Goodbye to a special person

This week a special teacher passed away who touched the lives of her students for many years.  She was also a passionate gardener. 

Teachers who inspire know that teaching is like cultivating a garden.

anonymous

Violas

Give me odorous at sunrise a garden of beautiful flowers where I can walk undisturbed.

Walt Whitman

Zinnia

If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change.

Buddha

Water

Photography Challenge week 26: Artificial











This artificial "lake" is the result of 5 days of rain.  These are flooded fields.



 

The farmer has to be an optimist or he wouldn't still be a farmer.

Will Rogers

Happy Canada Day

The Maple Leaf Forever is a very old song. It has a great tune, and rousing, patriotic lyrics.  I like it much more than O Canada.

I particularly like the third verse:

 
Our fair Dominion now extends
From Cape Race to Nootka Sound.
May peace forever be our lot
And plenty a store abound.
And may those ties of love be ours
Which discord cannot sever,
And flourish green for freedom's home
The maple leaf forever.

After the storm

Be thou the rainbow in the storms of life.  The evening beam that smiles the clouds away, and tints tomorrow with prophetic ray.

Lord Byron

Quiet spot

It is the month of June
The month of leaves and roses,
When pleasant sights salute the eyes
And pleasant scents the noses.

Nathaniel Parker Willis

Weeds

A weed is a plant that has mastered every survival skill except for learning how to grow in rows.

Doug Larson

More ducks

All along the black water,
through the rushes tall,
Ducks are a-dabbling,
Up tails all!
Ducks' tails, drakes' tails,
Yellow feet a quiver,
Yellow bills all out of sight,
Busy in the river!
          Kenneth Grahame

Ducks

I enjoy many kinds of music, including old fashioned, traditional country music.  This week when I came across ducks and ducklings, it reminded me of the old song I Love by Tom T. Hall. 

 

I love little baby ducks,
old pickup trucks
slow moving trains, and rain
I love little country streams,
sleep without dreams
Sunday school in May
and hay
And I love you too.