Month: April 2017

Blog

Careful Additions

ellenparkerwrites

When my children were young (and not so very young) they enjoyed building things with plastic blocks. You know the kind – they come in multiple sizes, and come out at night to sabotage bare footed adults.

They built many things with these blocks. Robots. Houses. Spaceships. And one of their favorites – TOWERS. How high could they go with a single style of block. Can I make it as tall as the builder?

My children went on to do other things. College. Jobs. Spouses.

I get the impression the artist of the sculpture below continued with the theme of “how high can I build on the base of a single block”

Blog

Easy to Overlook

ellenparkerwrites

Traffic rolls past at forty miles per hour. Drivers better pay attention to the road. Passengers may catch a glimpse. If they expect it.

Many cities and towns have their own sites which at one time were prominent but now have faded into the background. Perhaps a street was moved. Or the destination at the end of the road has lost its appeal.

So today we give this fine gentleman his due. He’s sort of a composite statue. brick pedestal, stone body, and real antlers. Yes, antlers, not to be confused with horns. (But that topic is for another day.) He, and his twin (not shown in his photo) guard the estate. It’s a well-known family, both locally and nationally. However, the majority of the estate has become a tourist attraction and the well-guarded gate seldom used.

I may be spotted on national television – in a beer commercial – as supporting cast to a team of horses.

 

Blog

Shy Bunny

ellenparkerwrites

Easter Day is over. But the spirit of spring continues.

Nature sprouts and shouts joy at the longer days and warmer temperatures. Colorful blossoms pop in both expected and unusual places.

And the people in charge of the artificial flower displays – in this case an indoor decoration at a church – prove they have a sense of humor.

This shy bunny makes children of all ages look twice to find him.

Blog

Animal, Vegetable, Mineral?

ellenparkerwrites

With a little imagination and humor, you can find them all on my plant stand.

From the left: spider, cabbage, rubber.

Yes, spring has arrived and will soon turn into summer. So I’m enjoying this brief time when the windows can be open, no jacket necessary to step outside, and the houseplants get put into summer quarters.

Unless the little critters – real animals – enjoy digging in the soft potting soil too much, I expect in several months, when warm temperatures turn cool, these will be larger. And then the decisions about which plant to put where in my limited window space will begin all over again.

Don’t like the first trio? Try the second.

Yes, I’m aware the animal is fake. But getting a chipmunk to sit in place is beyond my patience.

 

Blog

24 Hour Difference

ellenparkerwrites

Events happen fast. Good ones as well as the questionable experiences.

For example: last weekend. We had two beautiful, warm days without rain. Like hundreds of others, I paid a visit to the home improvement store. They were still adding items to the garden center while customers were loading up on some of the preliminary items – tools, patio blocks, paint, and outdoor furniture.

My own purchase — a new hose — fit right into the mix.

Clean out the old leaves and debris of the winter. Assess what will fit in the empty spaces between the living perennials. Plant the shepherd’s hook will the ground is soft. Figure out the hanging basket portion next week — or the week after. Check the current plants – azelea buds are looking good.

From bud to blossom.

The call to spend more time out of doors.

Blog

Unplanned Trip

ellenparkerwrites

Sorry to say, this was not the vacation sort of trip. Not even in town errands with an interesting feature on the side.

No. This was the author being a KLUTZ. (Apologies if this is your name.)

It started normal enough. I decided that before going inside the library I’d take a walk. So I went past the community gardens and down the hill. I had my camera in my hand — looking for interesting things to photograph — and turned around to walk back up the hill.

Ooops! One should pay at least some attention to their feet when walking. Sidewalks are hard! It didn’t take long for the camera to go back into the purse and to pick up the glasses. I could tell at a glance they were a total loss. So…draw a deep breath, check out the face with one hand – a little blood, not much. Up the hill, into the building, into the restroom to wash and assess the damage.

The good news? I learned how fast my body heals. The bruises on the face went from red, to dark red, to purple, to yellow quicker than expected. Ice pack on the face worked well. Glasses are replaceable.

Now I’m planning my next trip. This time the vacation sort. Off with a friend to see new sights through new glasses.

Blog

Friendly Invasion

ellenparkerwrites

Not all invasions are negative.

Consider a patch of earth behind my building where “stump killer” was spilled. It’s powerful stuff. I’m not sure it killed the stump the person intended — but it killed all green and growing things in a several yard radius.

Mother Nature is tough. Leave her alone (or grant a little encouragement) and she can heal a multitude of wounds.

When the English ivy and another ground cover invaded — I smiled. We had plants. With roots which would at least slow down the erosion of the bare dirt.

I’m encouraging another invasion in my front flower bed. My favorite shade loving blossom is lily-of-the-valley. A co-worker gave me a few starter plants. Then several years later, a neighbor gifted me some lamb’s ears. They are advancing on each other.

Approaching plant battle?

Blog

The March Project

ellenparkerwrites

Yes. You read the title correctly. I’m aware that this is April. But for today I want to share the large project which occurred in my life during March.

Regular readers know I like to travel and often populate this blog with photos from my travels or outdoor features in St. Louis.

We’re going inside today. Because sometimes a house needs a little (or a lot) of work in the interior. March was one of those times.

Walls accumulate layers of paint, wallpaper, and more paint. Fixtures age. Become fussy. Or broken. Replacements clash. Dirt refuses to budge. Such was the state of my bathroom in a 50 year-old building.

Save the nickels and dimes. Dollars too. Call in the experts. Take the plunge.

 

 

Sleek, clean lines – may the major portions serve owners over the next 50 years.