Spring Visitor

“The traveler sees what he sees,
the tourist sees what he has come to see.
Gilbert K. Chesterton

Lisa Orchid2

Orchid Plant from Lisa April 2015.

My son visited us the other day with his friend Lisa, from Germany. She has been to California before but never to Redondo Beach. Sweet Lisa brought me an orchid plant. It’s so beautiful, I had to take a picture and share it with my fellow bloggers.

Erics Orchid April 2 2015

Last years Orchid Plant from my son. First new blossom January 2015.

A few months back, I posted a photo of the new blossom on the orchid plant my son gave me last year for my birthday.

I can’t believe the flower is several months old and still is fresh as ever. Here’s the original post, Spring Arrived Early

Looks like my collection of fresh orchid plants is growing with each spring visitor.

If you click on the images, you can see the flowers in greater detail.

Shine On

Farmer’s Philosophy

Common Sense

Your fences need to be horse-high, pig-tight and bull-strong.

Keep skunks and bankers at a distance.
Life is simpler when you plow around the stump.
A bumble bee is considerably faster than a John Deere tractor.
Words that soak into your ears are whispered… not yelled.

Meanness don’t jes’ happen overnight.
Forgive your enemies; it messes up their heads.
Do not corner something that you know is meaner than you.
It don’t take a very big person to carry a grudge.
You cannot unsay a cruel word.

Every path has a few puddles.
When you wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty.
The best sermons are lived, not preached.
Most of the stuff people worry about ain’t never gonna happen anyway.
Don’t judge folks by their relatives.

Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
Live a good, honorable life… Then when you get older and think back,
you’ll enjoy it a second time.

Don ‘t interfere with somethin’ that ain’t bothering you none.
Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a Rain dance.
If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin’.
Sometimes you get, and sometimes you get got.

The biggest troublemaker you’ll probably ever have to deal with,
watches you from the mirror every mornin’.

Always drink upstream from the herd.
Good judgment comes from experience,
and a lotta that comes from bad judgment.
Lettin’ the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier than puttin’ it back in.

If you get to thinkin’ you’re a person of some influence,
try orderin’ somebody else’s dog around..

Live simply.
Love generously.
Care deeply.
Speak kindly.
Leave the rest to God.

Don’t pick a fight with an old man.
If he is too old to fight, he’ll just kill you.

Most times, it just gets down to common sense.

Shine On

April Fools

“The first of April is the day we remember
what we are the other 364 days of the year.”
Mark Twain

April Fool

How fun to have a day where people celebrate every year on the first day of April as a day when people play practical jokes and hoaxes on each other. The jokes and their victims are known as “April fools”. Hoax stories may be reported by the press and other media on this day and explained on subsequent days.

This Holiday has been popular since the 19th century, and although the day is not a national holiday in any country, it is well known in Canada, Europe, Australia, Brazil and the United States.

I’m not much of a practical jokester, so I won’t be hoaxing anyone I know. But, in any case, have a Happy April Fools.

Shine On

Flower Power

“Every flower is a soul blossoming in nature.”
Gerard De Nerval

Flower Power

Receiving flowers is one of my favorite gifts. One of my favorite flowers are peonies. They start out as this beautiful ball of soft pedals and then they bloom and look like roses.

The other flower I love is the tulip. So delicate with their scent of spring and perfect in their shape. Then there’s the daffodil. This flower conjures up childhood memories with its clean scent and face like that of the lion in the movie, Wizard of Oz.

I guess there really isn’t any flower that I don’t like. Well, maybe there’s one flower I could do without. That would be the very rare amorphophallus titanum, or corpse flower. I read that this flower only blooms every five to fifteen years. They say it’s a beautiful sight to see but very smelly like something has died. Good thing it only blooms a few times a century.

Whichever flowers are your favorite, give me my peonies to rejuvenate me and give me flower power.

Shine On