King’s Creek area, starting to show signs of autumn …
Photo Challenge: Rounded
Tag Archives: Seasons
Grasses & Hills
It was a beautiful day for enjoying the prairie on the Flint Hills of Kansas!
Wishing you a lovely day!
Blood Orange Lemonade for the Season(s)
I usually think of lemonade as a summer libation, but we have been having unseasonably warm weather and the citrus fruits at the market have been so good, that making lemonade in the middle of winter seemed like a brilliant idea. So with a bag of lemons and a bag of blood oranges in the ‘fridge, I was all set. Yum, yum! Oh, and it is so pretty.
Blood Orange Lemonade
1 1/2 c. fresh squeezed blood orange juice
1 1/2 c. fresh squeezed lemon juice*
1 c. raw sugar (turbinado sugar)
4 c. cold water
Pour the juices into a 2-qt. glass pitcher. Combine the sugar and water in a medium size pot and heat, stirring frequently until sugar is completely dissolved. Carefully pour syrup in juice blend.* Stir. Chill until serving. Serve over ice.
*If you are worried about the relative strength or sweetness of your lemonade, you can add the syrup in stages, tasting along the way.
Cheers to you!
In season or not, we’re enjoying Blood Orange Lemonade at The Morning Star today!
Weekly Photo Challenge: Seasons.
Confirmation of Spring?
Sand Cherry Blossoms in the yard today …
Dried Marilyn
With a day so gorgeous, I decided it was worth a second post. This picture is of a Marilyn Monroe rose dried on the bush. I leave the flowers on my rose bushes at the end of the gardening season as a reminder that once winter passes, they shall bloom lushly once again.
I hope that you, too, are getting to enjoy the weekend!
Phlox in the Winter Garden
On sunny winter days, I sometimes enjoy walking around the garden and remembering the colors, fragrances, textures, sounds and activities that fill it in other seasons. Here are a few photos of remnants of fragrant phlox that I took yesterday. Despite getting my socks and shoes full of snow, I am glad that I went out into the garden then, because with frigid temperatures moving in, I won’t be out there at least for the next few days. Stay warm and have a lovely weekend!
Japanese Maple In Snow
The light in my shade garden was just beautiful this morning. I loved the way the faded leaves of my “Garnet” Japanese Maple looked against the blue-shadowed snow.
Have a lovely day!
Beauty in an Autumn Garden
With cold weather upon us – it was only in the 30’s F. at lunchtime today – I am not sure for how much longer the garden will be in bloom. So, of course, I am trying to enjoy it as much as I can before winter hits. Here are some photos from this morning. My fingers were numb taking them, but it was still a great pleasure to be out with the flowers.
I am not sure that I can explain it, but I find there to be something romantic about an autumn garden – perhaps it has something to do with its beauty and quietude and all of the memories that it contains.
Several of the roses – Mr. Lincoln and Secret – are especially fragrant now. I wish that I could share their scent with you.
Have a lovely day!
Early Autumn on Konza Prairie
I was out on the Konza Prairie the other afternoon and it was just about the prettiest that I have seen it. The grasses are starting to put on their autumn colors – subtle shades of golds, oranges, reds and purple – before they turn brown for the winter. It is delightful to walk on the trails and hear little besides the wind blowing through the grasses, the songbirds and crickets, and the crunch of one’s own footsteps. In some places, the grasses are tall enough that I could extend my arms almost straight out from my sides and touch them with my fingertips as I passed by.
Here Today … But What About Tomorrow?
Even by Kansas standards, our recent weather has been unusually variable. It has been gorgeous and sunny the past few days with high temperatures in the mid-80’s. (In case you don’t remember, we had snow last week.) The warm weather has stimulated plants to put on a lot of growth and it is really starting to look like Spring; and yet cold weather is supposed to roll back in tomorrow with the chance of snow Thursday and Friday. That would be snow in May – not very good for the garden, even if it doesn’t stick around. So, I decided that I’d better enjoy the flowers while they last and get some photos of them today. I’m so glad that I did. Photographing flowers makes one stop and really look at them. What a nice thing!
A Taste of Morning 