The Good Side of a Caterpillar

My father introduced me to science fiction at an early age. He used to subscribe to Fantasy and Sci-Fi Magazines.I loved the covers and waited for him to finish reading so I could get the issue. I probably read some when I was too young and one was a story about a planet with Giant Caterpillars. It scared me to death. I can still remember the cover with giant caterpillars and one had a young damsel in it’s pincers while he was being shot at by solders with machine guns. I had nightmares and never liked caterpillars after that.

I remember when we moved to Pittsburgh from Cleveland and it was the summer of the gypsy moth. The caterplillars would crawl on my window screen and you could hear them eating the trees. The screen pulsated with insect life The roads had to be sanded because they were thick with caterpliiar guts. I guess around that time I learned about cocoons and how they turned into butterflies. I have been conflicted ever since

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The Good side of a Caterpillar

The Good side of a Caterpillar

White Orchid

I am starting to edit my backlog of images and found this white orchid that I took in January at The Phipps Conservatory in Pittsburgh. Orchids are appreciated anytime but in the dead of Winter when it is seven degrees they are even more beautiful.

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Winter Joy

Winter Joy

Fountain in the Garden

The Florida Botanical Garden in Largo Florida is a wonderful experience and it is FREE! It addition to acres of stupendous plantings there is a Florida Heritage Park attached with historic buildings from the the beginnings of the State. There is a school, rail siding, auto repair shop and many others. The place is very large and can’t be seen in a single visit. This beautiful fountain is in the Tropical Plants area.

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Fountain in The Garden

Fountain in The Garden

Winter Joy

Visiting the Phipps Conservatory of Pittsburgh is nice any time of year but I like it best in the dead of winter. When your skin is dry and you are cold and chilly it is wonderful to spend an hour or two in warm humidity smelling the blooms of orchids and other fragrant flowers. It’s almost as good as a spa treatment. I have no idea what the actual name is of this orchid but it brought me joy in the cold of winter so to me it is Winter Joy.

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Winter Joy

Winter Joy

The Phipps Conservatory of Pittsburgh

I think the best time of year to visit a conservatory is in the dead of Winter. It’s warm and humid inside and loaded with the scent of fresh flowers and orchids in bloom. In Pittsburgh we have one of the best conservatories in the world. The Phipps Conservatory has fourteen different green house rooms connected with walkways. Waterfalls, glass sculptures and benches are scattered throughout and volunteers and employees are there to answer your questions while they maintain the beauty of the environment.

The Bonsai room has some spectacular specimens that have been in training since the 1950’s and the new education center is one of the most advanced green buildings in the United States. All the environments are computer controlled and react to wind,humidity and temperature providing a perfect environment for the flora.

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The Phipps Conservatory

The Phipps Conservatory

Summer Garden at Carnegie Music Hall

A beautiful summer garden in full bloom outside the Carnegie Music Hall in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. I used to be an usher at The Music Hall and remember sneaking into the Museum at night. There was some sort of excitement to see the giant dinosaurs in the dim night light and staying one step ahead of the roving guards.

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Carnegie Music Hall

Carnegie Music Hall

Bye Bye Flutterbyes

Autumn comes quickly in the mountains. As we watch the butterflies and hummingbirds swirl around the remaining blooms of summer we begin to realize too soon they will be gone. A reminder for us to get our act together as once again we prepare to flee in the face of winter.

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Flutterbye

Flutterbye

Pocono Lily

Lilies are the crown jewels of our garden. When they bloom Summer is in full gear. Lilies remind me of warm weather, swimming pools, lakes and walks in the park. I think they might be my favorite except for tulips, daffodils…oh never mind, I don’t really have a favorite. They are just beautiful flowers.

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Pocono Lilly

Pocono Lilly

Welcome Back!

Every summer we have special visitors as the hummingbirds fly up from the south to visit. They seem to love red flowers the best so we plant flowers specifically to attract them. They visit each day, but getting them to pose for a picture is quite difficult. You can buy a print of this one at my commercial gallery by clicking here.

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Welcome Back!

Welcome Back!

Pink Orchid

Living in Florida this winter was filled with many shocks and surprises. For one, I didn’t expect to see orchids in full bloom. I figured they need the full warmth of summer to bloom but some apparently like the cooler weather.

My Tampa friend, Jerry grows many orchids and this pink one was ready for its close up.

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Jerry's Pink Orchid

Jerry’s Pink Orchid