Macro Monday

I went Orchid shopping this past week, and came home with this beauty. When I go looking for a new one, I always try to get a different one that I don't already have. This particular one has a very light fragrance.

If you look close right in the center a shape that looks like a human nose..
Click on over to http://lisaschaos.com to see more closeups.

Sunday

Thursday night we had a real winter snow storm with lots of blowing and drifting snow, but not much accumulation! It was a very heavy wet snow, and stuck to all the trees etc. What a beautiful sight.

It made for some great pictures even if I'm ready for it to be gone...

This is our front yard. I have 7 bird feeders out there, and now that the Great Backyard Bird Count is over, I have lots more birds. I'm sure it is because of the snow..

On Chautauqua Lake there is still some brave souls willing to venture out on the frozen lake even though the ice surely doesn't look very thick, and the temperature the day we were there was 43º

I have quite a few Downey woodpeckers, and I think they are just so cute.

To my surprise the other day, while I was watering the Orchids, I found this one blooming high up near the ceiling. It's on a hanging Orchid and has no fragrance.
Hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend.

Macro Monday

Sometimes at this time of the year I need an orchid fix, and go to a wonderful greenhouse about 25 miles from home. They operate all year round, and you can actually go anytime, but on a gloomy, cold, middle of the winter day, it is pure heaven and of course I go with the intention of coming home with a new plant too. One can walk for hours taking in the sights of flowers everywhere, the warm humid air  and the delicious smell of dirt and foilage.

This little honey did come home with me, and the flowers are about 1" across and remind me of a Spanish flamenco dancer.
Happy Monday everyone, and do click on over to http://lisaschaos.com to see lots more close-ups.

Macro Monday

It's Monday again, and I have several Orchids blooming right now. This is one of my very favorite, and the blossoms will last for over 2 months. It doesn't have any fragrance though.

Click on over to http://lisaschaos.com to see lots more close ups.

Sunday

I don't have much to add for today. It was a cloudy day when we went for a drive to Lake Erie, and Presque Isle. Some fog too limited picture taking, but I saw 1000's of Coots. I don't ever remember seeing so many together. They were everyplace. I even saw a man in a boat fishing out on the bay. Something rare for February.

This is one of my barn cats Azrael, and she loves rolling on the ground for attention. A fierce hunter, she keeps the mice and Chipmunk population under control. My other barn cat Maggie, is very old, and spends most of the day sleeping in the hay loft, but never misses dinner. You can see her picture on my side bar.

Not that I needed any more Orchids, but for my birthday I just had to have one! I don't have this particular color, and it's called an Ice Orchid. To water it, just add 3 ice cubes to the pot once a week. What could be simpler?
Hope everyone is having a wonderful week-end.

Macro Monday

For Macro Monday this week I wanted to show a darling little Orchid I have blooming right now. These tiny flowers measure less than 1/2" across, and have the fragrance of baby power. There are many buds and flowers on each stem, and they will last probably a month or more.
Happy Macro Monday and click on over to http://lisaschaos.com to see lots more close ups.

Macro Monday

Earlier in the week when I posted my greenhouse, I failed to show one of my favorite Orchids.
This one is about 2" and is called "Lady of the Night". The flower isn't all that spectacular, but the fragrance is unbelievable. It smells just like a Gardenia, and is only detectable at night.When there are several blooming at once, you can smell them all over the house. In the wild they would be able to attract night flying insects for pollination.
Happy Macro Monday and if you click on http://lisaschaos.com you can see lots more close ups.

My greenhouse

Even though we have had some sun the past few days, the temperature out side has been bitter cold, and with that wind whipping around every corner, we haven't ventured out to take many pictures. The same gang at the feeders too, so nothing there to photograph either.
Yesterday I took all the plants out of the greenhouse, washed all the windows, vacuumed all the cobwebs, and swept the floor.. I even gave the plants a bath, and trimmed away the dead leaves.We heat with wood in the winter, and you can't believe how dirty those windows were and that will keep lots of good light from reaching the plants.
The following pictures show the Orchids that are blooming right now. Some of these flowers will keep for months, but then again they might not bloom again for another year. The little pitcher pump you see in this first picture has running water coming from the spout adding to the humidity.

Macro Monday

More gloomy days in our region, so I chose to work in the greenhouse a bit where there is at least some color. Some of these flowers have an area in the center that looks like an angel.
This is an Orchid I have blooming now, but it has no scent ;~(
Thanks to Lisa for keeping this fun meme going.
Click on over to her site http://lisaschaos.com/ to see lots more close-ups.

It's Saturday already

I have to show the Wood ducks again as they rest on that old tree along the creek trail. This morning on my walk with Tauqua I heard 5 gun shots from shotguns in the direction across the creek. I feared for the worse, and as I got closer I saw 2 hunters running down the creek searching for whatever they had shot. I waited a few minutes, and saw them walk back carrying a dead duck with a white underside. I'm sure it was a Wood duck. I thought they had gone for the winter, but I was wrong. A spooky looking moon on Halloween night.

I have two Orchids blooming right now, and this one has the most wonderful fragrance. It is about 3" across.

Another much smaller one has 5 more buds to open and has no fragrance.

Out on the trail this vine climbs up one of the Sumac trees, and I don't know what it is. I should have taken pictures of it when it was flowering this summer.

Pretty fall leaves from an old farm Rose.

There are always lots of interesting lichen clinging to old fallen branches.

It was another really windy day. Not very warm either, but at least it wasn't raining.

Have a wonderful rest of the weekend everyone.

Macro Monday

It's Macro Monday and here for you to enjoy is a little eye candy and another of my Orchids in bloom right now. This honey doesn't have any scent :(
Have a Happy day and thanks to Lisa for hosting this meme. Click on over to her site Here to see more close ups.

Oh Dear, More Deer

While this winter seemingly drags on and on ( it really is only February) , I do think we're ready to be done with it. Anyway I have another small Orchid in bloom. This one has over 20 blooms on one stem, and it has a very faint sweet scent only noticable during the daylight hours. It measures only 1 1/2" across.

Out and about last Thursday I spotted this Hawk sitting atop this telegraph pole. He was quite a ways away, but did sit there for a minute. Even then I couldn't get a very clear picture.
When he took off, I saw that red tail and decided a Red Tailed Hawk.

The Starlings have been eating everything in sight lately. At first there was only a couple, but now the trees are peppered with them.

This Turkey was on the run.

Finally it took off flying. They are amazingly fast for such a big bird, and I do think they look like Dinosaurs when they run.

I almost forgot. Here are the deer shots, and I didn't know what they all were looking at.

What ever it was they didn't like it and took off just like the turkey.

It's been really cold here today. It never got above 19º, and we have a very cold North wind. No snow from the Nor'easter though, and that is a good thing.

Have a wonderful Sunday all, and have a fun day too.