Tag: Exploring Colour

Photo Challenge & Pressed Flowers – A Departure From the Norm

On By TimelessladyIn Photo Challenge at Wordpress20 Comments

I found a great weather vane last weekend, but didn’t have a camera with me. I drove back to the location on Monday, and NO, realized I had forgotten the camera. I will try again before next Wednesday, but for this week’s vane, I’m going to fall back on an old cliche: necessity is the mother of invention. Before you is that invention, a weather vane created with pressed flowers.

The flowers have been between the pages of books, in a dark closet, for 8 – 10 months. A few have faded, but I was surprised by the vivid color some blossoms and leaves retained. The flower names, bottom to top are: Alyssum, Pentis, Blue Lobelia, Marigold Florets, Johnny-Jump-Ups, white filler flower, (can’t remember the name) a Chasteberry leaf, separated for the pole, and some vine sprigs forming the vane.

The sweet bluebird was created from two petals of a beautiful blue Delphinium. A perfect fold in the petal created the bird’s wing, the darker discoloration at the tip resembles a beak. The tail was cut with small manicure/embroidery scissors into a bow shape. A small dot with a sharpie was all that I needed for the eye. While writing this post I suddenly realized my little bird almost resembles a fish. Perhaps my next pressed flower scene will be underwater. 😁

The letters…hmmm…a bit of a mystery??? No…I didn’t form them from vines. Trying to find and place curving pieces of stem and vine would have been a nightmare. Instead, I photographed the flower composition and used Ribbet to place the letters depicting north, south, east and west.

Thanks to these bloggers for taking part in last week’s challenge:
Dunrobin Hall Vane – Exploring Colour
Allendale and the Topper Site
Flying with wind – Geriatri’x’ Fotogallery

The Photo Challenge: Each Wednesday, I post a photograph of a Weather Vane with a short description of where it can be found and any history connected to it. The main focus of the challenge is the photo of the Weather Vane and the location. The challenge can be Wordless if that is what you choose. If you would like others to see your post leave a link to your blog in the comment box. You can also tag the post #weathervaneweds. If you place a link to my post in your post you will create a pingback that will appear in the comment section. The challenge is open all week for comments and posts. Thanks so much for taking part in my challenge.

Many thanks to Cee, of Cee’s Photography, for including this challenge in her listing of WordPress Challenges. If you love challenges take a look at this page and while you are there check out some of Cee’s terrific posts. Thanks Cee!

Photo Challenge – Side Roads and Odd Menageries

On By TimelessladyIn Photo Challenge at Wordpress11 Comments

“Take the back roads instead of the highways.” ~ Minnie Pearl

In late winter, we often find ourselves driving down side roads. All of our tried and true winter activities have usually been visited and we like to try a few voluntary detours off our usual paths. Over the last few weekends we’ve collected quite an assortment of oddities while searching for weather vanes. The selected vane for this week is hard to see against the thick bramble of branches. We think it is an Irish Setter and we wouldn’t be surprised if one is in residence in the home below.

As we were driving I spotted this scare wolf. At first glance I thought it was alive. It took a moment, and the zoom lens on the camera, to see the pole holding him up. My husband thought we had spotted this oddity on past trips.

The farmer who owns this field should consider a scare animal of some type too. I’ve never seen so many wild turkeys in one place. I can imagine the damage they would do to just-seeded crops or sprouts.

This beautiful angel and surroundings are a natural black and white photograph without any tweaking, perfect for Cee’s black and white challenge: tender moments. She is in a graveyard, a monument to a General who died in 1906. The angel’s wing has been lost to erosion or vandalism, but it is no less beautiful for the loss.

A last image of our trips down side roads is this sand plant in South Jersey. The plant is still functioning, but many of it’s buildings are on the verge of falling down in one of our N’orEaster storms. I thought this building a good example of abandoned architecture.

Thanks to these bloggers for taking part in last week’s challenge:
Exploring Colour – Waipapa Point Lighthouse
Geriatri’x’ Fotogallery – Weathercocks
The 59 Club – Wider Than a Mile

The Photo Challenge: Each Wednesday, I post a photograph of a Weather Vane with a short description of where it can be found and any history connected to it. The main focus of the challenge is the photo of the Weather Vane and the location. The challenge can be Wordless if that is what you choose. If you would like others to see your post leave a link to your blog in the comment box. You can also tag the post #weathervaneweds. If you place a link to my post in your post you will create a pingback that will appear in the comment section. The challenge is open all week for comments and posts. Thanks so much for taking part in my challenge.

Many thanks to Cee, of Cee’s Photography, for including this challenge in her listing of WordPress Challenges. If you love challenges take a look at this page and while you are there check out some of Cee’s terrific posts. Thanks Cee!

Photo Challenge – Weather Vane Wednesday/Angelic Skies

On By TimelessladyIn photo challenges19 Comments

I found two beautiful angelic weather vanes in a nearby town for this week’s weather vane challenge. They are atop roofs in Wenonah, New Jersey. One was a very well-dressed angel blowing a trumpet. The other a naked cherub who looked a little cold to me in February’s stiff breeze.

A nearby church also had a weather vane on its steeple.

It was knocked askew and didn’t look particularly stable to me.

Perhaps neighborhood vultures roosted on the vane, loosening the apparatus that held it in place. There were once so many vultures in Wenonah during the wintertime the town held festivals with vultures as the theme. I read today the festival is no more due to the vultures leaving…perhaps they are making a comeback this year.

Thanks to these bloggers for taking part in this week’s Weather Vane Wednesday challenge.

Geriatri’x’ FotoGallery – Weather Vanes of the Curonian Lagoon
Exploring Colour – I Saw A Fine Horse
The 59 Club – History of Barbie Doll

The Photo Challenge: Each Wednesday, I post a photograph of a Weather Vane with a short description of where it can be found and any history connected to it. The main focus of the challenge is the photo of the Weather Vane and the location. The challenge can be Wordless if that is what you choose. If you would like others to see your post leave a link to your blog in the comment box. You can also tag the post #weathervaneweds. If you place a link to my post in your post you will create a pingback that will appear in the comment section. The challenge is open all week for comments and posts. Thanks so much for taking part in my challenge.

Many thanks to Cee, of Cee’s Photography, for including this challenge in her listing of WordPress Challenges. If you love challenges take a look at this page and while you are there check out some of Cee’s terrific posts. Thanks Cee!

Photo Challenge – The Yellow Garage Antiques Shop

On By TimelessladyIn photo challenges8 Comments
This fish weather vane was my favorite.

A treasure trove of unique weather vanes awaited me in The Yellow Garage Antiques shop this week. Yes, the exterior is yellow, and yes, it was a garage/bus terminal built in 1922. It was renovated in 1995 and is home to 35 antique dealers. Is it amazing inside? Yes. Was it filled with unique merchandise? Yes. Were there antique weather vanes? Yes, not only weather vanes but whirlygigs and other wind dependent structures too.

If you are ever in southern New Jersey, The Yellow Garage is easy to find on Main Street in Mullica Hill.

Thanks to these bloggers for taking part in last week’s challenge.

Exploring Colour – Wind Vane: Bell Tea

Geriatri’x’ – A Cock Above a Crown

A Day in the Life – Weathervane Wednesday

The 59 Club – Sunday Walk in the Bavarian Countryside

The Photo Challenge: Each Wednesday, I post a photograph of a Weather Vane with a short description of where it can be found and any history connected to it. The main focus of the challenge is the photo of the Weather Vane and the location. The challenge can be Wordless if that is what you choose. If you would like others to see your post leave a link to your blog in the comment box. You can also tag the post #weathervaneweds. If you place a link to my post in your post you will create a pingback that will appear in the comment section. The challenge is open all week for comments and posts. Thanks so much for taking part in my challenge.

Many thanks to Cee, of Cee’s Photography, for including this challenge in her listing of WordPress Challenges. If you love challenges take a look at this page and while you are there check out some of Cee’s terrific posts. Thanks Cee!

Photo Challenge – Orchid Extravaganza Part II & Weather Vane Wednesday

On By TimelessladyIn Photo Challenge at Wordpress26 Comments

This week’s weather vane is atop the Longwood Gardens Conservatory. The Orchid Extravanganza featured orchids in a variety of unique settings.

These orchids were in a planter in a long walkway filled with blooming acacia.

A waterfall complete with orchids.

A bright cascade of orchids alongside two walkways, one behind and one in front. This display was really lovely.

Thank you to these bloggers who took part in last week’s challenge. Take a look at their great weather vanes.
Daily Musings – Weather Vane Wednesday
Geriatri’x’fotogallery – Weather Vane Wednesday
The 59 Club – Lawton Stables – South Carolina
Exploring Color – Wind Vane Windfall

The Photo Challenge: Each Wednesday, I post a photograph of a Weather Vane with a short description of where it can be found and any history connected to it. The main focus of the challenge is the photo of the Weather Vane and the location. The challenge can be Wordless if that is what you choose. If you would like others to see your post leave a link to your blog in the comment box. You can also tag the post #weathervaneweds. If you place a link to my post in your post you will create a pingback that will appear in the comment section. The challenge is open all week for comments and posts. Thanks so much for taking part in my challenge.

Many thanks to Cee, of Cee’s Photography, for including this challenge in her listing of WordPress Challenges. If you love challenges take a look at this page and while you are there check out some of Cee’s terrific posts. Thanks Cee!

Photo Challenge – Weather Vane Wednesday/How Far Will You Go?

On By TimelessladyIn photo challenges21 Comments

How far will you drive for a favorite food or snack? We’ve driven sixty miles, give or take a mile or two, to get our favorite Ocean City Boardwalk pizza at Manco and Manco’s. If you’re ever in the area check out this delicious pizza.

Ocean City is a good source to find both weather vanes and lightning rods. I’m wondering if weather vanes double as lightning rods on some of the three-story condos. I’ve found seashore towns to be the best source of many weather vanes in one place. The first vane is a heron, the second two dolphins. I’ve always loved dolphins; I grew up in the era of Flipper on television. I think this vane will be one of my top ten favorites.

Antique lightning rods and weather vanes are considered decorative collectibles.

Thanks so much to these bloggers for taking part in the last week’s challenge. Please take a look at their weather vanes:

The 59 Club – A Calm Voyage
Cee’s Photography – Weather Vane Wednesday – January 9, 2019
Photography OCD – No Direction Home
Daily Musings – Photo Challenge Weather Vane Wednesday
Light Words – Live Weather Vane
Exploring Colour – Wind Vane, Invercargill

The Photo Challenge: Each Wednesday, I post a photograph of a Weather Vane with a short description of where it can be found and any history connected to it. The main focus of the challenge is the photo of the Weather Vane and the location. The challenge can be Wordless if that is what you choose. If you would like others to see your post leave a link to your blog in the comment box. You can also tag the post #weathervaneweds. If you place a link to my post in your post you will create a pingback that will appear in the comment section. The challenge is open all week for comments and posts. Thanks so much for taking part in my challenge.

Many thanks to Cee, of Cee’s Photography, for including this challenge in her listing of WordPress Challenges. If you love challenges take a look at this page and while you are there check out some of Cee’s terrific posts. Thanks Cee!

Photo Challenge – Weather Vane Wednesday & Sea-Beans

On By TimelessladyIn photo challenges16 Comments

I spotted the weather vane as we drove over the bridge into Cape May. We were there for a winter getaway. The weather never cooperated…nothing but cloudy sky. Bah! Oh well, we told ourselves, at least the indoor pool will be warm. Bah! The heater in the pool was broken, the water about as cold as the ocean water. I swam one lap in that cold water and felt like a Viking conqueror. It’s been eternally dreary here this past year. We had over 140 days with precipitation, and that doesn’t even include the days that were overcast and grey.

We walked the beach anyway, for only a few minutes though, my husband was one of the unlucky ones who came down with a terrible case of cold/flu that lasted for weeks. In NC, my sister told me, they call this sickness, “The Crud.” Someone even invented a medicine to combat it called Carolina Crud Crusher.

Even though our beach walk was short I found a pod, a sea-bean pod. Determined to make the best of the day, I took that bean pod home, sure it must have followed the gulf stream from the tropics to the beach of Cape May. (It might have, but it is also possible it is a pod from a local tree.) I consider all beach drift a gift from the sea. A love of natural beach detritus will probably never die in me. I put the pod in the pocket of my winter coat and took it home. This past week I added some unknown seeds found on the edges of bay waters to my sea bean cache.

I nicked the edges of half the seeds in the pod and have them soaking in water with a discarded rotisserie chicken container at the ready, filled with potting soil, a stand-in for a greenhouse. I will plant them tomorrow after their overnight soak. I can’t wait to see if they will grow.

Thank you to these bloggers for taking part in last week’s challenge. Take a look at their terrific weather vanes:
The 59 Club – Double Duty
Exloring Colour – Weathercock

The Photo Challenge: Each Wednesday, I post a photograph of a Weather Vane with a short description of where it can be found and any history connected to it. The main focus of the challenge is the photo of the Weather Vane and the location. The challenge can be Wordless if that is what you choose. If you would like others to see your post leave a link to your blog in the comment box. You can also tag the post #weathervaneweds. If you place a link to my post in your post you will create a pingback that will appear in the comment section. The challenge is open all week for comments and posts. Thanks so much for taking part in my challenge.

Many thanks to Cee, of Cee’s Photography, for including this challenge in her listing of WordPress Challenges. If you love challenges take a look at this page and while you are there check out some of Cee’s terrific posts. Thanks Cee!

Photo Challenge – Weather Vane Wednesday/Alcyon Lake Park

On By TimelessladyIn photo challenges3 Comments

In Pitman, NJ, the town next door to mine, you will find Alcyon Lake Park. The stock car weather vane pays homage to the days when racing took place on the grounds.

“Alcyon Speedway
Alcyon Speedway was a 1/2 mile D shaped oval located on the west side of Pitman, New Jersey.
Historical Note:
The original track on the site was a 1/3 mile bicycle track which opened in 1895. It was expanded to 1/2 mile for horse racing around 1909-1910. Auto racing occured here in 1909, from 1919 to 1925, and from 1935 through 1942. After WWII, the track operated from May 30th 1946 through July 1960.”
~ North American Motorsports

The park is a terrific place to walk as it has a little bit of everything: woods, wildflower fields, and a beautiful lake on one side.

Many thanks to these bloggers for taking part in last week’s Weather Vane Wednesday. Take a look at their great posts.
Exploring Colour – High Weather Vanes
The 59 Club – Distance and Winds

The Photo Challenge: Each Wednesday, I post a photograph of a Weather Vane with a short description of where it can be found and any history connected to it. The main focus of the challenge is the photo of the Weather Vane and the location. The challenge can be Wordless if that is what you choose. If you would like others to see your post leave a link to your blog in the comment box. You can also tag the post #weathervaneweds. If you place a link to my post in your post you will create a pingback that will appear in the comment section. The challenge is open all week for comments and posts. Thanks so much for taking part in my challenge.

Many thanks to Cee, of Cee’s Photography, for including this challenge in her listing of WordPress Challenges. If you love challenges take a look at this page and while you are there check out some of Cee’s terrific posts. Thanks Cee!