Hi Everyone,
It's nice to see some old friends here, and I'm looking forward to making new ones, too. Formerly known as Repeat_Bloomer, I was absent from the other site for a while, and am happy to be part of this new venture. For those I've know for a few years, there's no need for any introduction other than to say, "Nice to see you again!" For new acquaintances, you can expect to see me hanging out here quite a bit, especially once spring arrives and I have garden news and photos to share. First to arrive will be the spring bulbs, followed by the early roses in mid-May, then the first full flush of rose blooms in early June. Then will come the companion plants' blooms in mid summer, followed by the repeating varieties, so there should be a steady supply of discussion topics and photos.
In the meantime, I do a lot of wildlife photography now, and have started a cubit named Nature Photography. Some of my favorite subjects, besides plants, are the hawks that are native to the Hudson Valley, and the bald eagles that migrate down the Hudson River this time of year to stay ahead of the freeze line in the river's water (so that they can continue to fish from it). Many of them perch in trees right down the street from where I live, and it's always a treat to head down to the river bank, stand under a tree, and just look up into their regal faces. It's also fun to watch the adolescent eagles (who don't get their white head and tail feathers till the age of five) learn to land and take off from the floating ice in the river's waters. They perform a lot of crazy antics as they get their sea legs, or sea wings, or whatever it is they get.
I also spent last summer doing a photo documentary of the region's beautiful and unusual mushrooms and other fungus growing on the lush, moss-covered hillsides of the Atlantic Highland region along the river banks. I'll probably start a thread with those photos, too.
In the meantime, it's still much too cold here to do anything in the garden. We're getting a foot of snow today, and being a southerner, I always get very tired of northern winters by this time of year. But this weekend I'll be flying off to the California Bluegrass Association's "Winter Camp," where I'll spend some time learning and performing music with pros and other dedicated amateurs. The camp is being held in Petaluma and will run Monday through Thursday. Then, I have the pleasure of driving a few miles north to visit Zuzu on Friday. What a treat that will be!
Well, enough for now. Even though I'm working from home today due to the snow, I'm still suppose to be working, so I had better get a move on. But I'll check back in again later!
