A couple of years ago I saw this lily that an acquaintance had grown. I was so taken by the exotic looking blossom that I got the name of it and ordered 5 bulbs. Last year it did put up some foliage, but it did not bloom until now. In the mean time I have forgotten the name. I believe it begins with "sp" but that is all my brain will surrender to me.

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30 Animal Photos That Will Make You Smile

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edit: I have found the name. Aztec lily (Sprekelia formosissima) Sprekelia is a genus in the Amaryllidaceae family from Mexico.

A few images from my garden today

 

 Mina of Medicine Park, a children's story........ click picture to read story
 
 

Chris, Gill, and I went to the Wichita Mountains for a mini get away. We stayed just one night -- at Medicine Park -- and spent most of our time at the wildlife refuge, sight seeing and hiking. We made it to the top of two mountains, one driving, and the other, on foot.  Chris and I wouldn't have made it without our walking sticks, but Gill climbed the rocks like a little mountain goat.. It is a beautiful park and we had a wonderful time. I took over 500 photographs, and haven't really had time to do much more than look through them. These are just a few that show the variety of what we saw.

Finally I have the website done about our latest sister trip. This is just one picture from it, of course, taken on Whidby Island. You can see them all HERE

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Gill and I went to the Myriad Garden yesterday morning before the weather turned nasty. These are four images from the Crystal Garden there.

Chris didn't go with us because she had a bad cold. I've got the cold now and feel pretty rotten. At least I can't work in the garden anyway until the snow melts and it warms up a bit. I hope there is not too much damage in the garden after it is all gone. It could have been a lot worse.

 

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March can be harsh  -- or it can be beautiful, but there is always the hope of better days ahead -- and that is why I love March. These daffodils are blooming right now in my garden. I've been working outside a lot lately -- as much as my out of shape body can take -- so I can get a lot done before cold weather returns later this week.

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My valentine flowers are on their way out, but amazingly, I still have enough for an arrangement. The glad with them was given to me by the waitress at Macaroni Grill when Warren and I were there on our anniversary.

I spent most of the day outside working in the garden. I planted the orienpet lily bulbs that have come so far. I should get two more orders in the next few days. That didn't take all that long, but I also watered some and cleaned up part of the garden. I got 30 bags of composted humus and manure to give the garden a boost. It will take me several days to get it spread around. My husband, bless his heart, dug up two big clumps of ornamental grass where I want to plant Home Run roses. I think it was harder than he thought it would be because they were in clay. I hope to get to planting the roses tomorrow. They are being sent from a nursery across town to one close. Home Run roses, if you are a rose person, is the "child" of the great rose variety, Knockout. It has a smaller growth habit and blooms all summer like it's parent.

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This is the little lighthouse that stands on the east bank of Lake Hefner in Oklahoma City. Click to see larger size.

Before we went to the zoo last Friday, Gill, Chris and I ate lunch at a restaurant on Lake Hefner. We took a few shots before we went on to the zoo. The wind was cold coming off the lake so we didn't tarry. I didn't even know I caught a gull catching a fish until I downloaded my photographs -- I got two of them, in fact. As I often do, I enhanced the images using the tools in Photoshop. I love to make blah snapshots look like paintings. Click on images to see larger size.