Photo-a-Day Week 40

Week 40, how about that! It seems that each week is going by quickly. The latter part of the week, we were at our twice-a-year music festival, the Albino Skunk Music Festival. Going to Skunk Fest lends itself to getting some fun photos. Hope you enjoy this week's offering of photos. Remember to subscribe to this blog on Substack. Here's the link- https://janetledebuhr.substack.com/  go to the page and click the subscribe button. The follow.it email subscription is now just sending advertisements and the link to my blog. When I signed up to follow.it, the entire post was in the email, now, none of it is. 

Day 272-

About every two weeks, I take apart our robot vacuum, wash the filters, and replace them with dry ones. With two dogs and a cat, we have a lot of hair and dust that is picked up. Buying a second set of filters for both the robot and upright vacuums was a great idea. The drying ones were on the kitchen counter, with the lamp light shining through. 

Vacuum guts

Day 273- 

I was surprised to see my Bottlebrush blooming. Callistemon viminalis 'Woodlander's Hardy' has been renamed to be Melaleuca viminalis 'Woodlander's Hardy'. It usually blooms in the summer, early summer. The fact that it is blooming now is not usual. 

Bottlebrush

Day 274-

If you have been a reader of my blog for a long time, you know I have written about various trees. The Beech tree, Fagus grandifolia, is one on my list. None of the photos I have of the Beech tree includes the nut. These nuts are edible. How many of you remember beechnut gum? While the gum bears the name of the Beech tree, and a logo of a stylized beech tree, it does not contain any part of the tree. This tree is in my neighbor's front yard. I told her the other day that the tree was bearing nuts. She didn't know that it had nuts this year. If you want to read more about an American Beech, here's a link to my post. http://thequeenofseaford.blogspot.com/2010/03/tuesdays-trees-american-beech-fagus.html

Beech Nut

Day 275-

While driving into town, we encountered a traffic backup. You can see a log truck up the line of vehicles. There was road work going on. The intersection roadway was in such bad condition, really glad it was getting fixed. One part of the road was like a washboard. Really bumpy!!!

Traffic in Greenwood

Day 276-

Our first day at Skunk fest, the sky was so blue. There wasn't a cloud in sight, the sun was shining, and the post oak we were sitting under was providing dappled shade. It was a perfect fall day. 

Blue Skies

Day 277-

What's more fun than a disco ball? A disco ball with bubbles all around it! The sunlight was hitting the little mirrors but the bubbles really put it over the top. 

Bubbles and bling

Day 278-

After you walk through the entrance to the Skunk farm, on your way to where the stage is, you pass a message board (for lack of a better word). This covered board has almost all the posters from the festivals over the years. Hurricane Helene hit the area, and the previous posters were ruined. I am glad there were more to replace those. Each poster is a great memory of past music. We have been going to Albino Skunk Fest for fifteen years, and loved every minute of it. 

Skunk history

Not used photos--

Like I said at the top of the post, there were lots of possible photos from which to choose. There are multiple metal lawn chairs around the grounds. This was a sitting area, just behind the message board pictured above. 

Rusty metal gears and little mirrors make some interesting mobiles to catch the sunlight.

Nice line-up of chairs, preset for the viewing of the music. Getting photos of rusty chairs is like getting photos of fog, I am drawn to it!

Last photo in the line-up is of the bib of my husband's overalls. Friday was overalls day. I looked around for a good picture of a row of bibs, but only got this one of Charlie's. 

Thanks for stopping by again for this past week's photo of the day. Be sure to check out the Substack link.

©Copyright 2025 Janet. All rights reserved. Content created by Janet for The Queen of Seaford. words and photos by Janet, The Queen of Seaford.

Casual Observations While Getting My 10,000 In, Winter Walk-off 2016

Skyler and Newton

Every year about this time, my friend Les hosts a Winter Walk-off. To participate in the Walk-off you need only your two feet and camera. The rules are simple- don't photograph your garden/yard and travel by foot. 

I have participated every year, last year I won the drawing! I will bow out of the drawing for this year, but still wanted to play along. Each year I have had my four legged friends accompanying me. Sadly we lost our sweet Newtie this year, so I only have one dog, Skyler. Charlie and I have been walking since the end of November, more religiously since the end of December. 

Charlie 

Our neighborhood is five miles from end to end and so far there are less than 50 houses built. Much of what we see along the way are blackberry brambles and grasses. We also have a rollercoaster-esk road. The elevations range from 440 feet above sea level at the lake to 550 feet or more. Some hills are harder to climb than others! 

My initial goal was 10,000 steps and I have increased it to 11,000 recently. We got Fitbits for Christmas and have become obsessed with how many more steps we need.  The only thing I needed to do for the Walk-off was to remember my camera! We only take Skyler on part of the walk, he does about 2 miles. 

So, on with the walk.... 

Ours is a Hickory-Oak forest, bordered by a Pine forest that is harvested by the paper companies. From the road to the lake is more Hickory-Oak, sprinkled with pines. Native trees such as Beech, Fagus grandifolia, show off their Marcescent leaves deep into the forest. (Leaves that remain through the winter) It wasn't until the first winter here that I knew for certain how many beech were in our woods. 

Another tree that stands out in the winter landscape is Sycamore, Platanus occidentalis.  With its white mottled bark, this tree shines in the forest. This one still has its seedpods, looking like upside down lollipops. 

We first saw this hornet's nest in November. A couple days ago I noticed a Hummingbird's nest on the next tree. Sadly, didn't have my camera with me on that walk. 

Our quiet neighborhood is growing, this is the most recent lot to have building started. Here is the utilities guy marking the electric and phone lines.

If you keep your eyes open while you are walking you will see all sorts of interesting items. Not sure whose nest this might have been last year. It is nestled in the blackberry brambles, food at their front door?

I noticed that the color on the Eastern Red Cedars, Juniperus virginiana was changing, the flowers are getting ready to explode with their pollen going all over.  The dark green foliage is overtaken by the golden male blooms. 

Speaking of keeping your eyes open--- I saw this item after walking this direction for almost a month. Do you see it in the photo below? Look closely--- near the © symbol.

How about now? A mysterious round hole. No idea who lives in this hole, if anything. The hole is very round, about  6- 8 inches in diameter. I would love to move my trail camera to this location to see if I could capture on film something coming in or going out of this hole. Sadly there doesn't seem to be a good place to anchor the camera, (yes I know, I could take a post to mount the camera) but remember those brambles I keep mentioning? There is a thick stand of them between the road and the hole. Any guesses?

Not too far from the hole is a nice stand of deciduous holly. I would guess it to be Possumhaw,  Ilex decidua,  but I don't know for sure. Love the bold red berries! 

Before you leave, give a listen to our noisy neighborhood. You can tell spring is in the air!

Skyler is glad the walk is over, he is ready for a drink of water and a rest.

Be sure to check out the other Winter Walk-off posts. Visit A Tidewater Gardener.

 ©Copyright 2016 Janet. All rights reserved. Content created by Janet for The Queen of Seaford. words and photos by Janet,The Queen of Seaford.

More of The Odds and Ends, A Friend, and Some Assistance, Please

Yesterday was a balmy day and I took advantage of it to explore a little more into the woods at the front of our property.  I didn't go too far into the woods in the summer, had enough tick bites while in Virginia. I ventured into the next lot a bit and while I was looking at some Golden Rod, I noticed some very familiar berries.  How fun to find some Callicarpa americana growing wild.  This one is about 3 feet tall and full of helmet scale.  It is the only one I found... there may be more, this time of year it is so easy to overlook a small shrub.

Along the other side property I found some Devil's Walking Stick, Aralia spinosa, with some Honeysuckle, Lonicera, wrapped around the stock.  Does anyone know how to tell native honeysuckle from Japanese honeysuckle?  Before it blooms that is, I can tell once it blooms.




Once I worked my way down to the water I was surprised to find a stand of Chasmanthus latifolium.  Guess it makes sense to find River Oats near the river....or lake...which is really a dammed river.

After walking along the water's edge I worked my way up through the backyard garden to the edge of the woods.  I found more buds on the Camellia 'Bonanza'.  Camellias are great to have in the garden this time of year.

Into the treeline of the next lot there are a number of Winged Elm, Ulmus alata.  The corky appendages on this tree are most interesting.

Happily I discovered that one of the trees along the property line is a Beech tree!  I love the long  tapered buds. 

While looking around at another Euonymus americana,  I found a little friend....

Now for the assistance..... I have a tree or tall shrub in the front up by the street.  If it had thorns this would be easier.  I think it resembles a Hawthorn, but it has no thorns.  The photos are not the best, but any help would be appreciated.  There is no evidence of blooms or berries.  The bark is smooth and light gray. 

 The leaves are obovate, serrated, and turn yellow-brown in the fall.   The nodes on the trunk are close together.  Not sure if it is multi-stemmed or there are a number of seeds that sprouted in one place.  If anyone has any ideas about what this might be --Please let me know!!!  One guess was a Serviceberry, Amelanchier...but again, I saw no sign of any berries.

For those who ask a question in the comments section and aren't sure about remembering to come back for a reply, you can check the box for follow-up comments.  It will be emailed to you.  Super easy.



words and photos by Janet,The Queen of Seaford.

Tuesday's Trees- American Beech, Fagus grandifolia

Beech, birch, elm….when I started my knowledge of trees journey these confused me. I won't lie, some still do. I believe I can make the ID of Beeches, at least American Beeches.

I first noticed this tree last winter. If you look through the woods in my area, you see little ghost-like leaves of beige/tan hanging on throughout the winter. Along the Colonial Parkway there are many groves of beech, some very mature specimen surrounded by smaller ones. While reading Lisa's blog, Natural Gardening last year she did a post about American Beech. AHA!! The quest for more info begins…..
While talking to my friend David, asking about other trees and trying to make an ID in the Learning Garden he showed me how to tell an American Beech…one way. The leaf buds are like tightly wrapped cigars. Each and every Beech I looked at had this feature.

The leaves on the American Beech are oval, 3-5 inches and more than twice as long as they are wide. This is a contrast from the European Beech. Its leaves are 2-4 inches and not even twice as long as they are wide. The toothed margins are also different. American has more conspicuous serrated margins. The American Beech leaves emerge in the spring and the lovely little ghostly leaves drop. Twig growth is a zigzag pattern and at each node there is a bud. Fall color is yellow turning finally to the light tan color throughout the winter. This tree can be found mostly in moist soil conditions, bottom lands and wetland areas.

The bark on this tree is smooth, older trees may have been scarred by young lovers carving their initials into its bark. One story of an old old Beech is that of Daniel Boone carving his initials and his claim of killing a bear on that spot. The Filson Historical Society of Louisville now has this trunk, according to Wikipedia.



According to Silvics Manual, my favorite reference online for native trees, while the average age is ranges from 150- 250 years there are trees found in Pennsylvania older than 366 years. One of the largest beeches is found in Michigan – 161 ft. tall and a crown of 105 ft. The average size is 60- 80 feet tall and a trunk diameter of about 2-3 feet.
Fruit and flowers- male and female flowers occur on the same tree but in separate clusters. The male flower is long stemmed and female flowers occur in clusters of two to four. Interestingly the Beechnuts take an entire year to mature and ripen in the fall. A Beech doesn't even produce until it is fully mature, having a good production finally around 40 years of age. Seed production goes in 2- 8 year intervals. A chilling period is required for a Beechnut to germinate. The seedlings develop best under a canopy or a protected area.


The fruit is a great food source for many birds and animals in the woods. Beech wood is used in many applications- from furniture to railroad ties. It is a dense wood and therefore is a good fuelwood. Thin strips are used as veneers or in basket making.

Because of the thin bark the Beech can have problems with many sucking insects. Beech is not top of the list for white-tailed deer---nibbling it only if other food is not available. Far more information is available at the Silvics Manual link and for some good photos of the flowers and the nuts see the Virginia Tech or Wildflower web site or the UCONN site. I am including a picture of a Tri-Colored Beech- a European Beech, Fagus Sylvatica 'Roseo-Marginata'. It is zone 4- 7 and therefore not likely to be found here in zone 7b. This was taken on the campus of George Mason University in Northern Virginia. Notice the more rounded nature of the leaves. This picture was an ID challenge from one of the kids.

Next week's tree- Red Maple




words and photos by Janet,The Queen of Seaford.