It is spring! I spent the afternoon relaxing in the yard amongst a clump of delightfully decadent daffodils!
Spring is in the Air
Tag Archives: nature
Tiny Hippo at the Apple Orchard
September is the perfect time to visit the local apple orchard. The air is crisp and clear putting one in the mood for long walks and tart apples!
So off I went to Wilson’s Apple Orchard, to partake of deliciously fresh apples. Of course, there are many distractions at the orchard, other than apples.
There are several pumpkin patches that are ripe for exploration
While I am not a huge fan of actual pumpkins…
I do love a good pumpkin flower!
Enough with delightfully tasty flowers, at the orchard, apples are my ultimate objective
Getting the best apples is always a bit of a challenge
First, develop a battle plan, you don’t want to get half way to your dream apple only to be foiled at the last-minute by poor planning
I like to use a sturdy rope with knots in it to reach the apples
Now then, once I secure my climbing rope in the tree it is time to climb!
Tiny hippo tree climbing, some would say an extreme sport, is certainly not for the weak of heart
Ah, at last I reach my lovely apple, how crisp it looks!
My apple picked, I put it in my red wagon, it is the perfect size for such things
My hard work has paid off, I can go home with my prize, after I show it to a few friends, of course
A trip to the apple orchard is a great way to spend the afternoon, and there are so many things that you can make with your freshly picked treasures. Check out my spicy apple chutney recipe, or my red rice salad with apricots, and try substituting apples in place of the apricots.
Kew Gardens the Pagoda and the Japanese Gateway
There are many wonderful and unique attractions that can be viewed at Kew Gardens.
The serene Garden of Harmony with the Chokushi-Mon (Imperial Envoy’s Gateway) are gems in Kew’s landscape.
The Japanese Gateway perched above the Japanese garden. The Garden of Harmony was designed in the style of the Momayama period of the original gateway.
The gateway is a four-fifths replica of the 1573 Nishi Hongan-Ji gate in Kyoto, Japan. The gateway was created for the Japan-British Exhibition in London in 1910. Once the Exhibition was over the gateway was dismantled and reconstructed on Mossy Hill, near the Pagoda in Kew Gardens.
Pagoda from the Garden of Harmony
The Great Pagoda was completed in 1762 under the supervision of Sir William Chambers from a design imitating traditional Chinese pagodas.
The ten story-high Great Pagoda is 163 ft high, making it an excellent landmark of Kew Gardens
The Great Pagoda offers a lovely shady spot in which to rest
We ended our tour of Kew Gardens with a relaxing break under the shade offered by the Great Pagoda.
Grackles in the Garden
The grackles in our garden are very mischievous, making themselves the jesters of our tiny backyard jungle.
This grackle enjoys throwing maple seeds into the air while hunting for tasty treats
The less active grackles prefer to stroll through the grass looking for easy snacks.
This leisurely technique may not seem as exciting as the seed tossing method…
However, searching through the grass does yield nom noms such as stale cereal
To freshen up stale cereal, this grackle decides that it would be much better after being dipped in the bird bath
The grackles discover that the bird bath is great for other uses, not just softening up old cereal.
The bird bath is also a great place to take a bath, but be warned, others will want to join in…
One must be very fast about enjoying the bird bath
As soon as this grackle became distracted with his bath another bird decides to sneak into the picture
Still unaware of his rival, this water baby splashes about in pure joy
Splish splash, splish splash
Wait for it…
Then the intruding grackle makes his presence known!
What will the bathing beauty do, will he flee in fear or stand up for his right to enjoy his bath in peace?
While the rival grackle is intimidating is his puffed up stance, our water lover is not trembling in fear
He uses his large wingspan to out puff the interloper
In the end, our water-loving grackle was able to hold on to his prize position at the bird bath!
Kew Gardens: Golden Pheasant Don’t Give a Hoot
We discovered this strange fellow near the Minka House in Kew Gardens, England. He was not disturbed by anything. Most people didn’t even notice him because he was so quiet. One man almost stepped on him, that’s how nonchalant this Golden Pheasant was.
Golden Pheasant at Kew Gardens doesn’t give a hoot
He will leave when he wants to, don’t mind him.
