Friday, May 31, 2019

Papaver orientale


Papaver orientale (oriental poppy) flower pod
 

Encased in droplets from the morning fog, this oriental poppy flower pod snakes out of the foliage and into the open.



Papaver orientale flower

The water droplets create a different texture for this drooping poppy flower.



Papaver orientale seed pod and flower
 

The seed pod and flower of this papaver orientale cultivar.  

Tuesday, May 28, 2019

Eleven o'clock lady


Nap at noon in bloom

This cluster of Ornithogalum umbellatum waited for a warm and sunny day in early May to bloom.  A perennial bulb that can be invasive, this six petaled white spring flower is commonly known as "nap-at-noon", "eleven-o'clock lady", or "star of Bethlehem".


Friday, May 24, 2019

Mom knows best

Filled with Motherly advice, this inscription appears inside the front of a used paperback book:


Mom's advice 

----------

Dear Max -

Don't laugh -
this is exactly the
kind of book a
Guy like you
should read!

Love,
Mom

Merry Xmas
1998

----------

What is Mom recommending?  The book is "Showstopper!" by G. Pascal Zachary:



"Showstopper!" (1996 English edition)

This revised and update edition was published in 1996 in England.  It describes the development at Microsoft of the Windows NT operating system, that family of Windows OS that spans from Windows NT 3.1 to Windows Server 2019.

One wonders if Mom read the book beforehand?


Tuesday, May 21, 2019

Trout lily



Closed flowers on a cloudy day

The mottled markings on the leaves of the trout lily (Erythronium americanum) resemble those on a brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis).   Both are native to the eastern part of North America.


Sunny day - flowers open!
 



That insect has crawled behind the flowers



There it is, hanging on 

N.B.:  the photographs are of the same plant but were taken at different times and angles.

Friday, May 17, 2019

Willow bloom for me

Spring means flowering willows.


Catkins with cottony seeds

This willow is an early bloomer and the cottony fluff is ready to be carried off by a breeze.



Black willow (Salix nigra) 

The black willow catkin looks like a multilegged caterpillar.



Pussy willow (Salix discolor)

These open pussy willow flowers show off their anthers with the yellow pollen.



Seed pod
This seed pod from the previous year awaits dispersal.

Monday, May 13, 2019

DOT cover


Rusty manhole cover


Every state has a DOT, even if some of them may call it by a different name.  This manhole cover is from the DOT of smallest state that also has the longest name.


Wednesday, May 8, 2019

Five mailboxes


Mail box melee
 


Despite the disarray of the mailboxes, the mail still seems to be delivered.  Just maybe not picked up?

Sunday, May 5, 2019

Cadillac Coupe de Ville


Caddy C de V H-top



The spun metal hubcaps add that certain look to this classic 1964 model year Cadillac Coupe de Ville two door hardtop.


Wednesday, May 1, 2019

Their GAS cover


Caldwell Boston Gas utility cover
 

This cast iron Caldwell gas utility cover was made in Boston.  Two variants of their water covers can be seen here and here.