Temptation Waits - 221/365 (more…)

Star Jasmine - 219/365

Star Jasmine, Trachelospermum jasminoides, is a flowering vine in the Apocynaceae family. Native to Asia, it's an evergreen woody vine that grows up to 10 feet high. The white flowers are quite fragrant, it's oil extracted from steam distilled for perfume or incense. It's commonly grown as an ornamental plant for gardens or used as a climbing vine or even a groundcover. It flowers in full sun, partial shade or total shade but requires well-drained soil as it can succumb to fungal infection if the soil is damp. It's widely used in California (this one found in Santa Cruz Mountains) and Southeastern US.

Foxtails in Black and White #2 of three - 218/365

Lyme Brain struck again! This time live on the Internet. Yesterday's photo was an accidental repeat. I meant to post a more recent photo of Mr. Wild Dingo and the dogs from our Sunday walk, but my Lyme brain chose the wrong photo.  Not that anyone following my photos really cares, but it matters to me since it's a 365 project and the photos should be unique. Rather than change it, or post anther, I decided to leave it. It's a reminder of living the reality of neurological Lyme disease as I journey through my year in photos while trying not to lose my mind.

The above photo is #2 in a series of three black and white fox tails.

Dear Rottrover and all 8 of my faithful readers: Because you asked, I'll post a recipe next Sunday for you. I have a good one in mind! 

Family Day Hike with Mr. Wild Dingo, the cracker & the criminal! 217/365

Family Day, a Sunday tradition we started while living in Switzerland. On Sundays in Switzerland, everything is shut down and you aren't allowed to make noise or run power tools. (more…)

Juno shares my sentiments on a bad Lyme-day.  214/365

Juno shares my sentiments exactly when I wake up, after having only 3 hours of sleep, with my heart racing like I'm at the start line of a bike race and a migraine brewing.  Thank dog and praise cheeses for my siberian husky who makes me smile in spite of it all.  I had to drive to my doctor's office on Thursday in this condition. That's the problem with invisible illnesses. You have to keep on keeping on despite how bad you feel. (more…)

Honeybee on a Myrtle -213/365

The Myrtle (genus name, Myrtus), is a flowering plant, native across the northern Mediterranean (especially in the islands of Sardinia and Corsica). Commonly used as a hedge plant, this Myrtle is found as hedge on a farm in Santa Cruz Mountains. The Myrtle requires long hot summers to flower, which eventually reveal its round blue-black berry which contain several seeds. Its seeds are dispersed when birds eat the berries. Sardinia and Corsica use the plant to produce an aromatic liqueur, Mirto. Mirto rosso (the red variety of liqueur) is produced by macerating the berries while mirto bianco (white) is produced from the less common yellow berries and leaves. The berries, whole or ground, have been used as a pepper substitute and give that distinct flavor to Mortadella sausage and American bologna sausage. (more…)

Hummingbirds can be so bossy! 212/365

In the Spring after we came back from living in Europe, I was sitting at my desk window when a hummingbird came up to the window and seemed to yell at me. Flittering aggressively back and forth, to and from the window. In my Lyme-brain haze, I didn't realize there was an empty hummingbird feeder hanging that we must have left for the years we were away.

The hummer's all, "WTF? You stupid human! Get some damn food in that thing! I'm starving!"

Damn! Hummers can be so bossy! So I got right on it and added a second feeder as well. Now we get regular hummingbird traffic and sometimes all out wars between among the hummers. They still come to my window and look at me and it reminds me to check the feeder. It's fascinating how wildlife has learned to live and communicate with humans. Hopefully by next spring we'll have most our planting done and they will have more variety than nectar from the feeder!

Monday's can kiss my bee butt! -  211/365

Wings! - 210/365

Amaryllis Belladonna - 207/365

Amaryllis belladonna, with generic names known as Belladonna Lily, Naked Lady or Easter Lily, is a small flowering bulb  from South Africa and pairs well with the African Lily (from previous posts) in gardens. Like the African Lily, this flower also has a confusing name as it's genus name is confused with the Hippeastrum (a different bulb from South Africa) which goes by the generic name Amaryllis. Though it is considered a lily due to it's shape and growth habit, it's only distantly related to the true lily, Lilium. (more…)