Title of Photograph: Season of Remembrance Begins
I really liked this frog sculpture on the wall at the Florida Museum of Natural History. The really cool thing was that the frogs were at a height that adults and children alike could get up close examine and touch them.
This view would have been a lot more intimidating when this Mastodon was alive! Interestingly, they lived in North America until fairly recently. They only became extinct about 11,000 years ago. 
Sometimes I just can't resist a little Photoshop fun. This started its life as a picture of a water main at Lake Junaluska. I actually kind of like this one. An hour or so more and I could probably even get consistent light and shadows...but Seamus probably needs a diaper change or something :-)
And this was one of those million bland duck pictures I have taken...what can I say I like ducks and water ripples :-) I can waste hours on this stuff; making a subpar picture almost average. Tomorrow I am off to the University of Florida to tour the new Genetics Institute, and some large plant micropropagation facilities (Agristarts) in Apopka. I am told to be prepared for smoke. The miracle is I can now get a direct flight from Asheville, NC into Orlando.
Well it has been a busy couple of weeks. We had a major freeze (series of freezes actually) here that zapped everything that was blooming. Then there was wrapping up 5 courses and lets not forget Seamus who is now 3 months old, weighs 13 lbs, and is elongating as we speak. Imagine if an adult doubled in size in three months...wouldn't be pretty...but it works for an infant. He looks like he will be tall which is kind of a shocker if you know that there really aren't too many tall people in my family or Christine's for that matter.
I got a chance to see a great garden this week. I wish it had been a better day for pictures...but in too short a time it started to rain. A retired surgeon lives on 20 acres overlooking Asheville. The house was built by the original owner/builder of the Grove Park Inn in 1906. The home went through a series of owners and then during Prohibition a 100 gallons of whiskey were found in the basement and the land became federal property.
Interestingly, it became the summer White House for Herbert Hoover. There is even a second home by the gate that was built for the Secret Service. The neat thing is that the property seems to have been owned by a series of people who loved gardening in one way or another and the surgeon maybe most of all. He is an artist, woodworker, surgeon, and I must say all around gentleman. A real Renaissance kind of guy.
This sign was hanging in the greenhouse. I promised myself I would Traipse at least once this week :-)
First, today was Christine's birthday and Seamus as usual wanted to make sure he got lots of face time. In babyland... if you are going to kiss up...kiss up to the milk truck. I am disappointed that his hair is starting to grow in...we won't look like Dr. Evil and mini-me much longer.
On Saturday I took part in an event we like to call Nanna exchange. Nanna (my mother) has mucho experience with babies and occasionally we are lucky enough to get her to come visit. Christine and I had our first dinner out since the Seamus arrived.
This one was a bit of a surprise in North Carolina.
No fishing to your left?
...and finally for avid SF gardeners John and Jeff, something for you west coasters to shoot for :-)
Easter weekend....4.5 inches of snow, low of 13 F, tulips toast, dogwoods toast, redbud toast, apple blossoms toast...but it made for some interesting pictures...I thought when I left Vermont this type of April was over.
Even the other children seem to be aware that he is a little bit different. They arrived this day to pay the milk tax in support of a royal crib.
I was taking pictures for one of my classes recently. It was an overcast rainy day. I took a shot of these Poncirus trifoliata flowers and I really liked what happened with the background. This is the way it appeared without any Photoshop. Not the best picture, but I like the dappled light.
Part of the same image after switching to a Tritone and adjusting the curves.
Happy Birthday to Me!
Well I have resisted for years buying a riding mower. I just thought (still think) that mowing grass is a phenomenal waste of time, but our yard is big here and the hill is steep and I will be 39 very very soon. I mowed it all last year with a walk behind, but we bit the bullet today and purchased it....and now I am ready to ride. The best part...the cup holder.
We are a little worried about trimming Seamus' toenails..they are growing faster and more gnarly than we would like!
Buddy mugging for the camera on Mouse Branch Overlook Loop. Lake Fontana is in the background. Image Courtesy P.Kennedy
The Tsali recreational area surrounds Lake Fontana. Beautiful place, but the pines have been more or less devastated by the Southern Pine Beetle. Parts of the bike ride were through areas that had hundreds of dead pines, many fallen to the forest floor.
For those of you interested in such things, you can see how this pest has wrought havoc in the Southeast U.S.
The trail Pete and I rode yesterday is highlighted in yellow. Adding the Overlook loop is worth it if you make the trip out to Tsali to ride.
This little guy just has it made.
Well Christine, Seamus, and I are coming out of the fog of the first few weeks of child rearing. She is now able to pump enough to occasionally allow me to do the feeding (via bottle) and take escape for a few moments to the gym or other destination.
