flower

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I have slowly begun the process of getting re-aquainted with Albuquerque.
I really do love it here. I also love PA... basically... I love being most anywhere, as long as I have friends and my dear hubby.... and a puppy or two or three....


Today I got to spend the afternoon with a friend talking about art, and the business of art... and it was awesome. There are so many truly talented people in the world striving to get their art out there and be seen... and so many who have devoted all their time and talents into making it their career as well. It is a rough and weary road... but I have to say, I personally am enjoying the trip.



After our visit, I drove by the Albuquerque BioPark; and while it was closed for the day... I was still able to get a few photos of the pond and cacti areas right near the front gate. I love this park, and I never fail to find something extremely exquisite there to take photos of.


And I have re-opened up my Etsy store after 3 months of being on "vacation mode."
My goal for the next week or so is to take photos of a tub o' stuff and get things listed.
So.. feel free to check it out (link here).



In the meantime... have a great night... and I will see y'all tomorrow :)


* photos by Elaine A. Russell

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Tonight is the last night I will spend in PA for a little while...

I am leaving tomorrow afternoon, and my niece is driving me to Williamsport, PA. I will stay overnight, and will be leaving at 5am for various flights that will eventually bring me home to ABQ.
And so today... I was trying to finish up a plethora of projects. I went to a friend's house... she recently had heart surgery and is still recovering... and so... I took a couple hours and tried to do some weeding in her gorgeous flower beds. She didn't ask me to do it... but I know how much her flowers mean to her; and I know she hasn't been able to do it for quite awhile. In the end... I got the largest of her beds (which runs the full front of her house) done... and she in turn, allowed me to dig up some white bleeding heart plants that had over-run another bed.

I took some of these plants to another friend... who was overjoyed... and immediately started to find a place for them in her yard. I still had a bucket-full.... so I took them to my mother's house.

I then went to one of the local nurseries... and bought a whole bunch of plants ( perennials and annuals)... to add to her pots on the patio, and to fill a bed just under the living room window. If my father is able to ever come back to the house... it will be this window that he will be able to look out... and hopefully be able to see some flowers. I also got her a stunningly gorgeous Fuschia plant that is in a hanging planter for her front porch. This will attract hummingbirds... which she loves... and will be able to see from her kitchen window.

After eating supper with my niece... and visiting with my dad... I found myself at 9pm -- weeding that over-run bed under the living room window that was full of weeds; and trying to get all these plants into the ground... and into planter boxes... and into hanging pots.
I finally finished around midnight.

Now I am doing a last load of laundry... and enjoying a lovely cup of tea.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I believe in the whole philosophy of "Pay it Forward." If I am able to help someone have a better day by helping them a bit... planting flowers... weeding to make things look a little nicer... whatever... then I feel that the joy that it brings them will become a contagious thing. Perhaps they will in turn do something nice for someone else... and on it goes...



*photos by Elaine A. Russell

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...barefoot in the backyard.... warm grass and moss under my toes...

...snowdrops blooming in a neghbor's front yard...

...a childhood friend's house (also a "station" on the historic Underground RailRoad)...


...white birch at the local Patterson Cancer Center...

...views from a typical barn in the area...
(all photos by Elaine A. Russell)


Today was an odd mix of answering countless phone calls... taking a few pictures... doing laundry... getting groceries.... visiting with my dad.... cooking... cleaning... and (later) visiting with my mom who got back from Philadelphia late tonight.
It's late. I am exhausted... but I am thinking that (hopefully) things may be beginning to settle down.

perseverance

photo by Elaine A. Russell


When I was little ... growing up in the backwoods of PA...I had a neighbor up the street who had the most beautiful gardens. He and his wife were already "old" by my childhood standards .. and spent their days working in their gardens, drinking cocktails in the evenings and throwing garden parties for their friends at night. The man was a descendant of one of the first settlers in our area, and the house was a veritable museum of taxidermy animals, old books, and great china. I remember they had a taxidermy Great Horned owl that sat in one of the big windows.. and even though I knew it was there.. it always startled me. One of the first jobs I ever was "babysitting" their geese flock for a couple weeks when they went on vacation. But I digress.

I think my love of plants started then. They owned the whole back hillside as well as the property across from the dirt road by their house. This property consisted of a sizable hill full of forest, a creek, a couple ponds, an underground spring, lots of bear/ deer/ wild critters... and tons of wildflowers.

On the flat area across from their house, they had planted extensive flower gardens. One of the most brilliant flowers there was a very tall variety of tiger lily. I remember that the lady called them "turkish nightcaps".. and I imagined that little Turkish elves would come at night, dressed in all their woodland finery.. and wear the flowers as caps. I imagined that the lady elves would be wearing skirts of day lily petals in yellow and orange and red... and they would dance by the ponds under the stars when no one else was about.


Just this summer I went again to visit these woods. The properties are all "suburban" now... it was sold and divided years ago, and now there are 4 houses where gardens once stood. It is very sad to me... and yet.... I was surprised to see this one lone stalk of tiger lily pushing itself out of the ground and raising its petals to the sky...


*I just found out that one of my photos is now published in the Schmap Guide to ABQ ( see link on the right ) WOOT !

mornings



----------------------photos by Elaine A. Russell
Photos taken early this am from my front patio. It's a whole nuther world early in the am... and I'm not usually up to see it. I worked night shift for 17 years, and most of the time, I "don't do mornings"
But --every now and then I get a glimpse into the world that my hubby sees so early in the am.