Posted in Branches, Inspiration, Nature Notes | Tagged beauty, gardening, insects, Inspiration, nature, nature photography, Photography | 1 Comment »
If I were to write about petunias I would be writing about my mother. She grew them in these narrow wooden raised beds my father made for her. It was easy for us to go out near dusk and pick the spent blooms. I think it was a pleasant activity for her. So each time I walk past this container and the others in the yard, I stoop to look for blossoms to pick and I think of her with a smile.
Posted in Inspiration | Tagged beauty, flowers, Inspiration, memories, petunias, Photography, purple | 1 Comment »
It took me about a year but I finally stopped just dreaming and talking about pickling onions and finally just pickled the darn onions.
Posted in Inspiration, Kitchen Inspirations | Tagged beauty, food photography, herbs, Inspiration, onions, Photography, pickling | 1 Comment »
I think I have the most eclectic garden ever but the birds, bunnies, squirrels, possum and occasional wild turkey don’t seem to mind. Now I’m just waiting on the butterflies.
Posted in Inspiration | Tagged beauty, flowers, gardening, Inspiration, nature, Photography, poppies | 1 Comment »
Not from my garden but from a friend’s …
Posted in Branches, Inspiration | Tagged beauty, bleeding heart, cut flowers, flowers, Inspiration, nature, Photography | 1 Comment »
Who knew that starlings line their nests with scented flowers and herbs like marigolds, and I guess basil, too, because all of the marigolds and basil you see in this picture are gone, decimated by the beaks of starlings. I even watched out the window as a starling broke off the marigold head and flew away with the flower in its mouth. Steve was okay with it until they started harvesting the basil as well. I think the problem is that the raised bed is right next to a bird feeding station. And while I remember planting marigolds last year I think it was later in the spring and there was no feeding station and maybe nesting season was done. I don’t know. We’ll see what the rest of the spring holds. Meanwhile I AM pleased about the herbs “hidden” on the side of the house doing well.
Posted in Nature Notes | Tagged backyard gardens, basil, birds, Inspiration, marigolds, nature, Photography, starlings | 2 Comments »
… and this early spring they bloomed.
Posted in Branches, Inspiration | Tagged beauty, bulbs, fall planting, flowers, gardening, Inspiration, Photography, spring blooming | 3 Comments »
Posted in Branches, Inspiration, Kitchen Inspirations | Tagged beauty, edible flowers, flowers, gardening, Inspiration, nature, outdoor gardening, Photography | 2 Comments »
My first thought was that in November, September and October ran away. But I dug a little deeper and discovered that the first ad for the return of September and October appeared in an October newspaper.
The year was 1736. Described as two new Gambia negroes, September and October were enslaved near Charleston, South Carolina. They wore brown breeches and jackets with brass or white metal buttons. No mention of shoes in this ad nor details about skin color, hair texture or their ability to speak English.
The man who wanted them returned was Thomas Monck. How long the property of Monck it is unclear. Probably not long. If long enough then he would have added to the description that they carried his brand upon their chests. That was Monck’s documented chosen way to mark property, whether horses or people.
Using the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database, you can search by slave ship itinerary. I entered as place of purchase “Gambia.” In 1735 Captain John Coe departed London in the ship Princess Carolina, a vessel owned by David Godin. With a crew of just over a dozen men, he sailed to Gambia and there purchased 211 slaves. In 1736 he delivered the 180 men, women and children who had survived the voyage. Among them was likely September and October.
Sources & Further Reading
Posted in Inspiration | Tagged American history, black history, freedom, genealogy, historical research, history, Inspiration, slavery, storytelling | 1 Comment »
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Words + Images 