Monday, February 28, 2011

Azaleas And Sunshine Today

I found these beautiful blooms at Heritage Park Rehab Facility today. Parked my truck with its nose almost in them and HERE they Are... Just for you.





Azaleas are hard to grow for me, we have killed several. But they do grow in FL as these photos prove and there is still time for you to get your flight booked for Patlaka's Azalea Festival

OH yes! She Did!

Hubby and I were sitting by the pool soaking up the sun while temps hovered at  80 degrees.

(I know this sentence might be painful to some of you, so sorry)

Hubby said “is the Sears Parts place still open, or did it close”

I answer don’t know, I come in the kitchen get the 10 pound yellow pages that I have not seen since the day it came (why do I need it with WWW) and took it outside to check while sunning.



since I am barefoot, Bob says "be careful, look beside your foot."

I jump straight up out of my chair shrieking, ITS  a wasp! , a very very large wasp, maybe 5 pounds or so (I am scared silly of wasp, so this might be an exaggeration) I stood up and dropped/slammed the phone book squarely on the wasp and Stepped up on the book to MAKE SURE,

as I oh so  carefully pick up the book.hubby is laughing hysterically saying he’s dead, silly. I say “you don’t know that” 
I yell "its gone, the wasp is gone! where is it?"  (bob is laughing out loud watching the show)

I find the wasps dead body (but is it) 2 feet away.

I say alright! I invented a Wasp Nuclear bomb, it blew him 2 feet accross the pool deck. As I was about to drop the Nuclear Book just to make sure, hubby reaches down and PICKS IT UP, with his FINGERS.. He said it's dead you can calm down. (he had to move it so Jake would not EAT it.)

NOTE: I am not wasp friendly due to at age 15 I was forced to disrobe (remove my Sunday dress) in a Sunday School class room when a very unfriendly wasp dropped down the back of my dress as i walked in the church door. Mother took my dress and beat if off, but not before it stung me several times.

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Tall Trees

Q: What did the beaver say to the tree?    A: It's been nice gnawing you!

 
 Q: What did the tree wear to the pool party?   A: Swimming trunks!
Q: What kind of tree can fit into your hand?  A: A palm tree!
 Cocoanuts anyone? you need to be really tall! and don't stand under one of these for sure

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Breaking News! don't miss this one

See the tomato flower in the header, I came home from a trip to the cemetery but that is another story. and bob said come out here, quick...... so i did and here you are. breaking news

IT IS OFFICIALLY A TOMATO!!!!!!
 It is the size of a child's marble. there are 6 of them, and about 25 more blooms on the 7 plants
 I tried and I tried to get a better photo, it can't happen shooting blind
 I tried and
 I tried again, enlarge the photos and you can see some of them
 One more try
Surprised ME and I am sure it surprised YOU..... I was holding the camera upside down, under the plant, bent down from my waist, shooting BLIND.... stop laughing NOW...
PS I did not want to wait until tomorrow...

Beware of Laptop....Really

Have you ever injured yourself with your laptop? I have!!!

I am crippled by the below featured machine. Yesterday, I left the sofa, walked to the table the laptop resides on when charging. Sat it down, shut it down (yes properly) and went I went to STAB plug the charging thingy (cord) into the hole, I MISSED the hole, and my thumb slid under the lap top, causing the bottom lip to rip scrape my thumb in two places just above the cuticle and also making a bruise.





 I howled (as good a word as allowed on a public blog) and said
 “oh well, I don’t use the top of my thumb anyway."

WRONG, half hour later, I went to trim my bangs and tried to slide the thumb into the round thingy that holds the thumb on the scissors (what is that called?). Yet another HOWL! resulting in the need of a band aid.

This thing just looks innocent....

IF you don’t believe me, ask Jake (he is the one you see jumping on the side bar). Two days ago, he was sharing hogging the sofa while I made comments on YOUR blogs, and I had to make a potty run (am I allowed to say that?) and I heard a yip and Jake almost tore my arm off as he leaped up out of a sound sleep, seems I closed the lap top on his TAIL...
I told you at the begining to Beware of your laptop....


MY final suggestion is USE YOUR DESK TOP, I don't THINK it can hurt you. Mine hasn't YET

Friday, February 25, 2011

Friday From the Hip

I went to Dawn Treaders Picture Book today and found From the Hip and since I AM The MadSnapper. I tried once in the house and 3 times in the back yard.... all taken holding Nikon at hip level.




Jump over to My Town Shoot out if you want to play or if you want to browse. Some good shots over there

Taint Fair AT ALL!

Photo taken last week in front of the library, it  was a foggy morning and this is exactly what the camera saw, even though it looks black and white. NOTE: photo has nothing at all to do with the written words, it is impossible for me to NOT post a photo. besides what could I say about this one?

I am woman and

If I.... sit long-my feet swell

If I....      walk far-hands swell and tingle (if this has not happened to you yet, it will)

If I.... eat salty food (pizza)-gain 3 pounds over night (hubby does NOT)

PLUS...all weight gained travels straight to the Largest part of the body...(my case it's the middle)

ALSO I eat the same food same amounts on our "food plan" as husband, he loses more weight than I do

Last but not least.....I MUST stop @ all rest areas

Taint Fair AT ALL but there is good news, I have lost 19 pounds to his 23 since Thanksgiving. did I say it Taint Fair?

Can you add anything I might have missed?????

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Red Admiral Butterfly

Every day for the past 5 days, this Red Admiral butterfly comes to the same place. He sits on the lip to the pool, the rod the towel hangs on and the towel itself.

These butterflies are territorial and the male often returns to the same place over and over. We were amazed the first time he swooped down and sat on my arm for about 10 seconds. He lifted off and sat in Bob's hair, back to my arm, this time for about 30 seconds. I googled and this Red Admiral is known to be friendly to visitors in gardens. whooo hoooo what JOY and PHUN

the next day, I stood very still and he came and sat on my arm until I could no longer hold it still. I made a small move and he flew to Bob and sat in his hair, several times as we oohed and ahhed. He comes at 3 and 5 like clockwork. no photos of him sitting on us, but I did get him on the towel.

His little feet feel funny, like he is dancing on my arm. Beyond Way Cool. and Guess What???
there will be MORE, he has two females and we have been watching them DANCE.... Soon we will have Catepillars... did I say whooo whooo?

On Day 3 he actually sat on Bob's Nose......

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Because She Could....DEEP thoughts

Why does a seagull fly over the sea? 

 Because if it flew over the bay it would be a bagel


As I snapped my breakfast half bagel, I thought, I am not a photographer but a snapper. I am a wanna be a photographer  but find I have no patience, I  want to be a writer but have  no patience. This all makes sense to me now, why I am MadSnapper, not Mad Photographer. I love taking Snap Shots of any and everything I see.

Do you think there is a difference in Snap Shots and Photography?

When a blonde was looking for breakfast. She opened a box of Cherios and said "O look at these mini bagels

UPDATE on yesterday post about the police officer that was killed. Last night they caught the shooter and he is a 16 year old kid. Pray for our officers and for our youth

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

3rd St. Petersburg officer killed this year

I live 20 minutes from the scene of the shooting in St Pete FL, our city touches that city and I have also lived in St Pete in the past.
My heart hurts for the officers in St Pete.

Pray for his family and friends, and also pray that they will apprehend the shooter who is at large and armed and dangerous. they have closed 4 schools until he is caught.

last night Officer David Crawford, a 25-year veteran of the force, was shot around 10:30 p.m. Monday as  he was investigating a report of a suspicious person. In January, two officers were slain serving a warrant and a US Marshal was badly wounded. this officer is the 3rd officer to die in the line of duty in 30 days. this also means Florida has had 6 officers killed in the line of duty in the past 3 months.

Tree Textures

 Q: How do trees get on the internet?     A: "They ""log"" in."

Q: What is a tree's least favorite month?  A: Sep-timber!

 
I love all things trees, dead ones, live ones, tall, short and ones with texture. all of the photos today are Palm trunks, different species from Selby Gardens.



The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.  Genesis 1:12

Happy Birthday Daniel

Today is my younger sons birthday, he is 44.

 Happy Birthday Daniel
this photo of Daniel and his granddaughter, Nya, was taken Nov. 18, 2007. Sadly that is the last time I saw them. Nya is now 5 and has a little sister Nyema that is 3. I saw Nya this one time. We are estranged and it makes me sad. Nya and Nyema just had their birthdays in the past 2 weeks.
so Happy Birthday to all three.

Monday, February 21, 2011

Basket Story

this sight greeted me in the back 40 of the Walmart Parking Lot, about 500 baskets posed on their toes. Can you guess what they were doing?

WHEN my wife arrived at the check-out counter of the supermarket her shopping cart was a little fuller than usual. As the register chattered to a stop, displaying a three-figure total, her face paled. The clerk, noticing her shocked expression, said, "Oh, I'm sorry, honey. Is this your first hundred-dollar basket?"
 
Now can you guess what they are doing? replacing all the wheels. Way Cool

The wheel of my grocery cart was making a horrible scraping sound as I rolled it through the supermarket. Nevertheless, when I finished my shopping and saw a cartless woman, I offered it up, explaining, "It makes an awful noise, but it works." the woman said "I'll take it, I have a husband at home that does the same thing"

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Epiphany

Epiphany: a sudden, intuitive insight into the reality caused by a commonplace occurrence or experience



I shop early AM at Wal-Mart to miss the traffic and crowds.



Today at 10 AM, store was crowded, pushed up and down aisles in the crowds (needed something from every dept in the 4 acre store) got to the registers and the shortest line was 6 baskets waiting, waited patiently (found out Chelsea is getting divorced) and paid.


I walked 3 more acres to get to the Vue parked in the back 40 of the parking lot.




Loaded the last bag and thought, where is the lettuce and tomatoes? IN THE STORE, I forgot them.




Stared at door across 3 acres of parking lot (of course the lettuce was on the opposite side from where I parked), headed back inside, had to make a pit stop from all the walking ( I am woman).



Woman in restroom, coughing up her lungs with emphysema.


I stepped out the door and almost fell over a woman who could hardly walk, patch on her eye, leaning on basket for support, and as I headed for the produce, I started to NOTICE, really SEE the people


Arm in a cast, Very old man stumbling along behind his wife like a child, mother with 4 small kids, a woman who looked like she wanted to cry. Mother with screamer in basket.


My self said to me…. do you see anyone anywhere that you would want to change places with? Take their body or live their life? I could hardly navigate to the produce from staring at all he hurting people. At checkout once again in front of all the hurting people in the magazines.


Not one did I see that I wanted to trade with. I thought, since I can walk and walk fast, I have money to pay for the food, my brain is functioning (most of the time).






I have No patched eye, no cast, no bent back, no wheel chair. I am driving home to Hubby and 2 canines




I am so BLESSED… and I thank God for pointing it out to me.

The epiphany is…. What am I going to do with my new insight and how will it change my life? I will let you know when I know what it is.







Saturday, February 19, 2011

All that glitters is not gold....

All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost
The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

From the ashes a fire shall be woken, A light from the shadows shall spring;

Renewed shall be blade that was broken, The crownless again shall be king.  J.R.R. Tolkien from The Lord of the Rings 

Sculptures by Wes and Yolonda Prictchard in our local library

I rarely leave my house without a camera either in my pocket or in the car for the bigger one. Do you take your camera everywhere? do you Snap Shots of just about anything?

Friday, February 18, 2011

Bucket Garden Part Three

We had a wonderful rain and these are all Madly Snapped Shots of rain drops on the tomato plants in the bucket garden that hold the droopy heads of the four yellow blooms.


 Q: Why did the tomato go out with a prune?


A: Because he couldn't find a date
 Q: Why Did The Tomato Blush?


A: Because he saw the salad dressing


Q: How do you fix a broken tomato?


A: Tomato paste!

Q: Why did Mrs. Tomatoe turn red?

A: She saw Mr. Green Pea !

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Bucket Garden Part Two

 I never know what will show up in Hubby's Buckets, plants OR containers. He plants anything IN anything. This is by no means ALL of his buckets of bushes.. they are scattered where ever the sun shines. We have many tall trees, so the buckets go where the sunbeams shine. Pool chemical buckets, Orange paint bucket, Butter Tubs, Coffee Cans are popular containers.
 Above two tomato plant's from seeds, photo taken on Feb. 4th
Above is 10 days later on Feb 14, almost double in size and the source of the header photo and the yellow flowers from yesterdays part One. .

 the orange bucket contains a dwarf poinciana tree, it looks like a dead stick now and is 5 feet tall, below is the new growth, in a few weeks it will be full of leaves and brilliant red/yellow flowers. It is 4 years old and ready for transplant but we have no where to plant it. he has given several away for that very reason. I asked why do you keep growing things we have no where to plant. His answer was "because I can"
 If you want to see the flowers that will be on the dead stick in a couple of weeks CLICK HERE

FOR NOW there are 6 flowering trees, 7 tomato plants, 1 pineapple in the bucket garden