Tag Archives: peonies

I Love Flowers

Hello and welcome to another Waste Not Want Not Wednesday.  I know I threatened to make this blog All Pride Stride 5K All The Time, and I did go for a long (for me) run this morning, but it was not very eventful.  Besides, I have some flower pictures!  I love flowers.

I forget who this guy is.

I pass by this statue many times per week on walks and runs.  It is Meyers Park, which is fairly close to my house.  Somebody takes very good care of the plants around the statues.  Next time I’ll get a shot of General Herkimer, who stands on the other side of the park.

Yay! They bloomed!

And here is my house, made extra cheerful by peonies and daisies!  I think the daisies may have gone a little too far this year.  I may need to get rid of them entirely and plant something else.  I also need to get around to planting something anything elsewhere in my front and back yards.

Ignore the mess, enjoy the daisies.

I cut a bunch of the daisies to make a cheerful bouquet for my living room.  I would like to cut a couple of the peonies and bring them in, because they smell so nice, but I am afraid of bringing in ants with them.  Ants help peonies open by crawling inside the buds and eating something.  That is about the only good thing I have ever heard about ants.

I still have not done much about making my own garden grow; regular readers may recall that the daisies and peonies come up with no effort on my part.  But the second week of June isn’t too late?  Is it?  Discuss amongst yourselves.

 

Slacker Day, Silly Post?

It is a Slacker Saturday Post.  I have done pretty much nothing today.  Can I yet make a blog post about it?  We shall see.

I do see this building almost every day.

I managed to write and mail my usual Saturday post cards.  I do this most weeks, because I know it gives a smile to my post card peeps.

Who me? Have a glass of wine?

I did not have this shirt on, and I was not in the place shown here, the Waterfront Grille in Herkimer, NY.  However, I confess I did have a glass of Chadonnay this afternoon.  Judge me if you are so inclined.

Crazy daisies!

These are my daisies from last year, when in fact, they were looking a little better than this year.  They are looking a little blowsy this year, if you know what I mean.  Perhaps I will get out there tomorrow with a pair of clippers and do some major trimming.  On the other hand, they are holding the peonies up.  You know how peonies like to flop down once they bloom, as mine just started to do.  I love peonies.  I wonder what happened to the fence Steven bought one year to help them stand up.

One of last year’s peonies, for good measure.

So it’s another silly post, but one does what one can.  I did some other writing today, besides the above mentioned post cards.  I worked on a letter to a friend, and I wrote two character sheets on my latest murder mystery.  So perhaps the day was not a complete slack.  Discuss amongst yourselves.

 

Still Hoping for a Garden!

Can I manage a Throwback Thursday post, that is the question.  I know, you thought it was to be or not to be (you know who you are).  I guess the main question is, can I make a blog post?

Wow, look at how tame they are!

Here is a nice picture from June of 2017. My front yard does not look like this now!  The daisies have taken over the place, although the peonies are still there.

More daisies!

This is my daisies in 2024.  I just can’t make myself get rid of them; they are so cheerful.

When did I ever have THESE?

This picture is from May 2018, but I do not remember having four orange tulips.  How pretty are they!  This year I had one yellow tulip, which I was very grateful for but did not get a picture of.

So pretty!

And here is perhaps the last time I had a container garden on my deck.  I thought I might go somewhere to purchase flowers and herbs for this year but did not manage to.  I did not even manage to sweep the helicopters off my deck and get it ready for containers.  Oh well, there is always tomorrow.  We’ll see what I can do.  As always, I hope you’ll stay tuned.

 

I Try to Run After the Rain

I started to go running yesterday with the idea of A. Looking at the flood damage (luckily not too much of a flood around here) and B. Making a Running Commentary Post.  I was only marginally successful. I was to begin with a little surprised it was not still raining.  A glance out the window showed me the street was no longer a river, so I suited up and went out.  I put on my Road Guard Vest (as we Army people call it; civilians call it a reflective vest) in case I went out in the road.  It also has a handy zipper pouch for tissues.

Right away I saw running in the road was ineligible.  It was all mud!  As I ran down the sidewalk, I encountered a lot of mud, too, then a bit of debris, mostly sticks of varying sizes.  The main problem I had was when I got to the corner:  the mud was super concentrated where I wanted to cross the street.  I turned a couple corners where I hadn’t meant to.  Sometimes I ran in the grass to avoid the mud. I don’t mind getting dirty, but I try to avoid falls at my age.

As I turned back onto my own street sooner than envisioned, I saw a cavalcade of two mothers and several children of various ages, some in wagons, on their way to the corner to catch the bus.  I have seen them before.  I almost always greet my neighbors.  Sometimes I accuse the groups waiting for the bus of having a party and not inviting me.  These neighbors were just setting out for the corner.

“It’s the parade!”  I said.  I have called them a parade before. They warned me to watch out for the slippery mud.

I made it across the street and around another corner before I admitted defeat.  I had gone something over 17 minutes (too lazy to go get my Garmin and check), and I just had a failure of resolution.  I turned and walked back towards home, a thing I almost never do.  When I got to the corner, the parade had almost reached the bus stop.  They only had to cross the street.  Some boys already at the bus stop hollered at two girls about to cross to wait, because cars were coming.  We look out for each other in my neighborhood.

I called across to one of the mothers, “I gave up!”

She gestured to one of the girls and said, “She fell down twice!” The girl ruefully displayed her muddy legs.

“Oh NO!” I said, with great sympathy.  I said that falls could be dangerous at my age, to which the mother agreed.  I managed to reach home without mishap.

Some of the May flowers I hope the rain will bring!

No, I did not take a picture of the mud.  However, for the sake of including an illustration, here are a couple peonies and a few daisies from last May.  I guess this wasn’t an April shower, but sometimes one must make do.

 

A Blooming Throwback Thursday

After another hot, steamy day, I settle down on my couch in front of a fan and hope to make my Thursday blog post.  I think a Throwback Thursday might be fun.  Only I fear I may repeat myself.  Then again, perhaps some readers did not see these pictures the first time or any of the times I threw back to them.  Or they may not mind a re-run.  I can only hope for the best.

Wow! Look at all the grass!

This picture is from June 2017.  Look how subdued the daisies are!  They are not marauders squeezing out the peonies and forget-me-nots.  And Frankentree looks quite small and manageable.

Don’t they look ruthless?

This is a picture from this year, a couple weeks ago when they were still blooming.  It is definitely time to cut down what is left.  I hope to have at it with the clippers this weekend.

Where or where did my irises go?

This is from June 2018.  Did I really have that many irises?  Apparently so.  I had none this year.  Perhaps my mother will thin hers out in the fall and I can get some more bulbs.  I do love irises.

Some more blooms that looked better in years past.

And here is my rhododendron in June 2019.  I had some blooms this year but not as many.  Branches from the pine tree behind it encroached on its space.  Something else to have at with the clippers or perhaps a hack saw.  Nothing like being a little bloodthirsty in my yard work.  There are some wild grapevines and pricker bushes that also need slaying.  It might make a good blog post.  As always, I hope you’ll stay tuned.

 

Don’t Wuss! Walk!

So there I was, sitting on my couch feeling utterly exhausted.  I mean not just tired, but entirely used up.  It is a feeling I get a lot lately.  Oh, stop playing that miniature violin (you know who you are)! One thing I do not need is condescension.  My original plan for today was to go running after work.  Unfortunately, I did something to my back and it was quite painful by the end of my work day.  At first I thought I would go ahead and run anyways.  Worst case scenario:  I stopped running and walked.  Then I thought the real worst case scenario is that I wake up tomorrow with an even worse backache, so I told myself don’t be stupid.  Run tomorrow.

Picture to pep things up.

Still, a walk might help a sore back.  It probably would have been a better idea to take said walk right away, before I sat there on the couch feeling like a big lump of I Don’t Care.  It was the thought of taking a couple of pictures on the walk for blogging purposes that got me into my sneakers and out the door.  I can’t break my streak of posting daily, can I?

The first place I walked was into my own backyard, to check on my rhododendron.  I had seen some neighbors’ rhododendrons blooming and hoped mine was doing the same.  It is blooming but is being overshadowed by a pine tree that grows nearby.  A few years ago I cut a bunch of branches off the tree for that very reason.  I felt like much woman, as my sister Vicki would say.  I guess I need to do it again.  I tried to get a picture of what blooms there are, but the sun was in the wrong place, so I couldn’t get the shot.

While I was out back, I could not help but notice how badly I need to mow.  I need, in fact, to do more than mow, but do some major yard work.  I almost opened up my garage and hauled out the mower.  Once again, consideration for my back stopped me.  Even opening the garage is quite the effort, because some spring or other broke after not being in the right place to begin with (I don’t properly understand these things).  I promised myself to try it tomorrow.  Or the next day.  Saturday at the latest.

Out front, I realized I could take a picture of my daisies, once again taking over the yard.  I just can’t bear to cut them back till they stop blooming.  They are so cheerful.  I put the picture of them after the first paragraph, because I did not want to make my readers wait too long for an illustration.  Then I took a picture of the two peonies that managed to bloom.

I love the smell!

My back was still hurting, but I at least walked around the block.  There were not many photo ops, because I do not like taking pictures of people’s yards without their permission (although I have done it on occasion).  I saw a flowering tree in front of one house, and I wondered what it was.  I took a picture, zooming in so you can only see tree, nothing of the house.  That makes it anonymous enough, doesn’t it?

Perhaps one of my readers knows what it is.

I felt somewhat revived after my walk, at least enough to open the Chromebook and make the blog post.  And I believe I have successfully avoided having a Wuss-out Wednesday.

 

Late Tired Tuesday Post, But Here Are Some Flowers

I have no idea why I was so tired on Tuesday, but so it was.  I had a headache, but it was only a common or garden headache, not a migraine.  My primary care told me to keep a journal of my headaches, so I am doing that.  I tried to do it once before, sometime in the mid-teens, I think.  In fact, I have that little notebook right here (I have roughly 3,825 notebooks of various sizes scattered about my house).  Ooh, I kept it up for three months.  No insight was gained, I fear.

Random pic from my Media Library.

I throw in a picture of flowers to cheer things up.  This is the rhododendron in my backyard last May. I do not think it is blooming yet, but I haven’t been out back in a few days.  I fear I must start mowing soon.  Maybe rake up last year’s leaves, since I do not have one of them there mulching mowers.

These are cheerful, yes?

To continue the flower theme, here are last year’s daisies. I have not seen any daisies yet, but I have shared my one tulip bud and the beginnings of my peonies.  I also have some forget-me-nots now.

And the peonies are a little bigger.

I bestirred myself to get my phone and add the picture to my Media Library.  The tulip has not yet bloomed, but I took a picture of that, too.

 

I think it is a yellow one.

I am approaching 250 words (over that now), and I think my coffee is ready (you did realize I was posting early Wednesday morning, didn’t you?  I realize I did not specify in the first paragraph).  I adjourn for caffeine.  As always, I thank you for tuning in.

 

Three Pictures in a Post

I am instituting a new feature: Waste Not Want Not Wednesday.  I thought about it earlier, because I recently made a post with that title using pictures I had taken for blogging purposes but not used yet.  For once not too lazy to look back, I searched previous posts and found out I have published three posts with the title, “Waste Not Want Not.”  It is one of my favorite sayings and a rule I try to follow.

When I made my Pedestrian Post with Pictures the other day, I did not use two of the pictures I had taken.  I was fairly happy with how the post ended without them, so I let them stay in my Media Library for the time being.  They were two pictures I took in my own yard at the end of my walk.

Preview of coming attractions?

Steve (my late husband, for anybody just tuning in) and I never planted any tulip bulbs, but since we first moved in, one yellow tulip has graced our front yard. This year I thought it had failed along with the daffodils (which in fact I did plant).  Imagine my delight when I saw green leaves and a bud.  It is not in the same place the tulip was previously, so I can’t be sure it is the same tulip.  Nevertheless, I am delighted to see it and hope it blooms before something eats it.  Then again, bunnies gotta eat, too.

They’re kind of hard to see.

After I took the picture of the tulip bulb, I noticed my peonies had started to come up.  These magically appeared after Steven had finally conquered the blowsy day lilies that had been there.  He just kept mowing them down till they got discouraged. The first year the peony was one stalk, but it bloomed. It has increased yearly, so yay!

Today after my run, I noticed one little forget-me-not raising its pretty blue head.  Unfortunately, I did not get a picture, but I have one more shot to share.  I do like to use three pictures in a post.

I confess, not the best picture.

I took this one yesterday, when I went for my walk prior to 5 a.m.  I had overslept and decided to go for my walk while the coffee dripped, to make sure I took one.  I was feeling less than enthusiastic about the exercise till I saw the full moon.  Cool!  I was using my phone to Map My Walk (the app is actually called Map My Run, but it works for walks too), so I had it handy to try to get a picture.

Wow! I am over 400 word.  Good thing I wasn’t going for a Wordless Wednesday Post!

 

Running to be Ready

It was a little faster than a Tuesday Trudge but not fast enough for a Tuesday Trot, but this is my Running Commentary Post. I often say that what I do is called running only by the most generous definition of the term.

I was quite determined to run today, despite the heat and humidity, because I am gearing up for the Pride Stride 5K in Little Falls this Saturday, June 12. It is part of the Little Falls Pride event hosted by Little Falls Community Outreach. I do not expect to run very fast, but I expect to have fun. And it is a cause I like to support.

Knowing I will not run very fast led the devil on one shoulder to say things like, “It doesn’t really matter if you run or not. Why torture yourself in this heat? It probably won’t even help.” I ignored such ignoble thoughts.

The humidity was pretty horrible. It was like trying to run through bath water. Or maybe dirty dish water. Breathing was not much fun. Never mind. Persevere. I veered a little way into a lawn to sniff some lilacs. That was nice. Some lilac bushes are over, but these two bushes were nice.

On my drive home from work, I had noted some nice bushes of light pink peonies. I planned to run by those and take a sniff. I did not remember exactly where they were, so it was a nice surprise when I saw them.

I kept glancing at my Garmin. It tells me what rate I am currently running, which leads to some disappointment. For example, I vary from a 15-minute mile to bursts as fast as a 10-minute mile (I know, not very fast in the ultimate scheme of things). So it is an average. So my Garmin may say I am running at a 12:20 pace, but 13 minutes have passed and I still haven’t gone a mile!

However, I try not to worry about how fast I go. I usually try to run for a certain length of time, not a specific distance. Today I ended up running for 24 minutes, 1.8 miles. In addition to smelling lilacs and peonies, I petted one nice dog. I was running through Meyer’s Park and saw a dog I had petted before.

“There’s that nice dog that likes to be petted!” I said, sprinting across the grass. The dog looked happy to see me and sat sweetly while I petted her and called her a good dog. I also greeted her person and wished him a nice day, to which he responded in kind.

I hope to run at least one more time before the 5K. For more information on Little Falls Pride, you can visit the Facebook event or Little Falls Community Outreach page.

Not Late, Liverpool!

This is my Slacker Saturday Post. It is almost a Guest Blogger Post, because, although I am still me, I am typing on my sister Diane’s laptop on her patio in Liverpool, NY. I had meant to make my blog post in Herkimer, before I left on today’s adventures. Unfortunately, I was too tired and needed to take a nap.

I got up around 4:30 this morning, because I couldn’t sleep. I went for a run, did some house cleaning, threw in a load of laundry, talked to my Mom on the phone, etc., etc. Then next thing I knew it was after ten and I had not yet make my blog post. I went out into the yard and took a few pictures, thinking an update was in order. I tried but found I just had to go upstairs and lie down. Here are the pictures I took:

Look how pretty!

I was delighted to see our rhododendrons blooming. I think the tree gets a little bigger every year, but of course I am too lazy to try to find a shot from last year for a compare/contrast.

It IS growing!

I took an update of our Rose of Sharon. It seemed a little brown earlier this year but appears to be greening up nicely.

More here, and more to come!

I went out front to get a picture of our daisies, which have started to bloom. I can see where we will have many more. Additionally, I see plenty of buds on our peony bush. So I guess this shot is in the nature of a Preview of Coming Attractions.

My niece Gillian just took a few pictures of me, my Mom, and my sisters Vicki and Diane. I thought I had downloaded one to this space from my phone. Alas, it seems not to have taken. I feel this does not matter, since I am over 200 words. Score! I am not late with my blog post! And I have a very silly picture to share on Wrist to Forehead Sunday. As always, I hope you will stay tuned.