M. Sullivan Photography Flowers, Photos, Weather

Amaryllis, Part II

The first Amaryllis flower has opened up. Here is how it looked on Wednesday.

Rilona Amaryllis – January 9, 2013

And this is how it looked yesterday.

Rilona Amaryllis – January 10, 2013

The second of four blossoms is beginning to open today.  It is nice to see something full of life and color during our dreary Minnesota winter.  Today it is rainy and foggy.  Very odd for January.  Next week’s highs will be in the single digits.  😦

M. Sullivan Photography Flowers, Photos

Amaryllis

After many, many years without flowering, my amaryllis finally decided to bloom.  The flowers are not quite open yet.  This is only a prelude.

Rilona Amaryllis – January 7, 2013
Rilona Amaryllis – January 7, 2013
Rilona Amaryllis – January 8, 2013
Rilona Amaryllis – January 8, 2013

I believe the bulb originally came from my Mom.  I have had it for more than 15 years.  I can not remember the last time it bloomed, but I think it was worth the wait.

M. Sullivan Photography Flowers, Garden, Photos, Weather

Signs Of Autumn

Although not quite officially fall, the signs are evident that it is close at hand.

Colorful Maple Leaf
Trees Of Many Colors
Ripe Pumpkin (Miniature)
Ripe Apples

The final garden flowers.

Pink Zinnia
Brown-Eyed Susans

We picked the grapes from our Concord grape vine earlier this month.  We had enough juice to make three batches of grape jelly (12 pints).  My brother generously offered the grapes from his vine and even picked them for me and delivered them to our house.  In total, I made six batches (24 pints) of jelly, froze 10 cups of juice (equivalent to 8 more pints of jelly) and made a quart of grape juice that we drank.  I’m quite certain that I don’t want to look at another grape for a very long time.  We are stocked with grape jelly for the entire school year of lunch boxes filled with PB&J’s.

Concord Grapes
Mama’s Little Helper

Sophia’s school had a “Harvest Festival” this week.  Students were asked to bring in something from their garden to show during the festival.  We still have carrots, peppers, tomatoes and apples, but Sophia decided a bouquet is what she wanted to share with her fellow schoolmates.

Autumn Mix

She won 1st prize for her bouquet.

Winner!

We were fortunate that the festival was early in the week.  We had a hail storm come through on Wednesday which shredded the leaves on our few remaining garden plants, our grape vine and took many leaves and small branches off the trees.  A few hours after the storm had passed, this was what still remaining on the top of our rain barrel.

Remnants

The decks were littered with pieces of foliage and sticks.

Debris

We are planning to get outside tomorrow to take care of sweeping the decks and cleaning up the yard.  A little bit of nice weather would be nice so that we can also enjoy my nephew’s soccer game Saturday and Sebastian’s last day of baseball camp on Sunday.