Our animatronic skiing snowman has entertained and terrorized a generation of grandchildren.
Category: humanity
Our Solo Thanksgiving Feast
We spread our Thanksgiving goodies over three meals for our 2020 solo celebration.
Breakfast: Homemade Apple Pie (Grannie Smith Apples), Coffee with foamed milk and cinnamon
Lunch: Relish plate, sour cream onion dip, potato chips (avocado oil), Irish cheddar cheese and crackers, Dr. Frank Pino Noir
The roses are the last blooms from our garden.
Copyright 2020 Michael Stephen Wills All Rights Reserved
A Day at Iron Kettle Farm
We miss you, Mom.
One Saturday of October 2012 we enjoyed this last outing with my mother Catherine Ann Wills. She passed away June 2013 at the age of 90 years. We miss you, Mom.
A display of large pumpkins near the entrance to the Iron Kettle Farm.
Enter…if you dare….Corn Mazes are popular tourist attractions and are not simply corn fields. The plantings must be made later, planted thinner and fertilized less than those used for crops.
These small, inedible squash, once dried and hollowed out, become gourds. The plant is in the Cucurbitaceae family of the genus Lagenaria. The squash on this table are too small for anything but displays and decorations, such as centerpieces. Great fun and make and enjoy.
These ornamental squash, also know as cucurbita are not are large enough for use as food. When dried, will last a long time.
Take your pick of pumpkins….
…the pumpkins are sorted by size and price.
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We chose small to medium sized pumpkins.
Thankfully, the trees kept to their usual habits and did not talk to us today.
My dear wife, Pam, was in her element. She loves gardening.
We left the wheelchair at home and Mom enjoyed exploring the exhibits, watching people and the exercise.
Copyright 2023 Michael Stephen Wills All Rights Reserved
The Three Laughers of Tiger Glen – repost
The Sound of Laughter Among Friends
In the midst of a pine forest……
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Copyright 2020 Michael Stephen Wills All Rights Reserved
A Perfect Afternoon On Beebee Lake repost
Anticipating Our Tenth Wedding Anniversary
After work on a 2008 Friday afternoon in October we sped over to Beebee Lake on the Cornell University Campus to catch the late afternoon glow……
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Copyright 2020 Michael Stephen Wills All Rights Reserved
Botanic Garden of Belfast
In closing
The Ulster Museum is set among the Botanic Gardens. It was in the gardens on this rainy Saturday Pam and I wandered for twenty minutes to sweep away the cobwebs of our rainy drive from Coleraine.
I do not have an identification for the following photograph. If you know, please comment. Thank You.
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photo by Pam Wills
“Tropical” palm trees and bromeliad are found throughout Ireland. Thank You Gulf Stream.
photo by Pam Wills
Another unidentified plant…..
photo by Pam Wills
Copyright 2020 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills
SON 
photo by Pam Wills photo by Pam Wills photo by Pam Wills
Paper Thin and Wet
Poppies!!! Petals like paper
The Ulster Museum is set among the Botanic Gardens. It was in the gardens on this rainy Saturday, after the Foxglove flowers of yesterday’s post, flourishing, bright red poppy flowers caught my eye.
Here is a take on poppy flower buds on long stems among leaves.
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Poppy is a storied plant, most species do not produce the narcotic alkaloids associated with sleep and death, pain control. Papaveroideae, the sub-family of these plants, is derived from the Latin for paper, papyrus. You can see the association in the following photographs, petals drenched in water, crumpling like wet paper.
….and more.
..to be continued…..
Copyright 2020 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills
Foxglove
Approach to the Museum
The Ulster Museum is set among the Botanic Gardens. It was in the gardens on this rainy Saturday we needed the umbrellas several times during our twenty minute digression before the museum engulfed us.
The rain brought out this snail, house on its back.
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We found flowers flourishing throughout the island. These foxglove were huge. The common name is after Leonhard Fuchs, who first described it. “Fuchs” is German for fox.
..to be continued…..
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Copyright 2020 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills
Entrance
Approach to the Museum
The Ulster Museum is set among the Botanic Gardens. It was in the gardens on this rainy Saturday. We needed the umbrellas several times during our twenty minute digression before the museum engulfed us.
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So Many Choices
A solid fence, more dignified than a “Keep Off The Grass” sign.
This large, 28 acre, city owned park is free, opened to the public. It is treated with suitable respect by the residents.
The Row Houses on Colenso Parade (street) running parallel to the avenue of flowers we enjoyed.
The Avenue of Flowers
..to be continued…..
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Copyright 2020 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills
Gardens
Approach to the Museum
The Ulster Museum is set among the Botanic Gardens. Armed with umbrellas, Pam and I parked on this interesting street, Colenso Parade, on one side these row houses, on the other the gardens.
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Interesting, “no parking at any time” indicated by a double yellow line along the curb. We parked with everyone else, across the street on the Botanical Gardens side.
We parked and walked in, free as you please, taking in some of the beauty on our way to “Treasures from the Girona”, a permanent Ulster Museum exhibit.
Our time strolling the walks was all too brief, 20 minutes, not enough to savor the treasures of knowledge suggested by the words “Botanic Garden.”
..to be continued…..
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Michael Stephen Wills Photography 