tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61942226530493992032024-03-05T15:50:20.084-05:00Forgotten Plants & PlacesRachael Sarah Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10416991078356128073noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194222653049399203.post-46657642651222656132012-05-24T09:56:00.001-04:002012-05-24T09:56:03.678-04:00FP&P merges with WilliamsWriteKeeping two blogs is a real pain in the posterior. So until further notice, Forgotten Plants & Places will be merging with my other blog, <a href="http://williamswrite.com/" target="_blank">WilliamsWrite</a>. <br />
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Thanks for reading! See you on the other blog.Rachael Sarah Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10416991078356128073noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194222653049399203.post-69073038630274415462012-05-23T00:03:00.000-04:002012-05-23T00:03:00.751-04:00Nearly Wordless Wednesday: 5/23/12<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVRMusjxnYosRovjXAdBHjrTDYMp499zmPwxCiasE_B4RC0LcZQHH2s2WZIkuXAPV3cblkKpn72gqzY-iRsUwZ6e7r5m3XovTyTgfITnaxMKttjwC1HzEONDQ-g0CJopPBe1vOLgyPMSg/s1600/BooBooKitty_AndOtherPix_Feb2010+057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVRMusjxnYosRovjXAdBHjrTDYMp499zmPwxCiasE_B4RC0LcZQHH2s2WZIkuXAPV3cblkKpn72gqzY-iRsUwZ6e7r5m3XovTyTgfITnaxMKttjwC1HzEONDQ-g0CJopPBe1vOLgyPMSg/s640/BooBooKitty_AndOtherPix_Feb2010+057.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My hens average nearly a dozen eggs per week—and I'm very grateful, too!</td></tr>
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<strong><em><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Fresh eggs from my backyard hens in a glass quart measuring cup</span> </em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">LaGrange, Georgia</span>—<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">21 Feb 2010</span></em></strong>Rachael Sarah Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10416991078356128073noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194222653049399203.post-46825205506161764472012-05-16T00:30:00.000-04:002012-05-16T00:30:02.225-04:00Nearly Wordless Wednesday: 5/16/12<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi63Zbh3M6wA6xWOzUyNFxMh2nsylO0-G7avJeSlmGfdazkj8eIQXDxL0IKT9Oe2O0M0uy23PVUC7Ha4fhLcJYFQkusxCeu6FYRvC-j91PFdv5sbk7eERGyGVM-08XCr4aNWlpiPloEdhY/s1600/Hobbes_LastPhotos_July2010+036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi63Zbh3M6wA6xWOzUyNFxMh2nsylO0-G7avJeSlmGfdazkj8eIQXDxL0IKT9Oe2O0M0uy23PVUC7Ha4fhLcJYFQkusxCeu6FYRvC-j91PFdv5sbk7eERGyGVM-08XCr4aNWlpiPloEdhY/s640/Hobbes_LastPhotos_July2010+036.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They once belonged to my great-grandmother, Mae Barrett Williams</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I've always adored these antique cut-glass buttons from my mother's vast sewing stash. My great-grandmother gave them to Mom when I was a toddler, adding that she'd never used the buttons on any dress she'd ever made. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">"The edges of the buttonholes are sharp, and wear out the thread," Maw-Mae said. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">They probably date from the late 1890s through the 1920s. Mom's kept them for nearly 40 years, preferring not to use them despite major advances in sewing thread technology. We've seen many gorgeous buttons in fabric stores, but none quite like these. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><b>Antique cut-glass buttons from my mother's collection</b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><b>Heard County, Georgia—</b></i></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><i>11 July 2010</i></b></span>Rachael Sarah Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10416991078356128073noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194222653049399203.post-35768904362166437232012-05-14T11:48:00.001-04:002012-05-14T11:48:31.575-04:00Monday. Meh.<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>Today's post is co-hosted by my other blog, </em><a href="http://williamswrite.com/" target="_blank"><em>WilliamsWrite</em></a><em>.</em> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">It's Monday, and for whatever reason, words aren't coming to me as easily as usual. Don't know why. I mean, it's not as if there aren't a lot of forgotten plants and places around here to document.</span> <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo3PQ6KF-u4YZtuNtNHwYsL9SCVvugFDPrLyLfA519cAF8598H9W8jegk6kVSywxmkhE4pCNZoRQ8yniZnpqrQrLeZlh6mAXRN-lkv8bIQUj0k_eQgBeqGCfXiFLNjHcKQ6471Z6TNO28/s1600/Through+3+May+2012+050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo3PQ6KF-u4YZtuNtNHwYsL9SCVvugFDPrLyLfA519cAF8598H9W8jegk6kVSywxmkhE4pCNZoRQ8yniZnpqrQrLeZlh6mAXRN-lkv8bIQUj0k_eQgBeqGCfXiFLNjHcKQ6471Z6TNO28/s640/Through+3+May+2012+050.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Poke salad, no Annie. <br />
(LaGrange, Georgia—29 April 2012)</td></tr>
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<br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">That's one of the downsides to blogging: Even if I don't <em>feel</em> very inspired, I still have to post new content on a regular basis. Of course, as I tell my students, there's nothing to get you inspired like writing when you're <em>not inspired</em>. Sounds counterintuitive, but it really works. Just as with plumbing work, you have to flush all the junk from the pipes before the clean water can flow. Write a little while, get the junk and fragmented thoughts out of your brain, and the good ideas begin to flow onto the page. Trust me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Currently, I'm working on a couple of exciting projects—one involves a historic home, and the other involves highways. For fear of jinxing myself, I won't divulge more. But if these ideas turn out, they'll make for great reading and interesting photos. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I don't know why I took a photo of the poke salad (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytolacca_americana" target="_blank"><em>phytolacca americana</em></a>) leaves above. I also don't know why I thought it would go with this post. But I stumbled upon it while looking for interesting <a href="http://forgottenplantsandplaces.blogspot.com/search/label/Nearly%20Wordless%20Wednesday" target="_blank">Nearly Wordless Wednesday</a> pictures, and then started humming "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polk_Salad_Annie" target="_blank">Poke Salad Annie</a>." My late father sang that song all the time. Okay, so he knew only part of the first verse and the chorus, but he still sang it. </span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/fRF24LY5pvw" width="420"></iframe>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Heed the Alabama Extension Service's <a href="http://www.aces.edu/dept/extcomm/newspaper/june21b02.html" target="_blank">warning</a>, though, and <em>don't </em>carry any poke salad home in a tote sack. </span>Rachael Sarah Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10416991078356128073noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194222653049399203.post-52410298661526811292012-05-09T13:36:00.000-04:002012-05-09T13:37:22.656-04:00Let it rain!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP_6JE47knQYEY54igx8MhOikp5WHesxv06SQCzFpROm1YUAmW0oZVV6xmVN469pz2e9F_6JNwXUs5EMslp_52jZXj1pACk9hxy_NXxxzOcCKGRHAJIfDvlhHQlu4nKBr2OmT-8Bh9Rz4/s1600/WEATHERCHANNEL_DOPPLER_09MAY2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP_6JE47knQYEY54igx8MhOikp5WHesxv06SQCzFpROm1YUAmW0oZVV6xmVN469pz2e9F_6JNwXUs5EMslp_52jZXj1pACk9hxy_NXxxzOcCKGRHAJIfDvlhHQlu4nKBr2OmT-8Bh9Rz4/s640/WEATHERCHANNEL_DOPPLER_09MAY2012.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Weather.com Doppler radar shows storms moving in (9 May 2012)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">It's delightfully stormy here today. After a rather dry couple of months—uncharacteristic of a Southern spring</span>—<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">we've had quite a bit of rainy weather over the last week. Thank goodness! The plants were already beginning to look droopy. Local lakes, which I watched refill with water during January and February, seemed to be slipping back down again. But I think they'll be all right after the inch or two of rain we've had lately. </span>Rachael Sarah Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10416991078356128073noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194222653049399203.post-30613920640992869172012-05-09T05:00:00.000-04:002012-05-09T05:00:08.007-04:00Nearly Wordless Wednesday: 5/9/12<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUtJcBIgi_hK3BlKUwQyMvx1t_PRXpi-heQa_mALHRcpNv21vdQb2kbRVip1tJv1Ld5XJfDLS_EVgNF5uoPU74qFGoQ8xBZWZaSodB0RyAzKOsjd8nqusybcTElqlpckDMNCyaA7VPT9U/s1600/25+April+2010+088.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUtJcBIgi_hK3BlKUwQyMvx1t_PRXpi-heQa_mALHRcpNv21vdQb2kbRVip1tJv1Ld5XJfDLS_EVgNF5uoPU74qFGoQ8xBZWZaSodB0RyAzKOsjd8nqusybcTElqlpckDMNCyaA7VPT9U/s640/25+April+2010+088.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Once ripe, they made the best homemade peach ice cream <i>ever</i>.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><b>Tiny green "baby peaches" on the ancient peach tree in my mother's yard</b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><i>Heard County,</i></b> <i><b>Georgia</b></i></span>—<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><i>25 April 2010</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><i>Previously featured in "<a href="http://forgottenplantsandplaces.blogspot.com/2012/04/little-peach-tree-that-could.html" target="_blank">The Little Peach Tree That Could</a>" </i></b></span>Rachael Sarah Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10416991078356128073noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194222653049399203.post-90904077544001433212012-05-02T04:30:00.000-04:002012-05-02T04:30:04.493-04:00Nearly Wordless Wednesday: 5/2/12<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmOSS8XRHkC0wkWdaD3yhXz1oE_dS4LI7gj3kJZ1Qkjk-Qfgx6n5sUebxQdKhA9edupWcLvpOpSCE2XC_5Jo7srbQNIxxbxc0r-8RFmQYClpcLY-bswKXJImWRH-Hxr_9deBjW_Fh-Swg/s1600/MOM'S+NEW+KITTIES+&+CAT+BITES+PART+2+070.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmOSS8XRHkC0wkWdaD3yhXz1oE_dS4LI7gj3kJZ1Qkjk-Qfgx6n5sUebxQdKhA9edupWcLvpOpSCE2XC_5Jo7srbQNIxxbxc0r-8RFmQYClpcLY-bswKXJImWRH-Hxr_9deBjW_Fh-Swg/s640/MOM'S+NEW+KITTIES+&+CAT+BITES+PART+2+070.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I reuse commercial egg cartons to store my own chickens' eggs.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><i>My little brown hens lay brown eggs. And pink eggs. And suntan eggs. And café-au-lait eggs.</i></b></span><br />
<b><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">LaGrange,</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Georgia</span></i></b>—<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><b>4 August 2011</b></i></span>Rachael Sarah Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10416991078356128073noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194222653049399203.post-56659611991899223812012-04-25T13:54:00.000-04:002012-04-25T13:54:00.287-04:00Nearly Wordless Wednesday: 4/25/12<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU5XEkv7LNfpulQJSYSlni5Sxdl8uFgKDIbS8B3D02oKKM_kmeGAOA4MfR3AlueQBKTcCbPGjrlVIi8KdFSp7vSr7j6K86ZnTnHZF5p8QTsiCDLjeOEaWK5H2aj5lGE9b868IEFZ7uVfU/s1600/Pictures_Peeps_2+Jun+2010+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU5XEkv7LNfpulQJSYSlni5Sxdl8uFgKDIbS8B3D02oKKM_kmeGAOA4MfR3AlueQBKTcCbPGjrlVIi8KdFSp7vSr7j6K86ZnTnHZF5p8QTsiCDLjeOEaWK5H2aj5lGE9b868IEFZ7uVfU/s640/Pictures_Peeps_2+Jun+2010+002.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The blemished ones made excellent plum jelly</span>.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><i>An early summer harvest from the plum trees surrounding my mother's house, with some fruits looking a little better than others.</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><i>Heard County, Georgia</i></b></span>—<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><i>7 June 2010</i></b></span>Rachael Sarah Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10416991078356128073noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194222653049399203.post-26688465087921929872012-04-25T01:16:00.000-04:002012-04-25T01:16:00.269-04:00Doc Speer's Place<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE_j-r4ZWpAXdaHuNLXCm6tfqqq5mFC3_1tLI1cg_VQ68qlGORyjVqO44jCxOUG12uJjWiG9Os6C0agb50iheXiFSqRzT3wjGeWzVuSWVHlqgn-ogClGGJSxMtDvHr_YsUWez-Y1Cgu1w/s1600/Through+Sun+15+Apr+2012+098.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE_j-r4ZWpAXdaHuNLXCm6tfqqq5mFC3_1tLI1cg_VQ68qlGORyjVqO44jCxOUG12uJjWiG9Os6C0agb50iheXiFSqRzT3wjGeWzVuSWVHlqgn-ogClGGJSxMtDvHr_YsUWez-Y1Cgu1w/s640/Through+Sun+15+Apr+2012+098.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Green paint on the outside brick wall of Doc Speer's Place, LaGrange, Georgia (14 April 2012)</td></tr>
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<em><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Today's post is co-hosted by my other blog, </span><a href="http://williamswrite.com/wordpress" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">WilliamsWrite</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">.</span> </em><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Like many small towns, LaGrange is full of interesting photo opportunities. The Hillside neighborhood, in the southwest part of town, is particularly interesting. Over the last decade</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">, </span><a data-mce-href="http://www.dashlagrange.com/" href="http://www.dashlagrange.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">DASH for LaGrange</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> has rehabilitated several dozen old "mill houses</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">," saving them from destruction while revitalizing a shrinking community. Doc Speer's Place, the wall of which is pictured above, is among the buildings DASH has salvaged. <img alt="" class="mceWPmore mceItemNoResize" data-mce-src="http://williamswrite.com/wordpress/wp-includes/js/tinymce/plugins/wordpress/img/trans.gif" src="http://williamswrite.com/wordpress/wp-includes/js/tinymce/plugins/wordpress/img/trans.gif" title="More..." /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The green paint still clings to Doc's brick wall, decades after the last business vacated the premises. The floor and roof of the old store rotted and fell years ago; by the time DASH came along, six-inch-thick magnolia trees grew through the foundation and up the inside walls. But the basic structure was in decent shape, and it was a shame to tear down one of the last old-fashioned store buildings in LaGrange.</span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">So the DASH team and community leaders decided to transform Doc Speer's Place into a sort of open-air meeting place. The vines still grow up the walls, along with privet hedge saplings nearly 20 feet high, but now they hang over picnic tables and chairs</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">set about the 1,500 s.f. space. It's a strangely peaceful place to have a bake sale or street fair.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">More photos of Doc Speer's to come, after I post final grades next week. </span>Rachael Sarah Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10416991078356128073noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194222653049399203.post-18854215705105205782012-04-23T15:09:00.003-04:002012-04-23T15:09:29.265-04:00Spring has sprung...back to normal<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjurUB3QJsdGhmw0atOMVylxkU47oxF339KsHK3tZIfk3BQbSHxaPaWvA5uWQNhPOQEDY_ZPfZqrblclzE9iXrAMNmh1OBWRpYZlGR13AcnZdsWzjrPdQC5bJI2BBhoauN2COrvmR-KkDQ/s1600/WEATHERCHANNEL_LAGRANGEFCST_04-23-2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjurUB3QJsdGhmw0atOMVylxkU47oxF339KsHK3tZIfk3BQbSHxaPaWvA5uWQNhPOQEDY_ZPfZqrblclzE9iXrAMNmh1OBWRpYZlGR13AcnZdsWzjrPdQC5bJI2BBhoauN2COrvmR-KkDQ/s640/WEATHERCHANNEL_LAGRANGEFCST_04-23-2012.jpg" width="616" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Near freezing tonight? Weird for this year, but definitely more spring-like. <br />(From Weather.com local forecast - 23 April 2012)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I probably shouldn't be surprised at <em>anything</em> the weather does, having seen so much strange weather over the last four decades</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Nevertheless, it catches me every time. And like most human beings, I'll probably never learn to expect the unexpected when it comes to weather. Oh, well. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Spring 2012 has been early and mild, so a forecast low of 35 degrees tonight <em>is </em>pretty surprising. On my daily walk yesterday evening, I noticed a wild blackberry cane already weighed down with half-ripe berries. But I resisted the temptation to sample them. Wild berries provide food for birds and small animals, so I generally don't pick fruit from brambles I didn't plant myself. Since they're protected in a drainage ditch, they'll probably be protected from frost. Those in my yard, though, I'm not so sure about. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">More interesting weather and fruit reports in a few days, after final grades are in. </span>Rachael Sarah Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10416991078356128073noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194222653049399203.post-26658381679725523782012-04-23T00:30:00.000-04:002012-04-23T13:44:21.560-04:00Spring perfume on the porch<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWic_Cg2dM2RfpO25_xkJ1Iahjk9yFdy421yKWvO4Bm7cF9EDHLMCu9SOMroL3REy87ths8vjmnaB6Pnb-xEU7I0sMMPuTgLRM9JlFaMVoILJsE04ks0EvjzcCDq1HJ-Uf1bXZzjuUcCw/s1600/Through+Sun+15+Apr+2012+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWic_Cg2dM2RfpO25_xkJ1Iahjk9yFdy421yKWvO4Bm7cF9EDHLMCu9SOMroL3REy87ths8vjmnaB6Pnb-xEU7I0sMMPuTgLRM9JlFaMVoILJsE04ks0EvjzcCDq1HJ-Uf1bXZzjuUcCw/s640/Through+Sun+15+Apr+2012+007.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Trachelospermum jasminoides</em> 'Madison' (Confederate jasmine) blooms on my porch - 13 April 2012</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>Today's post is jointly hosted on my other blog, </em><a href="http://williamswrite.com/wordpress" target="_blank"><em>WilliamsWrite</em></a><em>.</em> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">It's semi-evergreen, makes a great groundcover for difficult-to-mow areas, offers hundreds of gorgeously-scented flowers every spring, and needs little care. <a href="http://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/giam/plants_and_grasses/shrubs_hedges/con_jasmine.html" target="_blank"><em>Trachelospermum jasminoides</em></a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trachelospermum_jasminoides" target="_blank">may not be</a> a real jasmine, but that's okay with me. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">This cultivar's full name is <em>Trachelospermum jasminoides</em> 'Madison.' It's native to southeast Asia, but this variety (so the story goes) got its name when a botanist traveling with General Sherman's army discovered the plant growing beside one of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madison,_Georgia" target="_blank">Madison, Georgia's</a>, famously beautiful old homes. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Don't be afraid to prune <em>T. jasminoides</em> if it gets out of line. It's a woody vine and responds well to pruning. When it decided to grow into my native azaleas, I grabbed the gardening shears and gave it a nice trim. It didn't seem to notice, or care, and went right on growing. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">A mulch around the roots does help in the heat of summer, though. You may want to give it a little extra moisture by way of a once-weekly soaker hose treatment when the weather is especially hot and dry. <em>T. jasminoides</em> grows best in Zones 8-10, so if your winter low temps regularly fall below 20 degrees, it probably won't do well. Here in LaGrange, Georgia, on the border between Zones 7-B and 8, I have to protect it from occasional cold snaps and ice storms. The fragrant spring blooms are well worth the trouble, though. </span><br />
<br />Rachael Sarah Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10416991078356128073noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194222653049399203.post-9523116872249510282012-04-20T10:36:00.000-04:002012-04-20T10:47:56.868-04:00Every place is a sacred place<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAdGUZw2EAWyii8OMKWr1ozjQNMOp7M2z-FAdrmDsAd0rCcmxC8hfkJDUx-N4JCCulYLGMPjKzp0LAeeQuXDCnIxlyrHn2vavndUyCc5R7ApPboDhxw-R6KNTEdfF_kp5ImIZM__cxDQk/s1600/Cats,+Mountains,+Fabric+Shopping+011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAdGUZw2EAWyii8OMKWr1ozjQNMOp7M2z-FAdrmDsAd0rCcmxC8hfkJDUx-N4JCCulYLGMPjKzp0LAeeQuXDCnIxlyrHn2vavndUyCc5R7ApPboDhxw-R6KNTEdfF_kp5ImIZM__cxDQk/s640/Cats,+Mountains,+Fabric+Shopping+011.JPG" width="480"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beauty, calm, and peace.<br>
(Near Blue Ridge, Georgia—19 May 2010)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Oak, hickory, dogwood, mountain laurel, sassafras, tulip poplar, elm, sweet gum, locust</span>—<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I wished I'd brought my tree book along on the hike. New fern fronds carpeted the forest floor with frothy green, but not so much so that I couldn't easily identify the poison ivy leaning out onto the trail. <i>Leaves of three, stay away from me. </i></span><br>
<a href="http://forgottenplantsandplaces.blogspot.com/2012/04/every-place-is-sacred-place.html#more">Read more »</a>Rachael Sarah Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10416991078356128073noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194222653049399203.post-48863075109846454262012-04-18T10:20:00.000-04:002012-04-18T10:20:00.470-04:00Nearly Wordless Wednesday: 4/18/12<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfH-dr6gFnFXfsI1VuOJtDoc30urX-wyb6PiMBLaQGzOhEQyCWWxBKGNCHK-kSVhWAK5etqYLJWqg3X5gASPf2pNBnZVJrCjjTaJCvsO1TSidyhsU84_-SDXxsgsz23FT7byyVfXvDLlM/s1600/Pictures_Peeps_2+Jun+2010+073.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfH-dr6gFnFXfsI1VuOJtDoc30urX-wyb6PiMBLaQGzOhEQyCWWxBKGNCHK-kSVhWAK5etqYLJWqg3X5gASPf2pNBnZVJrCjjTaJCvsO1TSidyhsU84_-SDXxsgsz23FT7byyVfXvDLlM/s640/Pictures_Peeps_2+Jun+2010+073.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">He's gorgeous, and he knows it.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><i>Leroy the rooster is loud and proud in my backyard chicken run.</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><i>LaGrange, Georgia</i></b></span>—<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><i>20 June 2010</i></b></span>Rachael Sarah Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10416991078356128073noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194222653049399203.post-45650600791091897472012-04-16T00:30:00.000-04:002012-04-16T00:30:00.470-04:00Sycamore lace<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghVaK40ubsIDchmt_62JDTBrWCb2OL-SRgxtG38a6gXDgKwNVHgHIOAKeP5pUb7n55dqVKN7uNhSFSCdHnNT7RoPfB_vlVvAwyBQbKDh-nQaqt8S_M4DmcBvLDCGAMthgEeLG-bIld0LM/s1600/EASTER+2012+059.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghVaK40ubsIDchmt_62JDTBrWCb2OL-SRgxtG38a6gXDgKwNVHgHIOAKeP5pUb7n55dqVKN7uNhSFSCdHnNT7RoPfB_vlVvAwyBQbKDh-nQaqt8S_M4DmcBvLDCGAMthgEeLG-bIld0LM/s640/EASTER+2012+059.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's amazing what a change in perspective can do.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Here's looking up the trunk of a sycamore tree in my</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">mother's yard on Easter Sunday afternoon. When I sat down on the earth beneath it and pointed the lens upward, I was amazed at how the leaves started to resemble fine green lace. The branches radiate outward at just the right angles for the photo (and photosynthesis). The trunk's randomly-peeling bark echoes the leaves ever so slightly.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>Heard County, Georgia</em></span>—<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>8 April 2012</em></span>Rachael Sarah Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10416991078356128073noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194222653049399203.post-85306366746952596262012-04-12T00:30:00.000-04:002012-04-17T14:59:28.970-04:00The Little Peach Tree That Could<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7rRcM82GZJasXIeGB7gaxdzbUCsu3gXqGwy4iN5TdEuUfC3k7Hnm9V92ElZdSkbzewllBdndEDk1TgNc82N9sSNuLqHQxLVV0xb3GREDoc8n0nB1uKWjTfSpEWH5LzzmjOeYfPoYt9a0/s1600/COPY+Pix_thru_24Mar2012+007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="516" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7rRcM82GZJasXIeGB7gaxdzbUCsu3gXqGwy4iN5TdEuUfC3k7Hnm9V92ElZdSkbzewllBdndEDk1TgNc82N9sSNuLqHQxLVV0xb3GREDoc8n0nB1uKWjTfSpEWH5LzzmjOeYfPoYt9a0/s640/COPY+Pix_thru_24Mar2012+007.jpg" width="640"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peach blossoms on the elderly tree in my mother's yard<br>
Heard County, Georgia—4 March 2012</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><br>
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><br>
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><br>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I like trees because they seem to be more resigned to the way they have to live than other things do. </span><br>
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">—Willa Cather</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">
</span><br>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><br>
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">My great-grandfather planted this dwarf peach tree in the early 1940s. By the late 1950s, when my mother was old enough to remember the family's yearly trips South from Michigan, the tree was bearing heavily every year. </span><br>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span><br>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span><br>
<a href="http://forgottenplantsandplaces.blogspot.com/2012/04/little-peach-tree-that-could.html#more">Read more »</a>Rachael Sarah Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10416991078356128073noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194222653049399203.post-87429293504643723732012-04-11T22:55:00.004-04:002012-04-17T15:24:19.723-04:00Ummm...about that blackberry winter...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJSGqHgdAROmtGZCiLzhrlxHqV00bgI9DqgG6lniKIvKX0wjvni_AbvktVMekebNkiOEUO90ysyAEgO0R7N8GWEcn3lVAe8Hs4Pqgr6jSjV_GstZ258ZGnXYjRmAg76QYE4d68ZrI7SmY/s1600/4-11-2012+10-51-22+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJSGqHgdAROmtGZCiLzhrlxHqV00bgI9DqgG6lniKIvKX0wjvni_AbvktVMekebNkiOEUO90ysyAEgO0R7N8GWEcn3lVAe8Hs4Pqgr6jSjV_GstZ258ZGnXYjRmAg76QYE4d68ZrI7SmY/s640/4-11-2012+10-51-22+PM.jpg" width="616" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Weather.com forecast for LaGrange<br />
(11 April 2012)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Okay. So <a href="http://forgottenplantsandplaces.blogspot.com/2012/04/as-close-as-well-get-to-blackberry.html" target="_blank">I was wrong</a></span>—<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">not the first time that's happened, and it won't be the last. But I haven't had to wear a coat since March 10, so it seems a little weird. Back to normal April weather, and not a moment too soon!</span>Rachael Sarah Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10416991078356128073noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194222653049399203.post-13083281181945363342012-04-11T00:01:00.000-04:002012-04-17T14:53:49.530-04:00Nearly Wordless Wednesday: 4/11/12<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihFsFKzqQ5oXmkqrpOXovjXuuQjCVQTYE0zaLjboI4H-NetSS_z1oTA1JKmO3reZsi-Opej0tl9_c3QZ6mya4yOJ0LNAztJUSkOXoiafK27kbgvwngBZi7oGQ2mQGgua-ubYrEfps07M8/s1600/Pictures_04-11-2010+031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihFsFKzqQ5oXmkqrpOXovjXuuQjCVQTYE0zaLjboI4H-NetSS_z1oTA1JKmO3reZsi-Opej0tl9_c3QZ6mya4yOJ0LNAztJUSkOXoiafK27kbgvwngBZi7oGQ2mQGgua-ubYrEfps07M8/s640/Pictures_04-11-2010+031.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Like miniature cabbage roses, no?</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><i>Deep pink blossoms on my mother's crabapple tree</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><b>Heard County, Georgia</b></i></span>—<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><i>11 April 2010</i></b></span>Rachael Sarah Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10416991078356128073noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194222653049399203.post-88222335443004114222012-04-10T00:30:00.001-04:002012-04-17T14:58:25.725-04:00Fragments of days gone by<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuD-smwcDZh-aegN-nfunZ74KTIAZYIvkG8xx-hLmVPZc3rxd0dM1RXDhAX0ndho6ihynYnxS_QFz0iQWYGyJzehG2XOXjT6IPNdTHBYUrDL9KjsIeZxmFdGehbSddG6nEsrHw9gf62oI/s1600/Early+April+2012+055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuD-smwcDZh-aegN-nfunZ74KTIAZYIvkG8xx-hLmVPZc3rxd0dM1RXDhAX0ndho6ihynYnxS_QFz0iQWYGyJzehG2XOXjT6IPNdTHBYUrDL9KjsIeZxmFdGehbSddG6nEsrHw9gf62oI/s640/Early+April+2012+055.JPG" width="480"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm 11 feet tall! <i>Raaaawwwrrr! </i>(6 April 2012)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I've <a href="http://forgottenplantsandplaces.blogspot.com/2010/04/forgotten-places-too.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">talked before</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> about what people did a century ago with their broken dishes. It's the darnedest thing, but I find dishware fragments nearly everywhere I go—including my own yard. Last weekend was no exception. Nearly every place is an archaeological dig, so to speak. </span></span><br>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></span><br>
<a href="http://forgottenplantsandplaces.blogspot.com/2012/04/fragments-of-days-gone-by.html#more">Read more »</a>Rachael Sarah Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10416991078356128073noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194222653049399203.post-44204502442694626022012-04-09T00:30:00.000-04:002012-04-17T14:57:45.579-04:00The last daffodil of spring<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Or so it would seem, anyway. <i><a href="http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/gardens-gardening/your-garden/plant-finder/plant-details/kc/b938/narcissus-poeticus-var.-recurvus.aspx" target="_blank">Narcissus poeticus</a></i> always blooms in very late spring, just when most of us have forgotten daffodils and moved on to the charms of irises and azaleas.</span><br>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl1_qcVTvJ1W_RZ8eKa3t4NXZNWZYuxvv7VxlMPFueruhPaMRHnUMsAK0cvswsz1aRQjYIkiXRcNkhnXywsLELHhYN2ioiC3yvy0iey_fevZfQPlWCFZ9BnPWXj-WlzLjaN81dRyCSTMA/s1600/Early+April+2012+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl1_qcVTvJ1W_RZ8eKa3t4NXZNWZYuxvv7VxlMPFueruhPaMRHnUMsAK0cvswsz1aRQjYIkiXRcNkhnXywsLELHhYN2ioiC3yvy0iey_fevZfQPlWCFZ9BnPWXj-WlzLjaN81dRyCSTMA/s640/Early+April+2012+001.JPG" width="480"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Poet's daffodil, <i>narcissus poeticus</i>, blooms in very late spring<br>
(my yard, LaGrange, Georgia—27 March 2012)</td></tr>
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<a href="http://forgottenplantsandplaces.blogspot.com/2012/04/last-daffodil-of-spring.html#more">Read more »</a>Rachael Sarah Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10416991078356128073noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194222653049399203.post-73861910238125865502012-04-07T00:30:00.000-04:002012-04-17T14:54:13.197-04:00Saturday Beauty: 4/7/12<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_qo_HN9r2FEStS8zngzltLmjU1IWygFKJEOWtcbEn596QkLKsPqjbv0-jtasDlOUeQZTcxdHMbnGJAzzCFFwGsCIDBq0wyNlgsmuORwu2Mi9fPNU6gLYBJdTrkGXZo-JjM1p5KuRUrTg/s1600/Pictures_04-11-2010+011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_qo_HN9r2FEStS8zngzltLmjU1IWygFKJEOWtcbEn596QkLKsPqjbv0-jtasDlOUeQZTcxdHMbnGJAzzCFFwGsCIDBq0wyNlgsmuORwu2Mi9fPNU6gLYBJdTrkGXZo-JjM1p5KuRUrTg/s640/Pictures_04-11-2010+011.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The duck-billed platypus of the gardening world</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The <a href="http://hcs.osu.edu/hcs/tmi/plantlist/ma_olium.html" target="_blank">Oregon grape holly</a> (<i>Mahonia aquifolium</i>) holds on to its gorgeous fall leaves and grape-like fruits until well into spring. This one stands about four feet tall in front of the Comfort Inn, in Warner Robins, Georgia. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">As I checked out of the hotel and prepared to head home after my overnight business trip, I couldn't help snapping a photo of the matte bluish-gray "grapes"—they look as if they're covered in frost—and how they jump out against the warm reds, oranges, golds, and light greens of the foliage. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><i>Warner Robins, Georgia—10 April 2010</i></span>Rachael Sarah Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10416991078356128073noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194222653049399203.post-22197470941775428652012-04-06T21:58:00.005-04:002012-04-07T09:45:46.399-04:00As close as we'll get to "blackberry winter" this year<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga_-2OApnBOGBEMio-V8acG5nE0akVkVXoTUFwU0NokcyJRUxpXqYMfXrAd4xnmZRMEPXcIxoGNs0OeYu-7Ues5aD_QIkeOC1F6w4hP-RgrEvpgX3ZXu3ADxwxBEf0MDYc76npMfkUt_s/s1600/WEATHERCHANNEL_LAGRANGEFCST_04-06-2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga_-2OApnBOGBEMio-V8acG5nE0akVkVXoTUFwU0NokcyJRUxpXqYMfXrAd4xnmZRMEPXcIxoGNs0OeYu-7Ues5aD_QIkeOC1F6w4hP-RgrEvpgX3ZXu3ADxwxBEf0MDYc76npMfkUt_s/s640/WEATHERCHANNEL_LAGRANGEFCST_04-06-2012.jpg" width="528"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Downright chilly weather, once you get used to the high 80s in early April</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">A few minutes ago, I walked around the house closing all the windows that I've had open for going on three weeks. High temperatures have already climbed into the high 80s here in LaGrange in early April</span>—<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">53 degrees feels kind of cold. And 43 tonight? <em>Brrrr!</em> Looks like a three-cat night. On the other hand, though, this is normal April weather for the Deep South. You know things are off kilter when <em>normal</em> feels like <em>weird</em>. </span><br>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><a href="http://forgottenplantsandplaces.blogspot.com/2012/04/as-close-as-well-get-to-blackberry.html#more">Read more »</a>Rachael Sarah Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10416991078356128073noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194222653049399203.post-91938952329150100592012-04-04T00:01:00.000-04:002012-04-17T14:54:02.313-04:00Nearly Wordless Wednesday: 4/4/12<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggZeKy_CZpBLth7BUicA5nyPs5CkKwYXHrK2uMkgEfyMA7-HidaiuS8tN1gBxgF-Fyw-sksB9Ga-KW9lcZHoRk5Zs0F8uwyq70Jrc59WvN4HqrwgV6zH_UAHywhJDrP0Kr2okOT9Gx7uI/s1600/19+April+2010+058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggZeKy_CZpBLth7BUicA5nyPs5CkKwYXHrK2uMkgEfyMA7-HidaiuS8tN1gBxgF-Fyw-sksB9Ga-KW9lcZHoRk5Zs0F8uwyq70Jrc59WvN4HqrwgV6zH_UAHywhJDrP0Kr2okOT9Gx7uI/s640/19+April+2010+058.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Every bloom is multi-colored, much like its biblical namesake</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><b><a href="http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/367/" target="_blank">Joseph's Coat</a></b></i></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><b> climbing rose in my yard</b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><i>LaGrange, Georgia</i></b></span>—<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><i>April 2010</i></b></span>Rachael Sarah Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10416991078356128073noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194222653049399203.post-82782953880178614472012-04-03T00:12:00.000-04:002012-04-03T10:02:30.984-04:00Earl Scruggs and Southern food tradition<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ZxgBycCuqVQ" width="420"></iframe><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Country music banjo legend <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/29/arts/music/earl-scruggs-bluegrass-banjo-player-dies-at-88.html?_r=1" target="_blank">Earl Scruggs</a> passed away last week at age 88. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">No, this isn't a music blog by any means (although I'm a country music researcher). But bless the <a href="http://southernfoodways.org/" target="_blank">Southern Foodways Allliance</a> for <a href="http://southernfoodways.blogspot.com/2012/03/southern-six-pack_30.html" target="_blank">reminding me</a> of Scruggs' connection with traditional Southern foods—Flatt & Scruggs' rendition of the 1953 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martha_White" target="_blank">Martha White jingle</a>. It's still in use today. </span><br />
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<div align="left" id="songlyrics" style="font-family: verdana;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>Now you bake right (uh-huh) with Martha White (yes, ma'am)<br />Goodness gracious, good and light, Martha White<br />For the finest biscuits, cakes and pies,<br />Get Martha White self-rising flour<br />The one all purpose flour,<br />Martha White self-rising flour's<br /><a href="http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/f/flatt_and_scruggs/martha_white_theme.html" target="_blank">Got Hot Rize</a></i></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Rest in peace, Earl.</span> </div>Rachael Sarah Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10416991078356128073noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194222653049399203.post-69042492094672165442012-03-31T00:30:00.000-04:002012-04-17T14:54:32.570-04:00Saturday Beauty<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrhyphenhyphen91ls7xu3hJbCHBiyTjvXuRlM2NTRXNz_jKUwjIyUtsikGh8cJ7V6tMvjEvYqnzPtZECHoCMfi42tzfJk4Kgqni-t812yJwHRF7xV5bjQksBayOLqCVrvFWj7b4RN8xK4aHanxqet0/s1600/25+April+2010+079.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrhyphenhyphen91ls7xu3hJbCHBiyTjvXuRlM2NTRXNz_jKUwjIyUtsikGh8cJ7V6tMvjEvYqnzPtZECHoCMfi42tzfJk4Kgqni-t812yJwHRF7xV5bjQksBayOLqCVrvFWj7b4RN8xK4aHanxqet0/s640/25+April+2010+079.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The colors come alive with light shining through the petals</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">This was a very lucky shot. O</span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">n a rainy afternoon, the sun finally came out from behind a cloud and illuminated this iris bloom. I love how the light brings out the saffron-like golden "beards" hanging down the side petals. Absolutely glorious!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>Iris blooming in my mother's yard</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>Heard County, Georgia</i></span>—<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>25 April 2010</i></span>Rachael Sarah Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10416991078356128073noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6194222653049399203.post-84457990186292756182012-03-30T20:14:00.002-04:002012-04-17T15:24:59.422-04:00My kind of weather<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_AnNoDo6__6ZeZYNlAarpXhrfX_KbHfWYe1f181l0W2aQRsMnNuVBD7U_BBDB-jVC-7BvwBfyIDvhLxTBZD5f7bdWiXSF0aacPmpfpdxGcSBujZ0N31oT84qlpbvG0_aORNShiweUeeU/s1600/WEATHERCHANNEL_DOPPLER_30MAR2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_AnNoDo6__6ZeZYNlAarpXhrfX_KbHfWYe1f181l0W2aQRsMnNuVBD7U_BBDB-jVC-7BvwBfyIDvhLxTBZD5f7bdWiXSF0aacPmpfpdxGcSBujZ0N31oT84qlpbvG0_aORNShiweUeeU/s640/WEATHERCHANNEL_DOPPLER_30MAR2012.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Weather Channel "classic" Doppler radar<br />
30 Mar 2012, 7:35pm EDT</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Tonight in LaGrange, there's a steady rain with occasional thunder</span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">. The window next to my desk is open; I can smell the rain as the cool, fresh air flows in through the screen. Perfect evening, perfect weather. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Many people have a personal crisis when it rains. Not me. I'm <i>delighted</i> on wet, stormy days. Why not be happy? Water is life, after all. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Regular rain means plentiful crops, beautiful gardens, thriving wildlife. Those are reasons to be happy when the forecast calls for showers. Okay, so having to be out in it isn't fun. But eventually, you'll get home, where you can watch the rain while staying warm and dry. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Last summer's Southeastern drought was terrible. It was heartbreaking to watch <a href="http://www.sam.usace.army.mil/westpt/" target="_blank">West Point Lake</a> and other local reservoirs drop to historic lows. The crayfish in the small creek near my mother's house were nearly dried out of their home, and saved only by a couple of early-fall downpours. Animals, plants, crops, communities, <i>you and I</i> need precipitation more than we can ever know. Without a storm now and then, life ceases to exist. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Rain means that life continues. Now <i>that's</i> a reason to be thankful!</span>Rachael Sarah Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10416991078356128073noreply@blogger.com0