Bradford Pears blooming in North Adams, MA USA

Bradford Pears blooming in North Adams, MA USA
Originally uploaded by anslatadams

Japanese Magnolia

Japanese Magnolia
Originally uploaded by anslatadams

My sweet grandnephew!

My sweet grandnephew!
Originally uploaded by anslatadams

Pink Rose

Pink Rose
Originally uploaded by anslatadams

"A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.." Romeo and Juliet--Shakespeare

Our dear Freckles

Untitled
Originally uploaded by anslatadams

Our dear Freckles passed away after being the best companion I could ever have (besides my husband). She understood me. She knew when I was restless and when we had a car we would go all over the place exploring together. Freckles enjoyed riding with me, she wouldn't have it any other way. I rescued her off a busy freeway, she was sitting like you see her in this photo on a grassy median with 18 wheelers zooming by, but her eyes weren't warm and friendly then, they were filled with fear. Big brown eyes reaching for me through the traffic. I pulled the truck over and when I got the chance I ran over and picked her up, people asked "Weren't you afraid she would bite you?" No, because Freckles and I both didn't have TIME to be afraid, it was life or death perhaps for both of us. When it was clear I ran with her in my arms back to the truck and she hopped in like she had been with me all along. If she had an owner, they never called to claim her and she had no collar. Sometimes I believe she was a guardian angel waiting there for me to pick her up and take her home to share the next 11 years of tears and joy with me. I will never, ever forget you Freckles. Your love for me never wavered, you were there with me through the worst of times and through the best of times. You even taught the cats how to behave, lol, and guarded us day and night. I love you so much, I miss you so much. Why is it that pets have a shorter life than we do? It seems it should be the other way around. They are saints, we are the sinners. They are loyal... are we always loyal?? I don't think so. You have to admit, sometimes just like people in our lives, we take them for granted that they will always be there. But I went through so much emotionally when we first moved here, that I NEVER could take her for granted. She was always there for me and when I couldn't sleep at night she would jump up on the bed, roll over on her back and I would rub her belly until she and I both fell asleep. I know it's selfish, but I wish to God you were still here, Freckles, I need you so much! I hope I see you again someday. xoxo Rest now my sweet little girl, you served faithfully.

Rhododendrons

Rhododendrons
Originally uploaded by anslatadams

Delicate pink and white Rhododendrons are blooming here in the last week of May as the Lilacs slowly start to fade. This year the fragrance of the Lilacs would drift on breezes in the evenings and it smelled so sweet coming through the windows at night! Now the Rhododendrons are putting on their show next. After that the Daylilies and Asiatic lilies will put on their display. It has been abnormally warm her for the last couple of weeks here in May! But still the evenings are nice and not stuffy, thank goodness. In the mornings the songs of the Robins, Orioles, Chickadees and many other birds drifts on the comfortable morning air, not too stuffy and not too chilly. It's just the middle of the day when the sun is high in the sky that it gets rather uncomfortable from the humidity being blown up here from the south. But by Wednesday or Thursday the first few days of June it will cool down to what I know New England is supposed to be like in early summer in the 70s with low humidity levels! I look forward to it!

Colorful Thrift or Creeping Phlox

Colorful Thrift or Creeping Phlox
Originally uploaded by anslatadams

The beauty of Thrift as my dear Mother called it although it's other name is creeping phlox, down south we called it Thrift. I wonder how it got that name. Maybe they were thrifty flowers to buy and covered the ground wherever you planted it?? Anyway, these colors together are so beautiful on a hillside in North Adams, MA.