SnappingStiles: 2013

Saturday, December 28, 2013

Christmas Village

This little "salt water" pond represents any open water as it includes both swans and seals! I incorporated some rocks from my rock collection to help create the cliff area.

Christmas Village has a new train for 2013

The new HO train survived the season fairly well, after several derailments over the edge and a few tangles with the "snow" which required some repair work. Most of the "engineers" followed the driving instructions and could navigate the curves with respect they needed.

Christmas Village - residential area

Christmas Village - looking down the length of the two levels

Christmas Village Ice Skating Pond

Christmas Village with Tardis

Cricket and Tucker

Cricket and Tucker sporting their summer haircuts. Unfortunately, on this particular outing, burrs still got stuck in their tails, and when they stood side by side wagging their tails, the tails would stick together. Pretty funny.

Todd, Clayton and Colin

Oscar in the workshop

You thought it should be "Alex" in the workshop? Look again - Oscar is in the baby holder with shop-grade ear protection. Asleep.

Oscar

Alex

Alex picking blackberries in an unexpected wetland area south of Chicago.

Scabiosa

Worst name ever for what is a lovely easy to care for perennial flower!

Cholla bloom

Tree Cholla from Colorado is doing fine in Utah, blooming for the first time in 2013.

Butterfly on Jupiter's Beard

Jupiter's Beard or Red Valerian
Centranthus ruber;

This is a wonderful pest free flower that attracts hummingbirds and butterflies. Blooms twice when cut back after first blooming.

Cactus bloom

Cold hardy opuntia (prickly pear) with purple pads.

Oscar

Saturday, November 9, 2013

Brand new baby toes

Addilyn's feet just hours after birth. They are so wrinkled and soft!

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Amtrak train route through the Rockies

I loved trying to photograph the engines of our train as we wound around corners.

View along the Amtrak train route

The train route follows the rivers.

Moffat Tunnel

The Moffat Tunnel, seen here through the window of the train as it approaches the eastern entrance, is a 6.2 mile tunnel that crosses the Continental Divide. This river runs towards the east, and on the other side of the tunnel the rivers will run west.

Rocky Mountain scene

This photo was taken from the Amtrak train as it wound its way through the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. Beautiful rock formations and spectacular canyons highlight the trip. In this photo can be seen healthy forest as opposed to the next photo where areas are devastated by the pine bark beetle.

Bark beetle destruction

Effects of the deadly pine bark beetle can be seen in the Colorado Rockies. This photo was taken along the Amtrak route.

Sunday, June 23, 2013

Nepal Trek: the Himalayas

After spending the night on the ridge during a violent thunder and hail storm we woke to see the air cleared of all smog and the Himalayas in full view, from horizon to horizon and filling half the sky, layer after layer of peaks reaching as far back as we could see.

Goblin Valley

Part of what is delightful about Goblin Valley Park is that you are allowed to wander around all of the bizarre rock sculptures.

pointing the way

rock formation in Goblin Valley

guarding the entrance to Goblin Valley

These three sentinels were guarding the entrance to Goblin Valley Park, Utah.

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Success at last!

These Opuntia Fragilis (fragile prickly pear) lived up to their name. I purchased the original "nuggets" 7 years ago and they were always getting kicked around the garden as the roots aren't deep enough to hold them in place. Finally I gave up and tried them out in a terra cotta pot. Apparently that is what they needed, at least in my not-so-peaceful garden. They thrived last year, survived a very cold winter, and finally bloomed this year! The blue rocks are from Catoctin Creek in Virginia on my dad's property.