Scenes from Williamsburg

Colonial Williamsburg is a fascinating place to visit, steeped in history and with so much to see and do. Kevin and I traveled to Virginia in the early part of the week and toured the historical town. One of our first stops was a folk art museum that housed colonial period furniture and furnishings as well as many other objects of folk art. In the photograph above, Kevin curiously scans a carousel with two horses, a goat and a giraffe.

Old-time taverns are the place to go for a good, hearty meal in Williamsburg. I liked the ambiance created by the light streaming in the window of this simply furnished tavern. Tavern staff dress in period clothing and offer tidbits from the past. Our waitress informed us that the salt on our table would cost more than the meal in colonial times. Ordering an open bowl of salt to be placed on your dining table was considered to be a sign of wealth and social standing.

The main corridor of the colonial town is lined with a mix of period homes, shops, and tradesmen demonstrating their particular crafts. Above, a woman in colonial style dress demonstrates basket making using white oak splints. She explains that now that her basket is woven, she will attach a handle. Baskets were a common means of carrying and storing goods in colonial times.

One of my favorite features of the colonial town are the many gardens interspersed here and there. The bright orange blossom above is a pomegranate flower. The fruits of the pomegranate are dried and make a popular winter holiday decoration.

This final photograph gives you a look at a lovely cottage garden with foxglove flowers standing tall in shades of pink, lavender, and white. The A-frame home in the background is typical of those that line the streets of town. In addition to the various gardens, there are many mature trees lining the streets and adding to the beauty of the historic town. My favorite of these is the tall southern magnolia with its saucer-sized, fragrant, vanilla white flowers.

And...they're off!!!

Gardening season has begun! The front porch flower boxes are planted, and they've already attracted butterflies eager to check out what's new and what might offer some sweet nectar.

A closer look at the frilly Dianthus flowers, part of the assortment in the flower boxes.

The herb boxes are coming along nicely!

The vegetable garden

A variety of pepper plants line the back row, a row of yellow beans is in the middle and a row of green beans stretches across the front. The lone tomato plant sits in back in the white pot. Kevin doesn't like tomatoes, so I plant just one tomato plant each year and usually end up with plenty for me. I love them...there's nothing like a fresh, vine-ripened tomato - it tastes like a little bit of sunshine :)

A bean seedling's heart shaped leaves

We're looking forward to another good yield of fresh veggies this summer. Last summer's beans and peppers kept us going until fall. It's amazing that all it seems to take to get your garden growing and producing is good soil, sunshine, and water...plus a little loving care!

Take a Second Look

Our peaceful little pond, on closer observation, is actually a hotbed of activity in the warmer months of the year. In the photograph above, one of our resident goldfish comes to the surface to beg for food. Most of our fish are pretty skittish, but this one allows you to pet her. She's the biggest and the boldest! There are ten goldfish in all who call the pond their home...but they are not the only ones who live in this watery realm. Frogs and red-earred newts peacefully share their living space with the fish.

Many of the woodland animals visit the pond to quench their thirst. The white tailed deer are frequent visitors at dusk. A group of them gather at one end and take turns getting a drink. Squirrels and a variety of birds also come throughout the day to sip from the cool pond water.

Several years ago, a special visitor paid a visit, the elusive American Woodcock. I had never seen a woodcock before and needed to refer to a field guide to check out this chubby bird's identity. It's a bird rarely seen because it blends really well with it's woodland environment, it's mottled feathers matching the browns of the forest. The woodcock has a long spiky beak and makes an odd, characteristic bobbing motion with its head.

One of our hummingbird feeders sits at the back of the pond and is the site of the comings and goings of many a hungry hummingbird. These tiny birds need to consume a lot of calories to support their energetic lifestyles. Almost a match in size to the hummingbirds are the dragonflies that frequent the airspace over the pond in summertime in their quest for the many insects that also hover about the water. They can be seen roving about, zipping at lightning quick speed when snaring a catch.

At night time, bats appreciate the many additional insects that are available to feed upon because of the pond. They soar high above the water and dart to and fro, catching their meals in midair. From late June until the end of July, the night sky around the pond comes alive with the blinking lights of tiny fireflies, their luminous, twinkly beacons creating a fantasy-like aura.



So, this peaceful oasis, that on first glance looks so invitingly calm, on second glance keeps you captivated and looking further. A left click of your mouse on the photographs will give you larger, clearer images. In the larger image, you may be able to make out the iris flower in the left hand front corner of the photo above that was featured in a previous blog.

Sun Worshippers

We're not the only ones who miss the sunshine on the rainy days. Cats just love to seek out any sunny place they can find...the brighter the better. Pacey and Jasper sometimes share, but more often vie for the sunniest spots in the cabin.

Pacey basking contentedly

Jazz in typical sunbathing pose

Looking angelic, Jasper all aglow in the glory of the sun

True sun worshippers, these two!!!

Iris in Bloom

My watercolor of last year's pond iris showing its graceful leaf and stem structure.

Rainy Day

We're in for a three day stretch of rain. Before the showers started, I took the photograph above of our pond iris, now in full bloom. The big, showy, yet delicately etched blooms are ideal subjects for watercolors. Last year, at around this time, I tried my hand at "capturing" the essence of this lovely flower with my translucent paints. Though I was pleased with the turnout, my painting could not compare with the natural beauty of the flower itself.

This morning, I visited my favorite nursery - always a good pick-me-up whenever the weather outside is gloomy. Leisurely, I made my way through the greenhouse aisles fully stocked with an abundance of flowering plants. I was looking for a collection of annuals for my flower boxes. The many colors and varieties made it difficult to choose. Finally, I came across a gorgeous leafy plant called "Joseph's Coat." It is a plant of many colors! The leaves are mottled in various shades of bright pink and green - so lovely. This brightly colored plant made the rest of my decision making easier. I simply needed to find coordinating flowering plants in various shades of pink. I settled for some very healthy looking pale pink vincas and some frilly flowered plants with bright magenta blossoms. Tomorrow, under cover of the porch eaves, I'll put together the combination in my flower boxes - another good pick-me-up :)

"Happiness consists more in small conveniences or pleasures that occur everyday, than in great pieces of good fortune that happen but seldom." ~Benjamin Franklin

A Favorite Poem

Hyla Brook

By Robert Frost

By June our brook's run out of song and speed

Sought for much after that, it will be found

Either to have gone groping underground

(And taken with it all the Hyla breed

That shouted in the mist amonth ago,

Like ghost of sleigh bells in a ghost of snow)-

Or flourished and come up in jewelweed,

Weak foliage that is blown upon and bent

Even against the way its waters went.

Its bed is left a faded paper sheet

Of dead leaves stuck together by the heat-

A brook to none but who remember long.

This as it will be seen other far

Than with brooks taken otherwise in song.

We love the things we love for what they are.

I came across this poem long ago when I was about 12 years old, and since then it has been a favorite. One of America's most beloved poets, Robert Frost wrote many poems, some of which are much more familiar. "Hyla Brook" struck a cord with me, mostly because it reminds me of the creek I visited so often in my childhood...a very special place that remains a part of me in cherished memories.

Crystal Grottoes Caverns

Ribbon formation aglow in the spotlight

Variety of colors and textures within the caverns

Yesterday was a sparkling clear spring day. Kevin had the day off, and we decided to take a drive over the mountains and head to nearby Boonsboro, Maryland to visit Crystal Grottoes Caverns. The caverns are tucked away in a natural setting off the side of a scenic country road.

When we arrived, Kevin and I were greeted by an extremely friendly chocolate lab, who simply could not stop wagging his tail. He followed us through the door into the entrance to the caverns where we met our guide and paid for our tickets. We were the only visitors that afternoon, so we were treated to a private tour.

Crystal Grottoes was discovered in 1920 and became open for public viewing shortly thereafter. It's biggest claims to fame are that it holds more formations per square foot than any other cave known to man and that it is the most naturally kept cave in the world.

As he led us through the caverns, our guide used a big spot light to point out various formations - stalactites hanging from the cave ceiling and stalagmites rising from the cave floor and columns where the stalactites and stalagmites joined to form one continuous formation. He showed us thin and wavy ribbon stalactites that glowed in an array of colors as he shone his light on them, thin,white soda straw stalactites, pebbly popcorn formations, and glistening flows that sparkled with tiny crystal infusions. In addition to the natural features of the cave, we got to see a couple of cave denizens, tiny sleeping brown bats perched up high within crevices in the cave's ceiling. Apparently, there are frogs that also make the cave their home, but we didn't see any of them on our visit. Our guide also pointed out areas of the cave where further excavation work is being carried out in the hope of opening up even more of the caverns and discovering more natural riches in this underground wonderland.

As we completed our tour, our guide suggested we stroll down the nature trail behind the caverns. It was such a beautiful day, which made this an excellent idea. We found ourselves on a path running alongside a peaceful, slow moving stream, a sea of wildflowers surrounding us.

Kevin by the stream

Me amongst the honeysuckle

Our greeter was all tuckered out by the time we departed :)

Crystal Grottoes Caverns is a fascinating natural phenomenon and a great place to go to learn firsthand about caves and enjoy a very pretty area, too.

For more information about the caverns go to:

http://www.crystalgrottoescaverns.com/

Pretty in Pink

Coral Bells

The coral bells and columbines are in full bloom. It won't be long until the hummingbirds return. Today, I put out their sugar water feeders in anticipation of their arrival!

Columbines

A tiny green visitor peers out
of this flower head!

They're Back!!!

Jack-in-a-Pulpit

Spring brings forth a succession of new arrivals. Early harbingers of the season, such as robins, crocuses, and bright yellow forsythia flowers cheer the season on. Next, a wave of color in the form of tulips, daffodils, and red bud and dogwood blossoms continue to decorate the landscape. Hardwood trees bud and seemingly instantaneously burst forth into a sea of green. Towards the latter part of the season, Jack-in-a-Pulpit plants unfurl and raise their showy heads, the insides first striped in yellowish green and later turning to a deep purple striation. May apples, which as kids we called umbrella plants, because that's what they look like!, now have showy white flowers underneath their bright green umbrella leaves.

Spring provides a feast for our senses - sight, sound, scent, tactile, and taste. The awakening, colorful plants are such a sight for sore eyes to see after the stark, gray winter. There is no sweeter song than the melodious trill of the wood thrush. These songsters have returned to our woods, enchanting us in the early morning hours and at dusk with their throaty, beautiful arias. Last night, we also witnessed the return of the little brown bats as they soared and swirled above in their quest to catch and consume as many insects as their bellies could hold. Their amazing sonar power keeps them from colliding into one another as they swerve through the night sky.

Kevin was feeling a bit under the weather the other day, so I cooked up a pot of homemade chicken noodle soup for him. I added a few young garlic mustard leaves to the soup stock, enhancing it's flavor with their warm, savory flavor. It's a good way to make use of an abundant invasive species that otherwise is quite a pest plant! Violet flowers are an excellent source of vitamin C. Sometimes, when we are out on our walks, we pick a few and eat them right then and there. They also add a lovely decorative touch to cupcakes, too!

And, who doesn't love the sweet scent of honeysuckle as it wafts by on a spring breeze! Our driveway is lined with honeysuckle bushes. A walk down the drive is like a walk through a tunnel of the sweetest aroma. Birds flit back and forth among the honeysuckle bushes, enjoying the cover they provide.

Young ferns, now uncurled from their fiddle heads, are so velvety soft to the touch. Lightly brushing your hand over the light green fronds is such a pleasant sensation.

Our awakening landscape in Springtime, in it's many successive stages, revives all of our senses. Awareness becomes heightened. The beauty all around beckons us to come out of our winter time shells and once again feel fully alive.

Honeysuckle