IT’S A BEAUTY BERRY-FUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD!

Callicarpa Americana (American Beautyberry)

I took a snapshot of this dazzling Beautyberry plant during my walk with the Hubby and Puppy near our home today.

This native plant is an absolute beauty! I discovered it for the first time several weeks ago while walking my little dog in our new neighborhood. I don’t recall seeing such a brilliant hue like this on a plant before. I had to know what it was. I did some research on the internet (where else?) and found that the berries are edible for birds and humans alike, although they aren’t all that tasty in the raw. I found that the berries can be made into a delicious jelly, and even wine. I definitely want to try making the jelly. It makes such a ‘pretty’ jelly, and from what I read, it tastes delicious too. The leaves reportedly act as a mosquito deterrent if you rub them on your skin. I haven’t tried this trick yet, but will definitely give it a try. Thankfully, the mosquitos aren’t very numerous here, but just one mosquito bite can really make me welt up. If I find a good and do-able recipe that turns out good, I’ll be sure to post it. Or maybe someone out there has already tried it? Would love to know! Now that I’m settled into my new home I want to learn about the native plants in this area. This should be a fun adventure of exploration!

 

Weekly Photo Challenge: FOCUS

I present my photo of the week “Focus” with this pic. The woman in the foreground (who happens to be my daughter) draws the eye to view her, but then the eye is drawn to the young man in the red hat (my grandson), and ultimately further out where two persons are strolling along the shoreline.

This was taken with my Motorola Droid Maxx phone near Long Beach, WA.

This is one of my absolutely favorite photos, taken this way quite accidentally I might add, and I just love the peaceful scene. I hope you do too!

SUNLIGHT MEETS DESERT MARIGOLD

IT HAS BEEN SO LONG SINCE MY LAST POST…I don’t even know where to begin, again. My creativity has been channeled into the orderly task of cleaning, purging and organizing ‘things’ the past year or so.
First in my mother’s house after her passing. And now my house as my husband and I have made a huge decision to re-locate to another U.S. State (I’ll keep most of you guessing which State, for awhile!) as soon as our house and my mother’s house sells.
I even stopped making jewelry, one of my favorite hobbies, for almost a year. Maybe I was more deeply and profoundly affected by my mother’s passing than I consciously realized. (I’m realizing it now!)
My father-in-law (I affectionately called him ‘Pops’) passed away just a little over a month ago. I will miss him terribly. Knowing that both my mom and ‘Pops’ are safe within heaven’s shores gives me much peace. I have been tremendously blessed to know these two wonderful people, one all my life, the other when I met my husband, Dave.
So now I will try to get that creative flow going again. Just writing this little bit today makes me happy!

Weekly Photo Challenge: Fray

Yucca schidigera Roezl ex Ortgies

During an early morning stroll along the many rock lined paths (my husband’s handiwork) that wind all over our two acres of property I eventually discovered something ‘frayed’. As I diligently scanned the landscape my eyes finally rested on this desert hearty plant.
The Mojave yucca grows profusely in this region of Arizona. As the photo reveals, each of its green leathery stalks has a host of ‘fraying’ hairs on them. I’m not sure what the purpose of these hairs are, but they do give an otherwise ordinary plant an interesting look.

Little Discoveries BIG Fun!

 

A couple of weeks ago, one night, I discovered an adorable little toad at my front door step. He didn’t seem to mind being in the limelight as I took his photograph. Haven’t seen him now that the weather has turned cooler, but I did notice some interesting looking fungi and flora during a recent walk on a nearby nature path. Every day I go outside I feel like a kid in a candy store. There’s so much to discover and learn about the local natives here in the Ouachitas!

HELLO ARKANSAS!

Look where I am! Far, far away from my home in Arizona and now I’m in a totally different part of the country. I feel like I’ve died and gone to heaven as I breathe in the clear air in this lush, and forested mountain range of southwest Arkansas, known as the Ouachita mountains. Twenty-five plus years,  hubby and I have made the desert our home, and we surely have loved and appreciated just about every moment of our time spent there. But now we live in good ol’ Arkansas, known as the Natural State, and I’m super excited to share my future adventures and photos of this beautiful part of the country with you. Construction will begin soon on our new house too (so excited!) Stay posted, more to come!