Photo-a-Day Week 27

Week 27 marks the halfway point of the year! Welcome back to another wrap-up for the week. 

Day 181-

My friend David Sullivan, from whom I accepted this challenge, said it was National Camera Day. I have a shelf of old cameras, so it was appropriate to get a photo of them to celebrate. A couple of the cameras came from my folks, and one from my husband's childhood. 

Yesterday was National Camera Day

Day 182-

Just outside our neighborhood, we have friends who have a gnome house. It was in an old tree stump. Over the years the stump deteriorated. Because there were so many tree stumps uprooted from Hurricane Helene, they were able to acquire a new stump. Many of us have been waiting to see the new reveal. It is as charming as ever! In the photo below, you can see a hammock and a swing on one side of the house. Around back there is a campfire where marshmallows are being toasted. I love the little window boxes. I am sure there will be more added over time. It is always fun to check out the gnomes.

New Stump Remodel

Day 183-

We have had a good number of Swallowtail butterflies this year. Some years, I only see a few, and they have tattered wings. This one is in beautiful shape and enjoying the Hyssop blooms. 

Swallowtail on Hyssop

Day 184-

While looking for a Yellow-billed Cuckoo high in the trees in my backyard, I found a nest. It took a long time to finally see a little head pop up. It is a female Summer Tanager sitting on her nest. It is pretty high up in the tree, so getting a better photo isn't possible. I will keep an eye out for more activity as time goes by. 

Summer Tanager nest

Day 185-

On the morning of the 4th of July, I looked out to the lake to see if there was a lot of traffic. We are on the northern end of the lake, so most of the boating in our backyard has someone teaching someone to water ski or taking some children on a tube. It is quieter and we like it that way!

Quiet on the Lake, Happy 4th

Day 186-

Every day, multiple times a day, we are outside playing. Fiona loves to play with the disc. Liebling likes the rubber rings. Fiona jumps pretty high to catch the disc. I used to play with a Frisbee with her, but the edges would get cut up and then cut up her gums. I like this fabric one, it sails nicely and is easy for her to catch.

Got it!

Day 187-

While looking for inspiration for today's photo, I noticed a dusky moth on the garage door. I think it is a Decorated Owlet. If it isn't one, I will correct the name.

Decorated Owlet

Like I said at the top, we have reached the halfway point of the year! More interesting photos to follow each day. Hope you keep coming back. 

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

Photo-a-Week Week 20

Welcome back to week 20! There are interesting photos for this week; I hope you enjoy them all.

Day 132-

At a loss for what to photograph, I looked down at my laptop and zoomed in. Boy, is it dirty!!! I cleaned it right after getting a closeup.

Ew, Dirty Keyboard

Day 133-

We got a lot of rain last week, all that water flowed downstream from upstream, into the lake. The lake level rose and the color of the lake was like café au lait. Some call the brown water stained. Our lake is a man-made lake with a dam at the end. The dam has turbines to produce hydroelectric power. When the lake level is high the gates are wide open. After a few days the level of the lake was back down to its normal levels for this time of year. 

Aftermath of the Rain

Day 134- 

We had too many clouds and rain to capture a picture of the full moon. This photo is from the next night, still quite bright and appearing full. The clouds helped create an eerie sky.

Moon and Clouds

Day 135-

Our Magnolia grandiflora blooms in May, most years I have blooms on Mother's Day. This year, there was one bloom open on Mother's Day but it was high up in the tree and difficult to photograph. When these glorious blooms open the air is filled with a lemony fragrance that reminds me of Lemon Pledge. 

Lemon Pledge Scent

Day 136- 

At night, when we drive home, it is quite dark and lonely on the road. This is one of the rural roads to get to our house. 

The Way Home

Day 137- 

Every year, I tell myself I will cut the spent blooms on my Calla lilies, Zantedeschia albomaculata, so they don't reseed everywhere. I really need to follow through this year, as Calla lilies are popping up in a lot of places. 

Volunteer 

Day 138- 

Who doesn't like to blow bubbles with kids on a sunny day? It is always fun! The bigger the bubble, the better! 

Bubble

Come back again next week for more of my photo a day pictures. 

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

CoCoRaHS Follow Up

Wanted to share some 'after the rain' information.  Some of you had asked about reporting to CoCoRaHS and your work schedule conflicting.   I went back and reread the 'Getting Started' info.  Here is where my selective memory kicked in, you can report BEFORE 7 AM.  I must have blocked that part out.  You can report the reading anywhere from 5 AM - 9AM for it to be recorded on the map.  (So you early birds can get it done bright and early) If you report by 7 AM the amounts will be included in local weather report totals for the news.  Reports by 9 AM will be shown on the maps.   For those who might be away for a few days you also have the option of reports a multiple day accumulation of precipitation.

Our rainfall total for the rain from two days ago was less than I thought.  My rainfall total was 1.66 inches.  Further north, Greenville to Asheville and further west got a lot more... averaging about 3 inches.  Rainfall in Greenville affects us.   The lake levels have been crazy.  Here is a picture of our dock before it rained on the 15th.

Lots and lots of shoreline.  This is typical in the winter.  Our lake management brings the lake level down in the winter for the health of the lake.  The winter's lake level also allows us to clean up trash, repair docks, and explore the shoreline.   By sea level elevation the winter's low is supposed to be 434.5 feet above sea level.  The photo above is 434.5 ft.   Beginning January 31st the lake level is brought back up, slowly to what they call full pool, 439 feet.
Here is the lake yesterday-- at 437 ft.

Today the lake level is another foot higher!!  So rainfall upstream was enough to raise the level of the lake by three and a half feet!  We know the exact level because of the US Geological Survey website.  Check out the rise in water level in just a couple days!!

Not sure if they will lower the level much between now and January 31 when the level is supposed to come back up.   If it wasn't so cold we might be tempted to uncover the boat and go for a ride.
Was outside walking the yard and thought I would share an additional picture of the water.....water is real muddy but also quite high.

Saturday, January 19, 2013

©Copyright 2012 Janet. All rights reserved. Content created by Janet for The Queen of Seaford. words and photos by Janet,The Queen of Seaford.

Great Discoveries

Today was a gorgeous day in South Carolina.  Yesterday was also a great day.  Yesterday we gave all three dogs a bath out in the driveway.  Good to get the winter stink off of them.  After the baths we took a stroll along the shoreline.  The lake level is down at its lowest and walking along the shore is a pleasant way to spend a little time.  As we walked along I saw a hawk, a small one.  He landed high in one of our neighbor's trees.  Lucky for me I had my camera with me.  These are probably the worst pictures to share, but I can't figure out who this little guy might be.  The dark coloring on his cheek makes me think it might be a falcon of some kind.  I will leave the better ID to some of you---- let me know!

 He looked around and turned his head a good bit.  In the photo above you can see the white tip on the tail feathers.   I think it MIGHT be an American Kestrel.  Those stripes on the face really make me think this is the correct bird.

What do YOU think?  For those who didn't read or hear about the hawk in the Library of Congress, it was a female Cooper's Hawk.  She was rescued and will be treated for dehydration and eventually released into the 'wild' of DC. 

Just after we saw this unknown little hawk/falcon/kestrel we saw a Bald Eagle fly up the lake.  These are such majestic birds.  Even from afar you can tell it is a Bald Eagle.

As we continued our walk we saw lots of footprints in the sandy shoreline where animals go to the water's edge.   Guess my next form of study will have to be animal tracks.

There were tons of all kinds of mussel shells and some spiraled shells, like I shared on my previous posting.  I was surprised to see one quite so large.  This is my boot -- size 7. 

Pretty large shell.

Today was a day for working on the front woods.  I am trying to keep a balance of nature here.  Leave the trees, mostly, get rid of the honeysuckle, smilax, and muscadine vines.  I thinned some of the trees-- 5 Sweetgum can't grow in a four square foot area. 

One of the places I had marked in my mind for a Mountain Laurel there was a large honeysuckle vine-- the trunk was about an inch in diameter.  As I pulled and dug this neverending vine out, I came across my Great Discovery.  I found a Cranefly Orchid.  I wasn't 100% sure at first.  Posted the photo on Facebook and did a little more investigating online.  Mine didn't seem too purple on the underside of the leaf....until I went and looked again.  This is the first picture I took.  Size and shape were right, but from this photo, it didn't look like it was dark purplish on the underside. 

 So I went back out and looked again.....it is a Tipularia discolor!!

Oh yeah!!  I marked the area with some branches stuck in the ground.  Don't want the dogs running through them nor do I want to dig right there.   Will have to watch when I plant anything in there.

Another mystery to me is what is growing near the orchid.  Anyone have any ideas what this might be??  The stems are reddish and the new growth is also red in color.

 It has a sharp-toothed leaf, interesting coloring.  I am clueless to what it might be.  Help?? Daricia has provided an answer!  http://www.duke.edu/~cwcook/trees/chma.html It is a Striped Wintergreen or Striped Pipsissewa, Chimaphila maculata  thanks Daricia!!



  After all my front woods discoveries I thought I would go out back and check the Witch-hazel. 

Hamamelis x intermedia 'Feuerzauber'

Still just a few blooms, but it is young-- next year!!!

words and photos by Janet,The Queen of Seaford.

Lovely Day for A Stroll

The other day I decided to take a walk along the shoreline of our lake.  During the summer months the lake level is higher than it is now.  Winter months the lake level is dropped for work on the turbines at the dam.  This is a man-made lake, dammed as a part of the Public Works Administration in 1933.  Along with the Civilian Conservation Corps, who cleared the timber for the lake basin, the lake was dammed and by 1940 the lake approached its capacity.   The lake is approximately 12,000 acres and supports the community's water supply.  There are folks out on the lake all year fishing and boating.  Even saw some out fishing during our 'snow storm'. 

I was surprised to see all the shells on our sandy beach.  No wonder there have been so many birds feeding along the shore. 

I love the spiraled shells.

 When the water level is down there are lots of tree stumps that are visible.  Driftwood fans would have a field day.

The lake has some areas that are protected habitat areas.  Most of these in our neighborhood are in the coves where deer, turkey and other critters come down to the water.

While walking along the shore I saw lots of birds, many rustling the leaves in the wooded areas.  I didn't have my telephoto lens with me, next time.  I saw some River Birch in the woods, kind of neat.  The lots along the lake in my area are semi native woodlands.  The land on the slopes have more of a variety of plant material.  The land borders a pulp wood forest, all the pines are in a row.   I encountered a couple plants that I needed to come home and look up.

This is one of them.  I believed it to be a Hazelnut, Corylus americana, but now, I am not so sure.  It could be Hazel Alder, Alnus serrulata.  These little pinecone looking things are typical of the Hazel Alder. 

 These catkins are typical to both. 

 I believe this is the spent flower, I will have to research more and observe more--- especially in the spring.

 Any ideas out there? 

 The other plant I found is this one---

 It looked like a Leucothoe to me, but I wanted to make sure.  Sure enough it is Leucothoe, though I am not certain whether it is Leucothoe axillaris or Leucothoe fontanesiana.  Still looking at the differences between the two species.   It is fun to find and identify plants. 
Next trip up or down the shoreline I will take the other lens and perhaps come back with pictures of the Pileated Woodpecker I saw, or some of the Sparrows in the brush that were throwing the leaves around, or maybe some other new find.  Stay tuned!

words and photos by Janet,The Queen of Seaford.