Newest obsession

One of my projects lately has had me out in the garden taking pictures to document the progress of my veggies, fruit and herbs. I've been very surprised at just how well they're doing. The tomatoes are getting bigger every day, I'm always finding new cucumbers on the vines, and some of my strawberries are just about ready to be picked. But that's not why I'm posting here, I've got a whole other blog for that.

No, photographing flowers/plants/etc is my newest obsession. I took a picture a few days ago of this amazing flower that is now happily blooming along my front yard. (Check out my profile picture or this blog entry for more details.) What I discovered in that picture was a need to replicate the amazing success I had with that one picture. Yes, I'm aware that it was probably just a flash in the pan (found out what that means in Williamsburg!!), but that doesn't make me any less determined to find a way to repeat it. So, I've been roaming the yard, armed with my trusty Canon PowerShot SD1000, looking at the blooms that have popped up in the last few weeks. Oh yeah, and discovering that I want a much better camera for my birthday. ;)

I have to admit, some of these pictures turned out pretty nice. I really love the first one, because it's presence was a complete surprise in our yard. I'm not even sure what it is - it's this amazing three-tiered lily that just popped up amongst the vinca that we're trying to eradicate. I like the second shot too, because Taylor and I had just watered these flowers and you can see the droplets clinging to the petals.

So what do you think? Should I continue to take more pictures or should I direct my energies elsewhere? I know, I know, that mountain of laundry ain't gettin' any smaller...

My first tomato!

To be honest, I was really beginning to worry about my tomato plant. It was becoming quite the monstrosity; it had grown nearly five feet tall, and was threatening to overtake my spinach, carrots and cucumbers (until I pruned it, that is). It also had any number of beautiful flowers, but they were all dropping without so much as a hint of things to come. But just as I thought all hope was lost, there it was - my very first little tomato!! I was so excited that I actually ran inside to get my kids to show them the tiny thing (and to grab my camera, hence the picture). I even called my mother to share in the good news. You called your mom when you discovered your first tomato, didn't you?

So the question now is: What do I name it? It needs a name. Not a boring name, like "Bob" or "Tomato #1". It needs something with flair, character... Any suggestions?

Field trip madness

I am currently sitting on a charter bus with 40 4th graders (there's another bus following us) on our way to Williamsburg and Jamestown. The kids are generally well-behaved (must be the parents strategically located around the bus), but VERY loud. Taylor has actually been very good; I'm hopeful that will continue all day.

It's a little crazy that I actually volunteered for this, but I think it will be a lot of fun today. Well, the weather is terrible, but I'm excited about where we're going. I'm such a history nerd, and I'm really looking forward to sharing some of my knowledge with Tay and her classmates.

Just wish me luck in staying sane (such as it is)!