Hydrangea gives us a bloom

First year, A-OK. After multiple years visiting hydrangeas around the trails of the Heritage Museums and Gardens during our annual visit to Cape Cod, my dear wife Karen and I decided to purchase our very own at favorite Liverpool nursery Ballantyne Gardens. It’s doing very well at the start of summer in its first year…

Butterfly bush goes wide

Bring on the wings. It’s time for a summer’s-here report on the three plants we picked up at our favorite Liverpool nursery Ballantyne Gardens this spring. All three are flourishing along the far side new fence, glad to say! First up, the butterfly bush, coming in wide and welcoming. (More the next two days, of…

Something about that full moon glow

Found it out back. In June, my dear wife Karen looked up from her phone and told me it was our night for a Strawberry Super Moon. Let’s go look, I said, so we linked arms and ventured into the evening. Bright and full. Bingo, in our backyard, out over the roof of the neighboring…

Historic shoreline

Safety always. As my dear wife Karen, friend Chris and I strolled the lovely Thousand Islands village of Clayton, I lagged behind to capture the St. Lawrence River lighthouse. I imagine it casting its beam of security to various ships over the decades … centuries.

City connecting, indeed

Wearing it proudly. Our visit to the Thousand Islands village of Clayton was the perfect opportunity for me to show off my Father’s Day gift from terrific daughter Elisabeth. She knew I’ve been admiring the design and colors of the New York Mets’ version of Major League Baseball’s City Connect uniform series. I wore it…

Ruff event in Clayton

That’s concentration. My dear wife Karen and I thought a leisurely hour-plus drive to the north to visit our friend Chris would a wonderful way to spend one of her days off. Chris told us about a possibly interesting event scheduled in the village of Clayton, on the shore of the St. Lawrence River and…

Happy Fourth from our spot to yours

Our oasis. My dear wife Karen and I looked hard in our favorite medium-box store before going with the new blue chairs to top that seating area of our backyard. She found the little table later. The old red ones had seen better days … and years. The outdoor carpet that sits beneath them, on…

Still working hard

Cool pool. My dear wife Karen works so hard to keep our backyard pool ready for a dip. She says she loves tinkering with this and that when she gets home from work. Thank you for all of your attention, great wife. It looks even sharper against the new fence, too.

Have a good day, lily

Tall and proud. One daylily came up along our new fence in the backyard. It’s interesting to note how it’s opening in layers. I love the color, too.

Baby azalea loves the corner

Bingo! My dear wife Karen displayed patience with this darling little azalea bush. It struggled in several spots, in the front gardens and out back, the past several seasons. This spring, she chose a small corner just off the side alcove, a tough location for roses in the past. Bingo! Our tiny azalea appears to…