"Until one feels the spirit of Christmas, there is no Christmas. All else is outward display-so much tinsel and decorations. For it isn't the holly, it isn't the snow. It isn't the tree not the firelight's glow. It's the warmth that comes to the hearts of men when the Christmas spirit returns again."-- Anonymous

December 4, 2009: With the sweet music of Mantovani coming forth through the stereo today, I write these words. I love his music, so relaxing! We have been Christmas shopping. Will people shop this year or won't they? comes the question on TV and in the newspapers. We shall see. I know the merchants and stores are hoping they will! I saw a Towhee and a White Crowned Sparrow in the back garden, hopping and scratching around in the grass and the bark beds. It is good to see them, they are faithful visitors here on the Gold Coast at this time of year. It is rather cool at nights now here. We have been having nice warming fires in the fireplace each night and enjoying it so much. My woodman delivered a half cord of wood for me yesterday. I have bought wood from him for many years, and he always leaves me a nice load of wood. He has the hands of a woodman, never wearing gloves as he stacks the splintery logs. I don't know how he does it! His hands are rough and used to the wood. The floods in Ireland continue, with much rain falling. What a year for the Irish! So many homes have been damaged and destroyed and businesses too. One of our favorite hotels in Co. Cork has had its entire lower floor completely destroyed by the floods. It is tragic. The rivers overflow--there is so much rain, and most cities and villages there are built on the rivers historically. I heard from my daughter that it is raining today again. We expect a several-day rain storm to come in around Sunday night and go through the week here on the Gold Coast. For us, we need the rain. Our hills and mountains are turning green from the last rain, but we need more. I think it will come.

Do have a wonderful weekend. Sit back and enjoy your life. It belongs to you. We had a wonderful experience last Sunday. My wife and I lit the first candle on the Advent Wreath in the Sanctuary and read a prayer to the congregation to open the service at our Church! We enjoyed participating!

Do enjoy the day and Christmas is coming soon now. Have you checked the calendar? In just 21 days -- Christmas is here!! Do prepare!!-BT-December 4, 2009.

November 28, 2009: Did you see them?---the Christmas icons on the opening of the Digital Flowers web page? Now some of you might say, "What is he doing--Christmas icons on the flower page, and it isn't even December 1st!!!! Did you?? 8-))) Well, I am big on Christmas, I imagine you picked that up with all of my Christmas Cactus photos and "Christmas is coming, the Christmas Cactus are blooming." sort of writing that you might find on the web page. Well, if you don't believe that--did you see the people lined up outside stores on the TV news at 3:00 a.m. or there-abouts waiting to rush in to buy "bargains" on Black Friday?? Wow, what a deal. Oh, by the way, we did not go and line up early like that. We do all of our shopping online for the holidays. I always think of Christmases past--those times when I was a young boy and our activities and the Christmas tree we decorated with that silver tinsel that everyone in those times, loved to put on the tree. I remember my one and only electric train that I received as a gift, it was one that some boys in a family we knew in our small village had for years when they were young, and my Mom and Dad were able to purchase it from them. I loved the train, being used made no difference to me at all. It was wonderful!! Those were the days just after World War 2, and things were a bit tough on the economic side of things for many people. Well times change don't they. Now the electronic age, and I love it. When you see things like fantastic computers, iPods that play music you yourself select, you know time is moving on! Maybe to get ready for Christmas you will watch a film like "It's A Wonderful Life" with Jimmy Stewart, or "A Christmas Carol"--that wonderful and touching story about Scrooge--what a sourpuss! But he changes doesn't he and discovers people and loves the change! I think we will just slowly cherish and hold dear our memories and thoughts about Christmas and ease into the Season. What a fine time it is!! Do enjoy your weekend, and if you haven't done so, it is probably time for us all to start thinking about Christmas and what it means to you. Do enjoy. --BT, November 28, 2009.

November 25, 2009: Happy Thanksgiving to all!! It is almost here, isn't it??!! What are you going to do for Thanksgiving? We are going out this year to a restaurant. That should take good care of us, for sure. We have just returned from a visit to a family member who is 93. She is doing pretty well, and we spent time with her on two different days. As one ages, it seems their lifestyle changes a great deal. I just heard that my Aunt, who also is 93 has just had a surgery and is in recovery. The body slows down and changes a bit I think as we age. The weather here is balmy and wonderful. The NE winds are coming into the area and that makes for warmish and enjoyable weather. What are you Thankful for this Thanksgiving? Have you thought about that? Well I am thankful for loving family, good health for all of us, the beautiful Gold Coast where we live, trips to Ireland, my flowers that give me so much enjoyment and scads of other things. In a book I once read that sits on my library shelf, the author once stated his thankfulness and a Pastor I know used the same prayer in expressing thankfulness! I too use this prayer a lot. It says it all for me. Do take care and have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Remember: "The Christmas Cactus are blooming. Christmas is coming!"--Enjoy, BT, November 25, 2005.

November 18, 2009: I have been working in the tomato garden composting today. When I started out years ago to make a garden there, the original soil was pure adobe, and for those not sure of what that is like, can I suggest cement!! 8-))) Over the almost 40 years we have lived here, I have worked that garden every year, composting faithfully, and I am happy to say the soil is very amenable to planting. I will again plant the Better Boy tomatoes this coming April before we return to Ireland. There is peace in the garden, one can really relax and get your mind settled when you work there. My ancestors in the 1700's and 1800's settled in the midwest and were mostly farmers, as was my Dad, who grew great crops over the years. I think I inherited some of that know-how on gardening. I was just out looking today at my Christmas Cactus and Geraniums. They are doing very well. The geraniums are taking a bit of a rest from blooming, but there are many buds showing. The color show will begin soon! Are you ready for Thanksgiving? We are, and it seems to have come up on us suddenly, hasn't it? Are you having a turkey and cooking at home, or going out somewhere? It is a Day for us all to be thankful! It will be a glorious day, and we all will enjoy it very much. I know one thing --- we are all building Christmas lists around our house, a tradition we have followed for sometime now. Fun it is!!! I hope you like the macro photo of the Tango Light Orchid I posted today on the opening page. One of my daughters said it really reminded her of an orchid flower, and when I emailed it to her she thought it was an orchid. It is cool these evenings and early a.m.'s. One can feel the change of seasons coming in. Life moves on--we all continue to do our thing, don't we. That is the way life is. John Lennon said, "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans."

I guess that is true. Life keeps happening doesn't it. Do enjoy your week. The mountains are green and beautiful here on the Gold Coast. We love to see them each day. Do take care. -- BT, November 18, 2009.

November 11, 2009-Veteran's Day: It is a day to give thanks to all of our Veterans who have served and are serving to protect our country. My mind goes back some 67 or so years ago when I was a small boy. The train trip was to be a long one-a trip to meet my Dad who was a Naval Officer in the East, and we were going to meet him way across the country to spend time with him before he shipped out. I don't know how many days it took to get there. Mom had packed a cardboard box of food for us to eat on the way. We slept in those fold down beds on the train like you used to see in the movies. You got up in the bed on a ladder which the train porter placed against the bed for you to use. I got to know George, the train porter and he would give me blank telegram forms to draw on. He was a very nice person. The 3 of us, Mom, Sister and I made it ok across this great land of ours in that train and linked up with Dad. What fun that was! We were all young in those days. So today on Veteran's Day I think of my Dad. How proud we were of him in his Naval uniform as we walked the streets of Boston. I had a "little boys" sailor uniform and would proudly salute the men and women who passed my Dad and saluted him. It was fun. Those years are gone, but they will forever be in my mind. That was a different time and a different place, but it will always be in my mind and heart--those days that we can never go back to, but in a way we can, through our mind. Someone once said, "Memories are tucked away, but not forgotten." For me that is true, so very true, today, my mind goes back to the train trip, the noise of the wheels on the tracks, the time in Boston and the walks we took down along the Charles River and feeding the squirrels in Harvard Square! I can see today the house we had in Cambridge, and the cold weather, the organ grinder man who came by with his monkey and we kids ran down with a coin for him, the ice man who delivered the block ice for the old icebox that we had in the house, the big pile of coal in the back yard area brought by the coal man for heating. Another time another place!

Isn't it amazing what you can remember!!?? If you know a veteran, give him/her thanks in person, and if not in person in your heart and prayers. Times change but we always have the past. Enjoy the day, BT-November 11, 2009-Veteran's Day. Below is a photo of my Dad!

November 8, 2009: We are home!! So nice to be back in our little cottage, so warm and comfortable. We were up for 20 hours + in airports, taxis, vans, airport cafes and airplanes. Wow, the body takes quite a beating with this! 8-))) We arrived home safely and all flights were pretty much on time. Ireland was wonderful. We had such a fine time with our Grandsons and Daughter! The rain came, and came and came!!! Wet, wet, wet I am telling you! And cold, cold and more cold!! When we deplaned from the last plane of the day(#3) the temperature was around 65°F. and I wanted to kiss the tarmac. 8-))) Travel is very educational for sure! One learns survival!! 8-)))))))))))))))) and we did. We visited Riverstown House, a grand old house from the 1700's and I hope you saw the picture I posted of the house, still inhabited to this day. We had a very nice tour through the building by the owner. It was impressive. Ireland has saved their old houses for visitors and future generations to enjoy. Oh by the way, the swans were in at the Swan lake in Co. Cork. Check out the photos at the bottom of this minutia entry. They are beautiful. From whence do they come? I don't know, but they are always there when we visit. Halloween is a tradition in Ireland, and of course the Grandsons had their costumes and joined in the trick-or-treating throughout the area. Fun!!! Ireland is always welcoming. We saw many friends and acquaintenances and it was much fun. We will return. I will be writing up more about Riverstown House as soon as I catch up on my sleep. Until then, happy to be back and I hope all went well with you while I was gone. Enjoy the day!!-BT-November 8, 2009(the weary traveler). 8-))

October 24, 2009: I was amazed to walk out to the garden this a.m. and find that the Pretty Polly flower had blossomed! I had been watching the plant each day for such. And finally...................!!!! I really like that Pretty Polly, one of my Daughters gave it to me sometime ago. I hope you enjoy it too. It is doing well. Warm summer like weather again today. Sure feels nice. We have been organizing packing the luggage today, and it is one big job. We take lots of stuff with us and easily fill 2 big suitcases. Organizing all the stuff to go is the big job. But we get it done. Enjoy the weekend--BT, October 24, 2009

October 23, 2009: Wow, if I didn't know it was October, I would say, "This is summer!" What a balmy day, and I have been photographing with the Canon G10, and what a great camera! I really like using it and it will go to Ireland soon with me. I hope you like the new flowers on the opening page. As you may know I have around 60 different geraniums in various places here at the house, and they are really budding out and starting to bloom very nicely. What fun it is for me to tend them and, of course do the photography. The colors are magnificent. The weekend is nearly here. Wow, what a quick week. Time is moving very fast. I hope you are enjoying each day for what it might bring you. We certainly are. The rain we had a week or so ago was fantastic. All the grasses along the side of the roads here are coming up and there are green "carpets" overlaying the brown and yellow weeds--very nice. Ireland is that way the year round. All the fields and areas are green and lovely! We will see them soon as we go there on that silver bird, the airplane jetting across the Atlantic to the Emerald Isle, as it is sometimes called. We look forward to seeing family and friends there. It will be great. Do enjoy your weekend. --BT, October 23, 2009.

October 17, 2009: The Blue Rose-Did you see the photo of the Blue Rose Stained Glass window today, just under the title on the opening page? Well, there it is, and I will also post it below this minutia segment when finished writing it. The Blue Rose is part of a stained glass window in a very historical church in Ireland. We had just been there in May, 2009. The church itself, was a monastic settlement as early as 450 A.D. Of course it has been rebuilt numerous times and today stands there on a hill overlooking the town. I don't know how old the stain glass window is, but I am clear on one thing: it is beautiful! I hope you enjoy viewing as you open the main page to Digital Flowers. Ireland is so historic, and there are just numerous examples of old buildings, churches, castles, towers and the like everywhere. It is living history, in a way. It is warm again today on the Gold Coast, almost too warm for October, but that is our weather here. The other Sage plant has been pruned, and soon will show new growth. The hummingbirds love to feed at the blossoms of the Sage. I refilled the hummingbird feeder this a.m. as the birds are still in the area and like the feeder. That is good. The geraniums are doing well, and I have posted some new photos again today for you to view. There is such a variety of type and colors of Geraniums. The flowers are truly beautiful! The weekend is here, and do hope you have a good one. I have a good book I am reading and will do so in a few minutes after finishing up minutia. Have you read a good book lately? There are so many now coming out new each week. It keeps one busy trying to figure out what to read. 8-))) Enjoy the weekend--BT, October 17, 2009

The Blue Rose is part of a very large stained glass vertical panel in the church. It is at the very top, being many feet off the floor. To view it well, one must step back down the main aisle of the church and look upwards. This is what I did in 2007 when I photographed it. I then editied it, cropping the Blue Rose section and adjusting colors and contrast, and so on. How did it get its name? I do not know, but someone told me that the towns people call it "The Blue Rose." How appropriate and creative! I like it very much. Another bit of Ireland lore that fascinates me.--BT

October 14, 2009: The rain has come to this parched land, and boy was it a big storm. We had 4.5 inches of rain in our rain gauge this a.m. after rain all day long Tuesday and last night. It is indeed a welcome sight! It came early in the rain year here on the Gold Coast and think it surprised everyone. I went out to the terraces in the back garden this a.m. and photographed the Royal Dark Red and the Royal Pink ivy geraniums that I posted today. They were under the patio roof and didn't get so much rain water as those plants under the open sky. I went to the Lavender plant where the Green Lynx spider had her egg ball, and am happy to say she survived the rain storm just fine as did the egg sac. We are gearing up to begin the big packup for Ireland. We have it pretty well figured out and usually take about the same stuff. It will be cool and a bit rainy there, but that is Ireland. We are used to it, as we have been many times! The guys at the hotel hopefully, will have the portable heater in our room and if we are lucky the central heating will be on. 8-))))) We arrive at night, and there is always someone there to meet us, after our Daugher and Grandsons pick us up at the airport. The week is going well. It is about time to prune the Sage, and the front one that always grows so large has been done--2 recycling barrels full of the trimmings. But the plant will come out very beautifully, and we will enjoy it a lot in a few months. I hope your week goes well. I have worked a bit on the opening page and scaled things down a bit and I like it that way. Convenient for all who view it. Do enjoy the week. Halloween is coming. Our Grandsons in Ireland are figuring out what to wear for a costume on that most exciting of nights for children! I love the rain, it washes the earth clean and really invigorates the plants. Hope we have lots more this season. Enjoy the day. --BT, October 14, 2009.

October 7, 2009: Well it happened again!! I hate to even say it!! Yep, while gardening yesterday I took a fall right into 2 Escallonia bushes, which incidentally, I believe, saved me from more injuries than the skinned knee, scraped elbow, and a very sore body today! How could I even do that? I don't really know, as I was taking out the last spent tomato plant and started out of the garden and was moving the green trash container along with me when wham!!! It happened, now I don't know if you have ever fallen like that, but you have no control over stopping the fall. And I mean no control!! Luckily, as I said, the two Escallonia bushes into which I fell cushioned the whole thing a bit, and so I am fine! There were several broken branches tho on the plants, and I shall forever take the best care of those two little plants!! Did have trouble getting up tho! 8-))))))))))))))))))) but am fine. It is cool today and very nice. The evenings and early a.m.'s have really been getting into electric blanket weather, believe it or not. Yes, we get cold easily living here on the Gold Coast. When in Ireland I am constantly calling John or David, who are usually working in the pub/hotel where we stay to turn on the heat! It is kind of funny, I feel a bit embarrassed about calling them. After all, it is Ireland and is supposed to be cold at certain times of the year. 8-))) But I call anyway, and they are very nice and accomodate us very well. It is a fine place, there on the coast of Ireland! We really enjoy it and have a great time there. The terraces in back garden are looking good! It soon is time for their monthly fertilizing, and they will respond well to that. The Iceberg Roses are looking good and we have some on the dining room table there in a JackO'Patsy vase from Ireland. The week moves on doesn't it. Do have a good one, and watch your step!! No falls please!8-))))-BT, October 7, 2009.

October 2, 2009:One of the really fun things about raising many geraniums is that some will rest for awhile and not bloom, and then like a spurt of life, you will go out one day to the garden, and the geranium that hasn't bloomed for what seems a longtime, is blooming. That is the way it is this week with the Freestyle Pink, the one I posted today on the opening page. The color is superb! And I mean fantastic! I hope you like it as much as I do. It is still warm with offshore flow of the air, and the humidity is very low. Yesterday, I checked the back terraces with the meter that I use to determine if a plant needs water. Quite a few did, and I am glad I did so. Also gave the Christmas Cactus a "drink of water" too. The country around our area is very, very dry. I hope for rain, but probably won't have any until into November, and that is quite a way off, when you are talking about the land being arid and dry. Let's hope for rain. The geraniums are looking so good, they love the environment in the back gardens! It really suites them. They are putting on new growth after the trimming I gave them some time ago. They are renewing and that is good. The week seems to have moved along quickly, did you feel that it did? The weekend is upon us, and cooler weather is predicted for our Gold Coast. My friend in Iceland sent me a photo of one of his daughters playing in the snow in their back yard. Wow, what must that be like? I was raised in this temperate area and have lived here all my life. I remember a long time ago when I was very young, my Mom and Dad and Sister and I drove up to the mountains when it snowed to "play in the snow." That is about all my experience in snow country! 8-))))) I don't know what I would do if we moved to such a place. 8-))) We saw an old friend at the store today, and we hadn't seen her in a long time. It was nice visiting with her and catching up on her news. Old friends(and I don't mean their age!) are nice to have and visit with when you see them. They are an important part of life. We all should keep in better contact with our "old friends". I like very much the quotation about if you were going to die tomorrow, who would you call(phone)---and what is keeping you from calling now!! It says a lot doesn't it. I always like to call my Aunt Helen, when my wife and I are at a nearby mall shopping. Inevitably, I sit down for a break and a rest and call Helen, she was and is always so nice and caring, and one of my Mom's favorite people. The talks are good that we have--Aunt Helen and I! Do have a wonderful weekend. Enjoy each day. Make that phone call. You know the one--the one I referred to up in the paragraph.---BT, October 2, 2009.

September 29, 2009: The month of September, 2009, is all but finished................gone.............and October will be here shortly. It is the month of Halloween, pumpkins, wonderfully colored leaves blowing down the lane, and cooler weather and the fall breezes which touch and tickle the earth. I love it! What a fine time of year! We went out to check on the Green Lynx Spider and her egg sac, and she is still there atop the sac protecting it from who knows what! I don't know how many days until the small spiders emerge from the sac, but should be soon. I have been photographing today. I noted a very small Vagabond ivy geranium bud starting to show its color which my wife and I call 'Shocking Pink' from a color page on the web, and went out after installing the Macro 60mm lense on the Digital Rebel camera and took some photos. I will post it soon on the opening page. It is a very dainty bud but will open soon. Vagabond is one of the earliest ivy geraniums which I potted and raised. I was quite surprised to see the bud coming out this morning. That is something that is wonderful about gardening. One can find new blossoms and buds almost everyday you go into the garden. Did you like the new Christmas Cactus I posted today--the Thor Nille?? I think the color of Thor Nille is fantastic and most stunning! My garden continues to grow! I was trimming a bit on the Sage plants and the Lavender plants today. The Bees surely enjoy the Lavender plants, a good source for the nectar and pollen that they collect. The Green Lynx Spider and egg sac is on one of the Lavender plants in the East Garden. The wind is up tonight, and we are under a wind advisory for winds gusting to 40 mph this evening. I will rig the garden for wind. I actually have some of the plant pots wired to the metal frames of the terraces. In past winds, some have actually blown down, damaging some of the plants below them on the terrace. Such is the life of gardening! 8-)))) wiring the pots. 8-))) I always move photos from the opening page of my web site to their particular site after awhile, to be found in the links at the bottom of the page. If a Christmas Cactus disappears from the opening page, and you wanted to show it to your Aunt, Sister or Neighbor or Pastor or somebody, go to the 'Christmas Cactus 2009' button and click and scroll until you find it. It will be there. Do have a great week. We are thinking and talking about Ireland a lot these days! The excitement builds! We will be there soon. Enjoy!!--BT, September 29, 2009.

September 27, 2009: I love this time of year when the Fall has come and the fog is rolling in from the sea. The hot weather broke its cycle yesterday and it is nice and cool today. I like it! The Christmas Cactus are all in pots on the back patio, and their area in one of the corners is sure where they like to be. They are blooming very nicely, and I posted a photo of a pot of Holiday Orange for you to enjoy on the opening page. I hope you enjoy seeing it. It is absolutely beautiful the way it is blooming in the Fall now. You may well know about Christmas Cactus (Schlumbergera). That is the family name of the Christmas Cactus. As my readers know, I like them so much, the colors are so neon and startling! One cannot miss them in the garden. They are simply the best, when they bloom as they are doing now. I have been reading a bit on the net about Ireland. We will be there soon. So many people that I talk to are fascinated with Ireland, and many say, "Oh I want to go there someday!" when I mention our trips there and our family there. It is a wonderful country, so full of beauty and history and friendly people and villages! We will stay in the same cottage when there as we have been doing for several years. It is quiet and comfortable and we like it very much. This has been a nice weekend. I did some gardening yesterday and miscellaneous chores about the place. Some geraniums needed a bit of pruning and some of the tomato plants have finished and were ready to be taken out. Enjoy what is left of the weekend!--BT, September 27, 2009.

September 22, 2009: Can you believe it??? This is the first day of Fall, according to the calendar hanging on the wall here in the computer room. Where did Summer go you ask?? Well, as the old saying goes, "Time Marches On." And it does. It is warmish today here on the Gold Coast. I hope you noticed the Christmas Cactus that I posted yesterday and today on the opening page. In my view, they are beautiful, and out on the patio right, my garden of Christmas Cacti are blooming, blooming and more blooming. I love the mix of the hues and colors. They are truly magnificent! The Green Lynx spider is still sitting atop the rather large egg case. I wonder how many baby spiders will emerge from that case and when. I remember in E. B. White's classic Charlotte's Web, the baby spiders ballooned out from the egg case and sailed away. I suppose that is what may happen with the Green Lynx egg sac. It has been most interesting to view it and photograph it these past days. Nature is beautiful and interesting isn't it!! Our Ireland days draw near. We are making all kinds of preparations for the trip. It will be wonderfully cool in Ireland with some rain perhaps. We won't mind that and are used to Irish weather. We always go the same route and get there in about 21 hours, counting airport waiting time etc. It is a long trip for us, but we don't mind. We get lots of reading done on the airplanes!! 8-)))))) Our Grandsons always meet us, and they start waving the second they spot us, wheeling our luggage to the meeting area. It is neat!! This is a nice week. The weather here is very nice. The Iceberg roses are really blooming and are very beautiful. I brought some inside for my wife today, and we enjoy them on the table. Do have a great week! Halloween is soon upon us, then Thanksgiving. Can you believe that?! The Christmas Cactus are blooming and that means Christmas is coming soon!! Enjoy.--BT, September 22, 2009.

September 15, 2009: Have you noticed yet?? I am talking about the Green Lynx Spider that I posted yesterday! Well I went out to that same Lavender bush today to view the action, and lo and behold, the spider was regular size and sitting upon a very large egg sac! Wow, I went and got my wife to come look at it. Amazing. You will find the before and after photos today on the Visitors to the Garden page. Nature is truly amazing! Well, one might think I am "wild" about spiders since I posted photos of the Green Lynx, but not true. I like all wildlife, and it happened that the opportunity for photos of the egg sac occured and I took the photos and posted them. If spiders make you feel creepy, don't view them! I won't feel bad. 8-))))))) The weather is nice and Fall like again today. I worked a bit on the tomatoes today. They will be finished sometime in October, and then I will get the garden ready for composting throughout the winter, and will again plant in the Spring. The tomatoes have been delicious this season, and we really have enjoyed them. The wind was up last night and some of the Christmas Cactus pots blew over, but they are strong and resilient, and no harm was done! It happens everytime we have a wind come in. The garden moves on, and the geraniums are well and continue to bloom. Enjoy the week.--BT, September 15, 2009.

September 13, 2009: Today has been much cooler here on the Gold Coast. We like that a lot, as we know the warm weather will come back one day. It was overcast, foggy and the ground and sidewalks were wet this a.m. when we got up- a nice harbinger of the coming of Fall! I posted the photographs of the Green Lynx Spider and the White Cabbage Butterfly today on the Garden Visitors page. Click this link to view them. I love the garden! One never knows what animal you will find out in the garden on or around the flowers and plants! And I sure like to photograph any that I might see there. Isn't Nature mystical and beautiful!! I find it so! We were eating lunch in a favorite seaside cafe today, right on the beach, and I looked out the window of the cafe, and I could see the Island far out just barely thru the fog. Several years ago I had the opportunity to visit that Island and hike it for a day. How great it was!! We love living by the ocean, and we always will do so. The marine climate suits us just fine and it is very nice. The Christmas Cactus continue to bud! What a plant, they are magnificent, and they are among my most favorite in the garden, but I must be careful; the geraniums want to hold that place too! 8-))))) And they are too, among my most favorite. The geraniums are budding also after a good trimming that I did sometime ago, and the colors are magnificent!! Are you ready for next week? I hope your week is a good one. If you like the Christmas Cactus photographs, you might like to raise a plant of your own. They will be in nurseries and supermarket flower departments as Thanksgiving and Christmas near. They are fun to raise and easy to raise. Do have a good week. Enjoy the day!--BT, Sept. 13, 2009.

September 12, 2009: Today you can really feel Fall! I know it is just over the horizon over the mountains there to the north! Wow, I love this weather, cool, yet sunny. One never knows what you will fine in the garden when you are exploring with your camera! Today I was out among the Lavender and Sage plants in the back garden when I spotted a White Cabbage Butterfly landing and hovering over the Sage blossoms; but then as I came in close for a macro photograph, I spied a Green Lynx Garden Spider. Wow, that was neat. Soon I will post both photos and show you. They are most interesting animals. I always like to find butterflies and other insects out there among the plants to photograph. That is much fun! The Christmas Cactus are really going wild. Just the other day a bud blossomed on a Nicolas Christmas Cactus, and that was the first one to bloom this fall. Of course to me it reminds us that Christmas is coming! You knew I would say that if you are one of my regular readers. It is almost mid-September, and the schools have started and the malls and stores are somehow a little more empty than in the summer. I just stepped out again to the garden a minute ago and the female Green Lynx spider is still on the Lavender about where she was when I photographed her. Maybe she will be a resident there for awhile. She is welcome to stay! I hope you like the red blossoms that I photographed and posted today--Sundance and Royal Dark Red. They lend such color to the garden. They are among my favorites, but as you know, I have many favorite ivy geraniums. Do enjoy the weekend, and I will let you know when I post the White Cabbage Butterfly and the Green Lynx Spider to the page. --BT, September 12, 2009.

September 3, 2009: What a summer day!! I really feel in a summer mood. The air is warm and breezy with some humidity. I really enjoy this time of year. Fall is soon upon us. My calendar says September 22 is the first day of fall. It is time to get the Chimney Sweep in to clean our chimney and prepare for cold weather. Ah, will we have any cold weather?? 8-))) That is indeed the question! Ireland has so much rain this week that my Daughter there says the roads are flooding. We have been there when that happens and it really is something to see and experience. Our woodpile is pretty good, and we won't need wood until later in the winter. There is a nearby wood lot where a man sells firewood, and I have never seen so much firewood! Wow, if he sells it all this winter, we will really be having freezing weather. We shall see! I am thinking about Ardmore again today. Last May we were just there having coffee in the a.m. with our Daughter there in the new Cliff House Hotel, that has recently opened. It is beautiful with wonderful views of the sea and the surrounding area. They say that tourism is down 15% or so over last season in Ireland, but the country is certainly prepared for lots of tourists. Ardmore is nice and quiet. There is a wonderful playground there for children, we have taken the Grandsons there for playtime in the past. The drive into Ardmore, Co. Waterford, is interesting and is near the sea. I will start on the Ardmore page one of these days soon. I want to post below a photograph that I took there in the cemetery at Ardmore, up there on the side of the grassy hill about the town, of the Round Tower at Ardmore to get you interested. It is fantastic!! And I mean fantastic!! The week ends soon, and here comes Labor Day. Are you traveling over the long weekend? Enjoy the days. --BT, September 3, 2009.

The earliest monastery was founded here by St. Declan who is alleged to have been a bishop in Munster when St. Patrick arrived, and who is one of the main supports for the belief in the existence of Christianity in the south of Ireland before St. Patrick. Ardmore was recognised as a Cathedral and had its bishop in 1170. In 1591 it was leased to Sir Walter Raleigh who only held it for 2 years. In 1642 the confederate army hiding in the Church and Round Tower were besieged by the English. When they surrendered, 117 out of 154 of them were hanged on the spot. The Round Tower rises in three steps to a height of 95 feet, and is one of the best-preserved examples in Ireland. The church, known as the 'Cathedral', was erected by Meolettrim O Duibh-rathra sometime before his death in 1203, but was built in a number of stages. It is probable that he utilised the remainder of an older church in the lowest portion of his church. The building has most unusual features: the recessed Romanesque west window, the arcades on the interior wall, and a pointed chancel arch.

September 2, 2009: What a hot and very humid day! I was out fertilizing the geranium terraces with their monthly bit of fertilizer, and my shirt was 'wringing wet' from the perspiration!! Wow, hot, hot and more hot. The humidity has moved in the last few days and boy is it noticeable. I enjoy the plants very much. I remember, one of my Grandfathers was the same as was my Dad. We all had that 'green thumb' you hear people talking about. Everyone called my Grandfather 'Doc'. Some of my long time readers have heard of him. He loved gardening and plants. When I was young, Doc and his wife would come over to visit us and many times they would bring a plant to my Dad and Mom to plant at the house. Those plants are still alive! And that was a long time ago. One of his favorites to bring was camellias. My Dad planted them right by the front of the house, and they did so well---in the blooming season they would have the most beautiful blooms and many, many blooms too. My mind goes back--and to this day, I can see Doc(my Grandfather) coming up the driveway with a plant for my Dad and Mom. How neat that I can see that in my mind. Those were the 'good old days' that people talk about, but now the new generations proceed, and so many of those 'good old people' are gone. I remember them frequently and I remember them very clearly. One must remember the good times with all of your strength, as those times are over yet still with us in our minds. I heard recently from a cousin on my Dad's side of the family from Minnesota. It is so nice to keep in touch with her and her husband. We both are into genealogy. I am getting ready to start a page or 2 about the town of Ardmore in Ireland, the one I told you had the beautiful round tower and was very historical. If you want to do some homework (there I go again--they say once a teacher--always a teacher) about Ardmore go to this URL <http://www.travelireland.org/waterford/ardmore/index.html> and read a bit about Ireland. Then someday I will do the Rock of Cashel, in Ireland--but that is another story for another day. Do have a great week. My oldest Irish Grandson turns 9 years old in September. I remember holding him as an infant. He and his brothers are great little guys, and we love them dearly. Our interest in Ireland is forever!!--BT-Sept. 2, 2009.

August 29, 2009: The warm weather is back again today all over the region. It is hot! I had 4 bags of bark to spread on the new garden project and finished it up today. The tomatoes needed water, and I found some ready to be picked. We have had so many tomatoes this year in the garden. The composting has really paid off! I do that every Fall and Winter, and by Spring the garden is ready for the next crop of plants to be put in. The Christmas Cactus are budding out. We will have beautiful blossoms soon, and of course I will photograph them and post them to the web site. And regular readers know what that means: And I will say it again: "Christmas is coming." My wife reminded me that there is only about 4 months until Christmas, and one might think that is a long time. Well it isn't! It will pass quickly and the season of Christmas will be with us again. Fun!! Lots of watering has been required with the hot weather. What is it like to be cold?! We have totally forgotten, it has been such a warm summer. The hummingbirds are still buzzing around. Did you see the new photo I took today of the Anna's Hummingbird, just outside the kitchen window on a geranium stem?? I think they like to come into the shade and perch a bit during this hot weather. There is an interesting and very historic town in Ireland called Ardmore. It has been there for centuries, and there is a beautiful round tower that overlooks the town. One of these days I will post some photos and tell you about Ardmore. I think you would love the round tower!! I hope your weekend is going well. Ours is. We have done lots of good things around the house and had a wonderful anniversary lunch near the sea just the other day. The years do move along, don't they!! But we must make the best of it, and enjoy each day and do what we can to keep things moving on this great blue marble we call Earth. Do enjoy the weekend.--BT, August 29, 2009.

August 19, 2009: I have been working on editing Lismore Castle and Garden photos this a.m. and posting them. I hope you like them. What a magnificent place it is. My mind went back to County Waterford this a.m. as I did that work. When we were there in May, 2009, the gardeners were out in the garden and the blossoms and colors were spectacular!!! I mean spectacular!!! The iris, of which there were hundreds were blooming and getting ready to bloom! Fantastic! The overcast and fog is in this a.m. and that helps the watering situation in the garden. It seems that so many places are experiencing a water shortage this season, but remember El Niño is predicted to occur this winter. That may bring lots of rain to our dry areas. We shall see. The Lismore Gardens are extensive, and the City of Lismore is very charming and interesting. It is a Heritage Town and very historical. We always like to go to Lismore, the Castle Gardens and the Town. The week is half-way through. Wow, where did August go? Fall is near. I will post a few more areas of Ireland on the Digital Flower page as time goes by. I hope you enjoy them. Do have a nice rest of the week, and as we move into the weekend enjoy. Are you reading a good book? I am finishing one of Brad Thor's books and really enjoying it. He is an excellent writer and the plots are great. Soon I will start Daniel Silva's new book, "The Defector". It will be outstanding. Do enjoy the day.--BT, August 19, 2009.

August 17, 2009: Today I started to do the Lismore Castle page. What a magnificent place!! We have been in the gardens at Lismore Castle several times, and they are most pristine. I finished spreading bark today in the new area in the back garden. It will be very nice. Our weather is foggy and overcast today. It has been that way awhile. Where is the sun?? 8-)))) We sure are not seeing it here on the Gold Coast. The hurricanes are beginning. I noted that Hurricane Bill today is "ramping up" and who knows when and where it will hit. We shall see. Our week is moving along well. I hope yours is. Soon I will edit the photos from the garden at Lismore Castle and post them. It will take me a bit of time, but I will get it done. Ireland is calling us. I can hear it as I do Fota and Lismore. 8-))))) We will go, perhaps soon. Do have a great week.--BT, August 17, 2009.

August 15, 2009: I posted some more photos of Fota House today! Gosh, it is such an interesting place. I hope you readers aren't bored with it. What a lovely and very historical great house! We will go again, but I know: I said that before!! 8-)))) This a.m. I worked over all the geraniums on the terraces in the back garden. They needed to be checked with the moisture meter to see if they needed water, and several did. They are so much fun to raise and take care of. I really enjoy it. We finished up the back area we were redoing yesterday. It really is an extension of the east garden, and we like it; it looks so nice and neat! The weather here on the Gold Coast is rather overcast and a bit foggy now and has been for a few days. It does make watering easier as not so much needed in the garden. We have 2 small hummingbirds perching on the hanging geraniums very near the kitchen window daily now. They are so tiny and interesting. We love having them there. That is their area as long as they want it. The Sage is in full bloom, and daily many hummingbirds come in for a drink of the nectar from them--lots of good photo opportunities. Back to Fota(and you knew I would!!) . There also is a wonderful rather large zoo/animal park there, and we have been to view the animals several times. What a surprise to find of all animals: Giraffes in Ireland!!! Yes, I said Giraffes. And of course I did photograph them! And I will post a photo for you today under this bit of Minutia when I finish. The zoo is very nice and well kept by the staff. Our Grandsons always love a trip there, and we have taken them several times. What fun! August is moving, isn't it!! Now there is talk of school starting for students and teachers and staff. I remember the days well when I was a teacher, going back to get the classroom ready for the students. What a great time I had as a teacher. It was very enjoyable. It will be time to go to Ireland soon. We are working on our schedule!! Do have a great weekend, and I hope you are enjoying Fota House as much as we have in our trips to Ireland. Below the 3 photos I posted today, I put some of my own comments about each photo. I hope you enjoy them. It is on a new page 2 of Fota House. Just go to the Fota House button on the opening page and you will see the link. Enjoy!!--BT, August 15, 2009.

"We had gone that day up the highway to Fota, to enter the Wildlife Park there with our Grandsons. It was cloudy and had been a bit rainy earlier, but was perfect for strolling the park and viewing the wildlife. I was so impressed that they had beautiful giraffes in Ireland in the Wildlife Park. They were peacefully grazing on the pristine grass in the field. The rainbow was wonderfully beautiful with the giraffes in the foreground. It was indeed a day to remember, and I will -- forever in my mind!"-BT

August 1, 2009: I go back to Ireland often in my mind, as I move thru life each day. Today I was there among the Gardens at Fota, as I edited and posted some photos to the Flowers of Ireland new page. How fun that was!! I hold Fota Gardens and Fota House in a special place in my heart, as it is beautiful and lovely and historical, and we have taken our Grandsons and Daughter there numerous times on past trips. I suppose we will always go to Fota--it is so irresistible--its beauty in that special place in Co. Cork. It is right out of a Jane Austen novel, but I know I have said that before. I am listening to the fantastic singing group from Europe, IL Divo! They are magnificent and their interpretation of the songs is superb. I find when I do this web page, I enjoy music as I am posting and writing. But it must be mood types of music and very relaxy! Where is time going? Today is August 1. Can you believe it. I remember when I was a teacher, when August 1 rolled around, that meant that before too long school would be starting and teacher meetings prior to school opening would be happening. Strolling the Fota Gardens grounds is superb!!! It is so peaceful, and the Gardens are loaded with birds, beautiful flowers, ponds, and wildlife. In fact, when you go to Fota you walk thru the Gardens on paths to get to Fota House. It is currently being restored, and the second floor is now open for visitors. How nice it is! One can imagine what life might have been like in the 1800's when the John Smith-Barry family came there to live. One should not miss seeing this wonderful House and Gardens. Have you viewed the photographs of Ireland which I have posted this week? There is a button link on the opening page just near the "Minutia" button. I hope you enjoy them. I will post many more soon, and some photos of the inside of Fota House also. Do make every day count. It is August 1 now, and I am already thinking of a Grandson's birthday and his Mother's birthday too, soon. An anniversary will be coming soon for us, and I am preparing for such. We will go for an Anniversary Lunch to a favorite restaurant near the Sea. It is so nice and has a beautiful view! Do take care and enjoy the day.---BT, August 1, 2009.

July 23, 2009: Summer, Summer, can you stay forever?!!!! That is my quote as I look at the beautiful sunny day we have here on the Gold Coast. My, oh my!! What a fantastic day. It is warmish and breezy and wonderful! Yesterday was a watering day for me on the patio--the geranium terraces needed a water check as did the tomatoes. It kept me busy for a bit, for sure. I hope you like the Nicolas Christmas Cactus that I posted today. I really like the Christmas Cactus, and in our climate and in the shade of the patio, they bloom at different times here on the Gold Coast. The summer traffic is heavy on our nearby highway, people wending their way north or south on summer trips and vacations. It reminds me of the Idaho days when we would drive up the highway to the Panhandle of Idaho and Lake Coeur d' Alene for weeks of fishing, boating, waterskiing and the like. It was always warm there in the summer and the fishing was very good. My Dad loved it too. How was your week? Hope it is going well. Ours is moving along nicely. The flowers are picked and put in the Beleek vases on the table today, photos posted to the web page, and the afternoon presents a wonderful summer afternoon for reading, sitting and enjoying. Do enjoy your day wherever you might be. Yes, Christmas is coming, in five months. Time moves on, you are the pilot, as the quotation says, you control your activity, make it count!!!--BT, July 23, 2009.

July 18, 2009: The true summer came in today, complete with rather high humidity and warm and sunny. I love this weather. It is so summery! We picked tomatoes today, and the first Better Boy tomatoes were ripe and we picked 3. See the photo in July's monthly photos. My Dad always liked the Better Boy variety of tomatoes, and he raised many of them in his day. They are so good. We love to make parmesan tomatoes, they are so good with dinner and we love them! I imagine soon we will have some. This is a new page of Minutia, page 7. If you want to view any of the previous Minutia pages just scroll down to the bottom of this page, and there are the links to pages 1-6. I worked a bit around the geranium terraces this a.m. That is a daily activity for me when home. It is such a peaceful and relaxing thing to do. I will always go to the flowers in the a.m. when home. I enjoy interacting with the blossoms and the plants. Sounds strange, doesn't it, but it works for me!! Our Alstromeria plants are doing so well. They are beautiful, and I brought some into the house and put them in the Jack O'Patsy large vase from Ireland. Take a look at the photo below for the view of them. I keep fresh flowers on our table daily, to remind us of their beauty and their presence. That is nice for us. I emailed some people we met on our last trip to Ireland, they are Irish and have a B & B to the north of where we stay when in the country. We had such a wonderful time meeting them by chance that evening when coming in from an evening out; they were coming in the same time and stopped in the hotel lounge where we were sitting enjoying the fire in the fireplace, and what a fine time we had with them. It was as tho we were old friends. How neat that was!! They are such nice people. I hope we have the chance to see them again some time when we take that journey across the sea to Ireland. I like to communicate with people in other countries, chatting and comparing notes and finding our about what they do and where they live and that sort of thing. This is a glorious weekend. The weather is incomparable, but---I know, I know, I already said that. But it is true. Do enjoy your weekend!!!--BT, July 18, 2009.