Friday at the Feeder

Today we'll take a break from the Memorial Day parade to see who has been at the feeder.  It's Mr. and Mrs. Cardinalis cardinals AKA Northern Cardinal or Stan and Lil.  

 Stan prefers the larger sunflower seeds.

 Lil, the smaller seeds.  She is a bit of a messy eater with all of the seed on her beak. Don't you think?

Cardinals predominantly are monogamous and mate for life.

Last Photo by Robert Cohen of St. Louis Today

Here's another Stan and Lil!  Stan and Lil Musial, Stan was the greatest St. Louis Cardinal baseball player ever.  They mated for life at 62 years and now are gracing a ballpark on a distant and shiny shore.

Happy Faces

Orange Memorial Day Parade

Amity Regional High School Marching Band

Orange doesn't have its own high school.  Kids go to Amity High School with kids from neighboring Woodbridge and Bethany.

 There were lots of musicians

Self portrait.  I'm standing behind the seating woman in white with the salmon colored blanket on her legs.

And We're Off

The Orange Memorial Day Parade began with Veterans marching from the American Legion. 

Memorial Day

Yesterday was the Memorial Day Parade in Orange.  Over the next few days I'll post photos of the event which was a lot of fun.  The day was somewhat sunny and definitely cold and windy.  Here are pics of folks waiting for the parade to begin.

Rhodies in Bloom

Rhododendrom ponticum

Turtle

It's been rainy and COLD the last couple of days, not conducive to getting out and taking photos.  Here's one from the day I visited Tower Hill Botanic Garden in MA.  Lots of activities coming up in the next couple of weeks here in Orange.  Stay tuned......

Friday at the Feeder

This Bluejay keeps coming to the feeder at least once a day.  Compared to the other birds on the block he is large except for those annoying Grackles.  He doesn't feed for long or if at all.  He mostly zooms in and then takes off again to the branches.  

These are not great photos because he just doesn't stay still for long and because of his weight the feeder and poles are usually swinging a bit.

A study of Chondrus crispus

Chondrus crispus or Irish moss or carrageen moss is a red algae found on the Atlantic coast and Europe.  I found this specimen at one of the West Haven, CT beaches.

 Specimen dried

 Specimen rehydrated

Watercolor study I - beginning washes

And if the tag sale wasn't enough

That very same day my colleague had a wedding at 4:30 pm at the church.  So we had to clean up all the crap merchandise that didn't sell and get it off of the green and away from view.  I thought I could go back to the parsonage and relax but I looked out of the window and saw this trolly parked in front of the house.

 The Jolly Red Trolly was not so jolly earlier in the day.  Hailing from Essex, CT the trolly stalled out and got to the wedding late.  Couldn't even pick up the wedding party to bring them to the church so they had to scramble and come on over in their sedans and such.  I could imagine the drama.

Here's the bride and her court waiting to board the trolly and head off to Lighthouse Point for the reception.  I guess, all in all, this was not such a big wedding disaster.  Not like running out of wine and having to fill jars with plain old well water or anything like that.  Miracles do happen you know.

The joys of parsonage on the green living.

Just a couple more

OK, so it wasn't all tag sale junk merchandise.  There were a couple of crafters there too, just a couple.  I'm honestly not sure what this crafter was selling.  The bottom right got drowned out by the sun however it had curlers in her hair.

 I seriously didn't think my display was that bad.

A little time out for some puppy love.

The Donut Testers

What's more fitting for a Youth Group Tag Sale at Orange Congregational Church than HEAV'NLY Donuts?  

 Testing before the crowds came.

Tag Sale on the Green

The next few days I'll show different photos of the tag sale put on by our Youth Fellowship.  All the junk merchandise was tagged and priced in the basement and then had to be carted outside.

High finances!  All told they took in around $2,600.  Nice job youth!!!

Busy Day on the Green

Funny how one person's obsession eventually becomes invaluable merchandise at a tag sale (garage sale for those of you in the Midwest).  Here is a bunny collection of yesteryear.  No doubt dear to someone for whatever reason at the time but has gone the way of most all collections; the local tag sale.  Our Pilgrim Fellowship Youth Group held their annual tag sale on the Green today.  I'll be posting photos in the next couple of days from the event.

Friday at the Feeder

You know it doesn't always happen at the feeder.  This cardinal and his mate I often find on the ground getting the seed.  They like it that way.  BTW - I've got these Grackles who are coming and eating me out of house and home.  Anyone have any thoughts on how to make them go elsewhere?  Since they have come the Goldfinches seemed to have disappeared.

Tower Hill Botanic Garden

Tower Hill Botanic Garden in Boylston, MA is a lovely 'year-round living museum displaying the finest plants for cultivation in central New England.' There are many sculptures dotted through the smaller gardens as you walk the Botanic garden.

Bread and Butter

Antioch Mosaic

At the Worcester Art Museum in Worcester, MA there is a mosaic from the early 6th c CE.  

It dominates the floor of the main entrance.  

The museum housed quite a nice collection of art from the different periods.