REFLECTIONS

I added more soil to top off the garden from last year. I have a plastic net over the top to keep the deer and birds away.  The front, back and side wooden frames make it a cube to keep the rabbits and squirrels away. I put a plastic sheet over the soil to prevent the weeds from growing. But it looks ugly and Lynette said it may encourage mold so I'm removing it as soon as I get a chance.  The garden is so small that weeding it should be easy.

While I was clearing away some weeds I found two or maybe three toads.  I must have wrecked their home.  One was larger so he must be the male. The smaller toad must be his mate.  I'm not sure if I saw a third toad. One went under a concrete square.  The other watched me for a while, then moved away.  I blocked his path making him go in the opposite direction. But I decided to leave him alone to go back to weeding.   They lined up their bodies against the brick wall as if posing.  It must be a defense mechanism.  Last year a toad made its home in one of my flower pots and it stayed all summer.  I messed up their home while weeding so I want to make them another. They sell "toad abodes" but the prices are high: I decided to make my own, something like the flowerpot a toad used last year. Here is an article from the National Wildlife Federation. I'm sure I can make a better looking home than this one.  Lynette seems interested in making a few t

I played around with this photo because it just fascinated me.  It was for an article about schizophrenia. It's a bit scary. Up Close!

Now I want a pretzel but the only thing in the house is Lynette's frozen gluten free pretzels.  Not what I had in mind.  Here are some interesting facts I found. NATIONAL PRETZEL DAY National Pretzel Day is observed annually on April 26.  A bag of nice crunchy, salty pretzels or a big, warm, soft, cinnamon pretzel is the question of the day.  Either one is an excellent choice. There are a few different accounts of the origin of the pretzel.  Most people agree that it does have a Christian background, and they were developed by the monks.  According to  The History of Science and Technology , in 610 AD, “an Italian monk invents pretzels as a reward to children who learn their prayers.  He calls the strips of baked dough, folded to resemble arms crossing the chest,  pretiola  (little rewards).” Another source puts the invention in a monastery in southern France. The looped pretzel may also be related to a Greek Ring bread from the communion bread used in monasteries a th

These statues are located at the entrance to the Manhattan Bridge on the Brooklyn side.  What surprised me about them was how they rotate and how they are lit up from within at night. I took these two videos, one during the day and one at night. They're almost ghostly. Here's a news video  about the statues.