3GPv-OkwWKUIl1R2UTDtP-GZYt7fRl67xC7FE70vU6qNMEy94lHz_s2LKS6pdOJvxDu8Tc9XMRfbhmjfM7t6uWT8ByzLN9zoO0InL3sZ2DD4PBXr7Gv7zMwM_O0l6t2P9L/w266-h400/3.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Gotta love the lions, too. I'll be back next week with parade highlights.<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Julie Feinsteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03498011976728882325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153924037290736808.post-65894092854738778762024-02-18T13:07:00.000-08:002024-02-18T14:36:32.624-08:00Sights of the Season<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguIEiwbMotrtnCer7rtrrAwSRhHXg6qN71C_P_ZzdTaP0fS3THREudqHUFzT7HrsgrX_IMWONRDugv8QVsvnNiDO-6nQTSkpEpIovBet-zSx6jDnB3Ow32sRMniQueMGi14zKjzK0sykeSYM6BJ_23HDrtwzeCz50D07hGfXR-L2SgpZXJ1Oaq6pNoSKR5/s4449/1.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2960" data-original-width="4449" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguIEiwbMotrtnCer7rtrrAwSRhHXg6qN71C_P_ZzdTaP0fS3THREudqHUFzT7HrsgrX_IMWONRDugv8QVsvnNiDO-6nQTSkpEpIovBet-zSx6jDnB3Ow32sRMniQueMGi14zKjzK0sykeSYM6BJ_23HDrtwzeCz50D07hGfXR-L2SgpZXJ1Oaq6pNoSKR5/w400-h266/1.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">It snowed! But that did not keep the witch hazel from blooming. Click to enlarge. <br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyK8A7n9brOzXv_ck6Qv9KWQf6XuaFpdvqJ5vwvNi2vcflJhgOheTCIqLi8S3YnywK3paqSWij5uWABtfz7S1CF11ck_HcQPyWhFdMNBfqEpq5tYp8oWJIYnyu0xEDRscMenIrICqAiEFoSzHsrz7zlWpdn_mtQAPXh0SkcPJx54diR_OvvMMCJu4WRPxi/s6048/2.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4024" data-original-width="6048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyK8A7n9brOzXv_ck6Qv9KWQf6XuaFpdvqJ5vwvNi2vcflJhgOheTCIqLi8S3YnywK3paqSWij5uWABtfz7S1CF11ck_HcQPyWhFdMNBfqEpq5tYp8oWJIYnyu0xEDRscMenIrICqAiEFoSzHsrz7zlWpdn_mtQAPXh0SkcPJx54diR_OvvMMCJu4WRPxi/w400-h266/2.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Then it snowed again. <br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR7tx239EHq6qGFOnWlzgL519qcMbNnPaLJvHCbaTMy_mg9SGDK4ZlmKfo4yj2eOK__3ukAqBIrUt5EPFSVL_2RpaKxmDOLAjadjCJEpPEPTzZgXUawdx0ZN49-Ij9eSNoIFd4rGbgOuubrZpYFZsGtREVoCJblXT2duSaURhb2PMllSqdWQESk1SyIKFM/s4024/3.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4024" data-original-width="4024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR7tx239EHq6qGFOnWlzgL519qcMbNnPaLJvHCbaTMy_mg9SGDK4ZlmKfo4yj2eOK__3ukAqBIrUt5EPFSVL_2RpaKxmDOLAjadjCJEpPEPTzZgXUawdx0ZN49-Ij9eSNoIFd4rGbgOuubrZpYFZsGtREVoCJblXT2duSaURhb2PMllSqdWQESk1SyIKFM/w400-h400/3.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The daffodils carried on, pushing toward spring. <br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB0SDv701Wa72JUQ73lRpUnWynkkIZ7qm-dJpJiOtdFk5txI0HWp10Wm1aLg2wFxtsoew4l7hRljYkzjDzBu1TIIHAZpUEGlI3gCcjNw3j5g9zlkG0fb0_kyOE_okIqb7-j1wyKvsOCaz90bRsTTLpgeUOfKse57Vz2yCY8I3qrPOeokY0DrPMEAVvPaQd/s5291/2.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3520" data-original-width="5291" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB0SDv701Wa72JUQ73lRpUnWynkkIZ7qm-dJpJiOtdFk5txI0HWp10Wm1aLg2wFxtsoew4l7hRljYkzjDzBu1TIIHAZpUEGlI3gCcjNw3j5g9zlkG0fb0_kyOE_okIqb7-j1wyKvsOCaz90bRsTTLpgeUOfKse57Vz2yCY8I3qrPOeokY0DrPMEAVvPaQd/w400-h266/2.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Crocuses are built to withstand it. <br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipv_WrhrC8t_ROfib5S9bwrjvT7BhSB83RREidOhKUeHN0szesLABrRyx4hOGgAq5ucrfywz2hVfsyKMQqAWyGhsQg2Ka-hwpdA9NnJ2qXZblNh_XIu1Kys86NtqO8bsgE_Pbf7UuGeVUbKZWc1aFRxTRGjtsSBRnuZLGyG1Il2I052tnzdpnFOm9ntH_t/s4024/5.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4024" data-original-width="4024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipv_WrhrC8t_ROfib5S9bwrjvT7BhSB83RREidOhKUeHN0szesLABrRyx4hOGgAq5ucrfywz2hVfsyKMQqAWyGhsQg2Ka-hwpdA9NnJ2qXZblNh_XIu1Kys86NtqO8bsgE_Pbf7UuGeVUbKZWc1aFRxTRGjtsSBRnuZLGyG1Il2I052tnzdpnFOm9ntH_t/w400-h400/5.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Holly actually looks prettier with a shawl of snow and ice. <br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh01TCpbpiJmLqW3UBhaFh78O42Qe1-xk-snsea17YwdywxZpvVW0T4kq6N7-fddvR59mh_RH2mANk-TBrnX_eFbbn059qD4wdjtpMEIoFtdW880txxDkB4zINGquSg5ZOO1Nc6jWR3dSJXXYRFKBvOxVq9_9WL5vTFKtOaOZqwN9vTbHV6Lk96AsQNB1Jq/s6048/6.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4024" data-original-width="6048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh01TCpbpiJmLqW3UBhaFh78O42Qe1-xk-snsea17YwdywxZpvVW0T4kq6N7-fddvR59mh_RH2mANk-TBrnX_eFbbn059qD4wdjtpMEIoFtdW880txxDkB4zINGquSg5ZOO1Nc6jWR3dSJXXYRFKBvOxVq9_9WL5vTFKtOaOZqwN9vTbHV6Lk96AsQNB1Jq/w400-h266/6.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The snow was beautiful. It's practically all gone. <br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh01x9CSOs8uxallz2GFZOTdFEFp7HOcD9dqER3Kwb9ZOfCuYxfaptiFpHZq8kQUQ8NwXlRKgpzsrkH-pbGGk3lJqLLeOqfCc8ZlAC8KU-_WHnOM3Hk717qzaGNeKUvAHDK3Z0aaG-oUO7PaKFjvYG59IhvltusrLXtD1d53zaL3mOHEbrVaQTUsVZftU3Y/s3024/7.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgISppEAe0EKLPOceusavY_yHSZecjSfpmwf54fZVgmtaDx7QRqYa2C_DbTJiOGDCs3xEyyXQLSyp_EuDvZDWUozhz6nAadyRM0EU6FyexqXMtpz6ko1ZWsvpUK53zKlBJoIh7fTUKxSNpW8j8j8guqavjZoN-F6Wyn5LyOnqSnwkYWz1fA50y1zgbRs8iv/s3024/7.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgISppEAe0EKLPOceusavY_yHSZecjSfpmwf54fZVgmtaDx7QRqYa2C_DbTJiOGDCs3xEyyXQLSyp_EuDvZDWUozhz6nAadyRM0EU6FyexqXMtpz6ko1ZWsvpUK53zKlBJoIh7fTUKxSNpW8j8j8guqavjZoN-F6Wyn5LyOnqSnwkYWz1fA50y1zgbRs8iv/w400-h400/7.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Yesterday these snowdrops were under a few inches of snow.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />Julie Feinsteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03498011976728882325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153924037290736808.post-53509007094237069382024-02-11T13:06:00.000-08:002024-03-17T10:44:27.236-07:00Dekay's Brown Snake Sighting<p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHLOc9oqpzRY9FnJ5kA1nathsatlxGG0OYmDcaKzpveDfSJ1Bza6cSA0TIhYLuUSZE8BJ1aIdIvXHjaHL4oBPYIUtL6q9VXkrRyUNcOyBaffj_Nvur0pg4WTpW-b_ZRpUQWs2mIvAiKHel2pH4bkVht9zDImiE3kPocUWbOuuKbFmQ9CBJODtwCmcML3Kr/s3780/1.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3780" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHLOc9oqpzRY9FnJ5kA1nathsatlxGG0OYmDcaKzpveDfSJ1Bza6cSA0TIhYLuUSZE8BJ1aIdIvXHjaHL4oBPYIUtL6q9VXkrRyUNcOyBaffj_Nvur0pg4WTpW-b_ZRpUQWs2mIvAiKHel2pH4bkVht9zDImiE3kPocUWbOuuKbFmQ9CBJODtwCmcML3Kr/w320-h400/1.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">I saw this little snake in my yard today. It's the first snake of the 2024 for me. It was in danger of getting stepped on where it was, so I gave it a ride in my hand. Initially, I thought it was a garter snake. A reader pointed out my mistake. Thanks! <br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjikJfh_T-CIeytTojt3QQN8K8iGm0Rq4bvRuVBLP_Lg0UpSaSDNXOhzw9Wtl3SOVxi_taX9qk2BtBTMVINWsxsw22EYtaYjzJ_H7tP3jQoZwqVPXzpI8TgIXMfTiVNuViSvtVb49k8ZSvhv24ECmYfaAzK5Kmn9eDdS2kBuBgboa8KIzEsozjBv9NoLvD4/s3780/2.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3780" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjikJfh_T-CIeytTojt3QQN8K8iGm0Rq4bvRuVBLP_Lg0UpSaSDNXOhzw9Wtl3SOVxi_taX9qk2BtBTMVINWsxsw22EYtaYjzJ_H7tP3jQoZwqVPXzpI8TgIXMfTiVNuViSvtVb49k8ZSvhv24ECmYfaAzK5Kmn9eDdS2kBuBgboa8KIzEsozjBv9NoLvD4/w320-h400/2.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">To a less-traveled spot with leaves to blend into and slide under. Click to enlarge. Cute face! <br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Julie Feinsteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03498011976728882325noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153924037290736808.post-74695157466209076622024-02-04T15:52:00.000-08:002024-02-04T15:52:22.753-08:00The Midpoint of Winter<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggKEMeSu8OR1rnZ4JVb_0hTon23xkqYqbmrKBHRFzdiJi9cVBi0wtj8kSTLnjD4BeA1Pib1sgNWMv5IjzNvEB9-U9cutLv92nn4QkqJ4oWFDsbfEM5ju9M5lV4d_v9jDy3pLZ2QU5fE8YDCbxlJqtZUNY5EruSpCkz5vVdRn9LzlLTMPrQnv_Zs8AwZ9_0/s2048/robin.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1356" data-original-width="2048" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggKEMeSu8OR1rnZ4JVb_0hTon23xkqYqbmrKBHRFzdiJi9cVBi0wtj8kSTLnjD4BeA1Pib1sgNWMv5IjzNvEB9-U9cutLv92nn4QkqJ4oWFDsbfEM5ju9M5lV4d_v9jDy3pLZ2QU5fE8YDCbxlJqtZUNY5EruSpCkz5vVdRn9LzlLTMPrQnv_Zs8AwZ9_0/w400-h265/robin.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">We just passed the midpoint of winter, February 1, which is halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. Yay! If we were ancient Celts we would have just celebrated the holiday of Imbolc.</span> <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYKOHLL1aM30Kc6h2DSItDA8PFPv7qLhbfJbsv9AIcTcsgGkWZGRWAbTpQtNb8wHgnONQmAeeJWV0_74buAHr2vo12ba5grJHs1vLQQOpmyhvLyPOgNoKlU_f5dawBy9q-guZQRS-CrPv6v3hZk0oeeTXXJZRrKBD3mYdRdyGZYOvi_S2J3kKRYc8NsTiU/s2048/2.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1370" data-original-width="2048" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYKOHLL1aM30Kc6h2DSItDA8PFPv7qLhbfJbsv9AIcTcsgGkWZGRWAbTpQtNb8wHgnONQmAeeJWV0_74buAHr2vo12ba5grJHs1vLQQOpmyhvLyPOgNoKlU_f5dawBy9q-guZQRS-CrPv6v3hZk0oeeTXXJZRrKBD3mYdRdyGZYOvi_S2J3kKRYc8NsTiU/w400-h268/2.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">And if we were celebrating Imbolc, we might have checked around to see if any snakes had come out of their burrows to predict the duration of winter weather in accordance with the legend. <br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivlRa6xohQryrxEDeWI8AI2fTkKXTo35YtWETHpWvm-iyD6Uudm3ZmFNoz21c5MRacl6e6PG6I-J95Wt3dADPur9e6ALdFkabGJu3Wh-Y8xGkZZQOX81vl3tNiC9JqFqITLaMWGcCqQmTiMxUifqxV4J5gQsHrjHGlV34CBH4z9HcFVT0xH5ktoEp21GsA/s2048/groundhog%202.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1371" data-original-width="2048" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivlRa6xohQryrxEDeWI8AI2fTkKXTo35YtWETHpWvm-iyD6Uudm3ZmFNoz21c5MRacl6e6PG6I-J95Wt3dADPur9e6ALdFkabGJu3Wh-Y8xGkZZQOX81vl3tNiC9JqFqITLaMWGcCqQmTiMxUifqxV4J5gQsHrjHGlV34CBH4z9HcFVT0xH5ktoEp21GsA/w400-h268/groundhog%202.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Wait -- we still do that on Groundhog Day, but with groundhogs instead of snakes, right? Turns out that they are equally good at meteorological prognostication. The 2024 groundhog did not see it's shadow. That foretells a smooth path to an early spring. The National Weather Service is predicting the same thing. Let the gardening begin! </span> <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG0DDvvocNZ3mIx_Vcl-atW6XXApUtpctwLC0SBnXcmyeQ6rIwnyo2TCpGjxanGleT0HVmD32ijPcf3hopn0xbGnzd2TVemct1kaw5Q9uWwidXW98kkfWsOA8-TyobTidIuattdSBy0yJbY75L7k-fhWsCUD_lQq38MpszMXcRdvn8Zl6BYxKLOTp7_7Ps/s2048/5.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG0DDvvocNZ3mIx_Vcl-atW6XXApUtpctwLC0SBnXcmyeQ6rIwnyo2TCpGjxanGleT0HVmD32ijPcf3hopn0xbGnzd2TVemct1kaw5Q9uWwidXW98kkfWsOA8-TyobTidIuattdSBy0yJbY75L7k-fhWsCUD_lQq38MpszMXcRdvn8Zl6BYxKLOTp7_7Ps/w400-h266/5.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Also, February 2 was Candlemas Day for Christians. The holiday occurs 40 days after Christmas and according to some marks the end of the Christmas season. One of the nice things about Candlemas is that there is a high probability of being able to eat pancakes or tamales. <br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizoALDPXIT5iMr1sEGWhOL3bCk2IsmS-KurKlfADytrWvLulejPaw5K5eq33dHvvx68ue_rQhcHlImlcydeC3s28rQKsIDUOJ4MqbLh4EeS668W2l5CAmPyiQOdifQFSdCcywHt3Yvr40aW4w4V0iB1O5QLdXk9l4php88Xwp4jgTnlq-vAGwPFW1Y6hWM/s2048/2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1357" data-original-width="2048" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizoALDPXIT5iMr1sEGWhOL3bCk2IsmS-KurKlfADytrWvLulejPaw5K5eq33dHvvx68ue_rQhcHlImlcydeC3s28rQKsIDUOJ4MqbLh4EeS668W2l5CAmPyiQOdifQFSdCcywHt3Yvr40aW4w4V0iB1O5QLdXk9l4php88Xwp4jgTnlq-vAGwPFW1Y6hWM/w400-h265/2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">These winter-blooming snowdrop flowers are also known as Candlemas flowers. They are winter-hardy early bloomers that will push
up through snow and frozen ground to appear in time for Candlemas. Mine
are always on time. Click to enlarge. <br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvmSHfv_xYiLogdPLzp0whzi80RYJIAF4_J0srUqJ75a8SZbs10IRpxkW1tGJ9TmjlECdPgVPsAlEjJIMQVYNZ0yDaxfDtnPH1jFZVFVo5RkWdX7fgY2g8v_Gb4jxopAtW1smHcvsbhBeHS_Z0-9hBf_eUTuHrKmXBz85rWycutEtifhY4qVDFlFt3NW_Y/s4999/1.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3326" data-original-width="4999" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvmSHfv_xYiLogdPLzp0whzi80RYJIAF4_J0srUqJ75a8SZbs10IRpxkW1tGJ9TmjlECdPgVPsAlEjJIMQVYNZ0yDaxfDtnPH1jFZVFVo5RkWdX7fgY2g8v_Gb4jxopAtW1smHcvsbhBeHS_Z0-9hBf_eUTuHrKmXBz85rWycutEtifhY4qVDFlFt3NW_Y/w400-h266/1.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Also note that there are crocuses blooming in my yard right now. Local sunset will be at 5:23 today and 5:24 tomorrow. <br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR9NBTUCEwER1iuZ0dLC5qCVzqBnY3yvslVAR2xMtHqRkk0a3p9xWqJgw0d6vwGi-m89F_Ikez4G4Vl7q1TRtHhq9f9TV5m0QqMtXiSRUbpuy1akHpYTa5hqt81YMbilf_sd6EhH0t_0Xm-OCg6sFWZ4SIdcU_uEMmEhqjcNIkeE3fHzb58GS-eWtiMMGp/s2048/crow2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1357" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR9NBTUCEwER1iuZ0dLC5qCVzqBnY3yvslVAR2xMtHqRkk0a3p9xWqJgw0d6vwGi-m89F_Ikez4G4Vl7q1TRtHhq9f9TV5m0QqMtXiSRUbpuy1akHpYTa5hqt81YMbilf_sd6EhH0t_0Xm-OCg6sFWZ4SIdcU_uEMmEhqjcNIkeE3fHzb58GS-eWtiMMGp/w265-h400/crow2.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">So, even though it may have seemed like an uneventful week, it was not. <br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Julie Feinsteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03498011976728882325noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153924037290736808.post-48032223749805556572024-01-28T08:31:00.000-08:002024-01-28T08:31:42.868-08:00First Crocus Flowers! <p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQYpa05zXINQGqIVTCER5SPI0Ig36a_MPQI6SimQwHUmdHVMMNIUBLucaK3iL3emK1fpGJQA9ETpWwM3k4WvnkTiqRUglHiQEAyjouhcLwiWHEgxHOUB_jq5adbauAVzIPzuXfifgGDOlASYOq38oiptpr_BAi7fD2mWLj-xtzjk8Xk0Wp4_mO8ztuw_eG/s4999/1.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3326" data-original-width="4999" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQYpa05zXINQGqIVTCER5SPI0Ig36a_MPQI6SimQwHUmdHVMMNIUBLucaK3iL3emK1fpGJQA9ETpWwM3k4WvnkTiqRUglHiQEAyjouhcLwiWHEgxHOUB_jq5adbauAVzIPzuXfifgGDOlASYOq38oiptpr_BAi7fD2mWLj-xtzjk8Xk0Wp4_mO8ztuw_eG/w400-h266/1.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">I found crocuses in my yard yesterday. A beautiful sight! Click to enlarge. </span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: center;">To celebrate, the poem <b>Hocus Pocus </b>by Lilja Rogers: </p><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><b> "First, a howling blizzard woke us, </b></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><b> </b></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><b>Then the rain came down to soak us, </b></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><b> </b></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><b>And now before the eye can focus – </b></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><b> </b></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><b>Crocus.”</b></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i> </i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEithmXmuM-tgHb3c1BWwvaQ5z7Ny_fnVhHJkG6pM37Bncerd_rMtp0lviEP5DSf5OWW7QM8PO69sPwmnrjBXI7BMTVa9F5LrA5IyY33tA26YFHdTTkSrD1-cCAtQNayZo_TNrNG2GjbeLOSRpx9cnvQPfZTDqcMlkReIHGZKlnaVugX3yM9qZqGRh1b8NUn/s2927/2.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2927" data-original-width="2635" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEithmXmuM-tgHb3c1BWwvaQ5z7Ny_fnVhHJkG6pM37Bncerd_rMtp0lviEP5DSf5OWW7QM8PO69sPwmnrjBXI7BMTVa9F5LrA5IyY33tA26YFHdTTkSrD1-cCAtQNayZo_TNrNG2GjbeLOSRpx9cnvQPfZTDqcMlkReIHGZKlnaVugX3yM9qZqGRh1b8NUn/w360-h400/2.JPG" width="360" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">A second cluster! Beginning the days-to-spring countdown now at 51. <br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> </i></b></div>Julie Feinsteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03498011976728882325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153924037290736808.post-32347756976129940302024-01-21T07:04:00.000-08:002024-01-21T07:13:42.769-08:00Snow at Last! <p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis4kGNR1y_zfpjEOaNUltNn9eZBgtoi5Gqo-VxQ_S9ipP7fvaBbJrVPz6ntXgdbscUoEibkuecdgSRmSIreQDocDJdn2xpvDPw3aT1onx1ooS_AD9CaXVDB7xEFxVH-8uiXMd6r9PtY4FgFaFGrdk-Wp1ilRd977qXDQ50oLQ-koA9sS9VyAnjnbThLAXw/s2048/2018-03-07%2015.30.38.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1356" data-original-width="2048" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis4kGNR1y_zfpjEOaNUltNn9eZBgtoi5Gqo-VxQ_S9ipP7fvaBbJrVPz6ntXgdbscUoEibkuecdgSRmSIreQDocDJdn2xpvDPw3aT1onx1ooS_AD9CaXVDB7xEFxVH-8uiXMd6r9PtY4FgFaFGrdk-Wp1ilRd977qXDQ50oLQ-koA9sS9VyAnjnbThLAXw/w400-h265/2018-03-07%2015.30.38.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">A big snow storm happened here in South Jersey this week for the first time in a couple of years. Yay! Click to enlarge. <br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiViM1gBs3e_JRVvy9zHGf4eT0tb2l1UU4lknWaYT-V6JQ1eYGR3RjvPfSM5AVoHRonVy21RWsan9d_ak11bCPTpqk3_uWdghDLmeFEwXWwpzG0kwu33bsXLRQ6lrT-bNgX0goYJpRmQrwpwRBExJgip-iyJIfBA2PUC36NuvkDfi3ESd7Y-TDzn8Ok6wU/s2957/IMG_7915.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2957" data-original-width="2218" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiViM1gBs3e_JRVvy9zHGf4eT0tb2l1UU4lknWaYT-V6JQ1eYGR3RjvPfSM5AVoHRonVy21RWsan9d_ak11bCPTpqk3_uWdghDLmeFEwXWwpzG0kwu33bsXLRQ6lrT-bNgX0goYJpRmQrwpwRBExJgip-iyJIfBA2PUC36NuvkDfi3ESd7Y-TDzn8Ok6wU/w300-h400/IMG_7915.jpeg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">My street has become a path through the winter kingdom. <br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9e4eKSmNYN7sgjOyO7MM3V3CD1fNezr_GhQdgRj6D6HggkYoPwNUfnDqsCtUUFMn1k0Voxuq3UwpJ2pbjihXgKBCgPxCNV9_9MhBJchWCO0X8hIOWXd_TteWLlXeXU3z4x_kmkbSPHxxpyw73YkUyf8rLsB2GOv18iGn65XO42_IBQ_BBt1iIWa8fJ3kH/s3024/IMG_7917.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9e4eKSmNYN7sgjOyO7MM3V3CD1fNezr_GhQdgRj6D6HggkYoPwNUfnDqsCtUUFMn1k0Voxuq3UwpJ2pbjihXgKBCgPxCNV9_9MhBJchWCO0X8hIOWXd_TteWLlXeXU3z4x_kmkbSPHxxpyw73YkUyf8rLsB2GOv18iGn65XO42_IBQ_BBt1iIWa8fJ3kH/w400-h400/IMG_7917.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The trees have been sugared. </span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQhsj9ytJ18W-sdMHSFlfXS2Hqrst-N3Dg2WUeJKM_5Ln6ANxSrlLdWnqpTES-pask_f8CqECfL0uoLdOdtkT3zIRm05V6oxm5zpL1wwUixC9Tv0XArnI0MIB5vUHgjWV96HGkS4PofYn0V0C6nf9ETtOpj3gof7ngncEkzxE9YdhT1VSQTTWaW_sFTErv/s4032/IMG_7908.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQhsj9ytJ18W-sdMHSFlfXS2Hqrst-N3Dg2WUeJKM_5Ln6ANxSrlLdWnqpTES-pask_f8CqECfL0uoLdOdtkT3zIRm05V6oxm5zpL1wwUixC9Tv0XArnI0MIB5vUHgjWV96HGkS4PofYn0V0C6nf9ETtOpj3gof7ngncEkzxE9YdhT1VSQTTWaW_sFTErv/w300-h400/IMG_7908.jpeg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Jack Frost touched all of our lights! <br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnRrwZ9pJkSaTMRWRlg_eWH3vcaYxx50hPUTjd7r1xpiI3XwjSWVkLuMsbzJ_z7qT1r3aKMfp9Nivhu6J0sdBNiXFVmiDyTyZpRaa6wRKf4prZRt03UltIpCefVeNZr8RPHs7ZYsa-RbxY1YAyBdLXA3ylSS0aOQEbfN604GJfHrj7jHg-6kJpAwDUFOeV/s4032/IMG_7908.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></a></div><br />Julie Feinsteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03498011976728882325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153924037290736808.post-66100221548780316012024-01-14T10:43:00.000-08:002024-01-14T10:43:11.272-08:00Snowdrops are Blooming <p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_-oJJbbu8KObUTQJe6CTXVisnbWhE2nvFs0oqTevSW5cr4YzxClw2i6QicfIbUQ8ocj5qsmSkhE_-m_o-gzM2wu4Jc_bwOWWF1lj5K0uKDuU86dXLYx4dX8DxFubHoG2MXquLYbrI_Lr8yzBl_bXnpfsfqd2pZodMuGWu7qe_I4xAB0NqiXJF69kWkPNP/s3024/IMG_7869.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="2779" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_-oJJbbu8KObUTQJe6CTXVisnbWhE2nvFs0oqTevSW5cr4YzxClw2i6QicfIbUQ8ocj5qsmSkhE_-m_o-gzM2wu4Jc_bwOWWF1lj5K0uKDuU86dXLYx4dX8DxFubHoG2MXquLYbrI_Lr8yzBl_bXnpfsfqd2pZodMuGWu7qe_I4xAB0NqiXJF69kWkPNP/w368-h400/IMG_7869.jpeg" width="368" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Snowdrops are blooming in my neighborhood again. They are, as usual, the first flowers of the year. Click to enlarge. </span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4saHNUeVX_LqGgMg0VqE8zxX3n-hKmcSJ4J5bshuTv3BtEPDjdtn5-HAkvs6JkzgKOOt7cRBzZJV32ZoH2vyFxT0XBH09JE-9vn3UdQyK5YFYRD-BgxD2wwVb-zMBuMCiZqRPxLYUzo-I8ykUUJfNc_WI0oHK0WTrVpBN4pqZc5cpGBr7-iTmpgNsu5DS/s2048/after%20.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1305" data-original-width="2048" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4saHNUeVX_LqGgMg0VqE8zxX3n-hKmcSJ4J5bshuTv3BtEPDjdtn5-HAkvs6JkzgKOOt7cRBzZJV32ZoH2vyFxT0XBH09JE-9vn3UdQyK5YFYRD-BgxD2wwVb-zMBuMCiZqRPxLYUzo-I8ykUUJfNc_WI0oHK0WTrVpBN4pqZc5cpGBr7-iTmpgNsu5DS/w400-h255/after%20.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">It's not easy for a flower to bloom here in January.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> Snowdrops have strong leaf tips that let them push up through
frozen soil and snow. </span><span style="font-size: small;">They
produce proteins that act like biological antifreeze to keep their sap
from freezing.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKFh9Ri8egz7gLjlVNdb1eOwc5kvHYTtQj7Xn31rfnK2Q7bZyfrt5BCyL84C7wnKZOJ96DzLjn4rdJHr_sXKmrJmn08WjoesRGQtEIPbWbWz0QRq3HuJD2KpJOCNiKi7_N8WqTihjMBmU0haMUgsnQJfNRERFyn6Hjo93AdN0lxwAVME_oaprUfPWK6RCF/s4221/4.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2808" data-original-width="4221" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKFh9Ri8egz7gLjlVNdb1eOwc5kvHYTtQj7Xn31rfnK2Q7bZyfrt5BCyL84C7wnKZOJ96DzLjn4rdJHr_sXKmrJmn08WjoesRGQtEIPbWbWz0QRq3HuJD2KpJOCNiKi7_N8WqTihjMBmU0haMUgsnQJfNRERFyn6Hjo93AdN0lxwAVME_oaprUfPWK6RCF/w400-h266/4.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">They usually reproduce asexually from bulbs dividing underground. Too cold for bees? No problem. Although later in snowdrop season I usually do see insects around them. <br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-WcbTtJWK36P22UqZrkNaFWrer8VKd38MYjKQdL0rKSjBYskB4H__v5gJZ3HZkpOuMIMwVxRJ-fAo5jHj-02GJzGdpxjjvYn_K2ufQP8ugbbslNgXjT5fbpgixaRLGNKC8V1KhmcmRB1u5-7dkOr2sNRVL3bajChxehTyU5pIx2UJJH4q0sqZWJScAtwv/s2048/2.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1362" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-WcbTtJWK36P22UqZrkNaFWrer8VKd38MYjKQdL0rKSjBYskB4H__v5gJZ3HZkpOuMIMwVxRJ-fAo5jHj-02GJzGdpxjjvYn_K2ufQP8ugbbslNgXjT5fbpgixaRLGNKC8V1KhmcmRB1u5-7dkOr2sNRVL3bajChxehTyU5pIx2UJJH4q0sqZWJScAtwv/w266-h400/2.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Snowdrops are also called Candlemas bells for blooming around the time of the Christian feast of Candlemas on February 2nd. This year, again, they are on schedule. We are sure to have more cold weather. But if the snowdrops are here -- can spring be far away?<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Julie Feinsteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03498011976728882325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153924037290736808.post-84684384361210476352024-01-07T10:38:00.000-08:002024-01-07T14:56:46.581-08:00Creature of the Year Award 2023<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQW0A_Q4QSojSHP1Jex-I6k2XN0j0t6dBM5Xnnm8tYI2KVZ5YV2c9OhpLzKMHLz797A-ZQtJNcqYWrG_0D_byXGxsRDDi4-v-GE-0S0gt3Abq5qZ0mOOHYUQQD6LhBomT7rrXvsADu7AnVP_Xh802ZGFCdVq6nlvlDXX1HZubmiGWG4O_FIRc8C9zM8eUI/s2658/1.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1768" data-original-width="2658" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQW0A_Q4QSojSHP1Jex-I6k2XN0j0t6dBM5Xnnm8tYI2KVZ5YV2c9OhpLzKMHLz797A-ZQtJNcqYWrG_0D_byXGxsRDDi4-v-GE-0S0gt3Abq5qZ0mOOHYUQQD6LhBomT7rrXvsADu7AnVP_Xh802ZGFCdVq6nlvlDXX1HZubmiGWG4O_FIRc8C9zM8eUI/w400-h266/1.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Congratulations to the winner of the 2023 Urban Wildlife Guide Creature of the Year Award, the common buckeye butterfly! This false-eye-flashing beauty was featured in October's "Buckeye Butterflies" blog. <a href="http://www.urbanwildlifeguide.net/2023/10/buckeye-butterflies.html" target="_blank">Click on this sentence to revisit that blog.</a> Take a bow, tricky butterfly! Click on the photo to enlarge. </span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfdJPAHsfXxk3vL6-L-Czd6xCdrO2CyrdzBvF_Cyhq-UIFGhDhRY3yscen4f82smCZd1_DS7auV0duD61N6jhuket2mkK9U4lMsaAKJzqjlzfzcMBdzpRThX4lH8mqlB470NgwuX_m7XSIEgDmPRw-qpT1Lkp2JxoNUaPX6XadQUc9FIKX1zxhTZfv1BGn/s6048/3.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4024" data-original-width="6048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfdJPAHsfXxk3vL6-L-Czd6xCdrO2CyrdzBvF_Cyhq-UIFGhDhRY3yscen4f82smCZd1_DS7auV0duD61N6jhuket2mkK9U4lMsaAKJzqjlzfzcMBdzpRThX4lH8mqlB470NgwuX_m7XSIEgDmPRw-qpT1Lkp2JxoNUaPX6XadQUc9FIKX1zxhTZfv1BGn/w400-h266/3.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">In the event that buckeye butterfly is unable to fulfill the duties of creature-of-the-year, the first runner up, juicy delicious New Jersey peaches, will step in. This is the first time in the history of the contest that a fruit has been chosen (or should we say <b>picked</b>?). <a href="http://www.urbanwildlifeguide.net/2023/08/picking-peaches.html" target="_blank">Click here to visit the peach blog. </a></span><a href="http://www.urbanwildlifeguide.net/2023/08/picking-peaches.html" target="_blank"><br /></a></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqQoeO_ol0uQ7qjxsOXJHuXBKUZBNLklJdgFjXOaiCYNMRY0qLq73CC6Rhh3AVGn1f94aQGXlvb83ZaMN_KXwg6SfS97-0KTcc7WAiHs3KJ4_geoUc3FhtE0VcI9V31mku1cuzdt0GCasaszctVy4WPPRgt5n_35bCCtH-hl2smUpoUCuZXd4TMIbJPzeZ/s4020/IMG_7581.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4020" data-original-width="2260" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqQoeO_ol0uQ7qjxsOXJHuXBKUZBNLklJdgFjXOaiCYNMRY0qLq73CC6Rhh3AVGn1f94aQGXlvb83ZaMN_KXwg6SfS97-0KTcc7WAiHs3KJ4_geoUc3FhtE0VcI9V31mku1cuzdt0GCasaszctVy4WPPRgt5n_35bCCtH-hl2smUpoUCuZXd4TMIbJPzeZ/w225-h400/IMG_7581.jpeg" width="225" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">In closing, we wish to honor the 2023 passing of Chase T. Cat. She was among the best of tabbies. We miss her. <br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p>Julie Feinsteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03498011976728882325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153924037290736808.post-1996324596042247472023-12-31T14:51:00.000-08:002023-12-31T14:51:34.107-08:00Happy New Year!<p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqWWoz079IJbR-N5_Z6aqhfyL_ptYByYtY7t2tqg2G4GDsCbrQ1YXV8Ce4M_mG5IHwhdqX8TsrgKdFOmMrmGNKRn4_00qXRWISIM8BJ0tv9ym6Jwhepo1LbQXiy1zEtDqBNCfHpMTzpJ3JF304_i73eZaDYDtc0okxniIudjTBxLFBNFoxEHPMjqU1v0js/s2768/2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1840" data-original-width="2768" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqWWoz079IJbR-N5_Z6aqhfyL_ptYByYtY7t2tqg2G4GDsCbrQ1YXV8Ce4M_mG5IHwhdqX8TsrgKdFOmMrmGNKRn4_00qXRWISIM8BJ0tv9ym6Jwhepo1LbQXiy1zEtDqBNCfHpMTzpJ3JF304_i73eZaDYDtc0okxniIudjTBxLFBNFoxEHPMjqU1v0js/w400-h266/2.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span><i><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>"And now we welcome the new year, full of things that have never been." </i></span><i><span>Rainer Maria Rilke</span></i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Julie Feinsteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03498011976728882325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153924037290736808.post-47471513805955412452023-12-24T11:13:00.000-08:002023-12-24T11:13:53.412-08:00Merry Christmas! <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDS00Q-ClGJm3cTSnms7RxR7shWgQA_5_gyRImcgfGr9HsWp9ekzEhhYMVeYwlVB5eImEJ3VC66ASh_42qDMcIkGD77V_PmWvx7oObCiqFA5pSAfYQxLzKjVs1BMjgu3EnOd6Q0gEIeOicj_do9e0bCGKDJEcEby4HFoytN8ok43xDZ-lQyKSpo7gjnJEx/s2323/IMG_3726.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2323" data-original-width="2323" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDS00Q-ClGJm3cTSnms7RxR7shWgQA_5_gyRImcgfGr9HsWp9ekzEhhYMVeYwlVB5eImEJ3VC66ASh_42qDMcIkGD77V_PmWvx7oObCiqFA5pSAfYQxLzKjVs1BMjgu3EnOd6Q0gEIeOicj_do9e0bCGKDJEcEby4HFoytN8ok43xDZ-lQyKSpo7gjnJEx/w400-h400/IMG_3726.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>"Happy, happy Christmas, that can win us back to the delusions of our childish days; that can recall to the old man the pleasures of his youth; that can transport the sailor and the traveler, thousands of miles away, back to his own fire-side and his quiet home!</i><b><i>" </i> Charles Dickens</b>, The Pickwick Papers. </span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div> </div> <br /><p><br /></p><br />Julie Feinsteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03498011976728882325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153924037290736808.post-54879543354637404962023-12-17T07:21:00.000-08:002023-12-17T07:21:44.319-08:00Strange Horses <p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJvzohw-h7-xMiw_JJuAf23fFe2rPdPpOHsPTP3-usltFQzfjAQL9GJJj7QY6_wfSvbAbNkRJ0SIU_7_1ZS8EhLONMJ0qnGgpUagOLDBED_YW8SijkpFGKfrcet5_Us9jyE1_5kFHWeiU_tShg-FjFpo5SNVPZC11ok3hJR9jm-kYJcZVz6_5BPWls1n48/s4928/horse.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="4928" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJvzohw-h7-xMiw_JJuAf23fFe2rPdPpOHsPTP3-usltFQzfjAQL9GJJj7QY6_wfSvbAbNkRJ0SIU_7_1ZS8EhLONMJ0qnGgpUagOLDBED_YW8SijkpFGKfrcet5_Us9jyE1_5kFHWeiU_tShg-FjFpo5SNVPZC11ok3hJR9jm-kYJcZVz6_5BPWls1n48/w400-h265/horse.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">I am taking a day off from the blog. In the meantime, you may behold these images of serendipitous urban wildlife... <br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBKCxr-LWR3bRclHuQdmNPWPshdnbflSOyccCyMJEuR0J8nBLd96F6oYllewGE2mR1Qz13FpOgQrE0hSW1SqKBK6_tpDwgCudRJBMdAUUZY11aFUHTZf5qs8SfelM4f_Hha83kUZdSGeAoXcMPKgZLP0fr2BPtMqxrnBRGtnvgunfX_QDhXUTXk3MwbVIg/s4928/DSC_0197%202.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4928" data-original-width="3264" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBKCxr-LWR3bRclHuQdmNPWPshdnbflSOyccCyMJEuR0J8nBLd96F6oYllewGE2mR1Qz13FpOgQrE0hSW1SqKBK6_tpDwgCudRJBMdAUUZY11aFUHTZf5qs8SfelM4f_Hha83kUZdSGeAoXcMPKgZLP0fr2BPtMqxrnBRGtnvgunfX_QDhXUTXk3MwbVIg/w265-h400/DSC_0197%202.JPG" width="265" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">And ponder a single delicious line from Edwin Muir's poem, The Horses: </span><span style="font-size: small;"><b>"Late in the evening, the strange horses came."</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Julie Feinsteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03498011976728882325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153924037290736808.post-49604879351648636092023-12-10T13:45:00.000-08:002023-12-10T13:45:08.886-08:00Wishing for Snow<p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAziZkj1mDIHD2T8I4KUdl37WMI58_onrSdkeGTrdvQ2q0Ts_N1tIM6njVrmCwqvNVZEdxDlUPbNy1sN5wzU3rNxI8nlBp_IEYIenU1__hczTFhJ3t0M4V6NwQYJCmrS9a3bTUn2gnAchwEBz-wJRbgx9sx8QyyLnDGqfprGFu_OhsxzhJBJR8IIagB2az/s478/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="478" data-original-width="478" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAziZkj1mDIHD2T8I4KUdl37WMI58_onrSdkeGTrdvQ2q0Ts_N1tIM6njVrmCwqvNVZEdxDlUPbNy1sN5wzU3rNxI8nlBp_IEYIenU1__hczTFhJ3t0M4V6NwQYJCmrS9a3bTUn2gnAchwEBz-wJRbgx9sx8QyyLnDGqfprGFu_OhsxzhJBJR8IIagB2az/w400-h400/1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Andrew Wyeth: "I prefer winter and fall, when you feel the bone structure of the landscape -- the loneliness of it, the dead feeling of winter. Something waits beneath it, the whole story doesn't show." <br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgph_yXGbloF4Q7ws87-O0fVLUUfdxQ882jyr-ULOyMRbxlCZn_67RAW2mmQ017jNs0WpujFeJyHv2nCayRekztxlv86Ge7okm9F2TknYPC-DKVTHTgebfVl9XmwAYgmrgcSUuTdeqtzIvUj2HaLXlFyePHcGH0-MXqANzNGjhGHvjsbAPg0VTQ9JiPMtg5/s4222/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2796" data-original-width="4222" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgph_yXGbloF4Q7ws87-O0fVLUUfdxQ882jyr-ULOyMRbxlCZn_67RAW2mmQ017jNs0WpujFeJyHv2nCayRekztxlv86Ge7okm9F2TknYPC-DKVTHTgebfVl9XmwAYgmrgcSUuTdeqtzIvUj2HaLXlFyePHcGH0-MXqANzNGjhGHvjsbAPg0VTQ9JiPMtg5/w400-h265/2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Aristotle: "To appreciate the beauty of a snowflake, it is necessary to stand outside in the cold." Click to enlarge. </span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitdgmgDSgeADuXjzSzDiKpnjy5aIkQAylce6yD_fRI2DTofxM_iRC_sU9VAz3F9ttOVkJM8D7Qa0rL8PnF47f9yG-wSfny4Qrt_zhK9cEuRAsEelMDnLJhV53M1OBV3OEO9DviGyrVe_oyolL75IdRWvF4x_v8hXIDZBRFzi5jMLgG8WRjka2td1vKArAs/s2048/DSC_2029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1326" data-original-width="2048" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitdgmgDSgeADuXjzSzDiKpnjy5aIkQAylce6yD_fRI2DTofxM_iRC_sU9VAz3F9ttOVkJM8D7Qa0rL8PnF47f9yG-wSfny4Qrt_zhK9cEuRAsEelMDnLJhV53M1OBV3OEO9DviGyrVe_oyolL75IdRWvF4x_v8hXIDZBRFzi5jMLgG8WRjka2td1vKArAs/w400-h259/DSC_2029.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Lewis Carrol: "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.'"<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu6HjeWsjBiC2n9TgodQocLmiCDMEGNlfI8EbpEcs43RsVCqi-CPDfeWdUNU8cwidKXRTzJG6Za18cYMar0b-9KQjDw0BeWAzjTNieym-wYhG8Szn4PldCaWpRa2SWwxW2ADfByTYZnf3hBAZFjJYiiDqANA44CIZ-j0A7wHziY61hPZawXi8vl8PWkW1Q/s3986/walk6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2640" data-original-width="3986" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu6HjeWsjBiC2n9TgodQocLmiCDMEGNlfI8EbpEcs43RsVCqi-CPDfeWdUNU8cwidKXRTzJG6Za18cYMar0b-9KQjDw0BeWAzjTNieym-wYhG8Szn4PldCaWpRa2SWwxW2ADfByTYZnf3hBAZFjJYiiDqANA44CIZ-j0A7wHziY61hPZawXi8vl8PWkW1Q/w400-h265/walk6.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Mary Oliver: "Snow was falling, so much like stars filling the dark trees that one could easily imagine its reason for being was nothing more than prettiness." <br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGxac0tdNwGL6H37DWfSi-n6tbUFWq4gC_hAmRLqwRAw-wlkGrqR5qDUpgqT8zD0U8bv-0l4zMqn7sGYLiWhexho77y_PFL5-oDxTGvRz6ckO4ByPfinSh0qcCicNpHiqWIwep16OEv5TMSVV3xEGwGbgU2WtLM9d5IMCcDcZ9J6-xNKut7H0o55nf1iNi/s1728/ChristmasCardinal.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1296" data-original-width="1728" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGxac0tdNwGL6H37DWfSi-n6tbUFWq4gC_hAmRLqwRAw-wlkGrqR5qDUpgqT8zD0U8bv-0l4zMqn7sGYLiWhexho77y_PFL5-oDxTGvRz6ckO4ByPfinSh0qcCicNpHiqWIwep16OEv5TMSVV3xEGwGbgU2WtLM9d5IMCcDcZ9J6-xNKut7H0o55nf1iNi/w400-h300/ChristmasCardinal.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Stewart Stafford: "At the darkest time of year, Lord Yule laid down his beard of snow and cloak of frost and ice to illuminate the gloom." <br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjThdZVczJMTJMMAiORKLND-lnc1o54zN6DG_dyHVe4BE9nRrW3rtNkEHQ_uwBlJnbOMYYYuxIXzlr5_M3FRgUZDL4_9S9quK8xmRRMFsMmK3jkwcq3bokoT5jZgXtOXTTFHEqktUWm2bWH6ta_KD8cDTJxBHH4Fd8WG9jL2vaT-URRWt3BI-ZWDduZY2in/s6048/DSC_8504.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4024" data-original-width="6048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjThdZVczJMTJMMAiORKLND-lnc1o54zN6DG_dyHVe4BE9nRrW3rtNkEHQ_uwBlJnbOMYYYuxIXzlr5_M3FRgUZDL4_9S9quK8xmRRMFsMmK3jkwcq3bokoT5jZgXtOXTTFHEqktUWm2bWH6ta_KD8cDTJxBHH4Fd8WG9jL2vaT-URRWt3BI-ZWDduZY2in/w400-h266/DSC_8504.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">John Greenleaf Whittier asked: "What miracle of weird transforming is this wild work of frost and light, this glimpse of glory infinite?"<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivDzOWfA0ldi2cc0wdF72YeGcHNskhuRrqGmjZr-0HjyRduVjPfIiM73PXiyH0TLOgG3MYAATMz05h1033UOqI2mxqTCzTVtGpwRYyK6lnpRt6LcMn4eCSbuFrPLzH9-UcKnvuAIW1y2bzD5Oy8n82Q4hFbGteIMGJt10a6soV3a5_PTFke-GsaM4MJn7e/s2048/1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1363" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivDzOWfA0ldi2cc0wdF72YeGcHNskhuRrqGmjZr-0HjyRduVjPfIiM73PXiyH0TLOgG3MYAATMz05h1033UOqI2mxqTCzTVtGpwRYyK6lnpRt6LcMn4eCSbuFrPLzH9-UcKnvuAIW1y2bzD5Oy8n82Q4hFbGteIMGJt10a6soV3a5_PTFke-GsaM4MJn7e/w400-h266/1.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">And Sammy Cohn: "Let is snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!"</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Julie Feinsteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03498011976728882325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153924037290736808.post-8772508139736937172023-12-03T13:01:00.000-08:002023-12-03T13:01:11.579-08:00Rainy Day<p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnc63TBEoP1_gqcft0TYEJsyoLdLPdPqlF-CiQTwA5msLjTJvwytIIFvEZbxC7Mc3_1AUI0iDwOp4T9jR2bNg5849ahF9PddOsULcIr-QU9LxuZDRhkDtJVErxcR5wRPqej-wkv3xLXu4oHuMS7G9Ov0cL874SB9akmBjsBxR8PmwzxpkrXfxANfKfrXQu/s4032/IMG_7457.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnc63TBEoP1_gqcft0TYEJsyoLdLPdPqlF-CiQTwA5msLjTJvwytIIFvEZbxC7Mc3_1AUI0iDwOp4T9jR2bNg5849ahF9PddOsULcIr-QU9LxuZDRhkDtJVErxcR5wRPqej-wkv3xLXu4oHuMS7G9Ov0cL874SB9akmBjsBxR8PmwzxpkrXfxANfKfrXQu/w400-h300/IMG_7457.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">It is wet and chilly outside and the last of the leaves are ready to fall -- just perfect for a melancholy autumn poem. <br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table> </p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>Autumn Day </b></p><p style="text-align: center;">by Rainer Maria Rilke </p><p style="text-align: center;">translated by Scott Stewart <br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"> </p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">"It is time, Lord. </span></i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Summer was grand. </span></i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Now lay your shadow on the day, </span></i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">and bathe your fields in the wind.</span></i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br />Let the late harvest linger. </span></i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Give it two more southern days. </span></i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Make it full and bring her </span></i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">final sweetness into those heavy vines.</span></i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br />If you have no house now, you never will have one.</span></i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"> If you are alone now, you will always live alone, </span></i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Reading late in the fading light. Writing letters with no end. </span></i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Wandering dark alleys. Restless and uneasy. A leaf on the wind."</span></i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></i></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp-1ismeACkONk5mwn9yufuxARF4QaeLH1X60OQJ3J-7oCrQhTioChI2foTtGPQdXtTP1LFNnDGci9leK_IB-G5k24E2SYK01FUhvJonhOVdpkcRtS6yXxkGLuQ253XH5fBH_ecorTFnbmgv9fsQ9Lkz1ZplRK1IfBMOYlgc_zFEYQEEJa3OpRpv7vsPr5/s2048/1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1362" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp-1ismeACkONk5mwn9yufuxARF4QaeLH1X60OQJ3J-7oCrQhTioChI2foTtGPQdXtTP1LFNnDGci9leK_IB-G5k24E2SYK01FUhvJonhOVdpkcRtS6yXxkGLuQ253XH5fBH_ecorTFnbmgv9fsQ9Lkz1ZplRK1IfBMOYlgc_zFEYQEEJa3OpRpv7vsPr5/w400-h266/1.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Click to enlarge. </span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>Julie Feinsteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03498011976728882325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153924037290736808.post-68200801419626967002023-11-26T15:20:00.000-08:002023-11-26T15:32:20.791-08:00Last of November <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxxjeR45Fm8uDOvq25jnmiwylvfqJu__WOCevdx28vI6QUuUojGtL0_JHXJ6xtPfIofp3oEq1X1cMwS63jwaLfjzGU-hA6u-iZPiAA8vNovQuyV8nNaP-57ppkRfDl0UDFotdLQxeuRUKkTgHQlofeWVARZJjxfBshItv8L1JB4z3kC21U1-99YiGDyNRR/s5889/DSC_5770.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3918" data-original-width="5889" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxxjeR45Fm8uDOvq25jnmiwylvfqJu__WOCevdx28vI6QUuUojGtL0_JHXJ6xtPfIofp3oEq1X1cMwS63jwaLfjzGU-hA6u-iZPiAA8vNovQuyV8nNaP-57ppkRfDl0UDFotdLQxeuRUKkTgHQlofeWVARZJjxfBshItv8L1JB4z3kC21U1-99YiGDyNRR/w400-h266/DSC_5770.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">It's the last week of November already! Click to enlarge. </span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHifpcglvsZvFyJNDQc8ZdwQEnBbZ26gmDfWZ-PJGIn5cRwbYgfkUQirCUqbU0a5Sv-LonVa_y99vhNmfZYhbXJe4hIWCvpZnzeKcAH2Qn9QS9RF7t8SymnA2YUOG1BD5cO079WETJWsSajX6ZL0OeiiuDcNx1QRIki13SipheqZDjSbkzcXE7uYRyd8sC/s4032/IMG_7055.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHifpcglvsZvFyJNDQc8ZdwQEnBbZ26gmDfWZ-PJGIn5cRwbYgfkUQirCUqbU0a5Sv-LonVa_y99vhNmfZYhbXJe4hIWCvpZnzeKcAH2Qn9QS9RF7t8SymnA2YUOG1BD5cO079WETJWsSajX6ZL0OeiiuDcNx1QRIki13SipheqZDjSbkzcXE7uYRyd8sC/w300-h400/IMG_7055.jpeg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">In the blink of an eye, we went from this... </span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn5VlRdc_jPPrueCoBSskwlV9K68VKjC5GP9R7Tw0jQzvh08VzK-WJCeqTkhUMUOWvoHcbteUj5AMckH-vDrFVfCW8ObFZut6axcextLqGR72vofiY7vnlcLuFGk0ClOWCEHpx4vsAy2KfBRhM3K0pLQlk92FMJKacJt2Ps6j71HqYy7NIrPig0DXiMWBf/s3213/IMG_7739.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3213" data-original-width="2954" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn5VlRdc_jPPrueCoBSskwlV9K68VKjC5GP9R7Tw0jQzvh08VzK-WJCeqTkhUMUOWvoHcbteUj5AMckH-vDrFVfCW8ObFZut6axcextLqGR72vofiY7vnlcLuFGk0ClOWCEHpx4vsAy2KfBRhM3K0pLQlk92FMJKacJt2Ps6j71HqYy7NIrPig0DXiMWBf/w368-h400/IMG_7739.jpeg" width="368" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">To this...</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjth7lX37SC_KcIEK7KM90inbxioHF-D3FGhsX7JaPfBqtHv-i4awFQ3hqHPE7WFI6_b1u9HskN7inaBCsL5KYCUwg8XISNB-u2UhRuEt9YbIDcI5C6hmWGAyAZ7y1FSx3sWmmmf_1i3TTTCBa6wVnB9-sjN013EJrXkRVoud_Vc16EsZoCCOnrClQgvZd6/s4032/Pasted%20Graphic%205.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3006" data-original-width="4032" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjth7lX37SC_KcIEK7KM90inbxioHF-D3FGhsX7JaPfBqtHv-i4awFQ3hqHPE7WFI6_b1u9HskN7inaBCsL5KYCUwg8XISNB-u2UhRuEt9YbIDcI5C6hmWGAyAZ7y1FSx3sWmmmf_1i3TTTCBa6wVnB9-sjN013EJrXkRVoud_Vc16EsZoCCOnrClQgvZd6/w400-h299/Pasted%20Graphic%205.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">And now -- to that feeling of being watched.</span> <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Julie Feinsteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03498011976728882325noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153924037290736808.post-61418970785767839262023-11-19T16:30:00.000-08:002023-11-19T17:26:26.964-08:00Getting Ready <p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSY4AyouubXoB39dKqlv3j0HOUxXxh15-HcQbfpGCvIAO7TWI8B03XwxpbCLT568uRIk6xlYquD0iQycb5zfcM60Yxib-XIJlrThzD5DEOPfjvmPBpQtlD4CPlniHUjo4yLBKHzuvXtNLk0aioVRruA-d5QK9VxhOFoCae88WvT7IlTM_3AwTGYf45YBFU/s2048/1.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1363" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSY4AyouubXoB39dKqlv3j0HOUxXxh15-HcQbfpGCvIAO7TWI8B03XwxpbCLT568uRIk6xlYquD0iQycb5zfcM60Yxib-XIJlrThzD5DEOPfjvmPBpQtlD4CPlniHUjo4yLBKHzuvXtNLk0aioVRruA-d5QK9VxhOFoCae88WvT7IlTM_3AwTGYf45YBFU/w400-h266/1.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Click to enlarge. <br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table> <p></p><p style="text-align: center;">In the light of the big holiday that is coming up this week, I'd like to ask if everyone knows how Thanksgiving always ends.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><b><span> </span><span> </span>It ends with a "g" ! </b></i></p><p style="text-align: center;">And have you heard this one? </p><p style="text-align: center;"><span> </span>Knock knock!</p><p style="text-align: center;"><span> </span>Who's there?</p><p style="text-align: center;"><span> </span>Norma Lee. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><span> </span>Norma Lee who?</p><p style="text-align: center;"><span> </span><b><i>Norma Lee I don't overeat at dinner! </i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"> Anyway... <br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">Knock knock!</p><p style="text-align: center;">Who's there?</p><p style="text-align: center;">Happy. </p><p style="text-align: center;">Happy who?</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Happy Thanksgiving! </i></b><br /></p>Julie Feinsteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03498011976728882325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153924037290736808.post-69031035136194214992023-11-12T10:51:00.000-08:002023-11-12T10:58:42.448-08:00After Halloween<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-d1iINxd-Ed5Dex22THd_WYLhyY9lPHE3vf46PMitbIBSO58gj9RZRgOlMfEWDWjFoqGcx-Sbg1_57rN1TGuXYAmHW0tOtw83xJ943CzrpjIaGKfiZcJ9yl-Jz8l1P984yEBwrknqVnuyVT7KVgJp6jPW_dOxjyfc2B8UxMXXR4OKW_NsfbXSmDkzyJwG/s1369/DSC_0977.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="915" data-original-width="1369" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-d1iINxd-Ed5Dex22THd_WYLhyY9lPHE3vf46PMitbIBSO58gj9RZRgOlMfEWDWjFoqGcx-Sbg1_57rN1TGuXYAmHW0tOtw83xJ943CzrpjIaGKfiZcJ9yl-Jz8l1P984yEBwrknqVnuyVT7KVgJp6jPW_dOxjyfc2B8UxMXXR4OKW_NsfbXSmDkzyJwG/w400-h268/DSC_0977.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Halloween is over for the humans, but the squirrels are still celebrating. Decorations are on the menu. Click to enlarge. </span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpd2vj-9EsidGatnynX2yj09BBLz-rF2QEGFGjgfe3-JiGivENfHkRpbTrJ2cf3lXXmZDLAKPkbNjkx2kLuOIFwE_fvWmYvjqap17nCIV6FTODEIBlGJoeQ6i2r5fH4fm_Txjgh1IS0LeadMdRsJI4pCFph4Cvfns6Ld1FxZYJZq7S9nNtiJUhnuUWsBfd/s2048/cornart.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1358" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpd2vj-9EsidGatnynX2yj09BBLz-rF2QEGFGjgfe3-JiGivENfHkRpbTrJ2cf3lXXmZDLAKPkbNjkx2kLuOIFwE_fvWmYvjqap17nCIV6FTODEIBlGJoeQ6i2r5fH4fm_Txjgh1IS0LeadMdRsJI4pCFph4Cvfns6Ld1FxZYJZq7S9nNtiJUhnuUWsBfd/w265-h400/cornart.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Mmm Indian corn. </span> <br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkiqoVJKH7v4OubPX3cS5QU3HzAjYZQoEpeCrpi_oqoSznQRPrNQ5-Wwm8_tzwAwWcKOIXZKt2SkRk12WfTtFwcTTz2U7yeAgQlJqedZy7CDMkzoXo-1rl66Gs4ogQzx_uqtSl7FjQCLwaorl6ENRh44zKydk1oISLVcco01TEolc4E28_WVz_KAYdSQQ2/s3024/IMG_7205.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkiqoVJKH7v4OubPX3cS5QU3HzAjYZQoEpeCrpi_oqoSznQRPrNQ5-Wwm8_tzwAwWcKOIXZKt2SkRk12WfTtFwcTTz2U7yeAgQlJqedZy7CDMkzoXo-1rl66Gs4ogQzx_uqtSl7FjQCLwaorl6ENRh44zKydk1oISLVcco01TEolc4E28_WVz_KAYdSQQ2/w400-h400/IMG_7205.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">And.. the all-you-can eat pumpkin buffet is open for business. <br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD1-O-tJ8ZkFEAzgDeAO0-ZyNmNASReOrZ4S-xmeMS1jmC0aTsCsJEYWbS3pipdoc2vJPSQEdhO4rBUpsPUQltO4vJCjpbNN8gZFIEu6F_tE8iuBhnGOIhbkPXjR-e4XsCXwJ72uPp3Wm6JKQfOEFFk2nadzb-9BwF3samuXkwmwKAOTV0oT5vK8Qslwia/s2529/IMG_7206.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2529" data-original-width="2529" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD1-O-tJ8ZkFEAzgDeAO0-ZyNmNASReOrZ4S-xmeMS1jmC0aTsCsJEYWbS3pipdoc2vJPSQEdhO4rBUpsPUQltO4vJCjpbNN8gZFIEu6F_tE8iuBhnGOIhbkPXjR-e4XsCXwJ72uPp3Wm6JKQfOEFFk2nadzb-9BwF3samuXkwmwKAOTV0oT5vK8Qslwia/w400-h400/IMG_7206.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Lots of leftovers for later. :-) </span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Julie Feinsteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03498011976728882325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153924037290736808.post-60847932695686120602023-11-05T14:17:00.000-08:002023-11-05T14:17:08.061-08:00One Last Gentian <p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtR7R8oWTeGuvFfQVT_SNgyRHXXt6s2SPiD6tkN_XkjXS_7gdXU7GAdHNrfD_RJsPyDAsIrXDHanHC8lN30e4wQVAtZWR6Qjks7nYdctVnEzGXxcmZLyYbgVHenDTkvK5dQImvzMrpSzMck4KS9RWWbB6jV69dXF1-A2tgNM4vAJRmYSmp5y2ftFlEPzJk/s3024/1.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="3024" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtR7R8oWTeGuvFfQVT_SNgyRHXXt6s2SPiD6tkN_XkjXS_7gdXU7GAdHNrfD_RJsPyDAsIrXDHanHC8lN30e4wQVAtZWR6Qjks7nYdctVnEzGXxcmZLyYbgVHenDTkvK5dQImvzMrpSzMck4KS9RWWbB6jV69dXF1-A2tgNM4vAJRmYSmp5y2ftFlEPzJk/w400-h300/1.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">This could be the last pine barrens gentian flower of the year in our area. Click to enlarge.<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKJzDlry9emTxJDOuyTiqSEl7Kak-tVETxwhph6d1uXKvmXwgjRF64pfWgznpmdIiVUbT9byyshL4nvkRrND8Q1peE31O_Mrg_lAMd-_03wsuxC6SpunCIXsWqGtYkvHLDC-fdF3iZ8yIxGBm85CFspNS3jXtMF1GC99umCYu1q9ctGhaJvhgyopT7Jofj/s4032/2.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKJzDlry9emTxJDOuyTiqSEl7Kak-tVETxwhph6d1uXKvmXwgjRF64pfWgznpmdIiVUbT9byyshL4nvkRrND8Q1peE31O_Mrg_lAMd-_03wsuxC6SpunCIXsWqGtYkvHLDC-fdF3iZ8yIxGBm85CFspNS3jXtMF1GC99umCYu1q9ctGhaJvhgyopT7Jofj/w300-h400/2.jpeg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Pine barrens gentians are rare. I have only ever found them in one location in the New Jersey Pine Barrens. Because I was near there a few days ago and because they bloom from early September through early November, I hiked over to search in my secret spot. I found this one lone flower. <br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNUvxXb4isVvYoFbls0wNy3eAb-LceYeXt9kDzKf6XaqpddgCziXCWv1qbcP83JAhg5aCRuPDn2H5TsQMyK3HI4N_qRaNMvbJNwDRUT2ENAcUM-fjo9BtR_Zq4QFSXmQC5iA4VTnx_8GNvKv4uGPh1Tozn9xDutu9HP3K7pum_zIjsBESyxMAq1qJUHCX8/s4032/3.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNUvxXb4isVvYoFbls0wNy3eAb-LceYeXt9kDzKf6XaqpddgCziXCWv1qbcP83JAhg5aCRuPDn2H5TsQMyK3HI4N_qRaNMvbJNwDRUT2ENAcUM-fjo9BtR_Zq4QFSXmQC5iA4VTnx_8GNvKv4uGPh1Tozn9xDutu9HP3K7pum_zIjsBESyxMAq1qJUHCX8/w300-h400/3.jpeg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">And a very pretty one it was. See you all again next September, gentians. <br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Julie Feinsteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03498011976728882325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153924037290736808.post-87409473501363233422023-10-29T14:53:00.000-07:002023-10-29T14:53:54.810-07:00Happy Halloween <p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5nDaFryMZ9u6iD2RMGg8_WGgOVCrZhs_cUGmsR_aRBjoH6eLJKGn_wxL-bdoXuJfUHVkmJKC8YwwJl2kPlzVusIu_fRp0G2C4VJFxESBmcnTTtU1E5YaVc5qpsezTq8El8QyUOmHfwP9VvxUvOeWwh34WUMy0kShd4T9TDVkRDRxBmkrVrJC7QneWaqtM/s3318/IMG_7053.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3318" data-original-width="2411" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5nDaFryMZ9u6iD2RMGg8_WGgOVCrZhs_cUGmsR_aRBjoH6eLJKGn_wxL-bdoXuJfUHVkmJKC8YwwJl2kPlzVusIu_fRp0G2C4VJFxESBmcnTTtU1E5YaVc5qpsezTq8El8QyUOmHfwP9VvxUvOeWwh34WUMy0kShd4T9TDVkRDRxBmkrVrJC7QneWaqtM/w291-h400/IMG_7053.jpeg" width="291" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">I was taking photos of my Halloween pumpkin face and... got photo bombed by a black cat. Upper right. Click to enlarge. That's a lucky omen, right?<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwK__DeCHn90h45IS9tfchFeQa9-wSNCYscsApyKdryl2vNX2hP94GqOkAFpXKb9b2nDgijYLdjOr8hc9Abe9-L-P_bvei-USzo0wzgyadgdrwYMyNOT1INLWOEGp30AVl7UjTywHwFylYZi0Ao60Mr033jhYCCJpMizeeYWPgkiDy5uMI_qe7G9vp5yX0/s3622/1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3622" data-original-width="2445" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwK__DeCHn90h45IS9tfchFeQa9-wSNCYscsApyKdryl2vNX2hP94GqOkAFpXKb9b2nDgijYLdjOr8hc9Abe9-L-P_bvei-USzo0wzgyadgdrwYMyNOT1INLWOEGp30AVl7UjTywHwFylYZi0Ao60Mr033jhYCCJpMizeeYWPgkiDy5uMI_qe7G9vp5yX0/w270-h400/1.jpeg" width="270" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">HAPPY HALLOWEEN !!! <br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Julie Feinsteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03498011976728882325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153924037290736808.post-57932003793949605712023-10-22T10:35:00.000-07:002023-10-22T10:35:26.203-07:00Gulf Fritillary <p> <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif57ifDwjMMI4UmGOMbftuEi-LJZkJXfi3xAoph3nzvrRRjyoJb6Po5w_vZym_8JZd3c1hr6ntaGQZ2GKCal5F7UJkB4DZnysmeCD9Q0iR3-Jeqla7BgKbgiEeDky8DHQOTFiMIcEAhhWArMFPLn3LIX4LTTGswwKGN0l6ch0wsMAv8Q5WytkhMKOm-pJN/s860/1.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="860" data-original-width="860" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif57ifDwjMMI4UmGOMbftuEi-LJZkJXfi3xAoph3nzvrRRjyoJb6Po5w_vZym_8JZd3c1hr6ntaGQZ2GKCal5F7UJkB4DZnysmeCD9Q0iR3-Jeqla7BgKbgiEeDky8DHQOTFiMIcEAhhWArMFPLn3LIX4LTTGswwKGN0l6ch0wsMAv8Q5WytkhMKOm-pJN/w400-h400/1.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">I was in North Carolina recently and I saw a butterfly that I don't see up north -- this gulf fritillary. It was flitting along a sandy beach and would not stop to pose, so these few photos are all I saw of it. But I did get to say "flitting fritillary." :-) </span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidQ6oQJv50MfRqk9lBPvpJyz_mSKFPxiSLaHfufF58u47pNgRBRFj1wcD042ztmARiJsUDQKb5rb55e4zvhEw0NKFoUoOjsfhSmDE_pVTT0BvH_UTXUni5Obu5tfxQ4SN-MupXu_5fbvVU_TJAE7HyoeXiCnrIg25neiHjCHto1B75Uj7Dawjj9Cic4SRk/s1420/2.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="945" data-original-width="1420" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidQ6oQJv50MfRqk9lBPvpJyz_mSKFPxiSLaHfufF58u47pNgRBRFj1wcD042ztmARiJsUDQKb5rb55e4zvhEw0NKFoUoOjsfhSmDE_pVTT0BvH_UTXUni5Obu5tfxQ4SN-MupXu_5fbvVU_TJAE7HyoeXiCnrIg25neiHjCHto1B75Uj7Dawjj9Cic4SRk/w400-h266/2.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">I love how the sun shines through it like stained glass. Note the fancy black dots with white centers near the front edge of the wing. Click to enlarge. <br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5pctZiN4I7KK5HPpvfibnN4pcVfRzBw6OwSPGOdEbHyo9yNN2yahkDxv1L9KU6k7PwLscfcU4HTgsEIU4sg527EgmAb5WzOiP2hyphenhypheni4_arzXnijkaUqES9w4j2QRM3o0XeQ-4CbYq_UXV93hY6pb_bSThzCaBxja13u_tHNp9MdE00a0XfIyYiJZLINJCL/s2141/3.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2141" data-original-width="1425" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5pctZiN4I7KK5HPpvfibnN4pcVfRzBw6OwSPGOdEbHyo9yNN2yahkDxv1L9KU6k7PwLscfcU4HTgsEIU4sg527EgmAb5WzOiP2hyphenhypheni4_arzXnijkaUqES9w4j2QRM3o0XeQ-4CbYq_UXV93hY6pb_bSThzCaBxja13u_tHNp9MdE00a0XfIyYiJZLINJCL/w266-h400/3.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">And its long October shadow. <br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Julie Feinsteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03498011976728882325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153924037290736808.post-43929022325849848332023-10-15T12:09:00.000-07:002023-10-15T12:09:34.241-07:00Buckeye Butterflies <p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhauzkdsZT04RxzFLf1Z3AVclv2qrYDxHvou2wq7CSqYKP7y_apMJnRvCSeFfNP5ArE0v4SULaWJQdXVac_jN_fAVX4H1gb1m2F4GdCOggjESDl_8N1IfqDVkWRc5xUR6xLLKYveDfUix4AlqijwLwVGQv2zUZmqLmr-2hBRiW2hKmX9YUKluWZZEhwWFY9/s2658/1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1768" data-original-width="2658" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhauzkdsZT04RxzFLf1Z3AVclv2qrYDxHvou2wq7CSqYKP7y_apMJnRvCSeFfNP5ArE0v4SULaWJQdXVac_jN_fAVX4H1gb1m2F4GdCOggjESDl_8N1IfqDVkWRc5xUR6xLLKYveDfUix4AlqijwLwVGQv2zUZmqLmr-2hBRiW2hKmX9YUKluWZZEhwWFY9/w400-h266/1.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">A buckeye butterfly sitting on a puff of white asters. Click to enlarge. </span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBCO6SWkxOzSPPQGZjpZed76VNsruDRSHyVepeXKYzNLoc1kx6pQIP_FjRAzHK2oz4M96RVF9Ak4Po0OhbuZ821WRJOkjMndXlyVl_GyOP4E8R88oXczQ8OCuFvTYR8E5ahNah9xKwJ_-0J0VFddzc4-OXXlvfdiM4nxgDVADFz3eZVRrx1-FqNCi8C2nz/s1600/adult.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBCO6SWkxOzSPPQGZjpZed76VNsruDRSHyVepeXKYzNLoc1kx6pQIP_FjRAzHK2oz4M96RVF9Ak4Po0OhbuZ821WRJOkjMndXlyVl_GyOP4E8R88oXczQ8OCuFvTYR8E5ahNah9xKwJ_-0J0VFddzc4-OXXlvfdiM4nxgDVADFz3eZVRrx1-FqNCi8C2nz/w400-h266/adult.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The buckeye gets its common name from big spots on its upper wing surfaces. They are called eyespots, and are thought to scare away predators. The butterfly performs a famous "startle display" -- rapidly opening its wings to flash those big false eyes. Boo! <br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimGPVu0Btdy9KwcYw4fHQsLEO2243ysr8GcTueJL87C3eliKsoNg-Qz9YrmDtVFp8N0j3qITNkahCCd1E47Gm3naCKJlpnr90u1InFXgQO6SYSYbfU_KM0_9Igo1RTjoub71U2z3kf1Trgl2E2cOXpugqjrQZWOxfg-IC9MPPZuQhBlw6rFt7yfy7acR3Q/s1654/3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1654" data-original-width="1370" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimGPVu0Btdy9KwcYw4fHQsLEO2243ysr8GcTueJL87C3eliKsoNg-Qz9YrmDtVFp8N0j3qITNkahCCd1E47Gm3naCKJlpnr90u1InFXgQO6SYSYbfU_KM0_9Igo1RTjoub71U2z3kf1Trgl2E2cOXpugqjrQZWOxfg-IC9MPPZuQhBlw6rFt7yfy7acR3Q/w331-h400/3.JPG" width="331" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Also check out its pretty orange bars and bands. Buckeyes have a wingspan of about 2.5 inches and are found throughout North America. <br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP1QN35P0YCTjf72LRlupt2dX8wXDde4FhT95RkMiwLJ5BVoJB6TPQcBJaNO1PW2rGr5mmg8RPUBLjQNIJnbb0MbZ1Ru4UjAdV47FRjsRb_G7rQ7oNj2b4t-SfRn5erwAXRMqV7IOUDPAyL3jNmAFhM7lXkjiwjvCFUeFF8Piiqf3o8yH2UCrHduQuIcHU/s2048/2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1347" data-original-width="2048" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP1QN35P0YCTjf72LRlupt2dX8wXDde4FhT95RkMiwLJ5BVoJB6TPQcBJaNO1PW2rGr5mmg8RPUBLjQNIJnbb0MbZ1Ru4UjAdV47FRjsRb_G7rQ7oNj2b4t-SfRn5erwAXRMqV7IOUDPAyL3jNmAFhM7lXkjiwjvCFUeFF8Piiqf3o8yH2UCrHduQuIcHU/w400-h263/2.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">They move south this time of year to avoid the cold weather. <br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpTkWI6FyjnIttvaVt2FH7I46JkusPSihws8oddCoVk444jD4JJRaVzRELpoMSqdfWQzy2Io-kr54lEVwDBsevPNaiMRtVAA5dX_mPay5nZK8QBKuKSp-RA2lY9qW3woIBAReuulpkBjcXsJ6Rj6wa6WeNUZX0zTp8hK8wEmU5Cy9dgNux5slw3GIKDQOU/s4005/5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2665" data-original-width="4005" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpTkWI6FyjnIttvaVt2FH7I46JkusPSihws8oddCoVk444jD4JJRaVzRELpoMSqdfWQzy2Io-kr54lEVwDBsevPNaiMRtVAA5dX_mPay5nZK8QBKuKSp-RA2lY9qW3woIBAReuulpkBjcXsJ6Rj6wa6WeNUZX0zTp8hK8wEmU5Cy9dgNux5slw3GIKDQOU/w400-h266/5.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">I have seen a lot of buckeyes this week. Even this pair, mating in the middle on the path in the warm autumn sunshine. I wish them all a safe journey to warm places. <br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Julie Feinsteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03498011976728882325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153924037290736808.post-72617492370102054312023-10-08T16:48:00.000-07:002023-10-08T16:48:15.457-07:00A Barn Spider in the Swamp<p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOeyRazFZUpZeEmAQYRL7xVNIU8JTdRizrNtQPPY-1cWG3MTdX-ddmf1CrUezngShHgIaAxGwrNaG5GFVWjqyISzAPcGjoONMQSjlWoFEQb0bMvSiRZ4JWCdXCKkULTo-mjMIUFk2QQXuGMIa1CYU4dPQgM7kBtFmWK-W5_ouDAFS093Zd8JU5LAN2Ps3d/s1226/top.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="1226" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOeyRazFZUpZeEmAQYRL7xVNIU8JTdRizrNtQPPY-1cWG3MTdX-ddmf1CrUezngShHgIaAxGwrNaG5GFVWjqyISzAPcGjoONMQSjlWoFEQb0bMvSiRZ4JWCdXCKkULTo-mjMIUFk2QQXuGMIa1CYU4dPQgM7kBtFmWK-W5_ouDAFS093Zd8JU5LAN2Ps3d/w400-h376/top.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">While traveling in Virginia this week I encountered this spider in the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. It's almost an inch across. Big spider! It's a spotted orb weaver also called a barn spider. This is the top. Click to enlarge </span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDLC56iZH70YjE3m1SIIkbsnzIHhLnVY8FpD94TJ9Wvluw5igK43OBVwjBVfoCM7F-rXMrBOeRFHNo_h9AezplbbKJW8CiVaThYhtB_NmD2hBSeXREeEzbviJeNmySJDH6pSp-dkYC5iPeTW88ojgpqVIOlqZHYd4VPuR6en9ySldpiB13vKcJPA189dDV/s1111/bottom.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1111" data-original-width="1100" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDLC56iZH70YjE3m1SIIkbsnzIHhLnVY8FpD94TJ9Wvluw5igK43OBVwjBVfoCM7F-rXMrBOeRFHNo_h9AezplbbKJW8CiVaThYhtB_NmD2hBSeXREeEzbviJeNmySJDH6pSp-dkYC5iPeTW88ojgpqVIOlqZHYd4VPuR6en9ySldpiB13vKcJPA189dDV/w396-h400/bottom.JPG" width="396" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">This is the underside. The web was about two feet across. I cannot tell you how glad I was that I saw the spider before I accidentally walked into the web. <br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpuVvHv-nxXdZJ1ldC5uWK4HuSm3QcutvFeIHQmwa6lNNZG7S0s6F69KlcqKnLH8k2_fAJEHcens5vbwCycyjsuttImkZ2zS-etVNTUgq_hyMmpdQYWCfymI74zBY32q56zJwX43nY2G_WyB6T4aGzFEgOCobiK-2Vo72CS7Xr1UASEwPrL6s__evpS1K4/s5362/swamp.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3568" data-original-width="5362" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpuVvHv-nxXdZJ1ldC5uWK4HuSm3QcutvFeIHQmwa6lNNZG7S0s6F69KlcqKnLH8k2_fAJEHcens5vbwCycyjsuttImkZ2zS-etVNTUgq_hyMmpdQYWCfymI74zBY32q56zJwX43nY2G_WyB6T4aGzFEgOCobiK-2Vo72CS7Xr1UASEwPrL6s__evpS1K4/w400-h266/swamp.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Here are a few cypress trees at the edge of Lake Drummond. Does not look all that dismal on a sunny day. <br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;">And here is a spider poem by <b>E. B. White</b> called <i>Natural History</i>: </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">"The spider, dropping down from twig, </div><div style="text-align: center;">Unfolds a plan of her devising, </div><div style="text-align: center;">A thin premeditated rig </div><div style="text-align: center;">To use in rising.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />And all that journey down through space, </div><div style="text-align: center;">In cool descent and loyal hearted, </div><div style="text-align: center;">She spins a ladder to the place </div><div style="text-align: center;">From where she started.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />Thus I, gone forth as spiders do </div><div style="text-align: center;">In spider’s web a truth discerning, </div><div style="text-align: center;">Attach one silken thread to you </div><div style="text-align: center;">For my returning."</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Julie Feinsteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03498011976728882325noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153924037290736808.post-48176089007899116112023-10-01T13:34:00.003-07:002023-10-01T13:34:32.141-07:00Punctuation Butterflies !!<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQg9ACP3t6QlzIcOIE7FUZHmOX36y9FRUoWXqSc1OKnoHw0-DMP8Ry8fzvzzzoxTVR-9ykHrDDfRRGEEz8N3WlY1fQfTNWRuvO0bYHM-QrsKMOdOBzMcpq3wCNPMhXHx_X2mOlJd9bblcxWqyRSDJjCWqdulgtFaXamXpvPPNg89AZ0mnwLBFrHPc01kno/s5463/1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3635" data-original-width="5463" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQg9ACP3t6QlzIcOIE7FUZHmOX36y9FRUoWXqSc1OKnoHw0-DMP8Ry8fzvzzzoxTVR-9ykHrDDfRRGEEz8N3WlY1fQfTNWRuvO0bYHM-QrsKMOdOBzMcpq3wCNPMhXHx_X2mOlJd9bblcxWqyRSDJjCWqdulgtFaXamXpvPPNg89AZ0mnwLBFrHPc01kno/w400-h266/1.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">October is off to a good start here. It's cool and sunny and there are patches of goldenrod. <br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOtp5htNrwmfencwJ3wcZ61MY5Fbia4SuiT_oF1vf_jijCRQUEg1rnMQoCucS02SQXOqNeO7bfHQeSftgszlmf5Pd7te50elCok0dMKCVxv9f10ZXZUBcviu_POAfzlnhrsuxHIrDCGT0PKwfnAaMkBSLe0Uuqs5-2u_M8JAbr42dBTLSHPOCYgOfkSZES/s3012/2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2004" data-original-width="3012" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOtp5htNrwmfencwJ3wcZ61MY5Fbia4SuiT_oF1vf_jijCRQUEg1rnMQoCucS02SQXOqNeO7bfHQeSftgszlmf5Pd7te50elCok0dMKCVxv9f10ZXZUBcviu_POAfzlnhrsuxHIrDCGT0PKwfnAaMkBSLe0Uuqs5-2u_M8JAbr42dBTLSHPOCYgOfkSZES/w400-h266/2.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">This angle-wing butterfly was flitting between asters and a white butterfly bush. Can you guess why it's called an angle-wing? (It's the jagged wing edges.) <br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO1moTVwJbCQNzt6hPO8BakTL-ER5UHzS2h98Tr6Nbfj6ccPg2HW04ZuRpdKjbPSzHWmOl6Fo_UXcH50S9KvU4ctVZBaK7HGlaFh0fHyQer2GqlAt4mrJVK90PWNzxH-34TedJu6oAzj23Vh8ndAupQUC72NEx5RCOtVyMeYOoK7MGtJkk2exaBB28hH4l/s4973/3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3309" data-original-width="4973" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO1moTVwJbCQNzt6hPO8BakTL-ER5UHzS2h98Tr6Nbfj6ccPg2HW04ZuRpdKjbPSzHWmOl6Fo_UXcH50S9KvU4ctVZBaK7HGlaFh0fHyQer2GqlAt4mrJVK90PWNzxH-34TedJu6oAzj23Vh8ndAupQUC72NEx5RCOtVyMeYOoK7MGtJkk2exaBB28hH4l/w400-h266/3.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">There are a few kinds of local angle-wings. This is an Eastern Comma. It is similar to one called the Question Mark butterfly. Together they are the punctuation butterflies. <br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQbfIVR8K_XhVXI7q9QX3Yo05oiEcjtCfxHwFqcFT1W5Zh5J69sHOQa1oZKhBEWRDdh1pGWHTdA9vsrJKsKXOAy1j97v3vtWkONfACzPVl53n3kV_rzLCSMiUld0sI5I0hByymUHhJkzYTgH9hoFCKHhRg-YINH9Zlkr-Eoj9fwEME7uDbPfj9pusDahiF/s3564/4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3564" data-original-width="3564" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQbfIVR8K_XhVXI7q9QX3Yo05oiEcjtCfxHwFqcFT1W5Zh5J69sHOQa1oZKhBEWRDdh1pGWHTdA9vsrJKsKXOAy1j97v3vtWkONfACzPVl53n3kV_rzLCSMiUld0sI5I0hByymUHhJkzYTgH9hoFCKHhRg-YINH9Zlkr-Eoj9fwEME7uDbPfj9pusDahiF/w400-h400/4.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Here's why -- that little silver comma-shaped mark on the hind wing. Click to enlarge. Also note that it looks like a different butterfly with its wings closed, dark and drab. <br /></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5n8TvjezDd8L0XSzeo6E9ui_mmD9Ks7d5oFd7Fmy4lTPws4F6X3vdRtmbVVvcZo7IgeseUHou5AIH0-jD8PpDhlUPW-Vi_6RiCE5LQ6DHVaftmxF2T759EuI7Gu5GAQt_9Wnws6_yaPNztaEgfgh7061epuYj7KnIIh0YYueg38H36D8yWHvRqxsW8-av/s2625/6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1745" data-original-width="2625" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5n8TvjezDd8L0XSzeo6E9ui_mmD9Ks7d5oFd7Fmy4lTPws4F6X3vdRtmbVVvcZo7IgeseUHou5AIH0-jD8PpDhlUPW-Vi_6RiCE5LQ6DHVaftmxF2T759EuI7Gu5GAQt_9Wnws6_yaPNztaEgfgh7061epuYj7KnIIh0YYueg38H36D8yWHvRqxsW8-av/w400-h266/6.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Here's a question mark butterfly for comparison. Check out the punctuation on this guy. <br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJCT-9zURWk5kmGzxyFd2kikh-xC9wx5GGpfdbiCZSxPoWEdYfEmU7g17G0VWERxhkX71P8khxKO5K4e5ZGBAJFxp5ttQpSDUyTNk8wc1gxTHomAMQPC6ArshRQ2vUi_UwKzCbZSTsJsd06VRFoHPP7uFGI4SYTpvW2jE56b5tYxsiMPAV7O2tjRT2F-kz/s2060/6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2060" data-original-width="2060" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJCT-9zURWk5kmGzxyFd2kikh-xC9wx5GGpfdbiCZSxPoWEdYfEmU7g17G0VWERxhkX71P8khxKO5K4e5ZGBAJFxp5ttQpSDUyTNk8wc1gxTHomAMQPC6ArshRQ2vUi_UwKzCbZSTsJsd06VRFoHPP7uFGI4SYTpvW2jE56b5tYxsiMPAV7O2tjRT2F-kz/w400-h400/6.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Amazing, right? <br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Julie Feinsteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03498011976728882325noreply@blogger.com0