What weird weather we're having #10

lichen.... I'm not really even sure why I took that one. huh....

heuchera leaf

I love all the colors here.

those were yesterdays'

these are from today.

nandina

This message was edited Jan 18, 2009 12:15 AM

camellia that looks to be "outlined" in frost.

rhody..... believe it or not, this is the part of the yard that actually warms up a little this time of year when the sun comes out.

moving around to the colder part of the yard

stick!

more sticks!!

probably the most colorful thing that I have in the yard right now.

so I needed another pic of it.

and last of the frosty stuff. I leaf in the grass. a little boring :-p

I was reading the thread about Balvenie that sis posted, so sad. I didn't know him, but sis did and lots of others.

I don't know how you can call that boring? The crystals on that are incredible!!! I love what frost does to leaves, spiderwebs, etc. Makes it kind of magical. My neighbor told me about those plants, so I can find out from her.

dang. I think that I scared everyone off :-/

oh good. I didn't scare off everyone! Thanks. I would love to know what your neighbor has to say about those plants.

This message was edited Jan 18, 2009 1:06 AM

I have always wondered what causes some crystals to form in more rounded globs, like on the calluna, or in spikes, like on the leaf. Sometimes the calluna will have those spikes as well, it's interesting because they'll all go sideways.

I've always been fascinated by the spikes especially. It's like a living thing, the way they form. Watching too many
sci-fi movies!!

Not too many movies. I curious, functioning brain!!!

That's why I tat, knit, crochet, cross stitch, do PC games, etc. To keep my brain functioning. At least that's my excuse!!!

you got me beat!! I work, work, play, work.

This message was edited Jan 18, 2009 1:25 AM

I worked in aerospace for 35 years. Needed diversions from stress, developed curiosity beyond the norm, etc. Most of us in that profession have idiosyncrasy's. LOL

Some of the most interesting people that I've met are like you!

A little on the strange side? LOL

I've been accused of that a few times. I've traveled to some strange places, met some wonderful people and seen some incredible things. On the whole a wonderful experience.

This message was edited Jan 18, 2009 1:46 AM

This message was edited Jan 18, 2009 1:47 AM

Yep.

I'm 6' tall and have red hair. I knew early on that I was never going to fit in with 'normal!' lol.

ROFL. That has me beat! You just do what you have to do! And hopefully have fun doing it!!

You saying you're 6 ft. made me remember. Dh had a bad heart attack 7 yrs ago ( probably said before) called step daughter (who called everyone else, bless her) she came right away. We were at the hospital, nurse came in looking nervous, "There's a young man out there in a trench coat saying he knows you". Oh, that's Chris, how did he get here so fast!!! They're thinking "Trench coat......danger" I'm thinking "Trench coat...that's my son Chris who is 6 ft 6 and who lives in Lancaster CA, and who works outside where it is cold" My whole family is out of the norm and I love them all.

lol! Yep, Sally that's the way I look at it. We all do what we have to do. I think that Chris and I would get along very well or at the least, we would match. My favorite coat, when I don't have to be in the dirt and mud, is a black trench coat! I bet that he didn't have to worry about being picked on much when he reached that height!

Sally isn't it strange when you look at your sons' shoes and wonder how in the world something so big came out of you? I can fit 2 feet in one of their shoes and I am 5' 4" !

I feel dwarfed when I'm standing with my boys.LOL All three are over 6 ft. I'm 5'7 so not small! And yes Chris' shoes are huge!! The youngest is 6'4 and he was a 3lb preemie, go figure!

Chris was in the army and spent time in Germany. He swore he was never going to be cold again. When he went to work for Edison (CA electric) and had to check on sub stations, he spent a lot of time outdoors, it's high desert and cold in winter. Now he runs the big board inside at Lancaster/Palmdale, so he's inside at work, but still loves to hunt, fish (serious bass fisherman) and just be outdoors. He's still using a trenchcoat, it's one of those working coats, not a dress coat. I kept telling him to smile so people wouldn't think he was mad bomber or something.LOL He can be very intimidating and no he never got picked on.

Yeah! We got sun today, still only 40 but it's not windy.

It froze last night here, but warmed up and the sun did shine. I went out again and spred the 4 bags of compost I had left. I need about five more. I cut off all the hellebore leaves and now they are looking better. I see color. I have snow drops up and blooming. Bulbs coming up all over and it looks pretty good out there.

rc-love your frosty pictures. Especially the heather?, I think it's heather, very colorful.

Sally I spent my 4 high school years in Ramstein, Germany - went to Kaiserslautern high school. Of course that was eons ago! Left Europe in 1965 for college in the US. Where was your son?

It has been super super windy here. And cold as well. Walking the dog this morning was brutal. Bulbs are coming up here, too but won't they be damaged if we have more freezing temps? It is only January!

Red I love the 'boring" photo of the crystals. It's just beautiful.

The cold won't damage bulbs or the new growth.

Oooooh, another late night stream of consciousness conversation. I just love those.

RC - about the dogs, I can imagine that 2 is the magical age. For most larger (not huge) dogs, that's the end of adolescence. So for these guys, I suppose, that's when they stop fooling around and take their jobs pretty seriously. So it'd be important to make sure they understood their jobs to the letter before then. ALL dogs should defer to their human when it it comes to working together (as opposed to hunting or racing). She just needs to make sure that she can "stop" them with the right commands when she needs to. Once they start thinking completely for themselves, you'd better hope that they know what the limits are. LOL

I love your frost pictures. I will forever think of you when I see frost on plants - did it this morning as I was walking around the yard. And to know that you're 6 ft tall and have red hair. You are my hero. What I would give to have a few of those inches (and to have color in my hair again)!!

Sally, your crew sounds very tall. How tall is DH?

Patricia, I cut the hellebore leaves off yesterday and they do look so much better. It'd just better not snow again - I've decided that's whey their leaves are as they are. I planted lots of bulbs at my SILs today, but she is so generous, I came home with a bunch that I now need to get into the ground. I may be doing that one night this week with my headlamp.

Thanks folks! you're all especially kind as per usual!

Willow, you're right. That is heather. That particular variety of it is my favorite. 'Wickwar Flame.' I forgot to post a picture of it that I had take that was 'front lit'. It's actually close to being primary red right now. You can spot it, even under frost, from anywhere in the yard. Your day sounds quite productive. I like those days this time of year.

Portland, you certainly had a very interesting upbringing! Not to worry about you're bulbs, as Willow mentioned, they'll be fine. Now I would worry about Beahive's anemone flower up there if it were to snow again. But, the bulbs should be fine.

Katie, I've just been cut and pasting your info on the dogs to my sister. She said thanks so much. They've never delt with that breed before so any info is good. I will say that so far, they have been the most well behived and well tempered dogs that they've ever had. They're just so adorable and sweet! Glad that I could attach mental imagery to frost now when you see it :-p I have tons of "frost" and ice pictures, I'm not sure what the attraction is. But, whenever they're are crystals, like on the leaf, I guarantee you that i'm outside snapping away... even though the next pic will look just like the one before it! I would gladly give you a few inches if that were possible!!! maybe some day. When I was growing up I would've gladly have given you my hair color too!!. It was not quite that orangey red color, but close. I got a perm once that was way too tight and it also lightened my hair. So for months I had what looked to be an orange afro! Ohhhhhh the taunting I got for that. Sometime during highschool it toned down and become darker, so I don't try to cut it off up to my ears as I did in Junior high anymore :-p Now when you see frost you can get a good chuckle of this 6' tall gal with an orange afro!

I am standing barefoot on a Seychelle beach with coral grinding between my toes. It is early morning and the sunset is spectacular. The winds here are actually easterly. It brings 2500 miles of Pacific ocean to my sensory organs. To be here is spectacular. It is a quiet place and I shall remain.

What a wonderful day today was, sun shining (after the fog lifted) blue skies and warm. And the bad part of it was I was at work, Darn....,
I so hope tomorrow will be the same, I off.

RC, you should start a tread on those awesome Pics. 'Whats frosty in your yard' so everyone can see them, you take the best pics. just a thought LOL

Sally, You have a son in Lancaster ? Most of my family lives in Palmdale. I'm hoping to make a trip down there this year. To see my Mother.

I agree Tilly. Today was great. I little chipper, but still great none-the-less! I'll think about that thread idea. lol. You give me way too much credit! However, it does sound like fun. But, Only if others might have some pictures to add???

I'm feeling a little ignorant Sofer. I have heard of Seychelle beach, but I don't actually know where it is. And usually I do all right in the geography department. Where is this place? It sounds absolutely fantastic!

I wish I had, had the time today going to work to take some, saw some really cool shots of the fog with a old barn down the road from me, looked like one of those scary movies was to cool. Just no time and I forgot my camera anyway. LOL Well most likely never see that again.
But their well be others to share, give it a try you never know. I'm sure Steve has some great pics to add. May be I'll be lucky in AM, I just don't get up as early as you.

haha.... You need a camera for the car and one for home. I don't know how many times i've regretted not having stopped for 30 seconds out of the day to take a pic of something that I'm certain that I'll never see again. You'll definitely have to try for it again! Somedays I'm up at 4 am. Other days, like today, I overslept and had to call into work and tell them that I wasn't going to be there until 11 am, because I didn't wake up until 10! That's bad!!!

Thats funny I have 2 my old one and the new one, but do you think I had the smarts to take one. Nooooooo Taught me a lesson, but I have to catch a ferry to get to work which could means no time for jumping out of car to take a pic have a tight schule. 5 min. can throw me off 45 min. If I miss the boat. and late for work by 40 min. I am a mgr. I can't do that. Sad to say LOL been pushing it lately due to the fog the boats run slower.
Yes that is bad, hate being late.

Go to Google earth and locate this wonderful place in the Indian Ocean.