Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Buzzzzzz



We found these bee boxes in the color garden at the JC Raulston arboretum.  They were quiet on a chilly winter day, but come summer I'll bet they're humming.  These boxes are for solitary bees.  They do not live in a colony, but they are important polinators.  Who knew!?






Monday, January 30, 2017

Red house


🎜  There's a Red House over yonder
That's where my baby stays
There's a Red House over yonder, baby
That's where my baby stays

Well, I ain't been home to see my baby,
in ninety nine and one half days.  
🎝


🎜🎜🎝🎝🎝🎜🎜🎝🎝

The farm house at Horse Shoe Farm Nature Preserve. 

 Is this the house Jimi Hendrix sang about???
The park sits in a horse shoe bend in the Neuse River.  There is river on three sides of the park.  The farm house is being renovated and looks out over the large field.  You can walk all around the fields, and then down to the Neuse River Greenway which connects with the other greenways in Raleigh.  


Sunday, January 29, 2017

Please wall



This wall is in the amphitheater at the NC Museum of Art.  I especially like how adding "please" to the beginning of a sentence changes the tone: "Please don't litter," "Please use only as directed," "Please don't let history repeat itself," "Please don't fight fire with fire."  I think we should all say please more often!




Saturday, January 28, 2017

Lizard wall Durant Nature Center



Lizards bask on the sunny wall at Durant Nature Park.  Nearly every day you can find them sitting on the wall in the sun.  I took this picture of the one lizard and didn't see the other until I enlarged the picture.

Friday, January 27, 2017

Thursday, January 26, 2017

Knitting as a subversive activity...?




I marched in the Raleigh Women's March last Saturday and was amazed at all the "Pussyhats".  All hand knit all from a similar pattern.  I'm a knitter, how could I have missed this???!
I found the pattern on Ravelry (with thousands of projects dedicated to the march) and decided to make a few for future activities.   There was plenty of pink yarn here in Raleigh although I've read that it was sold out in many cities.  I also read that one knitting shop in Tennesee posted that knitters who were going to use the yarn for pussyhats were not welcome to buy from their shop....Who knew knitting could be subversive?



Wednesday, January 25, 2017

The Cotton Company, Wake Forest, NC



This is the window in the door of The Cotton Company, White Street, Wake Forest, NC.  Inside it's a marketplace for small independent craftspeople.  It's like going to a craft fair without the crowd.



Tuesday, January 24, 2017

Sun Goddess?



This lady was one of the leaders of the Women's March in Raleigh.  She looked so calm...





Monday, January 23, 2017

Best sign Raleigh's Women's march


Seen at the Raleigh Women's March
I didn't know what a yellow dog Democrat was until I was registering voters this fall.  I asked an elderly woman if she was registered and she told me: "Honey, I've been a yellow dog Democrat all my life."  I ran home and checked on Wikipedia...A yellow dog Democrat is someone who votes a straight Democratic ticket.  They would rather vote for a yellow dog than a Republican. 
 And, here she is, the proverbial yellow dog. 




Sunday, January 22, 2017

Women's march Raleigh



Women's march Raleigh.  
 My daughter and I marched with an estimated 24,998 other people.  Reading all the signs was definitely worth the trip downtown.


Saturday, January 21, 2017

Whale rocks, Durant Nature Park



These rocks really do look like the backs of whales coming out of the stream.  



Friday, January 20, 2017

Reflection Durant Nature Park






The boathouse at Durant Nature Park on a clear, calm winter day. The reflection looks clearer than the original, and no, it's not upside down.

Thursday, January 19, 2017

It's a Wonderful LIfe


Raleigh seems to have run out of ordinary street names.  These two streets meet in the Bedford at Falls River development.  They have kept with the Bedford Falls motif from the Jimmy Stewart classic, "It's a Wonderful Life".  Streets like Zuzu drive and parks like Bailey Park, Clarence's Park and Pottersville Park continue the theme.

Wednesday, January 18, 2017

White Street, Wake Forest



White Street in Wake Forest is a little bit of small town on the way to being gentrified.  It has antique stores, hot dog/hamburger joints, a hardware store, general store, and my favorite independent bookstore: Page 158 Books.




Tuesday, January 17, 2017

Ideas of Stone-Elm


Ideas of Stone - Elm by Giuseppe Penone

At first glance walking through the Sculpture Park at the North Carolina Museum of Art, it appears to be a tree.  Second glance and it's one of the artworks!  





Monday, January 16, 2017

Winter holly




Holly seems to grow well in this climate.  This large tree was loaded down with bright red berries.  

Sunday, January 15, 2017

Turkey Vulture



In flight, vultures are magnificent.  They soar above looking elegant.

When we first moved to Raleigh, there was a dead deer carcass in the backyard.  In the mornings a vulture would come and have breakfast.  He didn't look so elegant while chomping on the carcass.  We soon found out how to get rid of dead animals in Raleigh.  

Saturday, January 14, 2017

Gyre



Gyre by Thomas Sayre

This sculpture sits on a hill in the North Carolina Museum of Art Sculpture park.  It changes as you move around it with different points of view.  It commands the hill and the area around it.




Friday, January 13, 2017

Forest for the Chairs




Forest for the Trees by Tom Shields
This sculpture is in the Sculpture park at the North Carolina Museum of Art.  This is only one part of the broad sweep.  At first glance you can't see them, but there are chairs in the trees.  In this section there are 4 chairs.  Altogether we counted 8 chairs but there could be more.  Do you see them?  Here they are close up.



Thursday, January 12, 2017

Foggy day


After the snow and ice, we get a foggy day!
Yes, this picture was taken in color...


Wednesday, January 11, 2017

Upside down icicles?






Cones of ice around the fountain.  An upside down icicle?



Tuesday, January 10, 2017

Why schools are still closed!

3 days after the snowstorm, schools are still closed.  The icy roads are the reason.


Three days after the snow storm, the roads are still glare ice.  Thankfully people are not driving yet, and most schools are still closed.


Monday, January 9, 2017

Sunday, January 8, 2017

Icicles

Icicles drip off a mailbox in a Raleigh North Carolina snowstorm

Ice and snow!  We thought we left that back in Colorado!

Saturday, January 7, 2017

Snow day, North Carolina style



Snow in North Carolina.  Where else do you get blooming Azeleas and snow in January!

Friday, January 6, 2017

Flicker

A Flicker tries to visit a bird feeder.


This flicker was almost too big to eat out of the feeder.  It didn't seem to stop him though.

Thursday, January 5, 2017

Alpenglow

Early morning alpenglow on trees in Raleigh North Carolina

In high mountains after sunset and before sunrise, as the sun hits the high peaks before the valley, you can see the mountains glow.  "Alpenglow"  doesn't hit the peaks in Raleigh, but it does show in the highest objects around, the tall trees.

Wednesday, January 4, 2017

Hawk on the roof

possibly a red tailed hawk sits on the roof of a house on a rainy day in Raleigh North Carolina

This guy screeched at me as I came out to walk the dog.  Red Tailed Hawk? 


Tuesday, January 3, 2017

Monday, January 2, 2017

North Carolina Museum of Art Sculpture Park

North Carolina museum of art reflects across the retention pond from the sculpture park.


North Carolina Art Museum across the retention pond.  The Museum has a huge park filled with sculptures.  As you walk through the 3 miles of trails you come upon some amazing works. People walk, jog, stroll with their dogs.  We even saw one lady posing her poodles in a sculpture.  Look for more pictures in the future.

Sunday, January 1, 2017

Cardinal

red cardinal sits in a tree
The Cardinals are getting their red feathers on!  I admire good bird photos.  It's hard to capture a good one when they're constantly moving and hiding in the trees.