Mary Soderstrom's Blog, page 16

Saturday Photo: Still Life with Morning Light, Flower and Clementines

 Lovely Mothers' Day floers and other nice things

Saturday Photo: It's in Bloom.....

 Until this spring I've killed all the orchids that have passed through our doorway.  Can grow a lot of other things, particularly those from dry and mild places like lantana, plulmbago, jade plant, and Christmas cactus.  But I always murdered orchids for reasons I amonly vaguely aware of.

However, about18 months ago I took up the challenge, bought a healthy and blooming plant, and then tried several methods.  Didn't write them down, so I can't really say what worked, but something did.

The plant began blooming this week, and I'm hoping we'll have a couple of months of blooms.  Yay!!

Saturday Photo: Coming up Soon to a Woods Near YOU

Leaves will be on the trees before you know it! At last!
 

Saturday Photo: More Spring Flowers

 Had snow this week, but the flowers nevertheless persist.  Good to see.

Saturday Photo: Easter Eggs

 Latvian eggs: dyed with onion skins only.  These were done a couple of years ago when Easter was earlier, and there was still snow on the ground.  But I did some this year too, even though our Easter celebrations will be quiet. Third year in a row that Covid 19 has played havoc with having a good time!  This is getting old!

Saturday Photo: Pussy Willows

 Another sign of spring.  Am I right that the French term is saule discolore? What a disappointing name!

Saturday Photo: Fig Leaves?

The fig tree spent the winter in the basement, getting watered when I remembered to do so, but receiving very little light from the small window.  The temperature was chill most of the time, but never dropped below15 C,

Nevertheless, somehow the plant last week sensed that spring was upon us and started sending out green leaves.  Lee carried it upstairs to the second floor landing on Sunday, and now it is growing wonderfully under the skylight.

I find it amazing that minimal cues can prompt plants into new life when spring arrives.  There are a lot of things that we don't know about the world...
 

Saturday Photo: The Thaw Continues...

 Break-up at the Lachine Rapids park. Above freezing but still chilly. 

Many birds though, including red winged blackbirds that seem to be delighted to be back where they nest.

Saturday Photo: The Break-up and the Moon

 

Full moon this week, which coincided with the break up of ice on the St. Lawrence, which in turn meant strong tidal flow.  Half the day the fractured ice flowed with the water down toward the sea, but for the other half it was pushed back by the incoming tide.  

It's easy to forget just how far the tidal influences extend up the St. Lawrence estuary.  I knew tides were felt as far as Quebec City, but I really didn't realize the extent of that flow until this week when we spent a few days there.  One of the day's two high tides came at the end of the afternoon so we spent a lot of time watching the ice run upstream.  Fascinating!  

Once again, I bowled over the wonders of nature.

Saturday Photo:Two from The New Yorker

 I have two indulgences.  One is a good haircut from Wayne McLaughlin at Furisme.  The other is a subscription to The New Yorker.  Must go see Wayne soon, because I'm getting shaggy, but here are two great covers from the magazine.