Thursday, December 13, 2018

Wintering


Slow down, look up, seek the stars in the dark December sky, gather together, warm by a fire, watch bright flames dance, admire the bones of trees in their stark leafless beauty, in the quiet spy a deer, an owl, a fox, turn off electric light, light a dozen candles, believe.  

Friday, December 7, 2018

Tuesday, November 13, 2018

Monday, October 1, 2018

Monday, September 24, 2018

Friday, September 14, 2018

Friday, August 17, 2018

Friday, May 18, 2018

Indigo Dreaming

Blue False Indigo flaming up the woods. 



Tuesday, April 3, 2018

Merry Magnolia


Spring is blessed with bountiful blooms, not only flowering bulbs but beautiful flowering trees like crabapple, dogwoods, and fruit trees. But by far, my favorite, and the most intoxicatingly beautiful tree I know is the saucer magnolia. I have a few small ones that I hope one day rival this gem in town. 




Monday, April 2, 2018

Mushroom Monday: Harvest Time

My tiny morel finds finally grew into a tasty size. Looking for more but finding none. Needing more sunshine here. 


Monday, March 26, 2018

Morel Monday


These miniscule morels were found Saturday 3/24 - my tiniest finds ever. They were in a spot I knew to look otherwise they would never have been spotted by me. I left them there for maturing and will harvest at a later date. Now my woodland walks become foraging hunts.  Happy Hunting!




Sunday, March 11, 2018

Irish Cheer


St. Patrick's Day is just around the corner, hop over Emerald Post Blog to explore the culture of Ireland, traditions, and Irish celebrations during this festive month. Also there are sales afoot in the Emerald Post Shop and Giveaway happening for Emerald Post E-Newsletter subscribers. Sign up HERE to get the Emerald Post Herald and automatically be entered to win some Irish goodies.  

This lot up for a Giveaway as well as two other smaller Emerald Post bundles. 

Monday, March 5, 2018

Secret Spring Garden

A recent creation inspired secret gardens, ornate wrought iron, spring flowers, and green topiary. 

Monday, February 26, 2018

Saint Patrick's Day Sales


As Saint Patrick's Day nears, I'll be blogging all about the Emerald Isle over at Emerald Post Blog and I'll be running several short Flash Sales in the Emerald Post Shop. If you want a heads up when the sales will be happening, go HERE and sign up for the Emerald Post E-Newsletter. There will be a giveaway happening, too, sometime soon. Follow me at Emerald Post Blog to learn more. 

Tuesday, February 13, 2018

British Isles #24: Isle of Skye

Though it seems an impossibility that I should ever catch up posting with all the trips I've taken, I suppose there is no harm in trying. So back to Scotland I'll take you, where I visited in 2014!

We drive toward the Isle of Skye though Glen Shiel which was quite scenic with rugged rocky mountains, lakes, waterfalls, and low clouds cloaking the mountains tops. We stopped at the well known Eilean Donan Castle, which is stunning on the exterior but actually quite strange inside. Most of the castle is off limits as I believe a family still lives there, there is modern furniture about and family snapshots on desks and walls. I would probably skip this visit in hindsight.

Glen Shiel Scenic Drive

Glen Shiel Scenic Drive

Glen Shiel Scenic Drive

Eilean Donan Castle - very picturesque but the interior is quite strange, many rooms of limits while the others have modern furnishings, family snapshots, like the family currently lives there. 

Eilean Donan Castle

Glen Shiel Scenic Drive

The Isle of Skye looks like a fantasy, even in the winter (we visited early April) when the colors are muted. I was a beautiful and strange land, with peaks and valleys that looks shaped by the wind, impossible landscapes of far, far away. We stayed in a B&B in Portree a wee little town on the coast, then took a scenic drive around the Trotternish Peninsula driving around the Quiraing, stopping at Kilt Falls, the crumbling (and closed off) ruins of Duntulm Castle, rambling around the fairy pools, and exploring Dun Beag Broch - on old stone fort. We were quite in awe of this landscape despite pretty foul weather of constant cold drizzle. The striking rock formation - The Old Man of Storr, in fact, was so engulfed in low clouds that we never did see it and the hike up to it would prove too muddy. On a sunshiny emerald day in the summer, I can imagine the Isle of Skye to absolutely stun you with magic. You'll have to compete with a lot of others people in the summer, however, on those tiny, narrow roads. Fortunately, winter and rain meant that we basically had the roads to ourselves. I hope to return someday.  

Kilt Falls

Isle of Skye

Isle of Skye

Driving the Quiraing - a distinctive landscape creating by a landslip





Fairy Pools

Dun Beag Broch - Stone Fort