lavendertook

The light of Autumn's last half hour before sunset is total magic where it falls on the trees around the lake. I went out a couple of evenings this weekend and caught it--it just takes my breathe away. I think this might be my best pic so far catching that light:


People think the impressionists and the romantic painters were making this stuff up, but all those colors are really there when the veil between the worlds is lifted and the Uttermost West is fleetingly in view before the earth turns to the dark of night.

These trees by the lake last week were doing their best impression of Tiffany stained glass windows. I think they did a very good job. BTW, you can click on the pic to embiggen it.

I love how the late afternoon light in autumn brings out hints of purple in the tree trunks as it turns the rest of the yellowing world golden. Especially in the woods on this end of the lake.

Approaching the lake several days ago . . .

I had a nice weekend. Yesterday morning I lead a hike with a few members of my group for older lesbians around Greenbelt Lake a couple of times. Then we had lunch at the Silver Diner. I was wiped and achy for the rest of the day and was just lazy.

I took another walk around the lake today and then zlabya and I went to see The Queen of Katwe, a sweet uplifting film about a girl of Katwe, a slum of Kampala, Uganda, who becomes a chess champion. Formula upward mobility tale, excepting its not about white men, and nicely done, and what a beautiful new actress for the lead, Madina Nalwanga, and with the gorgeous Lupita Nyong'o as her mother.

So here's pics I took the last couple of days, if you'd like to come along:


Just a couple of trees are turning so far, and this is one.

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Happy Birthday to Bilbo, Frodo, and especially, oft forgotten, early draft Bingo!!!

I went on a very Shire-like hike on Saturday morning in the Middle Patuxent Environmental Area in Howard County, and saw some things that should accompany the Bagginess on all their hikes.


Woods full of ferns and mosses gentle on the feet.

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Most Happy Birthday to the wonderful shirebound!!! I hope it is full of love, fun, and puppy snuggles and as sweet a day as you are, dear friend!!!! Here are some pretties that have shown themselves around the lake here the past couple of weeks that I hope you will enjoy seeing. ((My apologies on the lousy formatting of my posts of late--for some reason DW or LJ is not allowing me space between paragraphs and pictures and I haven't figured out why or how to reset it. *grumbles*)) Redbud tree blooms: ( Read more... ) Also posted at http://lavendertook.dreamwidth.org/194255.html with comments

Last Sunday I drove up to New Jersey to meet my friend lbilover at the Franklin Preserve State Park in the Pine Barrens. It was a long drive and totally worth it for her warm and comfortable company, along with the company of her sweet deerhound Gandy, the adventuresome Pippin, who I was very glad to get to see again, and the silky Clementine who joyed to show us the meaning of haste, and for the beauty of the pines. I sure miss living in an area well covered in evergreens, like there was in Carrboro, NC. Our hobbit dolls were also happy to see each other again. It was a gorgeous cool, sunny day, perfect for a 3 hour hike.


I tried to get a pic of lbilover with her whole pup family, but , being very busy pups, they were impatient with the whole process. Gandy here is blocking Clem and giggling about it, too.

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Happy birthday, lovethosehobbit!!! May the move go smoothly and bring your best year yet!


Autumn leaves reflected in Greenbelt Lake 2 years ago.

Also posted at http://lavendertook.dreamwidth.org/186084.html with comments

So my trip and moot report! You already got the airplane flight--it was a great flight out. I'm going to try to fly a Southwest 737 any time I have the chance--it was so roomy compared to the SW 727 I rode going back--makes a big difference. This will be one of several pic posts I'll be posting of the trip and moot.

I arrived in Denver without a hitch and had a short while to wait before shirebound's flight got in and it was so wonderful to see and get to hug her as soon as she stepped into the terminal. We found mirabile_dictu and hanarobi picked us up and took us the scenic route up through Colorado to Laramie, for which I'm extra grateful with the drive being 5+ hours for her round trip. It was a really gorgeous ride.

The pics in this post are all from a moving car window, so not the best quality.


The Rockies just north of Denver!


The Rockies from around the Longmont area.

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Happy Birthday, cali_se! I hope it's been a beautiful and magical day!

Happy birthday, wordweaverlynn!!! I hope it is a day filled with love and all good things to open a wonderful year for you!


Late afternoon light on a summer's day down by Greenbelt Lake. Below the cut are some pics from last fall there . . .

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So there's this stripped-down, bark-less tree stump along the path around the lake which has wonderful patterns in it that I really like.


In the right light, it looks like spun silver. I took these shots in April.

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. . . because we need the reminder. Here's some pics from down by the lake the weekend before last, as spring declared its commencement.



A very fluffy double daffodil ready for its close-up.

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We finally got full sunshine today, and the buds on the trees are starting to open, so it finally feels like the first day of spring. That helps. We're definitely 2 weeks behind on spring now, after winter coming over a month early, so it's been quite a slog this year.

The vet was supposed to call me today about a question I had concerning Saki's medicine dosage, and never did. This definitely isn't working out. I feel so let down by every end of the medical establishment at this point. Infrastructure? Just not working here. Surprised? No. I lost my dad to surgery and poor aftercare, so am familiar with this tune.

As I have a lot of hunting among reviews to do yet, and yelp.com hasn't worked out too well for me, I was wondering if any of you have used Angie's List and found it helpful? Have you found any other review source for veterinary, medical, and dental providers useful that you could suggest?





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One great Blue Heron has been living on the lake since I came to this town 19 years ago. I don't know if this is the same one I've seen every year, but it just may be. I call hir Dinosaur and greet hir with this name whenever we meet. Another Great Blue visited with hir a couple of weeks ago, but I haven't seen the second one since, though ze might be around.

And Happy Tolkien Reading Day, which I am participating in by reciting my part in the read_lotr_aloud project community after I post this entry. All my readings can be found at bbolger_baggins. One day I hope to sit down and listen to everyone's readings. And it is an especially good day to post pics of trees in JRRT's honor. From last October:





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. . . from a serene time, long, long ago.




( Breathe in a Froday's calm . . . )

. . . until Spring gives us something worth reflecting upon . . .








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So here is a serene reflection in the lake from last October to keep us from going stark raving mad as we wait for spring to decide to settle in.


( Sunken gold beneath a silvery sheet . . . )