misc. photo dump

If I don't start doing some artwork or sculpture soon I might just as well change the description of my blog, you know, the part about being an artist working in glass, to one about gardening. I got out there again today after my day off to take advantage of this gorgeous weather before the heat and humidity descends on us because once it does it won't go away for nearly six months. Weeded the last flower bed and got the rudbeckia in which basically took me all day, moving slow as I was. I did get the dog bathed and we went on the long walk and got the tomato plants and blueberries watered. Remember when I was trying not to complain about all the rain? It's fucking feast or famine around here. I never thought I'd say this so freaking soon but...I wish it would rain.

The yellow iris opened. I was expecting this...

what I got was this.

So pretty, don't you think, pale and frilly and faintly green in the center.

The maroon japanese iris opened too.

And the pecans trees, always the last to bud out, are sending out their blooms.

The previous owners of the country house planted a little dogwood tree which I understand never bloomed for them and also never bloomed for us until about 3 years ago when we lost a big branch from the pecan tree that shades the buddha garden and it started getting a little more sun which surprised me as I thought dogwoods were understory trees. We never get more than a handful of blooms but at least it's trying.

The other morning we had a standoff going on between the dog and the cat. One wanted in and the other wanted out and neither was giving way. The dog eventually pushed her way past the cat.

Steve from Shadows & Light asked about the cleaver or stickyweed wondering if it was the same as what they call cleaver. Well, here it is. Every part of this weed sticks to you...leaves, stems, seeds.

My new readers that I was so excited about that I got at the Evil Empire turned out to be crap China shit (I swear, Walmart is just one step above the Dollar Store for quality) because while the lenses are good and the frames hard plastic, the fabrication has a lot to be desired. The left temple fell off a couple of days ago and not because a tiny screw came out but because a piece of metal broke out of it's slot. Tried glueing it back. Twice. With two different glues. Then just wrapped it with masking tape which tore in no time. Finally had to go full on geek with duct tape.

There's a frog somewhere close to the back door. The other day a woodpecker was doing it's rat-a-tat-tat to attract a mate and the silly frog thought it was another frog and would sing back to it. This isn't that frog but one I saw earlier today on one of the wrought iron fence sections I have put up on the property line between me and the bat shit crazy neighbor.

I think I mentioned that I am being included in a new book on pate de verre and it taking me all freaking day one day to edit and rewrite the verbiage. Now I have to pick one image that I think represents my work. One. How is that even possible? So I posted 5 images that I selected on various glass related pages on FB and asked for feedback. I've narrowed it down to these two and I have to make my choice soon. As in yesterday. One last survey which I may or may not ignore.