Memory Lane

The months have speedily slipped from there moorings this year and Christmas is, once again, near. I've been decking the halls and enjoying the beauty that shines from every corner of the town and twinkles across the snow from cheerily lit houses.

Amaryllis 

Poinsettia and Maiden Hair Ferns.

 Christmas trees are filled with treasured memories of people and places near and far. When we unwrap the baubles, smiles light up the room when we uncover the tissue and find a treasure given  by family and friends.  Decorating the tree is a walk down memory lane. Of course, there are nutcrackers, birds and eggs, something from the sea, and my most prized possession: a reindeer made by my son, Jesse when he was in pre-school.

There are old and new things . . .

And the unusual, too. A sea urchin tied with ribbons and bows. I bought it several years ago in Newfoundland.

A hummer and another special fellow.

The shadow of a dove.

And, luckily, outside the real McCoy: a downy woodpecker feasts on seeded suet.

Thank you for reading along.

Wishing all of you a Merry Christmas and very Happy Holidays!

A Directional Challenge

 Top of the day to you!

For many years now, I've bought Amaryllis to brighten up the season. However, this year things got away from me and the eager bulb started to grow in the box. There was no need to soak the roots first, but I decided to be gentle with it, so I gave it a soaking before I planted it. After of few days of chasing sunbeams around the room, it straightened up--bloomed and there's more blooms to come

.

 My Christmas cactus. A changeling that often looks apricot.

Since Amaryllis need staking, I went to the woods to procure a piece of red alder. There's no snow yet which is unusual, but not unheard of, and the temperatures sometimes climb into the low teens, so it was a great time to go.
With full bird feeders along the trail, the 'wee' chickadees and nuthatches swoop down in front of you for a snack. Unfortunately, I left my camera at home, but who can forget the sweetness of a chickadee. They do make me smile.

My drawing is not quite finished.  But because the excess graphite has worked it's way into the paper, I've decided to move on. I am not sure how that happened. I did have a clean piece of paper under my hand.

Thanks for reading along...

 'Til next time...Best Wishes!

Here a pumpkin, there a pumpkin...

There are pumpkins everywhere these days. I've seen so many types: huge, small, and the unusual. In the spirit of the season, I thought I'd share a few pics, along with a short video.

We recently went to the village and saw a spectacular display...aptly named Pumpkin Inferno. What you will see is a small example from 6 thousand carved pumpkins, including Jack in the boxes, huge carved archways, Chinese lanterns, monarch butterflies, etc. Taken with the flash on..so much nicer if taken in the dark, but tricky to take without a tripod. Vines A parliament of owls. I've been having a problem with my internet connection, so unfortunately I can't upload another video, or check to see if the one I uploaded works. I hope it does. So I'll close with a drawing of Edgar Allan Poe; he definitely fits in with the  season. Who can forget his poem The Raven. Have a safe and happy Hallowe'en!