Day 166 - Lew view

While Lew was getting his shot for the day (in his sexy baggy-ass shorts,) I got mine of the photographer in action. See that pretty little iridescent gazing globe? It wasn't until he showed me his shots later on that I noticed the gooey, slimy slug sitting on top!! Ewwwwww! Jeez, I hate those things!

Day 165 - As I see it

One of my greatest pleasures is reading in bed. My nightly routine is to crawl into bed, get all comfy cozy, and switch to my reading glasses. Then, curl up with my book and read until I get sleepy.

Day 164 - Moth malaise??

Lew did some more weeding today and came across this critter sitting on a piece of mulch. It didn't try to fly away, as a matter of fact, didn't move around much at all. I'm thinking it must be injured... somewhere... but how do you tell? Anyway, it was very accommodating and let me photograph it from several angles and wing positions.

I thought its fuzzy, wooly little head was fascinating and almost wanted to reach out and scratch behind its - ears? - but figured I'd leave well enough alone. Besides, at this point it was looking a little perturbed and ready for me to get out of its face.

As I type, hours later, it's still parked on the arm of the bench, though it has crawled over to the side. Maybe it's waiting for a flame to fly off to.

Day 163 - The Great Weed Hunter

The mighty dandelion hunter returns victorious!

We grow 'em big here in MD - ginormous weeds! Might be the fresh, country air... but more likely the fact that by feeding the azaleas/dogwoods, we unavoidably provide hearty meals for the weeds as well! ;)

Day 162 - Water spots

We got a lovely break from the heat this evening as a thunderstorm rolled through. I was pleased to see that the water seal is working...

Day 161 - Nestled all snug in their bed...

Some of this season's New Guinea impatiens are planted, mulched, watered and all ready to display their talents in the back yard.

And, while trying to get today's shot, I inadvertently caught this reflection of Lew for this week's theme - father to his and step-father to mine.

Day 160 - Blue skies, smiling at me...

Ugh! It was blistering hot again today - 97 degrees in June! - so needless to say, I didn't stray far from the AC. I poked my nose out the patio door long enough to take a picture.

Usually when we have this kind of brutal heat, there's not a cloud to be seen and the skies are a hazy white-hot. When I looked up today, I saw these uncharacteristic puffy white clouds and a bright blue sky... and I enjoyed them.

Day 159 - Future blossom

Hoping to mimic the showy performance of the verbena basket on the deck, we made sure the new ones had plenty of ready-to-pop buds.

Day 158 - Shades of Gold

In our travels yesterday, we stopped at WalMart to see if they had discounted any of their seasonal flowers. WooHoo! - we hit the jackpot - they had small hanging baskets of impatiens, verbena (we got one for the front,) and these little pretties (3 for the deck) for $4.00 apiece! Normally they'd sell for $10-12.00. Don't know what they are (I should!) but I was enthralled with the different shades of yellows and coppery pinks as the flower matures. Anyone know what it is??

I loves me a bargain... even if I don't know what I'm buying! LOL

Lew's Pics shows them hanging on the deck.

Day 157 - The pause that refreshes

With the temperature climbing upwards to almost 90 today, and the humidity climbing right up there with it, we stopped by the Frederick Ice Cream Co. to enjoy a refreshing ice cream cone. Lew had a German chocolate cake cone and mine was a p'nutty cone - butter pecan ice cream with various nuts, chunks of chocolate, and caramel mixed in. Yumm-ee!

You may remember the chicly attired bear that greets you at the entrance; keeping current with seasonal trends, the dapper dude is now ready to beat the heat in his fashionable shorts/swim trunks.

Looking up over the door, you'll also spot an oversized model ice cream cone.

Day 156 - It's the real thing...

Those new to the Frederick area probably don't expect to see a giant Coke bottle sitting on top of a building when they look up. This one adorns the old Frederick Coca Cola bottling plant, which now serves as a distribution facility for Coke products.

Day 155 - Upward Look

"...The clustered spires of Frederick stand
Green-walled by the hills of Maryland..."
John Greenleaf Whittier
"Barbara Fritchie"

One of the noted Clustered Spires* of Frederick, the 150 year-old steeple of St. John's Catholic Church, with its gilded dome and cross, towers approximately five stories high. Its soaring height makes it the tallest building in historic downtown Frederick.

*My Twin Spires post shows other spires.

Day 154 - High light

Since I totally blew an opportunity for a really interesting looking up shot today (see why here), the dining room light will have to do. On the dim setting, it casts a nice glow about the room.

Day 153 - Crabby memories

I remember when the Blue Mountain Inn (a total misnomer since it was actually kind of a dump) was THE place to go for crabs and crablegs in our neck of the woods. It used to be nothing more than a rickety ol' clapboard bar/restaurant, and nowhere near as nice as it stands now, deserted.
My first husband and I, along with a group of co-workers, used to stop by after work on Friday nights and pig out on tables full of Maryland blue crab, beer, and various other seafood offerings. After we divorced, my steady guy and I used to spend many Saturday nights there wolfing down pounds of crablegs and dancing to the band. Later on, when Lew and I got together, we too spent many a weekend night eating crablegs and listening to the music at the Blue Mountain Inn. Even my granddaughter used to have her crablegs there.

It went out of business years ago, but someone has gone to a lot of trouble and expense to fix it up, only to leave it vacant. It's a shame, and I still miss it - haven't had decent crablegs around here since then.