Holiday Blast

Chinese trumpet lily, Lilium ‘Lady Alice’ opens to begin the celebrations of the US birthday, Independence Day, July 4th. Blushing Knockout rose, Rosa ‘Radyod’ was waving darker colors in honor of the holiday. That, or it has decided to go au natural and return to the dark hot pinky red of the original. Stargazer oriental lilies offer a comfy bed for overworked buzzers. Even though it was midday, this bumble needed to take a siesta after so much nectar gathering. July is marked by the blooming of the Eryngiums in the shed bed. Nasella and Belamcanda have self seeded along with the blue sea hollies. In the effort to capture the steel blue of the seedling Eryngiums, a buzzer comes into the shot. Oh my, this looks to be a hornet. In this same area a few years ago a careless slice with the electric hedge trimmer on the Pyracantha row stirred up the proverbial hornets nest built within. They attacked and the trimmer was dropped still running as we ran inside the shed and held the door closed from the inside while the angry mob flew against the wooden door with mulitple thuds and thunks. Through the window the sight of the black and white buzzers attacking the vibrating hedge trimmer caused a shudder to travel up our spine. It was a long wait for things to settle down enough that a mad dash down the steps and into the house could happen. Onto more exiting things. Offspring Semi and her family, Mister Semi and little LTB, aged three and eleven/twelfths came down the interstate to the Fairegarden for some family fun. The first night featured a cookout followed by some popping, whizzing sparklies. Hooray! Bright and early the next morning a trip to the nearby Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanoogo was on the agenda. Click here to find out about this wonderful resouce. There was plenty of interest for all ages. Mister Semi was studying whatever was in this case. If little LTB was going in, he would be shirtless. There are two buildings containing water filled attractions in the downtown campus of the aquarium, the Ocean Journey which included the butterfly garden, and the River Journey next door which can be seen through the window. Little LTB stood still as a statue while studying the friendly flutterby. There were fish of all shapes and sizes. The special exhibit at the aquarium was jellyfish. There were several tanks with different species of the boneless wonders. The room was quite dark and each case glowed with changing colors. The Jellies: Living Art exhibition combined these beautiful creatures with studio glass by four artists in lighted cases in the same space. The above art glass by Stephen Rolfe Powell was particularly fetching. To find out more about the cooperative spirit that created glass and living magic in Chattanooga, Tennessee click here.
Frances

Psalm Of Life-GBMD

A Psalm of Life
Tell me not, in mournful numbers,
Life is but an empty dream!–
For the soul is dead that slumbers,
And things are not what they seem.
Life is real! Life is earnest!
And the grave is not its goal;
Dust thou art, to dust returnest,
Was not spoken of the soul.
Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,
Is our destined end or way;
But to act, that each tomorrow
Find us farther than today.
Art is long, and Time is fleeting,
And our hearts, though stout and brave,
Still, like muffled dreams, are beating
Funeral marches to the grave.
In the world’s broad field of battle,
In the bivouac of Life,
Be not like dumb, driven cattle!
Be a hero in the strife!
Trust no future, howe’er pleasant!
Let the dead Past bury its dead!
Act,–act in the living present!
Heart within, and God o’erhead!
Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time;
Footprints, that perhaps another,
Sailing o’er life’s solemn main,
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
Seeing, shall take heart again.
Let us, then, be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait.
–poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow–
~~~
My father, who was born in July, used to recite bits of this poem nearly everyday as I was growing up. Only recently was the source discovered and devoured. It speaks volumes about the choices all face with the act of living. To live is a verb, do it, don’t just watch and wait as life passes you by.
~
Garden Bloggers Muse Day is sponsored by the very talented Carolyn Gail of Sweet Home And Garden Chicago.
Frances