Graduation Weekend!

Two great nephews, two great futures in the works: Michael (in red) graduated from South on Friday, and Devon (in blue) received his diploma from Oceanside on Sunday. Both earned extra points for remaining very handsome in wilting heat while encased in flowing polyester robes.

Thereby Hangs A...

Life isn't all lounging-on-the-warm-rocks for these guys. Clearly, they have their misadventures.

Did You Know?

The middle of the ocean hosts an unobstructed one of these every day.

Count Your Change

Always one to spot money-in-the-street, the DH was surprised to see a handful of change discarded in a planter on the St. George dock last week in Bermuda. It turned out to be demonetized British currency.
This penny's worth only that, and only in Bermuda, but it reminded me of a recent entry in Futility Closet:

"On April 12, 2006, numismatist Scott A. Travers bought a pretzel in Times Square and paid for it partly with a 1914 penny worth $350.

In the same week he spent a 1908 penny worth $200 and a 1909 one worth more than $1,000. “I’m planting a seed,” he told the New York Times, “and I hope that a new generation of people will come to appreciate the history that coins represent.”

In the weeks that followed, seven people came forward claiming to have found the $1,000 penny. “The coins were real, but none of them was mine,” Travers said.

In January 2009, the New York Daily News reported that all three of Travers’ coins were still unclaimed. That doesn’t mean they’re still circulating — but they might be."

DeBaun Is DeGone

It was just about two years ago that Camp DeBaun, an Oceanside day camp, closed its doors after 58 years of family ownership. There's no reason I should be nostalgic about it; I never went to camp there, nor even knew anybody who had. Still, I had occasion to drive past it quite often, and the shady plot of colorful, well-kept buildings was a landmark. Plenty of other folks remember it quite fondly, (it has a Facebook page, naturally) and I hope they took all the pictures they needed to before yesterday, which is when I snapped this one. You can just about see the camp name on the blue building to the right. I saw the big earth-movers as I drove past on my way to the nursery, pulling up great chunks of brush like awkward dinosaurs. It does seem a shame that so many fine old trees have to come down in order to make way for....what? A 24-hour, 60,000-square-foot supermarket, apparently. Oh, good. Because the other three supermarkets within a half-mile radius are, like, a half-mile away.

Bermudaahhh...

We're back, after only a week. That doesn't seem long enough, does it?

Always A Trip, This Flower

All of a sudden, three foxglove plants sprang up not far from where I planted one four years ago. Volunteers!

How Quiet?

"Library quiet?"
I'd guess the retailer wants to emphasize how very quiet this unit is, and perhaps where they come from, libraries are very quiet. All I can say to them is: welcome to New York City. How can I help you?....(louder)I said,
How can I help you?
I'm also intrigued by the "stainless steel flavorizer bars" noted on the grill to the left.

Old Faithfuls

We have lots of different kinds of daylilies around here, thanks to the DH's old hobby, but over the years and the moving them around, I really don't know which one's which anymore. Anyhow, this is the first one blooming, and doesn't it cheer the joint up?

More Color To Rest The Eyes

Serene blue bellflower

Clematis

This vine hides in the dogwood tree; you have to work to see the blooms.

Finally! Something Pretty

Enough with the brown insects, empty nests, and grey sweaters. I'm tired of them too. Let's look at a flower every day instead, shall we? Here's what's blooming at the moment: this sweet pink tuft-flower-thing, whose proper name I've lost around here someplace.

Angry Insects

The DH spotted this on his way to get the paper. This formation went for six feet. Zillions of ants look to be having a gigantic, panicky fire drill, or some sort of evacuation procedure. "Everybody out! Mill around!!" But more likely it was something like a big pesticide application driving them out from underground.


This little guy has HAD it with me chasing him all over the table with the macro on, and he's turned to fight, belligerently putting up his two wee front legs like a boxer. Cracked me up.

Gone Baby Gone

In fact, they've been gone for days and days now, I've just been neglectful. Having resolved this year not to bother them five times a day like last year, the time just flew (ha ha) by, and I never saw even one of the three leave the nest like last year. I don't see them around the way I saw the juvies last year being fed on the ground, and then gradually on branches higher and higher up until their flight skills improved. Hope the new guys are making out okay, wherever they are.