Tag Archives: #MonthlyPhotoChallenge

THE CHANGING SEASONS – JUNE 2020 – Marilyn Armstrong

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THE CHANGING SEASONS – JUNE 2020 – AND SO MUCH MORE …

What a strange and haunted year we have had. We are living in a world we never imagined except perhaps as a science fiction novel of the dystopian future. We don’t go anywhere, although today we went to the vet to say goodbye to Bonnie … and the grocery to say hello to food.

It’s almost a weird kind of relief that we finally let her go. This has been looming for close to a year. I remember last summer refusing to take even a short vacation because I felt she needed care and no one else had the time to give it to her. I haven’t absorbed it yet, but the Duke is grieving. Lots of sighing and moaning. When they walked her away up the ramp he started to cry and we cried with him.

Aww.
Bonnie
Bonnie Annie Laurie
Left: Bonnie, Right: Gibbs
As a puppy … maybe 12 weeks old. She loved snow and grew up in it.
When they were puppies …

Good bye Bonnie. Your were the best little girl ever and we will always miss you.

Relaxed squirrel
One square daylily in the rain
Portrait of a tiny chipmunk
Got a few seeds?
The river running dry
Capped Gray Catbird
Scarlet unknown flowers
Philodendron flower – 4

From Su Leslie:

About The Changing Seasons

The Changing Seasons is a monthly challenge where bloggers around the world share what’s been happening in their month.

If you would like to join in, here are the guidelines:

The Changing Seasons Version One (photographic):

Each month, post 5-20 photos in a gallery that you feel represent your month
Don’t use photos from your archive. Only new shots.
Tag your posts with #MonthlyPhotoChallenge and #TheChangingSeasons so that others can find them.

The Changing Seasons Version Two (you choose the format):

Each month, post a photo, recipe, painting, drawing, video, whatever that you feel says something about your month
Don’t use archive stuff. Only new material!
Tag your posts with #MonthlyPhotoChallenge and #TheChangingSeasons so others can find them.

If you do a ping-back to this post, I can update it with links to all of yours.

MAY 2020 – THE CHANGING SEASONS, A DIFFERENT WORLD – MARILYN ARMSTRONG

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The Changing Seasons, May 2020

To say that the world is a different place than it was last month and completely different than the month before, AND has almost nothing to do with last spring or even last winter is probably an understatement. I hardly know where to start. Plagues,  riots and warm winter without snow which, in one night, turned into summer.

Whatever comes out of this, it’s going to be different. Possibly very different. Or maybe not. Does anyone know? I sure don’t know.

About The Changing Seasons

The Changing Seasons is a monthly challenge where bloggers around the world share what’s been happening in their month.

If you would like to join in, here are the guidelines:

The Changing Seasons Version One (Photographic):

Each month, post 5-20 photos in a gallery that you feel represent your month

Don’t use photos from your archive. Only new shots.

Tag your posts with #MonthlyPhotoChallenge and #TheChangingSeasons so that others can find them.

The Changing Seasons Version Two (Choose your favorite format):

Each month, post a photo, recipe, painting, drawing, video, whatever that you feel says something about your month

Don’t use archived stuff. Only new material! Except for maybe this and last month when a lot of us have gotten out of the house much — or at all.

Tag your posts with #MonthlyPhotoChallenge and #TheChangingSeasons so others can find them.

If you do a ping-back to SuLeslie’s post, she can update all the entries with links.

CHANGING SEASONS: A MONTH OF PLAGUE & FREEZING RAIN – Marilyn Armstrong

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The Changing Seasons, April 2020

I don’t know how long we’ve been isolated. It was just a few days after my birthday in March, so six weeks, give or take a few days or maybe half a week. Who can tell? When you are inside all the time and never go anywhere at all, not even the grocery store, all the days are alike and it gets hard to remember what happened … or when. Or sometimes, even IF it happened.

China, east Asia, Australia, and New Zealand

I’ve been grateful to the birds, the squirrels, the flying squirrels. Even the raccoons. They are all eating an awful lot of food. Normally, there’d be plenty to eat outside, but we haven’t had two sunny days in a row. It has been very cold, windy, and endlessly rainy and gray. So, nothing is growing. No hint of leaves. no flowers. Just mud.

A very young Goldfinch
Close-up Brown-headed Cowbird. Note the Evil Eye.
Downy Woodpecker
Tufted Titmouse
Definitely high up
Goldfinches
Part of the flock
John Prine (Photo Credit: Ron Baker)
Less luminescent
From the side, another macro
Orchids
More cleanup
The cleanup crew
On the march! Foof awaits … but not much
More bright yellow birds

My orchids have grown well or had been but the lack of sun has been rough and I finally broke down and bought a grow light. The poor things have been living in a dark closet.

And finally, I’d like to say a final goodbye to Gibbs. May you live on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge in peace. We’ll meet again … maybe, I hope.

About The Changing Seasons

The Changing Seasons is a monthly challenge where bloggers around the world share what’s been happening in their month.

If you would like to join in, here are the guidelines:

The Changing Seasons Version One (photographic):

Each month, post 5-20 photos in a gallery that you feel represent your month
Don’t use photos from your archive. Only new shots.
Tag your posts with #MonthlyPhotoChallenge and #TheChangingSeasons so that others can find them.

The Changing Seasons Version Two (you choose the format):

Each month, post a photo, recipe, painting, drawing, video, whatever that you feel says something about your month
Don’t use archive stuff. Only new material!
Tag your posts with #MonthlyPhotoChallenge and #TheChangingSeasons so others can find them.

If you do a ping-back to this post, I can update it with links to all of yours.

Update

Please visit Pauline’s beautiful garden at Living in Paradise. She and Jack have been hard at work and as always it’s a visual delight.

Lani at Life, the Universe and Lani shares some thoughts and interesting images from her month in Rayong, Thailand.

A Wonderful Sheep brings us a lovely hopeful post with beautiful images of her “side of the mountain” in glorious springtime.

Tish at Writer on the Edge has been busy in her garden and allotment. Please pop over and see the fruits of her green fingers.

Sarah at Art Expedition has not only taken some beautiful photos but also baked the most delicious-looking ….  No. I’m not going to tell you — you have to visit her post to see for yourself.

THE CHANGING SEASONS, FEBRUARY 2020 – Marilyn Armstrong

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The Changing Seasons, February 2020

It has been a dreary February. To be fair, February is usually dreary, though it normally gets more snow. We didn’t get any snow in either January or February which is a record for the past 100 years. We did, however, get a lot of rain, so at least we won’t run out of water anytime soon.

An indoor garden

I didn’t get out much. It was dreary, dull, gray, and wet. Inside, I could take pictures of birds and flowers and my brand new quilt cover. I’m pretty sure I took other pictures, too, but I’m not sure what they were.

Macro Orchid

So first, let’s get to the orchids which have been blooming very well and there is suddenly a second branch with a lot more buds. Maybe this will be a long blooming period. Hope so!

Moving along, let’s take a look at the birds. This has been the month of Goldfinches. Red Finches too and the periodic visit by Nuthatches, Chickadees, woodpeckers of three varieties, Doves, Flying Squirrels, regular non-flying squirrels.

Now, a few cactus blooms …

Wider shot

My exciting new bedroom:

The new bedroom

And of course the concert we went to see with Ron and Cherrie, conducted by Dr. Anton Armstrong, Garry’s baby brother. It was a brilliant concert — and Anton was amazing.

Photo: Owen Kraus
Brothers!

And then we were on the road, to and from Ellin and Tom’s place in Connecticut.

Still too many cars

Meanwhile, guess what Garry is working on?

What does this mean?

About The Changing Seasons

The Changing Seasons is a monthly challenge where bloggers around the world share what’s been happening in their month.

If you would like to join in, here are the guidelines:

  • The Changing Seasons Version One (photographic):
  • Each month, post 5-20 photos in a gallery that you feel represent your month
  • Don’t use photos from your archive. Only new shots.
  • Tag your posts with #MonthlyPhotoChallenge and #TheChangingSeasons so that others can find them.

The Changing Seasons Version Two (you choose the format):

  • Each month, post a photo, recipe, painting, drawing, video, whatever that you feel says something about your month
  • Don’t use archive stuff. Only new material!
  • Tag your posts with #MonthlyPhotoChallenge and #TheChangingSeasons so others can find them.
  • If you do a ping-back to this post, Su-Leslie can update it with links to the other posts.

THE CHANGING SEASONS, DECEMBER 2019 – Marilyn Armstrong

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The Changing Seasons, December 2019

The weather has definitely become an issue around here. We got some snow at the end of November and then again at the beginning of December. That appears to have been winter.

Since then, we’ve had heavy rain, a week of bitterly cold days, a few light dustings of snow, a lot of days so warm we had to put flea and tick collars back on the dogs because the moment the temperature goes into the 50s and 60s, the fleas and ticks pop up as if summer never ended.

For those who are waiting for climate change to show up, I have a flash for them. It’s here.

Many of us already live in hotspots where the temperature has met or exceeded the 2 degree Celsius level. The seasons are changing. Autumn is vanishing … and apparently, so is winter. The bugs are going to have a real field day this year since they’ve never died off.

Taking off
Winter’s dawn
Downy Woodpecker
Pretty sure it’s a Chipping Sparrow
A winter Cardinal in a tree
I’m pretty sure this one is the bigger Hairy Woodpecker — but I’m not sure.
No one starves in our yard!
Madame Cardinal
Junco in a bird’s winter
Sharing on the feeder
Bluebird
I think it’s two birds having a little tiff. Hard to tell but that’s my best guess.
Pretty sure this one is a Hairy Woodpecker because he is much bigger than the Downy
My Lady Cardinal
Another Downy Woodpecker
What’s over there?
Getting wings ready to fly
Chipping Sparrow
Blue Jay
Red Bellied Woodpecker and a Junco
Home sweet home with our mailbox and our across the street neighbor’s mailbox
Home. With snow.
Unitarian Church (empty) on the Common.
Sharing!
Blue Jay on the railing
Staring me down
The Episcopal rectory on the Common.
Bluebird and Chickadee
Bluebird on the fence – the perfect blue and orange combination!
Woodpecker
Goldfinch and Chickadee
Taking off

Most large American cities are hotspots. All of Australia and Tasmania are in trouble. I suspect most major cities on every continent are already at, over, or approaching the tipping point. Between the fires, mudslides, giant storms, floods, polar ice melting … it’s here. Now. We are in it. Some places more obviously than others. I do not think we have a decade or two to fix our climate problems and I don’t see any evidence that we are doing anything positive to deal with the changing climate or our planetary ecology.

I’m trying to find something about which to be optimistic, but I’m not having much success.

Nuthatch and incoming Bluebird

Frozen woods

Carolina Wren

A huge Tufted Titmice!

Ice everywhere

About The Changing Seasons

The Changing Seasons is a monthly challenge where bloggers around the world share what’s been happening in their month.

If you would like to join in, here are the guidelines:

The Changing Seasons Version One (photographic):

  • Each month, post 5-20 photos in a gallery that you feel represent your month
  • Don’t use photos from your archive. Only new shots.
  • Tag your posts with #MonthlyPhotoChallenge and #TheChangingSeasons so that others can find them

The Changing Seasons Version Two (you choose the format):

  • Each month, post a photo, recipe, painting, drawing, video, whatever that you feel says something about your month
  • Don’t use archive stuff. Only new material!
  • Tag your posts with #MonthlyPhotoChallenge and #TheChangingSeasons so others can find them.

If you do a ping-back to Su Leslie’s original post, I can update it with links to all of yours.

 

THE CHANGING SEASONS NOVEMBER 2019 – Marilyn Armstrong

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THE CHANGING SEASONS – NOVEMBER 2019

This is one of the big change months of our calendar. We go from warm late fall days to bitter cold and sometimes snow. We didn’t (praise be!) get snow, but we got a lot of rain. We had one perfect week of Autumn. We used to get a month of it, but times are changing. It arrived late and departed in one night. A lot of trees just dropped their leaves without them even changing color.

But we got Cardinals and our very first Bluebirds. A triumph!

Bluebird and Chickadee

Very pretty Bluebird

Like Su Leslie, I’ve largely retreated emotionally to home and things I have some control over. I try to keep in touch with the world because maybe big things are coming and I hope I’m still here to participate. Meanwhile, I feed the birds — a small thing to help beleaguered creatures — and simultaneously am growing the fattest squirrels in North America.

From the front of the Bluebird

And one day, we had bluebirds!

It’s supposed to snow tomorrow and the news has been full of it. But when they talk about huge snowstorms, they mean nine inches to a foot. I am meanwhile thinking two to three feet or, as you folks say, a meter or more. What we are actually supposed to get is one to three inches, which isn’t snow. It’s a dusting.

It does mean winter really is here. I hope it isn’t really awful. A mild winter would be easier for everyone!

Bluebird on the fence – the perfect blue and orange combination!
All the pink buds
Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Scarlet buds
Finally finished front door
Photo: Garry Armstrong — Finished new wall
A quiet place to sit and maybe a place for a computer, too
A little broader look
Cardinal in full regalia
Titmouse in early (very early!) sunset
A good look at the beak and head. This is a small, tough bird!
Mourning Dove
Two Titmice

About The Changing Seasons

The Changing Seasons is a monthly challenge where bloggers around the world share what’s been happening in their month.

If you would like to join in, here are the guidelines:

The Changing Seasons Version One (photographic):

  • Each month, post 5-20 photos in a gallery that you feel represent your month
  • Don’t use photos from your archive. Only new shots.
  • Tag your posts with #MonthlyPhotoChallenge and #TheChangingSeasons so that others can find them

The Changing Seasons Version Two (you choose the format):

  • Each month, post a photo, recipe, painting, drawing, video, whatever that you feel says something about your month
  • Don’t use archive stuff. Only new material!
  • Tag your posts with #MonthlyPhotoChallenge and #TheChangingSeasons so others can find them.

If you do a ping-back to Su Leslie’s original post, I can update it with links to all of yours.

THE CHANGING SEASONS – SEPTEMBER 2019 – Marilyn Armstrong

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The Changing Seasons, September 2019

It’s the last day of September. In New England, that’s Autumn. It’s sort of Autumn out there, but not a lot. It may get better, but a lot has to do with rain and if it gets very warm again.

One all my flowers die, this is what takes over.
Sunset by the stone fence
Calf by the river
Ignore the chickens!
But this beauty sat nice and peacefully for me. A happy cat on a happy farm!
Purple and very orchid
There’s something for every taste
Carve this one into something special
Photo-Garry Armstrong
Pick your favorite
Photo: Garry Armstrong
Shooting through a wire fence, these are impressionist chickens. Need eggs?
Photo: Garry Armstrong
Garry at River Bend
Double docks

It’s been very up and down. Moreover, climate change has made our erratic weather even more erratic than it was before, so it’s very hard to figure out what happening. Or will happen.

Nuthatch
Nuthatch
Chickadee
Hairy Woodpecker
Chickadee
Downy Woodpecker

The trees are mostly green with large patches of bright yellow and in a few places, some red and orange. But the color is very slow in coming and if the rain starts before the color shows up, fall will wash away with the rain. As it did last year and the year before.

The barn and corral and our car, tucked in the corner. happy weather watching.

The farm road. Follow it if you want to see the horses.

We have taken some nice pictures, so even if we aren’t getting that golden red fall feeling, it certainly is lovely outside.

I’d hate to lose a whole season, especially Autumn.

About The Changing Seasons

The Changing Seasons is a monthly challenge where bloggers around the world share what’s been happening in their month.

If you would like to join in, here are the guidelines:

The Changing Seasons Version One (photographic):

      • Each month, post 5-20 photos in a gallery that you feel represent your month
      • Don’t use photos from your archive. Only new shots.
      • Tag your posts with #MonthlyPhotoChallenge and #TheChangingSeasons so that others can find them

The Changing Seasons Version Two (you choose the format):

      • Each month, post a photo, recipe, painting, drawing, video, whatever that you feel says something about your month
      • Don’t use archive stuff. Only new material!
      • Tag your posts with #MonthlyPhotoChallenge and #TheChangingSeasons so others can find them.

If you do a ping-back to this post, Su-Leslie can update her post with links to all of your posts.

THE CHANGING SEASONS – AUGUST 2019 – Marilyn Armstrong

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The Changing Seasons, August 2019

It’s official. This has been the hottest and wettest summer more than a hundred years. The hottest days and hottest nights. Until it cooled off a week ago — and we went critical on E.E.E. (Eastern Equine Encephalitis) mosquitoes, so now that the weather is decent, we can’t go out anyway.

Not a great summer.

Meanwhile, one side of our house is rotting. It’s the south side. Somehow, during one or more of the storms that we’ve had, water got in under the siding and turned the underpinnings to muck and mold. We have to find a way to fix it. It is unlikely the insurance company will do anything. As the adjuster pointed out, they don’t actually fix anything unless your house burns down.

They don’t do it for you. It’s to protect your mortgage holder.

So, we haven’t been outside much. We did take some pictures, but mostly, we have stayed inside. My current entire mentality is trying to figure out how to come up with a few thousand dollars to fix the wall. It’s ironic, really. I was just reading about somebody who spent more than a million dollars to redesign his garden and I was thinking “There really isn’t any justice, is there.” I commented to the adjuster we would be better off burning the place down.

He agreed.

Photos are by Garry and Marilyn Armstrong.

With a very special pepper!
Water plants along the river
Little arch

When we were young, we took each other in if someone got into trouble. We just did it. Of course, we had parents who could help us if we really got desperate. Now, we are the parents. Hell, we’re the grandparents.

There’s nowhere to go. Our kids don’t have houses, our parents have passed on. C’est la vie, eh?

About The Changing Seasons

The Changing Seasons is a monthly challenge where bloggers around the world share what’s been happening in their month.

If you would like to join in, here are the guidelines:

The Changing Seasons Version One (photographic):

    • Each month, post 5-20 photos in a gallery that you feel represent your month
    • Don’t use photos from your archive. Only new shots.
    • Tag your posts with #MonthlyPhotoChallenge and #TheChangingSeasons so that others can find them

The Changing Seasons Version Two (you choose the format):

    • Each month, post a photo, recipe, painting, drawing, video, whatever that you feel says something about your month
    • Don’t use archive stuff. Only new material!
    • Tag your posts with #MonthlyPhotoChallenge and #TheChangingSeasons so others can find them.

If you do a ping-back to Su-Leslie’s post, she can update it with links to all of yours.

THE CHANGING SEASONS – JULY 2019 – Marilyn Armstrong

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The Changing Seasons, July 2019 – Our Hottest July Ever!

It’s official. This has been the hottest July in recorded weather history … 140 years worth. Not only have these been the hottest days, but they have also been the hottest nights with temperatures rarely dropping below the 80s.

I haven’t been outside much. For an asthmatic, this is bad karma. The hot, wet air makes it difficult to breathe and lacking inhalers (because I can’t afford them), being inside is a lot safer.

I did take a few pictures in the garden and of the newly repainted deck, but this hasn’t been much of a photographic month. If someone turns down the thermostat and the humidity, maybe we’ll have some breathable air. Right now, it’s like trying to inhale hot soup. Whatever that stuff is, it isn’t real air.

The newly refinished deck — which is also why there are no birds. It was time to take in the feeders until the fall. I miss my birds!

The Garden – Daylily Central!

A pair of daylilies
A perfect pair of Daylilies
Daylilies
A few more daylilies
Backyard Daylilies!
One and a half daylilies
More asters
Lots and lots of daylilies
A clump of daylilies
Asters growing amidst the daylilies

About The Changing Seasons

The Changing Seasons is a monthly challenge where bloggers around the world share what’s been happening in their month.

If you would like to join in, here are the guidelines:

The Changing Seasons Version One (photographic):

    • Each month, post 5-20 photos in a gallery that you feel represent your month
    • Don’t use photos from your archive. Only new shots.
    • Tag your posts with #MonthlyPhotoChallenge and #TheChangingSeasons so that others can find them

The Changing Seasons Version Two (you choose the format):

    • Each month, post a photo, recipe, painting, drawing, video, whatever that you feel says something about your month
    • Don’t use archive stuff. Only new material!
    • Tag your posts with #MonthlyPhotoChallenge and #TheChangingSeasons so others can find them.

If you do a ping-back to Su-Leslie’s post, she can update it with links to all of yours.

THE CHANGING SEASONS: MAY 2019 – Marilyn Armstrong

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The Changing Seasons, May 2019

Photography: Garry and Marilyn Armstrong

It has been a weird month of May. A lot of rain, a lot of cold days with and without rain, then a couple of hot muggy days. Immediately followed by cooler dry days and then wet, quite cold days. It’s only in the low 50s right now and will be in the mid-40s tonight. That is cold for this time of year.

Flowers – Marilyn Armstrong
Solomon’s Seal

Weather forecasts these days are closer to guesses than they used to be. There’s so much very bad, dangerous weather rolling across the continent. Tornadoes, flooding, violent thunderstorms only a few miles south of here. As long as the winds don’t change, all we are going to get is drenching rain.

Mumford Dam and River – Garry and Marilyn Armstrong
Photo: Garry Armstrong
Photo: Garry Armstrong
Photo: Garry Armstrong
Another memorial along the river
Photo: Garry Armstrong
Photo: Garry Armstrong
Photo: Garry Armstrong

The gardens look pretty sad. There are flowers, but everything, even the Hosta, is droopy and no really fully developed. Except for Solomon’s Seal — which is happy in gray rainy weather — everything else looks like it wishes it could have stayed in the ground.

The Village – Garry Armstrong
Springtime on the Commons
Our brand spanking new crossing sign! Isn’t this exciting?

There were a few good days and we went out for one, and Garry for another. Otherwise, it was some of the flowers and of course, the birds.

Boys and the River – Garry and Marilyn Armstrong
Photo: Garry Armstrong
Photo: Garry Armstrong
Photo: Garry Armstrong
Photo: Garry Armstrong
Photo: Garry Armstrong
What IS that?
Photo: Garry Armstrong
What is that on my foot?
Swimming and jumping in the river
Getting in is easier than getting out!

The pictures make it look like we’ve had a lovely, sunny month. The truth is that all of the pictures were taken over a period of five sunny days. The rest of the months was gray, rainy, and mostly, cold.

The following pictures of the birds may tell more of the story because the birds get really hungry when the weather is cold and rainy. When it’s bright and sunny, they tend to ignore us. Also, they aren’t happy with us right now because we bought cheaper food. It’s not bad food, but it has less of the more expensive components because rain or not, there’s real, live food all over the woods. There are bugs and fruit and nuts to eat and they don’t need to depend on our buffet.

Birds – Marilyn Armstrong
Cardinal and Cowbird. The Cowbirds are only afraid of the big woodpecker — ever since he pecked him in the head!
Cowbird with Hairy Woodpecker – sharing!
A beak and a half
One Cowbird and a Hairy Woodpecker
Lady Brown-headed Cowbird showing off her dark tail!
Black-capped Chickadee – our Massachusetts official state bird
Mrs. Cowbird and Mr. Chickadee, sharing a light snack
Brown-headed Cowbirds
One Goldfinch
Goldfinch in the rain
A little Goldfinch
Chipping Sparrow
Red-bellied Woodpecker — and you can actually see his red belly!
Red-Bellied Woodpecker high in a tree
Eating well!
A pair of doves
Lady Cardinal
Downy Woodpecker
Looking down Dove
Hairy or Downy?
A common Mourning Dove discussing life with a stone Frog.
Peek-a-boo!
It’s a woodpecker, but I can’t see enough of him to know which one.

Except for the squirrels. They have completely given up finding their own food. As far as they are concerned, they own us and expect a good, solid meal every single day. They ate ALL the food in two days this week. I mean down to the last few seeds at the very bottom of the hanging feeder. And they did it while we weren’t looking.

The Red Christmas Cactus – Marilyn Armstrong

Macro red cactus

Murderer’s Row – Marilyn Armstrong

They have figured out when we are around — and when we aren’t. They are smarter than people think!

About The Changing Seasons

The Changing Seasons is a monthly challenge where bloggers around the world share what’s been happening in their month.

If you would like to join in, here are the guidelines:

The Changing Seasons Version One (photographic):

      • Each month, post 5-20 photos in a gallery that you feel represent your month
      • Don’t use photos from your archive. Only new shots.
      • Tag your posts with #MonthlyPhotoChallenge and #TheChangingSeasons so that others can find them

The Changing Seasons Version Two (you choose the format):

      • Each month, post a photo, recipe, painting, drawing, video, whatever that you feel says something about your month
      • Don’t use archive stuff. Only new material!
      • Tag your posts with #MonthlyPhotoChallenge and #TheChangingSeasons so others can find them.

If you do a pingback to Su-Leslie’s post, she will update it with links to your post.

THE CHANGING SEASONS: APRIL 2019 – THE RAINIEST APRIL SINCE 1872 – Marilyn Armstrong

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The Changing Seasons, April 2019
The Rainiest April in 140 Years

Photography: Garry and Marilyn Armstrong

It wasn’t just my imagination. Of the 29 days of this past, April 2019, twenty of them were rainy. And for the final day, tomorrow, it will also rain which will bring the total to 21 days of rain for the month of April.

Not surprisingly, we didn’t get out to take a lot of pictures this month. If it weren’t were the bird feeders on our deck, there might not be any pictures at all.

Trout fishing
Photo: Garry Armstrong
Photo: Garry Armstrong
Photo, Garry Armstrong
Photo, Garry Armstrong

Most of the time, it has been chilly and wet. We got some daffodils and a few crocuses. We even got a few sad-looking Forsythias. Meanwhile, although we got a whole set of brand new young Rhododendrons while the mature bushes all died. I don’t know if the rain drowned them or maybe they were just ready to move on and that’s why they sent up the new shoots.

Harbinger of spring – our purple crocuses
One Tulip
More yellow daffodils

My son is going to cut them all down — the dead ones and the young ones and all of the rose bushes. They will grow back, or at least the living ones will. I guarantee that by August, the young Rhododendrons and the barbed-wire roses will be taller than me.

The Goldfinch turning bright yellow for mating season.
More bright Goldfinch