You just never know what you're going to get out here, and it changes by the minute.Frost predicted for tonight..Thanks to Tom, Sandy, Klaus, and IMAC for hosting this fun site Click on http://skyley.blogspot.com/ for more great sky photos.
Good Morning all. 44º here and the ever present fog, BUT it promises to be a great day. I will be busy canning more tomatoes, and I have plenty of apples to make into sauce too. I'm sorry if I didn't get around to many of your blogs yesterday. We were gone a good share of the day, and I'm not sure where the time went. I'll do better today.There is lots of color yet in this Goldenrod, and Joe Pye weed.
The 2nd Monarch caterpillar emerged yesterday, and this was about 3PM, just moments before he appeared.
I let his wings dry for 3 hours, and then we let him go. This is on the Black-eyed Susan, and it is another male, as you can tell by the 2 black spots on the hind wings.
Lots of clouds Tuesday.
On our way back home from seeing the GMA train on Tuesday, we stopped by this country cemetery. I love cemeteries, probably because I love history and because my father was a funeral director. I used to go with him as a child to the cemetery to check out the grave sites before a funeral. Also Gary and I have spent many, many hours in the past few years scouting cemeteries doing a genealogy on my Dad's family that came over from Ireland in 1851.In this cemetery there were some really COOL mushrooms. This one looks like a soft chair seat.
This one was my favorite. It looks like a Leprechaun's hat complete with the hatband , buckle, and necktie.
How about a Mexican sombrero some pretty flowers, and even a baby mushroom by it's side.
This one has seen better days. Still neat I think.
In this cemetery was the grave of a 19 year old Civil War soldier killed at the battle of Gettysburg July 23rd. 1863. 
More grave sites, and the beautiful Hydrangeas that I will post tomorrow. There were some gorgeous flowers in this cemetery.
Good foggy morning all. It's only 36º here at 6AM. We picked almost all the tomatoes last night just in case. Warmer weather is on the way, so we've been spared for the time being.We spent a good share of the day yesterday waiting for the GMA Whistle Stop train to roll past our favorite train watching area. Of course it was late but we were determined. 
At first we saw the helicopters that were traveling with the train.
Here it comes! This is the only picture I got ! I had decided to take a video, and apparently didn't have the correct setting on my camera, and the video was very blurry. Not good. Anyway we got to see it. There was no one on the back car waving to anybody either, but at over 60 miles per hour I guess that was too much to expect. The train was beautiful. Three special Amtrak locomotives, 6 passenger cars, and on the end of the train were two antique Pennsylvania railroad passenger cars from the executive Business train that is based out of Juniata, Pennsylvania, not far from Altoona. We saw and photographed this beautiful Business train ( made up of all old refurbished Pennsylvania Railroad passenger cars and locomotives ) when we were on vacation last summer. It is used to carry important people , and also used for track inspection. It has a platform on the last car where someone can ride getting a better look at the tracks, or can wave to the crowds.
Living in the country, it's a good thing to have lots of these on hand in case you ( and you will ) lose the electricity.
Happy Ruby Tuesday to everyone. Thanks to mary/the teach for hosting this fun site.Click on http://workofthepoet.blogspot.com/ for more RED photos.
Good Morning all. I hope you had a wonderful week-end. It was a good one here, and we survived the onslaught of Hurricane Ike yesterday. The day began with lots of sun, but it was warm and really humid . The temp. got up to 84º, and after lunch the winds picked up. Gary wanted to mow grass and the trails, so our granddaughter Becca and I walked the trails looking for any downed limbs. We spotted these small mushrooms in the front yard.
Becca took this. She loves taking pictures, and for a 5 yr. old I think she does pretty good.
With the winds getting worse, we hurried on our walk. 
A little later the clouds started rolling in and the sun disappeared.
Then it got really threatening, but still no rain. About this time I put all my outside hanging plants in the garage, put all the chickens to bed, and came in the house. The winds got stronger, and the electricity began to flicker. We lost the power for a moment, but it did come back on. Our son Steve got 3 fire calls during the night mostly for downed trees. It's raining on and off this morning, and not a good day to take pictures. We have lots of apples that fell in all the wind, so I think I'll process them today.
This little toad was sitting on my umbrella last night in the garage. I guess he didn't want to be outside.
A few butterflies still hanging around.
Here are a few more pictures of the flowers in the cemetery we stopped at last Tuesday. The caretakers of this old cemetery do a fine job maintaining the grounds.
These were just beautiful.
Hydrangea. 
Close-ups of the Hydrangea.
The 2nd Monarch caterpillar emerged yesterday, and this was about 3PM, just moments before he appeared.
I let his wings dry for 3 hours, and then we let him go. This is on the Black-eyed Susan, and it is another male, as you can tell by the 2 black spots on the hind wings.
Lots of clouds Tuesday.
On our way back home from seeing the GMA train on Tuesday, we stopped by this country cemetery. I love cemeteries, probably because I love history and because my father was a funeral director. I used to go with him as a child to the cemetery to check out the grave sites before a funeral. Also Gary and I have spent many, many hours in the past few years scouting cemeteries doing a genealogy on my Dad's family that came over from Ireland in 1851.
This one was my favorite. It looks like a Leprechaun's hat complete with the hatband , buckle, and necktie.
How about a Mexican sombrero some pretty flowers, and even a baby mushroom by it's side.
This one has seen better days. Still neat I think.
In this cemetery was the grave of a 19 year old Civil War soldier killed at the battle of Gettysburg July 23rd. 1863. 
More grave sites, and the beautiful Hydrangeas that I will post tomorrow. There were some gorgeous flowers in this cemetery.
At first we saw the helicopters that were traveling with the train.
Here it comes! This is the only picture I got ! I had decided to take a video, and apparently didn't have the correct setting on my camera, and the video was very blurry. Not good. Anyway we got to see it. There was no one on the back car waving to anybody either, but at over 60 miles per hour I guess that was too much to expect. The train was beautiful. Three special Amtrak locomotives, 6 passenger cars, and on the end of the train were two antique Pennsylvania railroad passenger cars from the executive Business train that is based out of Juniata, Pennsylvania, not far from Altoona. We saw and photographed this beautiful Business train ( made up of all old refurbished Pennsylvania Railroad passenger cars and locomotives ) when we were on vacation last summer. It is used to carry important people , and also used for track inspection. It has a platform on the last car where someone can ride getting a better look at the tracks, or can wave to the crowds. 
While we waited there was plenty of other rail traffic.
Have a good day, and tomorrow I have some REALLY cool mushrooms to post. 
Happy Ruby Tuesday to everyone. Thanks to mary/the teach for hosting this fun site.
Becca took this. She loves taking pictures, and for a 5 yr. old I think she does pretty good.
With the winds getting worse, we hurried on our walk. 
A little later the clouds started rolling in and the sun disappeared.
Then it got really threatening, but still no rain. About this time I put all my outside hanging plants in the garage, put all the chickens to bed, and came in the house. The winds got stronger, and the electricity began to flicker. We lost the power for a moment, but it did come back on. Our son Steve got 3 fire calls during the night mostly for downed trees. 
This little toad was sitting on my umbrella last night in the garage. I guess he didn't want to be outside.
