Saturday, April 26, 2014

The garden, as April fades into May

A chilly spring and a fickle April,
 but I am being gradually lured out into the garden to plant salad greens, potatoes
 and the few perennials and summer bulbs I picked up 
at the garden shop.


The King Alfred's were glorious and my rather depleted supply of them
(compared to other years in the hillside garden)
mostly went on to the Altar, and from there
to others in the Parish who are not
fortunate enough to have even a
depleted supply.

The tulips and narcissus have taken their place.
And a few late daffodils.




And the pretty pink blossoms of the Elephant's Ear have
started to shoot up under the Mountain Ash.


I planted a new hosta in the shady berm under the neighbour's
evergreens, hoping that it will do as well as the 
one we put in a few years ago.

It was pleasing to see the mystery tree we de-horned this spring
has all sorts of beautiful fresh sprouts and leaves
and that the Mountain Ash we thought was ill and dying last fall
is looking healthy and full of vigor and new buds.



After taking some Welsh Cakes to the Royal Purple to serve at a 100th year Anniversary
tomorrow I went up to visit  the folks on the hill,
but nobody was home so I admired their lovely blossoms
and took some pictures
of the Flowering Almond




and the beautiful magnolia




and the blossoming cherries and plums


Here at home budding lilacs


burgeoning poppies


and blue sky over Apex, in the distance,


fill me with enthusiasm for May!!!

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Musical Octet and the Octet Rule in Song

ABC Wednesday
April 23, 2014

The letter is O which might stand for Octet, - of which I give you two examples....



The Schubert Octet D803 played
by an Israeli ensemble consisting of eight instruments,
which is, of course, an OCTET

and a musical rendition of the OCTET RULE
which will perhaps help us all understand chemical bonding

(never my strong subject I fear)




I understand it all has to do with the figure eight.

For more interpretations of the letter O visit here at ABC Wednesday
with thanks to Roger, Denise and their 'octet' of helpers.