Super Moon and a Break

After a week of frustrating issues with technology--computer freeze up, Internet and DSL disconnects especially--I've decided to take a break from blogging until July 1.  By then hope to get these things sorted out, plus taking care of some issues around the homestead that need attention.  To quote Ballykissangel, my favorite Irish TV series:  "Missing you already!" 

Before I sign off though, have you been enjoying the Super Moon these past few days?  I have, and luckily we've had clear skies these past three nights.  Here are my best photos:

Around 3:30 a.m. June 22nd.

Around 9:00 p.m. June 22nd.

Around 1:30 a.m. June 23rd.

Enjoy these first weeks of summer and I'll be seeing you soon.

InSPIREd Sunday - Riquewihr, France

Photos from 2002 - this is the small medieval town of Riquewihr in the Alsace region of  France.  Like many other medieval towns and villages in Europe, Riquewihr is surrounded by walls.  Then all around the town vineyards stretch for miles and miles through the valley between the Rhine River and the Voges Mountains.  Famed for its Riesling wine, it's an important stop on the "Route des Vins", a small road though the famous vineyards of Alsace.  There are two churches in Riquewihr, a Catholic and one referred to as the Old Protestant.  You can just see the spires in the above photos.

Here are some other scenes of  our tour of Riquewihr (click on collage to enlarge):

 Clockwise:  wonderful blue-stuccoed outdoor cafe, the Zimmer wine cellar where we got to taste some local wines, looking down on Riquewihr, evening in nearby Hochfelden where our boat was moored, and vineyards completely surrounding the town.

Linking to InSPIREd Sunday , a new meme celebrating places of worship and their unique architecture and history.  Thanks to Sally and Beth for hosting.

 

June 17 - decided to link to Mosaic Monday as well for those who love all things French.

Friday Fences - Old Louisville Hidden Gardens

This is the sign marking Garden 4 of the Old Louisville Hidden Garden Tour.  Each of the 15 gardens that I toured last week was marked by these creatively and humorously designed stick people which gave a hint of the personality of the gardener--and garden--you were about to see.  All of the gardens in this old neighborhood are tucked behind fences .  The fences are just as ornamental as the gardens:

Garden 4 had a weathered silvery gray wooden fence accented, at this time of the year, by plantings of bright pink Oriental lilies, climbing vines, planted pots and garden art:

Here are a couple of mosaics of the garden (click on image to enlarge) :

Clockwise:  cast iron planter, lily pond, mosaic glass gazing ball

Clockwise:  bird bath among the hydrangeas, fence art, topiary puppy, mixed coleus and impatiens

Linking to Friday Fences at Life According to Jan and Jer .

Wild Bird Wednesday - Shiny Brites

Nothing very exciting in bird sightings around here lately except for these guys.  I think they're Brewer's Blackbirds according to the description: "liquid combo of black, midnight blue head, turning metallic green along back.  Staring yellow eye.  Females staid brown w/o yellow eye."  First noticed shiny black flashes in the trees in local park a few weeks ago.  Then they started visiting my neighbor's feeder in flocks--mostly ground foraging.  According to the map, they're in this area right now on their migration path.  Migration should not be a challenge for them because they're fast--as you can tell by these blurred photos!

Yesterday I found this feather in the yard and am wondering if it belonged to a Brewer?  In a perch their tail widens and the feather tips are rounded:

A few more shots:

Clockwise-rare shot on feeder--clumsy, prefers ground feeding; sleek profile of male; three females and a male

Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday .

Mosaic and Macro 2 Monday - Woodland Garden

This naturalistic woodland garden can be seen from Wolf Pen Branch Road, an historic tree lined corridor in eastern Jefferson County in Kentucky.  This is a private garden that can easily be seen--and photographed--from the main road.  I was able to get these photos with only a minimum of trespassing!  The garden's main features include a charming wooden foot bridge across a stream, a small pond with several pieces of garden art setting along the banks, and all these different trees and ground cover making a lush green setting at this time of the year.

Here are some different views of the garden (click on the mosaic to enlarge):

views of the foot bridge

sculpture by the pond

 garden whimsy - a tree stump "man"

Clockwise: pond, stump sculpture, tree stump "men", bridge, child and stump sculpture

Linking to: Macro Monday 2 and Mosaic Monday .

InSPIREd Sunday - Temple Shalom

Using InSPIREd Sunday to highlight the diversity in houses of worship in Louisville--this is the Jewish synagogue Temple Shalom.  This temple has been in St. Matthews since 1989, the architecture shows definite Middle Eastern influences with the sandstone block, domed roof line and evidence of an inner courtyard (although I haven't seen inside to confirm this).  The major ornamentation is the hexagonal Star of David, the secular and sacred symbol of Judaism.  This symbol is repeated on the back of the temple also.  Over the entrance door you see a sacred menorah which is the other important symbol of this faith.  The menorah serves as a "symbol of the nation of Israel and its mission to be the light unto nations" according to Jewish history.

Here are a few other views of Temple Shalom (click on collage to enlarge):

Left to right - front view of temple, menorah over entrance, Star of David window, temple sign

I'll close by wishing you "Shalom".  A common Jewish greeting which means peace, hello, goodbye; shalom is also meant to convey a deeper emotional and spiritual wish for you to experience completeness, well being, and joy.

Linking to InSPIREd Sunday , a new meme celebrating places of worship and their unique architecture and history.  Thanks to Sally and Beth for hosting.

 

Wild Bird Wednesday - Fluff Dry Cycle

A Kentucky Cardinal drying out after a really heavy rain storm.  Could just as easily title this post "angry bird" , based on his look. :-)

Bonus photo: not a very good one, but just happened to catch this sweet couple sitting on my neighbor's fence. 

Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday .