Around the House, First half of 2008

I'm a little late in getting these pictures up, but I want to share them anyway. Some of these are us testing out the camera, and others are more informational. :)

Some winter pictures:

Close view of pine needles with clumps of melting snow against a bright blue winter sky

Snow-covered house and driveway with a pickup truck parked in front

Green bird feeder topped with snow and icicles in a winter yard

Paul gave me a macro lens for the camera as my birthday present. He also gave it to me early, so I could take advantage of early flowers for practice. It can also take full size pictures.

Close view of a yellow daffodil in sunlight with a second flower blurred behind it

Man standing in bright sun beside a red front door

White trillium blossoms growing among dark green leaves in dappled shade

Close view of a coral-pink flowering bud opening among glossy green leaves

Small purple flowers scattered through grass at the top of a hill.

Close view of a dark maroon trillium flower against soft green leaves

Single white trillium flower glowing against deep green leaves in shade

Notice the 'depth of field' in these pictures; what flowers are in focus vs out of focus. (You really need to look at the full size ones for this.)

Pale yellow marigolds in bloom with red flowers blurred in the background

Cluster of pale yellow marigolds with red and yellow flowers behind them

Some of our bees:

Honeybee resting on the tip of a green leaf with water droplets nearby

Close view of a honeybee on birdbath with white shells

Honeybees clustered at the entrance of a white beehive with a few bees flying nearby

Scout is retired now; we no longer ride him. But we still take him out for grass in the yard. In these pictures I am wearing one of my linen outfits for a warm day. (The shirt is a hand-me-down from Kelly.)

Close view of Scout grazing on green grass while wearing a halter

Man in a cowboy hat holding Scout on a lead rope while the horse grazes on the lawn

Woman in a wide-brimmed hat standing with Scout as the horse grazes on a sunny lawn

Woman in a wide-brimmed hat and pink blouse standing on the lawn holding a lead rope

Big news around our house was the new toilet. It is a dual flush low-flow model. I reviewed test results from a company in California and Canada, and used that to narrow down the selection. It works like a charm! The lid has a slow-close feature. We start it along it's way, and it quietly closes itself. (The last picture shows the flush buttons.)

View into a bathroom showing the vanity, toilet, towels, and a window above the new toilet

Close view of the new toilet beside a wastebasket and bathroom scale

Side view of the new toilet with the seat and lid raised

Top of the toilet tank showing the dual-flush button on the lid

Updated March 2026