Hackberry Trees, etc, #6

Confidence comes with time.
My son gave me this mac for my birthday in November. After years of Windows I was ready to throw it as far away as it would fly the first day or two. But I was writing articles and my old computer was dead as a doornail, and for me it was sink or swim, so I learned everything I could learn by spending about 24 non stop hours, just me and my Mac. I learned, because I had to. Now I have problems using anything else.

This is not a laptop, though, and I do have trouble using son's laptop, also a Mac.
Goodness, I could not manage without this Mac of mine. Not a minute's problem with it, nor with my iPhone, and I have had it for two years.

As I said, sink or swim for me.

I am upholstering a chair tonight, so my DG time is limited....I might be back, but then I might find myself tangled in all this fabric, in any case...I'll see you later.

I paid an extra $99. for lessons called One to One at the retail store and I have only been once. Think it is time to make another appointment. Trouble is, the pictures are in two different programs and I can't find a way to import them all into iPhoto. And when I would like to upload from HP Photosmart (old program from windows) there is no way to do it. Installed the new upgrade to Snow Leopard this weekend. This was already such a wonderful change from windows that I don't really realize the difference. I love the macbook just have a lot of tricks to learn.

Sharon, you are so talented. Is there anything you can't do? (besides move a piano)

You too are both so far ahead of me in computers!

Think I'm still at the stage of magic (and sometimes irritating) boxes.

You do wonderful, Charlie. I'm irritated because I can't get the pictures to work. To top it off, quite by accident I uploaded 155 photos to Facebook and I don't even know how I did it. Certainly wouldn't have done it on purpose. You might enjoy that website. Sharon and I both are on it. It is mostly populated by we older folks.

Not exactly a spring chicken myself, Christi.
In fact, at times I feel downright ancient!

I know I am further down the road than you are as I have been married over 48 years. Well aware of the fight with the body trying to make it do what the mind wants. Need to go read Sharon's article.

Like the metaphor "further down the road" because a road leads somewhere.
When I was working, it was more like "up the creek". Sounds rather deadend.

Charlie, I have a new interest for you. Picked it up quite by accident a couple of months ago. I have many host plants for butterflies as I know you do from looking at the pictures.
Sheila_FW has been here several times and showed me the baby cats of swallowtail on my citrus plants and the Rue. She gave me a small little cage she had made and just a quick lesson. A whole new world that has always been right beneath my nose and I didn't know it. Must clean the frass everyday and add new food. Everytime I find 5-10 more cats (caterpillars). Have already had a giant swallowtail and a black swallotail come out. Will have to study the sticky more to learn the terms. Just now went to get more rue and came back with at least 15 more. My eye has become accustomed to where to look and what to look for. (I know. Don't end a sentence with a preposition) Monarch's will lay eggs only milkweed. Frostweed (Josephine) brought me a start last fall and now it is a shrub 5 feet tall and 3 feet wide. Beautiful in itself and the swallowtail feed the nectar as do the hummers. Will work on some pictures.

Christi

Didn't intend to leave you out, Sharon. Just don't know how in the world you would work anything else into your day.

Was thinking of creating my own calendar and making the days longer....
Ya think that'd work?

Oh dear. I hope not. Can't get my list done now.

I've had a couple deaths in my family this week, so I'll be going out of town tomorrow through Friday to attend funerals on the way to L'ville and back.

Distant kin so not too bad.
You all take care and have a great week, I'll be back to normal soon.

Hugs, my friends. Keep the thread going, I'll need to have something to look forward to when I return.

Sounds very interesting, Christi.

I really don't know much about butterfies and caterpillars, but should know more. Know David (Merlin's Hollow) has always said that you can't have butterflies without caterpillars and I've never used insecticides (or herbicides) in my gardening. Realize that in a chemical free environment overall balanced insect populations keep each other in check.

Know what your saying about learning where to look and what to look for.
Have always found myself in learning hands-on things that the personal instruction of somebody else, who knows, makes all the difference.

Know a bit about Monarch's, but almost nothing about swallowtails. I'll do some reading so I understand what you are talking about. It's always fun to learn and appreciate new things. Good for you Christi. Learning keeps our minds young.

Sorry to hear about the family deaths, Sharon.
We'll keep the home fires burning.

Had a fall over some rocks and a step a few days ago. Particularly wacked my shin. Lucky the tibia's such a robust bone, but don't need more than arthritis. Came back from three hours of gardening and was arranging the sprinkler as it was getting dark. Must have been tired, as Carol was when she did much the same thing. Got to remember my age and that arthritis really does affect your sense of balance.

Back tomorrow, Christi.
We'll hope our friend Sharon gets a bit of a break from all her labours.

Charlie

Goodness Charlie. Rest yourself for a couple of days. I am very careful these days about climbing or reaching. MIL will be 92 next birthday and she broke her ankle 4 places back in March. Spent 3 weeks in the hospital and then used up her 100 days in the rehab center. She is confined to walkers and her electric cart. In our visits to the facility to see her it was painfully evident that 98% of the patients had broken bones. Take care of yourself, please.

Will be thinking of you, Sharon.

Christi

Before I leave, here are some of today's blooms...
Sedum....

Cardinal vine

And this one just popped up, not sure what it is, maybe you know...
Pretty...

And the tiny blues I promised....what is it?

The blue is like a weed here. Commonly called wandering jew, comes up anywhere a piece hits the soil. I planted cardinal vine seed this spring. Finally bloomed this week. I want it to cover a fence.

Thanks for the cautionary tale, Christi,
I think I lack self-disciplie in knowing when to stop.
I just carry on happily and mindlessly.

I remember a cute and funny orangutan picture. The ape had his arms behind his head and the caption said "It took a lot of education to make me this stupid". Have to take note of not just what interests you (like friends like you and Sharon), but also what you need to note (how to not injure yourself, especially permanently).

Great pictures, Sharon. Very interested to see what's blooming. I do know that blue flower; looks like Christi does too. It's the one I mentioned, Tradescanti commelinus. Remember David talking about it once at a lecture. It was named by Linnaeus, for the three Commelin brothers. It has three petals, two blue and a tiny white one at the bottom. Two of the Commelin brothers became well-known botanists and the third was a wastrel who never made anything of himself. Linnaeus clearly had a sense of humour!

Hi Christi, and Sharon when you return.
Same plants in bloom, though also now getting asters.
Though current pictures, hope they don't repeat previous ones.
Gdn #2 (big one).

More.

Same place.

Siberian mint.
It blooms lower and lower (gets shorter and shorter) as you cut it back.

Down by my compost heap:
Even the wild flowers on the property are attractive.
Believe goldenrod cultivars are still more popular in Europe than North America.
The wild one is too much of a runner to use in a perennial bed.

Gdn #3.

The magenta aster is Alma Pötschke
and there's a no-name mauve New England aster behind.

The mauve one.

Frikart's aster Mönch.
Lasts six weeks: late summer into fall.
Nice lavender blue colour.

Everything is gorgeous, Charlie. The 2 months of extreme heat and sunrays made my asters look so bad I cut them down. Just now time to bloom. Had my car washed this afternoon for the first time in several months. Three miles from the house it started raining. Should have washed the car before.

Hi Christi.

Problem now is that it's got dry here. Lovely sunny weather and not too hot,
great gardening weather. But just came back from watering some of Gdn #3. If I don't water it, it'll reduce the bloom time of at least the heleniums and the heleniums help to make that garden at this time of the year. There are sprinklers but they don't reach them.

With gardening, if it's not one problem, it's another, as all of we gardeners know.

Sorry about the timing of the car cleaning! You're also reminding me to get my van washed.

Have a van. Love vans. Need one for business, but use a van all the time. Besides safety going to the cottage and front visibility, it's great for arthritis. Neighbour told me his parents had arthritis, bought a van and then said they'd never drive anything else. Unlike Carol's small car, with a low passenger compartment, a van means you step up to get in and easily come down to get out. Guess if you don't need to do a lot of driving and you don't have a fair bit of arthritis, the ease with which you get into and out of a vehicle doesn't matter.

We have had more than one van over the years. Currently (and probably forever) we have a Honda CRV that we purchased new in 2002. Just now turned 55,000 miles. Mike has a 2002 Chev pickup that we use for the heavy loads but it hardly leaves the driveway anymore. I love the CRV. As small as it is on the outside, it is amazing the room on the inside. That sentence doesn't even make sense but it is true.

9/11. This day will go down in infamy as has December 7, 1941. As I continue to grieve for our grandson, I have a true empathy for these people as their lives were changed so drastically in the blink of an eye. Shall be a day of prayer for many.

Christi

Beautiful pictures, Charlie, I particularly love the Siberian mint. Wonder if it would grow here?

I drove too early and to long this morning to be able to make much sense, so will wait till I am more coherent to write more.

Yes, Christi, it is a day of memories and tears. I am glad I am home.

Later, my friends.

Interesting about the cars, Christi.

9/11 - very sad.
- many similarities with Pearl Harbor.
- watched, on TV, the memorial ceremony in New York City.
- as said, you would really know the effect on loved ones,
of good people dying before their time.


Charlie

Nor forgetting, Sharon, that you had a huge life altering loss, of a spouse, yourself. Am sure that before retirement, it was an outcome you'd not have thought of.

It's admirable that you handle it, even though you're permanently changed.
Christi's doing a valiant job in handling loss too, thinking about her beloved grandson, but also reaching out to friends, old and new. Guess you just have to soldier on.

Charlie

Sharron has been a great help to me. We have had several communications other than DG.

It is a privilege to know both of you. Sharron has a way of sparking the best in people. Lately, I haven't been the person I want to be. The pain of loosing a grandchild has been so traumatic, I don't how I could stand loosing my spouse of 48+ years. Sharron gives of herself in so many ways....that is the secret.

Let's go here so we have room to talk...

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1037317/

and we'll continue our conversation there...
Pack up your bags and hurry on over.