Summer's Final Reflection Photos

With Summer steadily winding down, comes the climax of many beautiful reflections. I hardly know where to start with my own. First my bountiful vegetable garden has yielded many lovely treasures. I layered my perfections on metal skewers pictured above, creating a splendid barbeque feast for our dinner tonight!

Mouth watering cherry tomatoes, zucchini, green bell peppers, pearl onions, and carrots, were all my garden veggie delights surrounding chicken breast chunks. I used a special dry rub sent to me by my good friend Nazarina, paired with a terriyaki marinade. To say the least, I couldn't grill them fast enough to fill my families plates.

I've had an abundance of greenbeans, which are still coming strong! I've frozen a good bit of these vegetables for my soups, sauces, ect for the Winter months ahead. I started drying out my sunflowers to make sunflower seeds as in the past.


My daily walks with Sierra dog has given me wonderful solitude, gazing along the countrysides of my farmer friends farm. Isn't the view just breathtaking? The corn is about a good 6 to 7ft, ready to harvest shortly. This farm goes on for miles, carrying into another farm.


The sun was setting on an evening this past week, when I shot this photo at a different angle. The soybean field directly in front of me, and the rolling hills that Pennsylvania is know for far off in the horizon. Farming is a unique and beautiful art in itself, these great folks work hard to keep this farm looking immaculate as it does.

My flowers seem to always look their most beautiful at the end of Summer, and through most of Fall. The flower plants are at their fullest and most brilliant color. My hotpink petunias just light up my flower garden with their elegant and delicate presence.

I only had one set of my purple coneflowers come back this year. These beauties are one of my favorite flowers. The birds love pecking and eating the centers out of the daisylike flowers.

School is starting in a couple days, and the nights are growing cooler. It's been a hot and humid summer, and I look forward to cooler nights walking with Sierra dog.

Soon the flowers will fade, and the leaves will start turning. But I won't rush a moment, not too fast or hastily. I'll take them as they come and revel right here Literally in the moment!!

Stunning Minature Rose Photo & Haiku

A real stunning photo of a minature rose from my beautiful flower garden!!

The End Of A Swimming Era!

Sadly our Esther Williams pool of 16 years has bit the dust! All my beautiful memories are going to the scrap yard! I was pregnant with my first child when we purchased this pool. It's been through 2 generations of dogs, and most recently my nephew and great nephew. We enjoyed many wonderful summers in this pool, and I'm certainly going to miss our favorite summer recreation right in our own backyard. We were going to purchase a new liner, and upon examing the walls my hubby found a bunch of pin holes all through them.

It couldn't of happened at the worse time, as we're experiencing one of the hottest summers here in PA. We've spent a lot of the past month, driving over to my sister's house to swim in her pool. Though it's been really nice to go there, it's not like swimming right out our own back door! Winter took it's toll on our roof, so we had to have all the shingles replaced this Spring. So purchasing a new pool is quite out of the question.

I've been having a run of bad luck for the past two weeks. I fell one day while walking Sierra dog, along a country field and almost broke my arm and wrist. The ground was so hard, it might as well have been cement. My wrist is still black and blue almost halfway down my arm. Of course I didn't go to the doctor, and have been nursing myself. Still walking Sierra 5 days a week, very gently I may say. Still doing all my chores slowly and gently! To say the least my spirit has been broken, and I know I must be very careful in my footing from now on. I push myself very hard always, and most things can't bring me down. But the pain has gotten to me this time!!

Our luck changed today when a friend of ours stopped over. It just so happens he had an extra pool, and he decided to give it to us. He had moved and thought he lost some pieces to it, and bought another pool. In the meantime, he found the lost pieces. It's a round pool not like our oval, but we'll still be able to swim. My hubby went and picked up the pool this evening.

I'm not sure if we'll get the pool up this Summer, because we want to move it to another location. Where we had the pool before, the leaves would always come in and make it turn green!! Too many trees, shedding too many leaves, especially during thunderstorms!! Plus with my bum arm, I'm limited to how much I can help!! Yet I sure would like to have the pool up and running, as the temps don't seem to be going down anytime soon! Unfortunately Summer is halfway over already.

Time sure flies, how's your Summer going so far! Our vegetable garden is coming along, with beets, zuccini, onions, radishes, and garlic. My flower garden is blooming beautifully too, and those glorious Sunflowers are back! Still working hard on the animal front. A reminder to keep all your pets cool in these hot Summer months!!

Stay right here Literally In The Moment with more updates to come!

Early Spring Flowers II & Gardner Snake Photos

I had transplanted these lovely deep orange poppies last Fall. I was excited to see them bloom the earilier part of the week. Poppies add a touch of beauty to your Spring flower beds! These are my first poppies to grace my flower beds!


My hot pink tulips bloomed for the 3rd year in a row. The tulips have spread and are a gorgeous compliment to my purple phylox to the right!


The centers of the tulips are a bright yellow, giving a stunning contrast to the hot pink petals and long green leaves.


I stepped out to check laundry on the line yesterday, and guess who was back. My friendly gardner snake, was almost underfoot. Surpisingly he let me get this close with my camera! I was almost afraid at how close I was! These snakes have red tongues, which slide in and out of their mouths so fast. So now I must watch where I step, because one of these snakes could be lurking about! Gardner snakes love to bask in the sun too!

Were expecting storms today, the weather has been grand in the upper 70's. A cold front is coming through and we'll be 20-30 degrees colder! So is the crazy seesaw weather of Pennsylvania! How is your Spring going! I've been very busy featuring dogs on death row, here and on facebook. Some have gotten homes, and others have been rescued or sponsored. I'm elated to help these sweet dogs.

More photos and great stories to come, as always stay Literally In The Moment!

Early Spring Flower Photos

The delicate Crocus is one of my favorite Spring flowers. Crocus flowers have been blooming everywhere here. I picked this purple and white beauty one evening walking Sierra. This crocus was blooming along a creek near a huge maple tree. I put the crocus in the leaves of my poppy plant, which is also coming along soon! I love the fine lines on the petals!


First daffodil has graced my flower bed with white petals and yellow center! Great to have flowers which come back on their own every year!



More yellow growing by our pool. Nice too see yellow and green after our long cold, snowy Winter! I've many tulips, lilies, dianthus, and poppies coming! I can't wait for them to bloom. What Spring flowers are blooming in your area! The baby bunny in my header I took late Spring last year! I was surprised how close the bunny let me come, to get this great shot!

Desperately Seeking Spring ~ Valentine Red Tulip Photos 2010!

Hoping everyone had a good Valentine's Day. My Sweet Valentine of many moons presented me with a beautiful red tulip plant pictured above. He included a nice cat card, and my favorite chocolates ~ dark chocolate M&M's, and Hershey's special dark chocolate kisses. I've been basking in dark chocolate Heaven since, and gazing into my deep red tulips pining for Spring! Dang he still loves me!

Along with many Pennsylvanians I'm more than ready for an early Spring, wishing for mild Winters we're accustomed to here! We're expecting 4-6 inches today and tomorrow on top of the almost 3ft of snow we already have since the blizzard of Feb 6, 2010, and it's snowed everyday since! Snow keeps freezing into ice as temperatures remain in the teens, and roads and sidewalks remain very slick! I'm glad to have my silky Cuddl Duds, and Land's End winter boots. We've put our winter clothing to very good use in this record breaking snow and cold, in fact this is the 2nd snowiest snowfall per month in history!

The snowy weather is taking it's toll on everything and everyone! Our snowplow is broken, moving icey snow in piles of up to 4ft -5ft. Our huge wood pile stock is almost depleted, and we'll be lucky to burn what we have the rest of this week! The artic blast has continued for almost two months, leaving many folks with high heating and electric bills. Snow piled on homes and buildings are on the verge of collapsing, and our schools were closed all last week! Mail and garbage pick up has been delayed, boo hoo!



I think red tulips are as pretty as red roses! I looked high and low in search of the perfect backround for these lovelies, and it finally dawned on me the snow on my front patio! The light contrast of white snow against bright red tulips was so captivating!

On the bright side, Spring is almost on the horizon hopefully only a month away! I'm longing to see my gorgeous tulips growing around my home! When my tulip plant fades, I'll save the bulbs to plant in my flower garden in the Fall. Aren't these red beauties just stunning? I'll be admiring them for awhile!

My camera is up and running for the moment thank goodness! Thanks for visiting, keep safe, and stay ~ Literally In The Moment! xo xo xo ~

Done In!

Woke up this morning to a killer frost, my beautiful flowers are now shades of black! The photo above was the last photo of my hot pink zinnias with frost! We've been cold for days, but last night was in the upper 20's. I could've covered some of them, but I decided it was time to let go. The nights have been cold off and on for over a week! I wish I could capture their beauty and keep them alive forever!

My Zebra Ornamental Grass Blooms Photos!

If you're looking to add great height and color to your landscape, Zebra grass will fill a bare spot perfectly. The green foilage is very popular in Japanese gardens, and becoming a quick favorite here in the U.S. Zebra grass a low maintenance perennial can grow 5 to 8 feet tall, loves the sunlight, and thrives in dry conditions! My sister gave me a small plant two years ago, and it 's now at least 7ft tall! Just plant and the grass will take off on it's own! I do water mine when the weather gets too dry!


The yellow stripped bands on the long fronds give the leaves a nice patterned color, as seen in the photo above. The long blade like leaves are also a bright green color, and the plant itself can grow to width of around 5 feet! You'll want to plant your zebra grass with enough space in between or they'll grow into each other.

The pink and bronze flower tips reach for the sky, resembling wheat tips! The blooms usually come in early fall and turn completely brown in winter. Torrential hard rains have plowed these babies down, within a day later there're back to their wonderful form!

I usually prune old fronds in the Spring, to welcome new growth for the season! Along with my rhododendrons, zebra grass is the tallest plant I have in my flower garden. One of my favorite decorative plants which come back year after year so beautifully, with so little care! You can't go wrong with zebra grass, they never disappoint the eyes!

Yellow Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly Pollinates My Zinnias Awesome Photos!

As the hint of Fall arrives here in Pennyslvania, a beautiful tiger swallowtail pollinates on my Zahara scarlet zinnias. My zinnias have finally grown fuller, a whole 28-30 inches wide. Took all summer for them to reach maturity, due to all the crazy PA weather! Seems I see monarchs in my area usually in the Spring and Fall! This fellow was the first yellow monarch I've ever seen!


I shot several photos of the yellow swallowtail fluttering against flowers, and the wind blowing his delicate wings. His stunning colors were beautiful against my bright scarlet zinnias. I was surprised the closeness he let me come within! My header displays the yellow monarch on my Double cherry zinnias. I thought very fitting for Fall! Isn't he just awesomely equisite!

Fall has descended quickly here in PA, especially the past few evenings. Lows have been in the high 40's. I do fear swimming weather is over in our region. We'll still experience Indian Summer, but the night air cools the pools temperatures even with a solar cover on! Sadly it'll be time to close our pool! School has started, back to an earlier schedule!

I've been busy freezing vegetables from our garden. We've had an abundance of green beans this season. Our corn did well, and I'm still picking salvaged tomatoes saved from the blight. Our cherry tomatoes did well, I love them in salads, and they're good in soups too!

Looking forward to Labor day weekend, we may catch a rock concert in Pittsburgh! We haven't been to a concert in awhile, love outside rock concerts!

Enjoy the beautiful Fall sights,stay tuned for more exordinary photos to come! :)

Late Blight Devastates Westmoreland County Pennsylvania! Late Blight Tomato Photos!

Late Blight has destroyed at least half my tomato garden, and I heard through the great tomato vine devestation has hit my area hard! We experienced a wet Spring, which helps to spread the fungus! Many tomato gardens have been totally obliterated by the pesky rapid fungus many sources say originated in Florida. Counties all around us have been widely infected with late blight.

Most folks in my area take great pride in their huge gardens, and depend on their canned or frozen stock of tomatoes to prepare homemade sauces, salsa, chili ect.. throughout the winter months.

The photo above of our big boy tomatoes are only a handfull of at least 50 or more ruined by late blight, not even including the tremendous amount of tomato stems which will yield no new tomatoes!



I spent a whole day yesterday removing all the dead tomato leaves and stems around each tomato plant. My husband grew these big boys from seed, and we planted 3o big boy and roma tomato plant seedlings on our hands and knees. I had previously used a sulfur powder, which seemed to help against total devastation. I then switched to a copper powder called Dragon Dust recommended from a friend.

By the time I removed all the dead stuff, there was only half a tomato plant left! You can really see the dead leaves on the plant in back of this one! Click the photo above to see the brown leaves and stems devouring our precious tomato crop! I took the liberty of removing yellow tomatoes to ripen on my windowsills, for fear they would just die on the stem!



My cherry tomatoes were the first to pick up the disease. Our plants were likely purchased with the fungus, and it spread throughout our whole tomato garden! A tremendous loss as you can see on the cherry tomato plant above. The stems turn yellow orange, and come off with little effort! The leaves turn brown and black and die within a short period of time!

On the bright side I do have a lot of green tomatoes, I'm hoping to possibly salvage! But with more rain expected the next few days, chances could be very slim! I learned you must dust often, especially if you experience a rainy season! Prevention is the key to keeping your tomatoes healthy!

On another note, I've been enjoying the summer weather we've been having, last weekend was beautiful humid and hot the way I like it! We hung by the pool the whole time! Taking advantage of all the good weather, and working hard to keep up my flower and vegetable gardens. I even made my sunflower seeds from my grown sunflowers sooo good! My best friend is home from Florida, hoping to catch up with her while she's here!

Go soak up some summer weather, we don't have much left!

Hot Pink Stargazer Lillies And Gazania Photos!

My stargazer lilies have finally bloomed! They're an eye catching pink, with green star centers! We've had a record low July so far here in Pennsylvania! My flowers are finally perking up! We had a 4 inch deficit of rain, and now catching up with all the rain we've had. We are expecting rain everyday for the next week !



I picked up a six pack of Gazanias for only $1.50 at a nursery near my home! They remind me a lot of daisies! Gazanias do well in dry conditions! Plus they caught my eye, because they were in dire need of planting! I loved the color of the one above!

Mid summer is a good time to buy annuals, and perennials at a bargain price. I needed some flowers to fill in an empty area! I planted a total of 66 flowers this year!




Last week my pool turned green! I mentioned the cooler than nomal July we're having! The nights have gone down in the 50's, and days only in the 70's. Great for those who like Spring and Fall like weather, but I like it hot for swimming! The lack of people in the pool, and stagnant water has left our pool to collect algae! The chlorine has also dissipated really fast. We've since cleared it up! It's very expensive to keep up a swimming pool, all the pool chemicals have skyrocked in price!

I've had my Ester Williams pool for 15 years now, and I love it! My husband and I like to do laps back and forth, the main reason we chose an oval pool! We have a deep end where you can jump in and get wet, 6ft! Today is really humid, but the water is cool from the cold nights!

I've been keeping busy painting my house since the past weather has been ideal for painting! We've only one big wall left to do! How is your summer going so far!

Late Frost, Landscape Mulch, And My Returning Gardner Snakes!

Due to my busy schedule, I've been too busy to plant my baby flowers! Good thing because we had a killer frost last night, and we're expecting one tonight too! We did however over the past weekend, till my flowerbeds, put down some black plastic, and covered with my favorite dark mulch. The mulch helps to hold the moisture in the ground, and you can see the outside areas especially recieve much sunlight. Photo above is one side of my home, I plant flowers on the inside and outside too! There are five sides to plant on the outside, and three on the inside close to the house! On this inside, my red rosebush to the left. purple phylox, diathus flower plants, and lilies all bloomed from last year! Glad we didn't plant our tomatoes in our vegetable garden! Most folks have already planted around the neighborhood, and are having to cover due to the coming frosts! We did get some more wood cut and stacked! Hopefully I may try to plant a few flowers tomorrow!



When spreading the mulch around my rosebush, I found two of my buddy gardner snakes have come back. I kept trying to get him with his tongue out, it's wild because they have red tongues! I'm thinking they're male and female shacking up together. The weather has been beautiful the past couple days, we had so much rain last week! Sparrows have made a nest in our house lightposts, and they fly back and forth all the time! New life is blooming all around me, and I'm humbled by all it's beauty! Spring is such a welcome site, after a long cold Winter. I'm absorbing the sights and sounds every chance I get!

Related Posts: My Gardner Snake Buddy!
My Mother's Day Flower Planting Ritual!
Siberian Crabapple Blossoms!

My Mother's Day Flower Planting Ritual!

Happy Mother’s Day to all you mothers out there! Every year my husband and daughter buy me planting flowers for Mother’s day! I prefer live planting flowers as opposed to cut flowers, because I can enjoy the lovely flower plants long into the Fall months. Ever since I became a mother years ago, I’ve received and planted flowers on Mother’s Day! My mom used to come and plant with me! Do you have a special tradition that you do on Mother's Day?



We always make the trip toward the mountain to Laurel Nursery, where I’ve been a loyal customer for many years. The flowers are always hardy, and I can always count on them to grow well when planted. Mostly I need flowers which do well in the direct full sun, because my flower garden surrounds my house. We receive full sunlight most of the day around my home!

I usually start out with two flats of annuals and perennials. Flat number 1 above is a fine collection of Reddy Salvia, Mix Portulaca, Double Cherry Zinnia, Zahara Scarlet Zinnia, Red & Deep Purple Petunias, and the ever beautiful Yellow Dahlia.



Flat number 2 is a brilliant collection of Blue Ageratum, Double Madness Mix Petunias, 3 packs of Montego Mix Snapdragons, Red Petunias, Big Boy Tomatoes, and Eggplants!

Lastly I picked a pack of Majestic Giants II Sherry Pansies. I’ve noticed a lot of the new packs have gone from six to four flower plants per pack! We went last weekend to pick these out, because there are slim pickens on Mother’s Day weekend. So I’ve had my baby flower plants for a week already, and can’t wait to get my hands in the earth to plant my gems. We’ve had rain almost everyday this week, so the ground is too saturated. Seems we may have a break after Mother’s Day!

I’m missing my mom so very much, and I think of her every Mother’s Day. She was a major part of my life, and I’ll never stop loving her! If you’re still fortunate to have your mother, cherish her and spend all the time you can making memories. You’ll never get back that time, when your loved one passes on! My Mother’s day weekend is very full, spending quality time with all those I love! Have a good one, and party down!

Siberian Crabapple Blossoms ~ Tree Sapling For Unique Mother's Day Gift!

My Siberian crabapple tree has bloomed. The Siberian crabapple tree is so gorgeous with sweet fragrant white flowers, adding a special beauty to our yard!


The lovely buds are hot pink, and bloom fully to a beautiful white five petal flower with yellow pollen centers. The photo above reminds me of a Hawaiian Lei.

The white flowers add a special contrast to any backround, as seen above with the blue sky backround.

Our crabapple tree was a gift, and planted when we were first married 19 years ago. The tree planted as part of a tree conservation campaign taking place in Pennsylvania. If you’re looking for a gorgeous low maintenance tree, the crabapple will bring you many years of stunning Spring blooms.

We've lost many forest and city trees in our Pennsylvania region over the years. The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and and the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources join in efforts to restore millions of lost tree coverage in our Pennsylvania region. Tree Vitalize endorsed by Governor Ed Rendell in 2004, is planning to plant 1 million trees in the next 5 years, which by the way will not replace all the lost trees to our area! Present count of Tree Vitalize planted trees 93, 885!

We’ve lost millions of trees due to modernization and mother nature, and wild fires, all across the USA. Plant A Tree USA is another dedicated organization reforesting lands throughout the USA. You can even donate land from your estate to be reforested!

Trees look beautiful in many areas, trees help keep our air clean, shade buildings and pavement, and controls storm waters on our grounds. Arbor Day has already passed in the U.S., but now is still an excellent time to plant a tree in your yard, along sidewalks, or on large property areas.

AmericanForest.org is another interesting site offering a huge amount of tree replanting information, including buying a tree for a Mother’s Day gift. What a unique idea, donate to plant a tree in your mother’s honor, which benefit different tree projects of your choice. Check it out! Or simply go to your local nursery, and pick out a couple tree saplings for your mom as a Mother’s Day gift.

Keep our planet beautiful, plant a tree today. Check your area for planting schedules, we just may help fill the deficit while beautifying our horizons for a future greener earth! A valuable gift to cherish which keeps on giving for many generations to come!

Succulent Home Garden Vegetables!

The fruition of our garden has yielded us many delectable vegetables. The two larger tomatoes were the first ones to turn this week. With the recent national tomatoe outbreak scares, I'm so glad we grow our own. At least we know where they come from!

We've had tons of cucumbers most of the Summer. I like to pick them alittle bigger than a pickle, but not quite as large as the ones from the store. You've not eaten a real cucumber, until you've tasted one fresh from the garden. My daughter and I eat a daily cucumber salad, and within the past couple weeks I've been able to add in my cherry tomaotes, and some thin slices of green bell pepper. I just have to keep us in stock of our different salad dressings!

I'm still picking zucchini, which I 've fried, baked into bread, made zucchini parmasan, and frozen fresh for soups, and any of the above I choose to make in the Winter months. Along with being so versatile in cooking, zucchini is very rich in Vitamin A, potassium, folate, and manganese. Being one of my favorite vegetables, zucchini is a low calorie food. I read that the flowers of zucchini plants, can be fried as a fritters or tempura. Never knew that, I'll have to try making the flowers sometime, just to see how they taste. I'll let you know. You may have to wait until next Summer, because the plants are about done for the season!

Also not pictured are garlic, and onions which are hanging to dry out! We still have tons of green tomatoes, cabbage, and pumpkins yet to ripen. The only thing we don't grow is corn, which doesn't seem to get very big in our garden. I love to watch both my vegetable and flower gardens grow. There is something about planting seeds, and small flower plants with your bare hands, to create a mature beautiful plant. I never grow tired of living this natural country life!

A Sunflower Smile!

I declare the magnificent sunflower Summer's official flower. These huge flower cluster beauties are growing abundantly in our vegetable garden. The bees were happily pollinating among the large heads, not disturbed by my presence at all. The stunning, vibrant yellow pedals make them a favorite for arrangements and flowerbeds alike.

Sunflower seeds make an excellent snack for humans, and also used as bird food. Sunflowers are made into peanut butter, or sunbutter. Sunflower oil is used for cooking, made into magarine, and used to make biodiesel. Some sunflowers are even higher in monounsaturated (healthy) fats than the ever popular olive oil.



I counted 18 flowers growing from one sunflower plant in our garden above.

I can't help but smile when I look upon the cheery petals of a sunflower. Artist Vicent van Gogh made the sunflower popular in his many sunflower paintings. I see sunflowers sold in several stores, and we have them growing here free every year. The seeds fall off naturally and are tilled for the next summer season. Amusing to watch the birds eat from the seed clusters, pecking in all kinds of positions. This year I plan to dry the seeds to make for snacks, and save a batch for bird food in the winter.

My Gardner Snake Buddy!

Living out here in the country, I’ve yet to get used to snakes. I don’t mind sharing my space with all creatures big and small. Yet when my immediate close proximity is invaded by a slithering snake underfoot, I get totally terrified. I gasp and stop my stride in mid air, taking great lengths to avoid stepping on one, even if it’s a small garden snake.

Our garden snakes live and hibernate under our huge cut log wood piles, and are often seen sunning themselves when the weather turns warm. Due to all the rain we’ve had, I’ve found them everywhere including my flowerbeds, by the pool, and in the backyard. Photo of my snake buddy above taken when hanging out clothes in the backyard today, he scared the crap out of me! I'm sure I scared him too, approaching him in my abrupt manner. I keep forgetting he suns himself there! Snakes blend in well with their terrain, and are hard to see until you are almost upon them. He crawled into the dog box and let me get a nice close shot.

The Gartner snake, or garden snake, or gardner snake is a Northern American snake, completely harmless, and typically found in American gardens, which is the origin of it’s name. The garden snake varies in species adapting to many different ecological habitats, on land or in wetlands close to streams. Living in a damp, wooded area, snakes are drawn around our home!

The San Francisco gartner snake in an endangered species, sporting red and orange patterns and a red head. Don Robertson has a wonderful site on these stunning rare snakes.

Gardner snakes eat slugs, earthworms, insects, leeches, lizards, spiders, amphibians, birds, fish, and rodents. Ribbon snakes, mine strongly resembles an Eastern Ribbon Snake not sure exactly what he is, eat small fish, tadpoles, salamanders, small frogs and toads, and insects. They swallow prey whole like many other snakes do! Maybe the reason why our toads have disappeared this season. Ribbon snakes rarely bite, but will emit a foul musk from their anal glands. My husband picked one up not too long ago, and it urinated on him, thus the foul musk!! I love living in the country, I see things here I never saw in the city. I’ve embraced a deep, profound love and respect for all living creatures!