Outside my window…is a typical summer morning in Southeast Virginia.  I know it isn’t officially summer yet ~ but it certainly feels like it outside this past weekend.  Right now, at around 10:00 this morning, we are at 79°F with a 71% humidity so it feels like 81°F.  Skies are partly cloudy but I like to think of it as more like filtered sun.  There is plenty of sunshine out however there is a definite haze in the air which gives it that filtered look.  Our forecast high for the day is 84°F….but will probably feel closer to 90° when you factor in the humidity.  There has been plenty of moisture to go around since this past Friday when tropical storm Andrea made a pass over us.  No problems with wind or tornadoes with this system but there was plenty of rain.  I did a little research and found that we have had 47 rainy days so far this year, total rainfall for the year is 18.31 inches, total rain for the month of June is 2.83 inches.  If you believe the numbers, we are in line with our average rainfall for the year.  I actually thought we would be over because it seems wetter this year than the past few but maybe that is because they were dryer years?  Could be.  Today is suppose to be dry but there is a chance of thunderstorms this evening….with the heat and humidity this high there is bound to be some activity along those lines although they will probably be the hit and miss variety rather than total cloud cover.

I am thinking…that I have really enjoyed my vacation this past week.  I had a wonderful visit with my parents in South Carolina….so very relaxing. It is always so nice to go away and forget about work and other stress related factors in your life.  I could get use to not working but then I’m sure the gnawing hunger and living outside in a box would get old quick so I suppose it is back to work for me tomorrow.

I am glad…that the cicada invasion has been non existent as far as where I live is concerned.

From my kitchen…is a recipe for Cream of Broccoli Cheese Soup.  This is a simple yet tasty recipe…a good base if you want to expand on ingredients.  The amount of cheese you add will depend on how cheesy you would like your soup.  Give it a try….make it your own. 

I am hearing…me crunching on a toasted sesame sticks that I picked up earlier this week from Earth Fare ~ a wonderful organic supermarket in South Carolina…the ticking of my many clocks as they count down the minutes until vacation is over…my happy dog snoring quietly while he enjoys an afternoon nap.

A recap of last week…was the free desktop calendars for June 2013…the rest of my time was spent relaxing or photographing whatever caught my eye.

Plans for the week include…back to work on Monday….work from home and a dentist appointment on Tuesday….make a plan to take care of a few things that need fixing ~ things that are causing me stress and really shouldn’t be.  My goal for the second half of 2013 is to eliminate as much stress as possible….I don’t want it, I don’t need it.

One of life’s little pleasures…time off from work….need I say  more.

From my camera…is a view of the Rocky Shoals Spider Lilies on the Catawba River at Landsford Canal State Park. This view is something I have wanted to see since my parents moved to South Carolina except I was never in the area at the right time…late May or early June.  This year I had a plan, I was going to see the lilies….but mother nature almost had another idea.  Two or three weeks prior to my visit, the area on the river experienced heavy flooding….the lilies were under water.  I didn’t give up hope and fortunately after the water receded, the lilies were there.  A little worse for wear and not as plentiful as they are in during a normal year, but there they were for me to see…..more images to come….

To download a zip file of this calendar, click here.  There are six high resolution images available so you can select the one that best fits your screen.

To download a zip file of this calendar, click here.  There are six high resolution images available so you can select the one that best fits your screen.

To download a zip file of this calendar, click here.  There are six high resolution images available so you can select the one that best fits your screen.

Click the link and choose “save” or “save as”.  Make sure you take note where the file is saved.  After the download is complete, go to your saved zip file, extract the files by right clicking the downloaded file and selecting “extract all”….choose a location or accept the location the computer suggests {make sure you take note where the file was extracted}.  Now you are ready to get your calendar….find the extracted file, open and select the size that will best suit your monitor….right click on image and select “set as desktop background”.

These are free for personal use…and as always, if you have any problems ~ please let me know.

Background – Dracoart Stock

Model 1 – David MacKenzie (obtained from deviantart – credit listed as requested)

Model 2 – AmethystDreams 1987 (obtained from deviantart – credit listed as requested)

Texture – Sarah Gardner Photography (free but requires registration for access)

Outside my window…is a rather dreary Sunday afternoon.  There is full cloud cover with the sun making a feeble attempt to show itself.  I say feeble because I believe it could come out and shine if it really wanted to.  I’m not sure what location The Weather Channel dude is reporting from but they are saying mostly sunny and 78°F…not so.  Cloudy and 78°F is more like it.  We have a chance of thunderstorms after 6:00 this evening, it is definitely humid enough to conjure up a storm when you mix in a little afternoon heat. We have had a weekend of storms and rain that began with a rather powerful thunderstorm at around 3:00 Saturday morning.  We did see a little blue sky yesterday but it was quickly taken over by more storm clouds.  I think I will keep an eye on the sky and radar to track the upcoming ones ~ I don’t want to be out walking Turbo when the next one hits like I was yesterday evening.  I heard thunder, felt a drop of rain or two and we turned around to head home.  Of course with storms like this it starts slow and builds up to an eventual downpour….which it did this time.  Although we weren’t that far from home and it wasn’t a full on down pour, Turbo and I were soaked all the same by the time we reached the house.  I was drenched but I was laughing all the way…it felt wonderful.

I am thinking…I am not going outside if the 17 year cicada invasion is anything like I have seen for a program they are advertising on television. The thought of billions of bugs coming out of the ground is like my worst nightmare let alone crawling all over me or surrounding me as they fly around.  My skin creeps just thinking of it.  I know some areas are already experiencing the invasion but it is suppose to peak at the end of this month. I don’t remember how bad they were 17 years ago, but I’m hoping that is because they prefer inland locations rather than coastal and they weren’t so bad here.

I am glad…I kept the strawberries that were a little to ripe for my taste and turned them into strawberry preserves.  I was almost ready to toss them Thursday night when something told me “not yet”.  I put them back into the refrigerator and Friday while sitting at work it dawned on me, make strawberry preserves!  I cut them up and covered them with sugar yesterday, let them sit and cooked them today.  It didn’t quite make a pint but what did make was quite tasty!  I’m definitely going to try and get some more this year so I can have a few jars during the fall and winter when the berries are just a memory.  I might try my hand at something new as well.  I finally understand how my grandmother felt when she would finish canning something….there is something very satisfying about canning and storing your own food.  I only wish I had a larger space to store them.

From my kitchen…is the above mentioned strawberry preserves and a home made brownie recipe I wanted to share with you.  These are tasty, easy to make and I’m thinking for less than you pay for a boxed mix.  Click the image to open a copy of the recipe in Adobe Reader.

I am hoping…that I can get my flower seeds planted soon.  I still have plenty of time but the sooner I get them in the ground the sooner I can enjoy the benefits.

I am hearing…the ticking of my many clocks….the hum of the refrigerator….Turbo’s tail hitting something as it wags back and forth ~ his way of getting my attention to take him outside….the cancelled Firefly television series.  Pity it was cancelled, I like it but only discovered it long after it was cancelled.

Plans for the week include…hopefully getting my flower seeds planted this week….would like to pick up a couple of tomato plants but may wait a little longer on that….finishing up a composite inspired by the movie Silent Hill, a 2006 horror movie….working from home on Tuesday and getting off a half day early on Friday because of employee appreciation day.

One of life’s little pleasures…walking in the rain. 

From my camera…a recent afternoon with my oldest daughter and Turbo at my mother’s house….he loves to run in her extra large yard….and chase sticks….

Outside my window…is the closing hours of Mother’s Day 2013.  What began as a rainy morning turned into an amazing day with sunshine, blue skies and fabulous temperatures. Our high today was 75°F and a forecast low tonight of 50°F…beautiful!  Unfortunately I didn’t get anything finished in the flower bed as I had planned today….the ground was pretty wet from the rain last night and this morning. I couldn’t help but notice on my walks this weekend how lush and green everything is…just the way I like it.  Our temperatures will stay in the upper 60′s for highs and a forecast low of 45°F on Monday and 54°F on Tuesday.  Wednesday will see the temps climb to the low 80′s and even warmer for the rest of the week with a small chance of isolated thunder storms a few of those days.

I am thinking…that I hope everyone who celebrates Mother’s Day had a wonderful day.  Mine was very nice….I got some beautiful flowers and a home made dinner.  It was a lovely and relaxing day.

I am glad…that I have such amazing daughters who have made my life complete.

I am hearing…Harry Potter on television….the dog snoring on the couch….me yawning.

A recap of last week…included the calendars for the month of May ~ I almost gave up on getting these on this month, each day brought a new issue and I was to the point of throwing up my hands,but everything worked out so they are there…..and a little tribute to my sweet girl on her birthday yesterday.

Plans for the week include…working from home on Tuesday….making some changes to the photography web site that will eliminate the need for an additional site for ordering prints of my images.

One of life’s little pleasures…a cookie cake for Mother’s Day. 

From my camera…not really from my camera, but a little something I put on Facebook today…me and my mom….Happy Mother’s Day!

…turned 19 today….time flies…

…when they are growing up.

Happy Birthday Cutie Cailin! 

To download a zip file of this calendar, click here.  There are six high resolution images available so you can select the one that best fits your screen.

To download a zip file of this calendar, click here.  There are six high resolution images available so you can select the one that best fits your screen.

To download a zip file of this calendar, click here.  There are six high resolution images available so you can select the one that best fits your screen.

To download a zip file of this calendar, click here.  There are six high resolution images available so you can select the one that best fits your screen.

Click the link and choose “save” or “save as”.  Make sure you take note where the file is saved.  After the download is complete, go to your saved zip file, extract the files by right clicking the downloaded file and selecting “extract all”….choose a location or accept the location the computer suggests {make sure you take note where the file was extracted}.  Now you are ready to get your calendar….find the extracted file, open and select the size that will best suit your monitor….right click on image and select “set as desktop background”.

These are free for personal use…and as always, if you have any problems ~ please let me know.

]]> http://www.whispersfromthewoods.com/2013/05/08/free-may-2013-desktop-calendars/feed/ 1 http://www.whispersfromthewoods.com/2013/04/28/outside-my-window-4-28-2013/ http://www.whispersfromthewoods.com/2013/04/28/outside-my-window-4-28-2013/#comments Mon, 29 Apr 2013 00:39:22 +0000 Magikal Folk http://www.whispersfromthewoods.com/?p=9293

Outside My Window…is a cloudy evening.  We started out with blue skies and sunshine but as the day progressed we built up to what is now total cloud cover with some fairly dark skies on the horizon.  Our forecast for this evening is cloudy skies with an 80% chance of rain after midnight.  At 6:15 we are currently at 62°F which is very close to the forecast over night low of 60°F.  Our high today was around noon with partly cloudy skies and 70°F. It was a fabulous weekend overall….perfect for working outside.  Yesterday  I was able to finish my clean up of the backyard and trimming the two large bushes on the opposite side of my fence.  I was a little over zealous with the sawing and trimming, I went right through a branch and into my arm with the gardening saw.  Ouch!  Fortunately once I hit skin I had the good sense to stop.     It is pretty gruesome looking today but surprisingly it doesn’t hurt unless I bump it. Today I was able to complete work in half of the side flower bed.  I may have tried for the entire bed but since it runs the length of the house, I decided I didn’t want to push myself with the pollen and my muscles.  I can tell the pollen has affected my breathing and I’m hobbling as it is so I’m actually glad I listened to myself this time.  The day was complete when I did a half-assed repair of a torn shingle.  You can definitely tell it was done by an amateur but it is repaired.  I can hear the roofers that will one day replace my shingles laughing already.

I am thinking…positive thoughts and hoping my daughter’s old car will be sold very soon.  There is a good possibility….if things work out.  Fingers crossed….

Did you know…that the Earth passed between Saturn and the Sun today and the best time to see Saturn in the night sky is now.  It will be out all night in late April and from dusk until dawn in May.  Tonight it is the closest to Earth and the brightest in our night sky.  It will be near the bright star Spica. Look to the Southeast after nightfall for the Big Dipper…follow the tip of the handle, it will guide you down to Spica which is located in the constellation of Virgo.  Saturn will be below Spica.  You will be able to tell the difference between the two because Saturn has golden glow and shines constant….Spica has blue white glow and twinkles.  Unfortunately we have heavy cloud cover so I won’t be able to see it this evening.

I am glad…that even though Turbo ran off yesterday afternoon there was a happy ending.  I was working in the back trimming the bushes and had him tethered while I was out there.  After I finished, I went into the backyard to do some more work so took him off the tether and let him in the yard with me.  As I was carrying some old pots and such out of the gate, he followed me one time and lay in the grass while chewing on a stick.  I went back through the gate, grabbed a pot and went right back out….no more than 5 seconds.  When I looked around, he was gone…nowhere in sight.  Of course mini panic set in as I called him again and again.  Still no where in sight.  My neighbor was in his backyard, heard me calling and told me he would help search.  We walked around the neighborhood and no sign of him.  My neighbor jumped in his car, I in mine and we drove around various neighborhoods that he may have gotten to….no success.  At this point I was getting fairly upset ~ I was pretty sure he would be able to make his way home but my greatest concern was that someone would either take him (of course he didn’t have his tags on) or he would be hit by a car.  I had made my way along the course that we sometimes walk on the weekends when I decided to make my way back home. I was heartbroken I couldn’t find my little buddy.  As I was pulling in to park my neighbor came running from the rear of the house with a huge smile two thumbs up….he walked the canal again and when he heard a duck squawking, he investigated.  There was Turbo, in the nasty canal trying to get a duck.  When he saw my neighbor (who was trying to get to him) he took off running, of course still in the canal, and headed for home.  I had left the gate partially open when I went looking so Turbo made a beeline into the yard and my neighbor closed the gate.  I was elated….I grabbed my neighbor and hugged him then ran into the back to find Turbo.  When I saw him he was cowering because he knew he was in trouble….and he smelled like dirty, nasty pond.  I don’t think he expected me to scoop him up in a towel  and hug him.  I was so relieved to see him I couldn’t be mad….but he immediately got a bath ~ twice.  Needless to say, he will not be walking free when I work back there again.  The time this event covered was probably about an hour and my neighbor never once stopped looking.  He comforted me when I was getting distressed and promised that we would find Turbo.  He has a rescue as well….Piper, a Great Pyrenees…one of the sweetest and friendliest dogs I have ever been around.  I’m so very grateful for him…very grateful.  While this is the first time he has helped me search for my dog….it is not the first time he has helped me.  I’m very fortunate to have such a wonderful neighbor.

From my kitchen…is a new brownie recipe I’m checking out but not quite ready to share.  I have a few others I’m going to test out and will hopefully have some to share with you next week.  I may even have a non-toxic weed killer recipe to share as well but I want to give it a test run before I do.  I was curious if any of you had tried out the homemade vanilla extract recipe I posted some time ago..and if so, how did it turn out?  I made mine when I created the post and bottled it a few week ago.  It is wonderful ~ aromatic and tasty.

I am hoping…that I’m not as sore as I am afraid I’m going to be in the morning.  I’m feeling some muscles I haven’t felt in some time, mostly upper body and especially in my shoulders and arms.  I guess I don’t actually do sawing motions that often during my normal routine….go figure.

I am hearing…the ticking of my many clocks….the dog snoring in his bean bag bed….the hum of the refrigerator….me yawning quite loudly ~ I’m thinking no one will need to rock me to sleep tonight. 

Plans for the week include…working from home on Tuesday….continue work on a new portrait line I will be offering….planting some flower seeds after work on Tuesday….probably finish up the side garden this coming Saturday.  In between I will be editing some more images and working on a composite I hope to unveil soon.

One of life’s little pleasures…iced cold sweet tea on a warm spring day.

From my camera…or perhaps I should say from my iPhone….a few images I took this morning during my walk with Turbo.  We were a little later than usual getting out this morning…closer to 8:00 than we generally are.  As we approached or usual walking route I noticed there was a lot more traffic and parked cars than normal….then I noticed there was a lot more foot traffic as well.  Then it dawned on me….the truck I saw in City Center during our walk on Saturday was there for this day ~ Color Me Rad 5k run.  In case you aren’t familiar with this, runners are “color bombed” as they run the course.  I decided we would walk as well as we could with all this activity….Turbo isn’t fond of people either running towards him or away from him but he actually did quite well.  He did grow tired of waiting for our turn to cross the street while we waited for the first set of runners to pass by ~ he barked a few encouraging words to the folks bringing up the rear.    They had so many people they staggered the start times for everyone….in the time I was there I heard a countdown for at least four or five different groups of people.  These are a few images I shot with my iPhone ~ with the exception of the truck, I took that yesterday with my point and shoot.  I brought that camera with me to get some composite photo shots and decided since the truck was not the norm I would take a photo of it.  I’m not sure if this was something I would have done even if I was still running. 

These two photos were taken as Turbo and I waited for the first set of runners to pass….check out the guy that looks as if he had been dipped in flour in the second image.  Sadly I didn’t get my phone out in time to get a photo of Gumby running. 

A view of the runners as we were making our way back towards the house….this was probably group four or five…

You can see the runners approaching one of the color bomb areas….the cloud of color dust was larger than this at one point ~ which is why I didn’t venture any closer.

 Outside my window…is the end of another weekend.  At around 11:00 this evening we are at 47°F with clear skies.  The weather channel says it feels like 43°F and I’m wondering if I should be worried about the house plants I took outside a couple of weeks ago.  I guess it is too late to worry about that now…I hope they will be alright.  We had an absolutely beautiful, albeit chilly, weekend.  There was a nice overnight soaking rain on Friday and into the early hours Saturday morning that washed the thick layer of pollen away.  A cold front moved in with that rain and left the air feeling brisk and clean.  It was wonderful to walk the dog and not feel like I had a half inch of pollen dust all over me when I got home.  The pollen has been quite heavy this year….I’m thinking all the rain we have had allowed everything that could bloom this year to bloom.  The flowering trees have bloomed and turned from beautiful flowers to leaves and even the pines have exploded their pollen everywhere.  I know we are far from done with it but if we get a nice soaking rain every few days, it can be tolerable as long as you don’t spend too much time in it.  I believe the high on both days was in the mid 50′s but today we had some brisk winds which made it feel even cooler.  There was plenty of sunshine and blue skies….as I said, absolutely beautiful.

I am thinking…I am glad this past week is over with.  I received some sad news Saturday before last ~ the man I worked for {and still did work for} passed away.  I went to work for Mr. Moore as his Administrative Assistant at Moore Realty Company not quite a year after I moved back to Virginia.  The woman I was working with had sold her business and I was not interested in working with the new owners.  She happened to know Mr. Moore and heard he was looking for someone so she recommended me for the position….the rest is history.  I worked with him for nearly 14 years…I had my daughters while there and went through a divorce.  He retired in 2004 and I continued as a personal assistant for him and his wife whenever the need came up.  We often had lunch together after I went to work for the College of William and Mary since they lived in Williamsburg.  As the girls were growing up we enjoyed brunch with them at their country club on several occasions and then relaxing back at their house afterwards.  He was a kind man….and he will be missed.

I am glad…I have weathered the pollen fairly well so far this year.  Of course I haven’t been totally unaffected but for the most part, I’m doing pretty good.

From my kitchen…was homemade buttermilk biscuits this morning….some leftover sesame chicken for lunch….and a clever way to make meatloaf for dinner this evening.

Prepare the meatloaf as you normally would except instead of cooking in a loaf pan, use a muffin pan.  It cuts down on the cooking time plus it creates a single serving.  You can “frost” your meatloaf with some mashed potatoes and top with your favorite gravy.  I don’t use ketchup in my meat loaf, I prefer gravy.

I also have a recipe for you this evening….homemade taco seasoning.

Have you ever wanted tacos only to discover you have no seasoning for the meat?  Here is a recipe that is quite tasty and you probably have the ingredients in your spice cabinet right now.

I am hearing…the ticking of my many clocks….a stupid commercial on television….the hum of the ceiling fan.  I am not hearing The Walking Dead these last couple of weeks and won’t until October of this year.  I may or may not be going through withdrawal. 

Plans for the week include…working from home on Tuesday….begin work on a composite I have been formulating in my head for some time….continue editing some photographs I took last week.

One of life’s little pleasures…discovering my passion for some things is still there ~ I just needed to step back and recharge my batteries for a bit I suppose. 

From my camera… are a few images tonight. By the way ~ how do you like the new window?  I have been picking up the camera a lot more lately….playing with natural light as I toy with a new direction to go with my photography.  This first image is some wild flowers growing along a little creek in the Colonial Parkway in Williamsburg, VA….

 Next up, lunch today…..

And finally….a shot I took at the beach early last week….

Outside my window…is the end of an amazing spring day!  Finally!  Our high today was a wonderful 72°F with sunshine and blue skies…just fabulous!  Currently at 10:00 p.m we are at 63°F with a forecast low of only 56°F.  Tomorrow ~ mostly sunny and 80°F.  The next five days ~ lower 80′s for our highs and low to mid 60′s for the low.  We won’t drop back down into the low 70′s until next Friday and then mid to upper 60′s for several days after that.  I was anticipating warmer temperatures but I wasn’t expecting the 80′s to be honest.  The warmer temperatures will definitely bring the trees to life….and with that will come the heavy pollen.  I’m not looking forward to that as much as I was the warmer temperatures.  Our last frost date has passed so it is time to get the seedlings ready for planting.  I will probably be planting during the next two weekends.  I have begun the spring weeding for the flower garden but will need another weekend at least to finish.  I started today but the ground is still quite wet.  I got most of the ground cover out of the way so the ground will dry out a bit.  I don’t mind it wet when I’m weeding, helps the roots come out a bit easier however it is so wet not too much soil is clinging to the roots. While out weeding I noticed the red and black lilies have broken through and the Lily of the Valley is just breaking out of the soil.  The day lilies have been out and growing nicely as well as the iris. I discovered cilantro near the red and black lilies…not even close to where I originally planted it but I’m assuming it must have seeded and landed there.  The lemon balm is going nuts.  I’m going to pick up a tomato plant or two…and some basil.  I will be planting seeds for morning glories, moon flowers and my favorites, zinnias.

I am thinking…I’m going to be pretty sore tomorrow.  I did so much bending, pulling, stretching, squatting….a lot more than I have done in my normal winter routine.  I was feeling it earlier today so I know that I may be hobbling a bit when getting out of bed tomorrow. 

I am glad…we are finally getting some warm weather….even though it will bring the pollen.  I was beginning to wonder when I woke up one morning last week and it was in the low 30′s.  It will be nice not to bundle up to walk the dog when I wake up.

From my kitchen…is not so much recently.  I do have a few new recipes but I haven’t had the opportunity to put them in the computer as of yet.  I have been enjoying a new twist to an old favorite lately…Caesar Chicken Wrap.  If you look at the post you will notice I am now chopping the lettuce, omitted the Parmesan cheese, added feta cheese and some sliced mini plum tomatoes.  Delicious!

I am hearing…the ticking of my many clocks….the Exorcist on television….the dog snoring on the couch.

Plans for the week include…working from home on Tuesday….picking up a few things so I can add some curtains to the kitchen window ~ the blinds broke recently and I have decided I’m going to go against the norm and put up curtains. I have some fabric now I just need a little bit of hardware and time with the sewing machine to make it happen.

One of life’s little pleasures…planning a garden and anticipating the outcome.

From my camera…I have a couple of images today ~ first one is Turbo wondering why I was following him with the camera    I’m also including an additional desktop calendar …. I had the hardest time this month finding something that I liked.

To download a zip file of this calendar, click here.  There are six high resolution images available so you can select the one that best fits your screen.

Click the link and choose “save” or “save as”.  Make sure you take note where the file is saved.  After the download is complete, go to your saved zip file, extract the files by right clicking the downloaded file and selecting “extract all”….choose a location or accept the location the computer suggests {make sure you take note where the file was extracted}.  Now you are ready to get your calendar….find the extracted file, open and select the size that will best suit your monitor….right click on image and select “set as desktop background”.

Free for personal use…and as always, if you have any problems ~ please let me know.