Daily Musings Page 5

Yeah, the National Arboretum (the fine folks who brought us the hardy Crape Myrtles) have been breeding and testing new, hardy hybrid Camellias over the past 10 years, with more and more varieties becoming available.....

I got mine at the local HD from the outdoor plants section.

Andy ~ I was looking at the pic. posted on 12/4 and thought that has to be one of the rare oddities Mother Nature has bestowed apon us this year. A beautiful bloom in Dec. that still looks good snuggled in the snow. Gorgeous and beautifully captured photo Andy, worthy of an award in my HO.

Billy, Is that a window between rooms? I'm confused.
I'm coming down with a nasty head cold and can't think clearly.
H.T., a Camellia in Zone 6. Cool.
Pixie, I snapped a bunch of pics Monday morning. I thought of snapping these pics on Saturday to use as the thread starter pic here but couldn't wait to start this thread.
My new laptop is very much the same as the old. Both are IBM ThinkPads. The new is 5 times faster with 4 times the storage. plus it has long battery life.
As I have said, my geek set it up with all the software I needed. With one exception, Adobe PhotoShop 7.0 was mixed up with Corel PaintShop Pro X. I didn't want to have to learn another prog but this new one is much easier to use. Plus I can do borders and collages with it. I'm skeptical about the end quality but it sure is easier.
Here is some frozen broccoli I edited today as practice. Another shot from Monday morning.
Another bump is trying to install my favorite font, Coca Cola. I downloaded it but can't figure out how to activate it.
Andy P

Andy: Mmmm, Mmmm, MMMMM! Love that frozen brocoli! And yes, this variety of Camellia (C. x"Snow Flurry") is supposed to be hardy down to -10 degrees, but we'll see.... This is its first year outside. Temps got down to about 18 degrees last night, and my plants had heavy frost on them this morning (My palms almost looked like they were made out of frosted green glass), but they are holding up well enough, thus far.

H.T. keep us posted.
Here is another broccoli pic, edited with PhotoShop on my old PC.
I should have picked it a long time ago, lol.
Andy P
Oh, never mind. It's on the old one and I'm on the new one, DUHHH.
I told you this head cold was messing with my head.
Wait. I can do a link.
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a202/andy2302/Autumn%2006/BrocFlwr1.jpg
Anybody got a tissue? ? ? ?

Andy, sorry you're not feeling well. you need patience to break in a new laptop and that's one of the things you lose with a head cold. the frozen broccoli pic looks good..clear & crisp. it was decided on another thread that growing pre-frozen broccoli was a good time saver ;0)

Hikaro, the camellia is luscious. I feel like you're my own personal test garden.

Andy, Paint Shop Pro 9 is what I use and I like it a lot. I often go first to the gamma correction or to the fade correction under adjust. I also like the digital noise removal for some photos.

Like you, I appreciate borders. PSP is so easy for that.

Thank you Hikaro. I too, hope your camellia makes it through. I will run out and get one if it does.

Gram, Dave, LOL, glad you guys appreciate my experimental gardening.... I just figure that SOMEONE has to do it, and Tony Avent is too far south to get an accurate measure for us in the NE.

I tried growing peanuts, once. Didn't work.
I have grown sweet potatoes a few times, yummy.

Good morning everyone! I woke up to a white winter wonderland, did you? It's actually still snowing but this is what we have gotten so far...

No new snow here. Only an inch or two on the ground, which should melt away soon.

Your photo is very cold looking, but oh so pretty. Nothing like a fresh coat of pure white snow to make the world look like a wonderland.

Nap ~ It is kinda chilly, but your right very pretty, clean and fresh looking. Some schools cancelled, some didn't. Our local grammer school is open but the high school closed due to young inexperienced drivers. Lost too many of them(teens) in previous winter snowstorm. We live in the country so the roads can be very dangerous and some roads out in the willy-wacks don't get plowed soon enough.

Willy-wacks?

Willy- wacks or Willie wacs?? Boonies? Far out in the woods on back country roads...not all our roads are paved out here in the country. The farther you go into the woods, the less chance you will see a plow truck!

For instance, this is my road taken about 30 mins. ago......I live on a main road.

could we not use the 'S' word? I'm not quite ready for that yet. It's real cold and windy here. Maybe not as cold as most of you, but we've been having very mild weather, so when it suddenly drops the way it did today, we really feel it! Thankfully, this cold weather will be gone by tomorrow and back to 40's and 50's.

Sorry Anita! I wish I didn't have to use it...but as you can see i can't help it right now. How bout White Christmas Tree??

It was 18 f when I let Sarah out this morning, she didn't stay out very long, lol.
A very light snow flurry came by. Nothing like Pixies.
Andy P

Well the weatherman lied! He said 1-3 " so I put on my 4" boots and went outside to take these pictures, came in very quick as the snow was going down my boots! Here's the camp road across the street again, it does look pretty and peaceful......from inside. LOL

We didn't get much snow, but it was 12 when I got up this a.m. and, of course, I had allowed myself to believe it would be in the 50's forever and haven't mulched the plants I thought could use some protection this winter. if they make it thru til the weekend, I'll get out with the mulch. better late than never (a good cliche is always tasteful LOL)

Pix, why does s**w look so much prettier in the country? if you can keep from plowing thru it and churning it all up with mud it stays white. anyway, nice photos.

Andy, how goes it? either you or the computer feeling any better?

Gram, we are both doing better, thank you.
You were right about setting it up when I didn't feel well. Too frustrating., especially for a novice. It takes time to make the personal adjustments when you can't remember how you did it in the first place, lol.
I felt so poorly on Wednesday that I didn't even take Sarah for her walk. I think she understood.
Andy P

Glad you're feeling better Andy.
We have not had a flake of snow yet. It did get cold today but it's supposed to get into the 50s again tomorrow. Like Gram, I let the warm weather lull me into not finishing putting my gardens to bed.

The latest weather word is that it should be warmer than normal for the next 10 days. You'll get the chance.
I checked those Malva plants today. They were 'crispy critters'.

Andy, I'm sure Sarah understood. dogs are very sympathetic creatures. glad you're better :0)

looks like not only a warm-up, but no precip for the next few days. I don't have a lot to do outside, but I sure would like to finish up this weekend. got cookies to bake!

C O O K I E S ! ! ! ! ! !

Gonna try to get started tomorrow. If you smell them baking, it's me!

Gram ~ What time did you say they would be ready? LOL Made homade baked beans today w/brown bread and coleslaw.

Jeez, I haven't made baked beans in years.

Edited to add ~
One thing about feeling poorly is that I can catch up on my reading.
I finished a better than average medical thriller called "The Center" by David Shobin. About an automated medical center, no doctors, nurses or people except for the patients. I give it an 8.
I just started one by Catherine Coulter "Eleventh Hour" also good so far.
Andy P

This message was edited Dec 8, 2006 9:10 PM

A bizarre little story from this mornings paper.
http://enterprise.southofboston.com/articles/2006/12/09/news/news/news03.txt
Andy P

Great story!

Dave, I thought it was ironic.
I'm playing with this new PaintShop and found this frame, Do you like it? I think it's too much.
Andy P

Andy, it looks like it should work with that pic, but it doesn't quite. maybe the white edge is too wide or something. I can't quite pin it down.

I like that frame, Andy. What's it called?

Nancy it's frame #23 or something, lol.
Gram, there is something not quite right about it. Maybe it's the white inner frame. If it were black or at least dark...
I'm playing around here, trying different things with PaintShop.
I wanted to get into layers today but got overwhelmed. You know, superimpose a selected area of one image onto another. I'm going to have to work up to that, I think. LOL
Frames are fun but not really what I want to do.
Andy P

I can do this, too.

that's cute

I'm trying to do a 2 pic collage. I keep screwing up my screen, lol. I can select the 2 pics but can't figure out how to put them together. We are back to the dreaded 'layers' thing.
I think I should try again tomorrow.

Andy, always looks easier after a good night's sleep

Andy, I like the frame. Good that you have a new toy to play with.