Sights Outside

Here are the turkeys visiting us last Wednesday morning.

 

Notice all the snow. 

Today the temperature is nearly 50. 

Snow is melting rapidly. 

Here’s how it looks in the front. 

In the back the forsythia has a huge puddle around it along with sunflower hulls. 

This bush is a favorite with chickadees. 

The field is still full of snow. 

But ground appearing in other parts of our yard. 

This mass of snow in the north side of house will be the last to disappear. 

But as we’ve learned more snow could fall in March and April. 

Plate Collection

 I've added a plate to my collection courtesy of Susanna of Granny Sue's News and Reviews.  Not too long ago she shared some photos on her blog of her antique spaces and blue plates caught my eye.  I sent her a comment and then an email. She sent back photos of several plates and I settled on the one below.

Here it is hung up.

Thank you, Susanna!

Here are others also under the cabinets.

The one above is a wooden plate painted by my mother.

Below is a recent acquisition from Spain purchased in 2023.  That's a pomegranate in the center which is what Granada means. 

This plate was a gift from my mom one Christmas a long time ago.

This one came from my mother's china cabinet.  It's probably the oldest one I have.

This one is tiny if you look back to where it appears with two other plates. I found it at a church yard sale.

This is also a purchase from a Spain trip in 2019.  It's made in Portugal but I liked it's large size and handles.

Daughter Emily brought this home from Italy as a gift for me in 2000.

This one is not a plate but a bowl.  I couldn't figure how to hang it so it sits in the corner of my counter. I got it as a Yankee gift swap the Garden Club hosted.

I think I've used all the possible space I have for showing blue plates but I suppose other tiny ones could be slipped in here and there.  Who knows?

What do you collect and display in your kitchen?

The Ides of tRump

Kay in Hawaii blogging here has details on a postcard campaign.

Here's my first postcard that I'll send today.

Can you join the campaign too?  Read the details on Kay's blog.

 

"A Three Hour Cruise". Gilligan's Island Revisted?

Nope.  We made it back safe and sound.

Our vessel above with my oldest sister standing by to board.  Nothing fancy in that vessel.

Bonnie and husband Joseph ready to sail.

Youngest sister Marie, our host for the week in Cape Coral, is always the stylish one.

And here I am.  Dan opted out - he gets sea sick and was on an antibiotic requiring him to stay clear of the sun.

The captain, Joe who hailed form New Jersey and helps the owner of this business.  Marie had taken this cruise the previous Saturday with her husband and daughter and thought we'd enjoy it.  However her captain was the owner of the business, a former history teacher, so they learned a lot.  Our captain Joe was friendly enough but not forth coming with facts unless we asked "What's that?"

And we're off.

A kayaking fisherman using his feet to paddle.

We stopped on this sandbar and got out.  It was then I realized the boat we'd been following was the owner/captain that Marie had had.

Marie tested the waters

I put my feet in.

Bonnie went all the way in

Entered this lagoon to look for manatees.

Those dark splotches were manatees.  Not exactly what I expected to see.  They were elusive.

Our lunch stop early at 11:15 to beat a ferry bringing 150 people.

I had the catch of the day with beans and rice.  I think the fish was called Three Tail - a nice mild white fish. Delicious.  A highlight of the day.

There's our boat on the right.

A visitor as we ate.

A climb up the water tower gave us this view.

Island across the way is an exclusive enclave.

Once we returned to our boat it was time to get back.

I'm glad I went but not something I need to do again.

To see more Flora and Fauna here's the link to a post that I backdated by mistake.