Welcome to JOYFUL REFLECTIONS. Also welcome to MARCH!!!! My header picture this month is a photo I took of the pretty Crocus blooms in our yard... The Crocuses and Daffodils are the first signs of spring here in Tennessee. I am definitely ready for SPRING...

Saturday, June 6, 2009

Dis an' Dat!!!


Today's blog post is a 'bunch' of different things. After yesterday's LONG, WORDY post, I wanted to give you an easy one. By the way, did you read the paragraph in yesterday's post about a dead baby on the train? It's a sad story about my grandmother in case you missed it--in that long long post.

Above is a gorgeous SKY picture that I think is just incredible. I don't know if George has used it for his SkyWatch post, but even if he has, I think it is great enough to show again. I love those clouds! Below are more May pictures!! Click on them for bigger views.




Our first Lily of the season; We have had about 4-5 of them---and there are LOTS more lilies to come, and many daylilies!





These pretty blossoms are on our ONLY Mountain Laurel bush... Remember when I showed you all of the Mountain Laurel in North Carolina???? WELL---we don't have very much Laurel around here---at least not that I've seen. BUT--we do have one small bush in our back yard---and this year, it has bloomed better than ever before. I love ours since it includes several different colors of pink. Neat, huh????




Many of you have shown pictures of your Clematis blooms. WELL----here's our FIRST one. Isn't that a pretty color????? I hope we have lots and lots of blooms this summer.




George took this beauitful close-up photo of the Clematis bloom. Don't you love these macro shots???? Can you see the raindrops????





Except for the bluebirds, I haven't taken any good photos of birds this month. Some of the birds we have at our feeders: House Finches (pictured above on the birdbath), lots of Goldfinches (including fledglings), Tufted Titmice, Carolina Chickadees, White-breasted Nuthatches, Cardinals, Brown Thrashers (two young ones enjoy our suet and sunflower seed), Mourning Doves (two come to our deck to clean up the 'floor' several times a day), Bluejays, in addtion to Downy and Red-bellied Woodpeckers. I need to find time to get some more pictures of my birds.





This is not a very good picture, but these are my two Mourning Doves on the ground below the deck. NOW--they are brave enough to come onto the deck to munch!!!!





Finally, look at all of the roses that are on our Dining Room table right now!!!!!! WOW!!! I counted 26 different blooms... But--I must admit that we usually don't have THIS many inside. It rained on Thursday (sometimes quite heavy), so George brought in the roses that were bent down, and put them in vases. Aren't they pretty???? I have enough that I can put them ALL over the house!!!! Oh--how great they smell!!!!

Have a wonderful weekend.
Hugs,

25 comments:

Thoughtfully Blended Hearts said...

Seems like our rain went your way...we had a gorgeous day yesterday so maybe that's coming your way also...great post as always...Mountain Laurel is so interesting and pretty...

Michele said...

OH BOY!! I love all the roses in your home on the table. Does it smell pretty in there? I love flowers that smell good as well as look so pretty.
We don't have anyplace to pick flowers so my home doesn't get many of them at all and buying them in the store is way tooooooooo expensive on my budget and it just doesn't have that same aroma as picking them out of the garden, you know what I mean?

A beautiful post...

Hugs♥

Unknown said...

I love your post,today.The roses are gorgeous!We only have 2 rose bushes in our yard.Not much room for any more than that.Jon's like George-the Rose Grower,and he wishes we had room for more bushes.

T said...

Such lovely flowers in your yard and those roses....honey PLEASE!

You inspired me a few weeks ago with the shots of your potted roses. I love rose bushes, but don't have any due to the poor soil in my backyard. But when I saw the potted roses I got all excited....so I went out and bought 2 mini rose bushes and potted them and..

I now have 2 buds ready to bloom!!!!

Anonymous said...

I love all of your and George's roses. They are so very pretty and must smell heavenly.

Beth said...

Your flowers are so pretty, Betsy, especially those roses. Seeing that picture, I could almost smell them myself!

I loved your post yesterday about your family history---fascinating! The thought of your grandmother having to carry her dead baby on the train brought tears to my eyes. How awful. I can't begin to imagine how heartbreaking that would be.

Arkansas Patti said...

Clematis are always so perfect looking that they look artificial to me.

That was so heart breaking about your grandmother. To be suffering the pain of loss and then be stuck on a train. Too much.

Small City Scenes said...

Isn't it wonderful when everything is blooming. Love it. You roses are gorgeous and I love flowers in the house. I need to plant a cutting garden just for indoor cuts. MB

Jayne said...

Oh my... just look at all those roses! Beautiful Betsy. :c) Have a great weekend.

Unknown said...

Great Dis and Dat post. Lovely blooms.....that's a lot of roses you have there, I can only imagine the perfumed air as you walk into your home.

jlshall said...

Such pretty flowers! I love Clematis, and hope you do have lots and lots all summer.

I Am Woody said...

I love all the roses on your table. You must be one special woman to receive that many flowers. Yes, we know you are!!

NCmountainwoman said...

The Mountain Laurel is in full bloom here. It is scattered all over our wooded property and so beautiful no matter which window you look from. Too bad it isn't fragrant as your roses.

Diane AZ said...

I love your Mountain Laurel bush. Even the buds are interesting and pretty. And wow, so many beautiful roses in your house, it must smell great! I haven't been able to grow roses here, but I do have a little jasmine on my patio. :)

Busy Bee Suz said...

I was still thinking about your Grandma last night, having to hold the baby and keep mum on the news...so tragic!
Love all your flowers Betsy, the roses all over the table? My Grandma would say after seeing those: "well, all we now is a body!"
She says that when more than ONE person sends her flowers..she immediately thinks of a funeral home! crazy lady.

Joy said...

Some beautiful photos there. Love that clematis. I haven't tried to grow that. May look into it.
You definitely put your vases to good use. :)
Your table is so welcoming with all the blooms on there.


Joy

Ruth's Photo Blog said...

You my friend are so lucky to be able to enjoy all those roses.Thanks for sharing them via the blog.
BLessings,Ruth

Connie said...

All of your flowers are so pretty, Betsy, but I especially love the mountain laurel and those roses!!! Wow--Amazing! :)

Rose said...

I can almost smell the roses from here! They must smell almost heavenly.

I have an a lily the color you show but it isn't blooming yet....

I did note about the dead baby on the train...but the fact that your mother lost a brother and a sister that either didn't live to be year old really got to me. Hearing stories like this or seeing the tombstones of little babies makes me thank God that I have not had to go through that.

lola said...

Hi Betsy, WOW, those roses are something else. I bet your whole house smells like heaven. Love them.
I have 2 bushes that my brother sent me & they are blooming & are gorgeous. My old time 7 sisters were blooming like crazy till we had so much rain. They look awful now.
Missed the story but will go back & read. I know how she must have felt as I've been down that road.

Tina said...

Betsy,
Sniff I can smell those roses all the way up here in Pa!! What a great idea to rescue them from the weight of the water and have them in your house!!
Sorry if I haven't been prompt about reading all posts..we attend full scale air shows in the spring and summer..so we have been off on weekends to attend them...and then we get caught up in some family stuff and when the good weather hits...I'm outta here to bird.. I do tune in when I can..mostly in the evening and I'm ALWAYS at the end of everyone's comments :( I don't know how you keep up with visiting everyone's blogs.. I do find it overwhelming at times! Thanks for inquiring.. your're sweet to ask! I do sometimes wonder how I managed to fit a full time job into my life tho..ha ha!! ttul

Wendy said...

Roses adorn your dining room table, mourning doves come to visit and stay to have their picture taken, lovely lilies preening in your flowerbeds and luscious flowers everywhere - don't you just love summer????

Love your posts, Betsy. They're so full of joy.
Hugs.

This Is My Blog - fishing guy said...

Betsy: Great photos of all the roses adding smells to the house, your roses are wonderful.

Susie said...

Hey Betsy,

I scrolled down and looked at all your latest posts. I found myself smiling thru all of them.

You and George have certainly been enjoying yourselves. Loved seeing all the photos from NC. We enjoyed our trip to the mountains immensely. Wish I was still there.

We saw lots of mountain Laurel blooming and rhododendrons. They are such beautiful shrubs.

We didn't see any bears but did see a deer, snake and two turkeys. This is the first time we have seen wildlife to speak of.

Hope you are enjoying your weekend.

RA said...

Wonderful, wonderful roses! How lovely to have them all around. Just looking at them gives some great enlightenment. I love the shots of the birds. It is really hard to catch them on camera, if they are not holding still.