Cherry Blossom Festival in Wooster Square

Above and below is a view of Hughes Place in Wooster Square. Usually the first to pop and they make a grand canopy for us to walk down.  The day of the festival you can hardly drive through because there are so many people stopping to take photos.

You can see here that the Yoshino Cherries around the park itself have not quite gotten there.  Plus it was a cold and dreary day yet every now and then the sun would shine for five minutes.

 If you want to see lots of photos from around Wooster Square you can visit my former blog Wooster Square Daily Photo by clicking HERE.

Cherry Blossom Festival

Here are some of the beautiful blossoms from a couple of the Yoshino Cherry Trees that grow in Wooster Square, New Haven.  Lived in Wooster Square for three years and just LOVED it especially during cherry blossom time.  Over the next few days I'll be posting pics from the festival that is held the third Sunday of April each year….blossoms or not!  We were lucky this year.

Belvedere Lake and the Great Lawn

In Central Park in New York City.  This was taken on the day I went into NY to the American Museum of Natural Science.  Gorgeous day!  Over this past week I had a lot of activities and now have lots of photos to edit.  Looking ahead....St. John the Divine, NYC, Nightwatch with the Confirmands and the Cherry Blossom Festival in Wooster Square, New Haven.

Masks

From the Museum of Natural History in NYC.  Of course do I remember where they are from?  NO!  Maybe down under or New Zealand?   Today I would put on the bottom mask with the upside down heart on her forehead.  YOU?

Friday at the Feeder

Still butterfly week!

Butterfly Week at OS

Not sure of this one.  Yellow butterfly.

Butterfly Week OS

Long time symbol for new life, resurrection is the butterfly.  So in celebration of Easter and the resurrection and new life of Christ I offer you butterfly week.  Methinks this is a Zebra Longwing Heliconius charitonius.  This one from the American Museum of Natural History, NYC.

Blue Morpho Butterfly

 Dorsal view, although it's really tough to get a good shot.  They are active and don't sit for long.

Ventral view where you can see the circular spots.

Blue Swallowtail Butterfly

This guy just wouldn't come down from the rafters at the American Museum of Natural History in NYC.  The attendant took a long pole with feathers at the end and nudged him but he just flew right back to his post.

This week I'll feature butterflies in celebration of Easter!

Easter Gardenia

New York Botanical Garden

Ichthyology

Ichthyology - a branch of zoology dealing with fish.

Ceiling display at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.

It is finished

These photographs, while not of good quality, hold a very special meaning for me on this Good Friday.   I was able to spend an entire night of reflection and prayer in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem in July of 2008.  On this special day, Good Friday, I am reminded that all of my faults and errors, all of the ways that I have disappointed or have been misguided can be taken to the foot of the cross and left in hope of a new day.

Friday at the feeder will be back next week.

Who knew?

New York Botanical Garden

Wicked Red Head

I'm not making this up!  From the New York Botanical Garden Orchid Show.

New York Botanical Orchid Show

Aechmea 'Del Mar' BROMELIACEAE

These colors were so stunning, only in nature!  Photos untouched.

Orchid Show at the New York Botanical Garden

Here are a few beauties from this year's show, 'Key West'.

Mysore clock vine from Costa Rica

Yes, still featuring Costa Rica photos and I could go another month or two!  This is a hanging vine that they think are just like weeds, I fell in love with them.  Mysore clock vine Thunbegia Mysorensis Acanthaceae!!!!

A love story in four parts

Worn and weathered by the Costa Rican sun he cooly looked off unaware of my advances.  But I knew.

I didn't.  I did.

 I asked.

He said yes.

Friday at the Feeder

I've featured a variation of this feeder before.  Here is a blue-grey tanager in the front and I'm not sure of this other one.  Anyone?

Flora week at OS

Flora Week at OS

Again I can't seem to identify this beauty either.  Think I'll just post without for a while!

Flora week at OS

Definitely in the heliconia family.

Flora Week at OS

Sorry, I don't know what this is either.  My big book of plants of Costa Rica is a bit lame. 

It's just pretty!

Flora Week at OS

No bull, no yoke

Well, maybe just a little.

Takes the phrase 'yoked together' to a new level of understanding.

Friday at the Feeder

Purple Throated Mountain-Gem, Female!  

The male is the one with the purple throat.  

La Paz Waterfall Gardens

Costa Rica

Hummingbird Week at OS V

I've enlarged this photo to show you the little tongue that comes out of the hummingbirds beak.

To see a high speed video by David Mosher click http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/05/hummingbird-tongue-drinking/