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?

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.

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.

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.

Five mailboxes

Mail box melee 

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

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.

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.