Recently in Spring Category

Don't know why the people writing headlines can't get Oklahoma State right. The LSU Lady Tigers played Oklahoma State yesterday in the women's NCAA tournament. The headline at ESPN.com was LSU/Ohio State II. I clicked on the link thinking that LSU and Ohio State had scheduled a football game. No. Today's Times Picayune, the local rag that should know better (Well, they both should know better), has/had a headline that reads thusly: "LSU downs Oklahoma 67-52". Oklahoma is NOT Oklahoma State as any student/fan of either school will attest. Accuracy was important at one time. At least, I thought it was. Oh, and Go Lady Tigers.

My March Madness brackets find themselves in a strange place: In contention. Go Horns and Go Jayhawks.

The sun is trying to peek out today. It was overcast and misty all day yesterday. The CrabAppleLane yard loved it. Everything is green today. I offer three from the CrabAppleLane yard.

CrabAppleLane tung nut blossoms - March 30, 2008

CrabAppleLane tomatoes - March 30, 2008

Priscilla and the purple irises - March 30, 2008

As a NFL football fan, I agree wholeheartedly with today's QOTD.

Quote of the Day

The system isn't broken, as the Giants showed in their Super Bowl XLII upset of the Patriots as the NFC's fifth seed. Yet the re-seeding shakeup is made for the right reasons: The competition committee wants more late-season games of the caliber of the Patriots-Giants Week 17 classic.

Jarrett Bell and Jim Corbett, USA TODAY

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "I lace 'em up for one of Canada's great pastimes (besides complaining, maybe), which turns out to be nothing like riding a bike."

March Madness starts today. Got your brackets ready? It says here the Georgetown Hoyas will be cutting down the nets in April. Bet any house you have to lose.

About today's QOTD: The story is here.

One of the coolest photos I've seen in a while. Only in Europe, I suppose. I think there's probably laws against it in the U.S. "Departing in style" is the title. Indeed. The photographer is tataAnne and her FlickR photos are fabulous.

Spent most of the day in the yard yesterday. First serious yard work of 2008 and also got down the tomato garden. Best sight of the day: One of the CrabAppleLane nesting bluebirds swooped down into my freshly tilled tomato garden and scooped himself a grub. Second best sight of the day: One CrabAppleLane hummingbird chasing off another from the mandevilla. I offer a few on this magnificent spring Sunday.

CrabAppleLane tomato garden - March 16, 2008 - From the worm’s view

CrabAppleLane Squirrel - March 16, 2008 - Squirrel: "Even though he is looking right at me with that camera, he can't see me when I stay perfectly still." He was about to jump to one of the bird feeders when he noticed me.

CrabAppleLane front yard - March 16, 2008 - Everything is blooming

CrabAppleLane bird feeder - March 16, 2008 - Favorite shot this morning. I liked the way the mirliton cables framed it and this is one of the best captures of a CrabAppleLane cardinal I’ve gotten. They are brilliant in the sunlight.

Quote of the Day

I'll give you black sensations up and down your spine
If you're into evil, you're a friend of mine

AC/DC, Hell's Bells

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "It nearly knocked itself out trying to escape but managed to find the open door eventually, not before I managed to take just one shot!"

I picked up lunch yesterday and we ate in Bogue Falaya Park. This time, I brought the camera AND I loaded the battery. Because of the spectacular thunderstorm we had last night, the river was higher than usual. White sand from our vantage point indicates that it gets quite a bit higher on occasion. The park is quite nice, still recovering from Hurricane Katrina, and quite serene on weekdays. We'll probably be doing more of this.

Bogue Falaya - March 4, 2008

My friend, Andrea, is responsible for today's QOTD. She mentioned it the other day.

Quote of the Day

Little darlin'
It's been a long cold lonely winter
Little darlin'
It feels like years since it's been here

George Harrison (The Beatles) - Here Comes The Sun

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "If you did not stop reading this long winded post long ago, my point is that music did all of this, provided all of these wonderful memories and it just sucks that the kids as well as older people that missed out don’t have this kind of stuff anymore."

That sounds just like Lester Bangs. -Rob

Glorious spring Sunday here at CrabAppleLane. Excuse the short one but I have to get back out in it. I offer one from the CrabAppleLane front yard and one from the CrabAppleLane backyard.

CrabAppleLane Redbud - March 2, 2008

CrabAppleLane Backyard - March 2, 2008

Quote of the Day

Oh, put me in, Coach - I'm ready to play today
Put me in, Coach - I'm ready to play today
Look at me, I can be centerfield.

John Fogerty, Centerfield

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "We won’t have Dish or phone service until Friday, but the payoff is high-speed internet so Huzzah! H is hella excited because high-speed internet = XBOXLIVEOMIGOD. We may never see him again."

The CrabAppleLane Saturday afternoon matinée yesterday was Michael Clayton. It was on DirecTV Pay-Per-View and included a Maltin Minute. I like everything Maltin says about George Clooney. The movies he makes between Batman and the Ocean movies are superb. Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Out of Sight, and Syriana are excellent. Add Michael Clayton to that list. Excellent performances all around, particularly Tom Wilkinson, who plays a suddenly conscientious attorney. Wilkinson has one scene with Clooney where he goes from just outside of reality's grip right back into the moment with sharp lawyerly focus (See today's QOTD). It was an amazing delivery and he is absolutely convincing. Wilkinson and Clooney both play attorneys who consider themselves "janitors", because they essentially clean up their client's messes. There's another janitor of sorts in the film called Mr Verne. He "deals in absolutes". He is a truly frightening character that I hope doesn't exist in the real world. The only criticism I can level at Michael Clayton is that the ending tailed off from the rest of the film and was a little too "Hollywood" for my tastes. Still, I highly recommend it. The BOTD has a different take.

I offer two from the CrabAppleLane yard on this overcast, somewhat dreary Sunday:

CrabAppleLane Rest Stop - February 24, 2008

Sign of spring - February 24, 2008

Quote of the Day

Michael, I have great affection for you and you live a very rich and interesting life, but you're a bag man not an attorney. If your intention was to have me committed you should have kept me in Wisconsin where the arrest report, the videotape, eyewitness reports of my inappropriate behavior would have had jurisdictional relevance. I have no criminal record in the state of New York, and the single determining criteria for involuntary commitment is danger. Is the defendant a danger to himself or to others. You think you got the horses for that? Well good luck and God bless, but I'll tell you this: the last place you want to see me is in court.

Arthur Edens, Michael Clayton

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "Boring and contrived does not a good thriller make and the ordeal is certainly not helped by a George Clooney who seems to have mistaken weary for depth."

CrabAppleLane offers a picture from New Orleans from yesterday evening.

As I was leaving work yesterday, the sun was setting in the west. This was the view in the east.

I'm really curious. Did these dim bulbs not have renter's insurance? On an apartment they think justifies a $7 million lawsuit? What about the apartment building's owner? Wasn't there liability insurance on the plane or the pilot? I have less than zero sympathy for the tenant. Via the Friday FO entry at it comes in pints?. That's a regular event over there and it's a fun place to blow off some steam. Tip for CrabAppleLane's readers: Watch your language over there.

Spring in Springfield, Illinois. Via Marie at Disarranging Mine. Is there a Springfield in every state? I know there is in Illinois, Missouri, Louisiana, and Massachusetts.

And this is spring in Minneapolis. Via my cousin, Janice.

HowManyOfMe.com

There are: 196 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

Thought I'd post that for the record in case any of you thought I owed you money or something.

Quote of the Day

I AM NOT a princess and I forbid any of you from saying so.

Nancy Travis, long-forgotten TV series (Almost Perfect, possibly)

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: "Also, I'm going to start using the expression "Damn you, man with the stick!" more in my everyday life."

It’s the first day of spring according to my calender. CrabAppleLane really doesn’t observe the calender. It’s been spring around here for two weeks. The grass is green and things are blossoming. Still lots of signs of Hurricane Katrina’s damage, though. A lot of our wild gardenias were lost and that’s heartbreaking. They have a delightful scent. I think the honeysuckle and trumpet vine population will be down, too, but I think those will come back over time.

Good to see LeeAnn back. I think it was justifiable homicide.

The CrabAppleLane March Madness Pool continues today and I rejoice that my entries still have a chance.

About today's QOTD: It's about last night's episode of The Sopranos. I didn't think that much of it.

Quote of the Day

Once again, it was a dream full of rich imagery and symbolism that demands repeated viewing and detailed analysis.

Andy Dehnart, MSNBC

Blog of the day via Disarranging Mine is here.

Quote from said blog: "Lewis writes that the expedition still needs one canoe, and he decides to steal it: “as the Clatsops will not sell us one at price which we can afford to give we will take one from them.”"

Amazing. I had no idea. -Rob

Watched The Godfather: Part III yesterday for the first time. Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, and Talia Shire all reprised their roles to perfection. Watching them was worthwhile but the story didn’t do much for me.

Today's not-so-good pictures.

My yard will not soon be confused with Augusta but it will be fairly nice in a few years. I buy the $1.33ea, 1gallon azaleas after the blooming season when all of the garden centers are just trying to get rid of them. They’re not blooming any more at that time and they’ve usually been pretty well mixed up by the staff and customers. I pay no attention to the names and grab them at random. I look for healthy plants, not colors, and I plant them just about anywhere they’ll have room to grow. I planted these three years ago. They get a good eastern exposure, are protected from the harshest western sun, and are planted in fairly acidic soil from all of the pine nearby. In other words, they’ll do just fine with zero maintenance. I’m a big fan of zero maintenance.

Haven’t quite figured out how to do justice to my blooming redbud tree. Don’t know if it has to be done with the camera or with Paint Shop Pro afterwards. I’m still not comfortable doing anything other than cropping out things not necessary/desirable or brightening images that are too dark.

This guy was singing at the top of his lungs this morning from the top of one of my gum trees. The higher they get in the tree, the further their song carries. Cardinals are my favorite birds. Spring is in the air. He's happily serenading his mate.

Spotted my first hummingbird yesterday. It was a male. Pretty soon, hopefully, the whole flock will be here to torment each other. Love having them back and they’re right on schedule for my spotting. I started keeping track a few years ago.

Hummingbird
March 14, 2001
March 17, 2002
March 10, 2003
March 20, 2004
March 12, 2005

Quote of the Day
Just when I thought that I was out they pull me back in.
Michael Corleone, The Godfather: Part III

Blog of the day here.

Quote (Balance Sheet - March 7 entry) from said blog: "I finally sobered up from all the excesses in New Orleans only to leave my gloves on the train this morning (2nd and 1/2 pair left behind this season."

Today’s number is 4. If you’re writing today’s date, it’s 04/04/04. It is a windows open kind of spring day here on Crabapple Lane. CrabAppleLane Blog has the evidence to prove it.

Below left is my first rose this spring. I spotted it blooming Friday but couldn’t get a picture of it until this morning. Not the best image (Need a better camera bad) but it gets the point across. Below right is a bonsai tree that our friends, Guy and Sandra, gave me in October on the occasion of my dad’s death. It is doing surprisingly well and has new growth on it this spring. If I could just keep the raccoons from knocking it over all the time. They dig in my flower pots for something. I’m hoping the new placement next to our stairs away from the flower pots will solve that problem.

The Waldheim blueberry orchard is about a quarter of a mile from our house. He’s retired from some other occupation and has taken up growing things. I’ve bought a good many plants from him over the years. The blueberry bush you see below to the left was planted two or three years ago. When it was planted, it was covered in big, luscious blueberries (Probably two or three pints worth). It was the last bush I planted that day. I went inside and showered and came back out to water it again (Blueberry bushes like water but they can’t soak in it. You have to water them slowly). In the 30 minutes between planting it and coming back to it, all of the blueberries had been picked. I don’t know what kind of critters they were but they had a sweet tooth. That’s OK because I bought them to attract the wildlife although I have been known to pop a few in my mouth every now and then. Below to the right is some white clover we have planted in a good many spots in the yard also in the hopes of attracting wildlife. It doesn’t seem like anything eats it, though. I might have been scammed. I like it anyway.

When we were in New England many years ago, whirly gigs were all the rage. That and saltwater taffy. The whirly gigs were mostly wood and we bought three or four. Because they were wood and cheap, they didn’t really weather very well. They’re all gone now. Below is a whirly gig I bought Friday afternoon. This is probably the first time his wings have stopped whirling.

I saw doctors, nurses, and patients smoking outside a hospital yesterday. Well, you can’t smoke inside the hospital! It seems they got that message but not the other one. I’m not an anti-smoking crusader by any stretch of the imagination but it just seemed to me that something was out of kilter with that image. It’s probably just me.

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: “Irishtown - A little town up north west on the Island state of Tasmania. A few houses and gentle winding roads"

Another great photoblog. -Rob

At the risk of upsetting my Windy City friend, I offer more CrabAppleLane Spring pictures. You sometimes hear of springtime in the Rockies or springtime in the Smokies but I submit to you that springtime is spectacular just about everywhere. The pictures below were taken a few minutes ago just down the road from me. The pictures here were taken earlier this morning here at our place.

Just below is the fence line at Bo Jingle’s Christmas Tree Farm. The farm hasn’t opened in a few years but this is the place Patsy and I cut down our first Christmas tree together. It was here on a crisp December day with the smell of pine trees filling our lungs that we decided we wanted to move to the NorthShore of Lake Ponchartrain. After a lot of searching, we ended up about a mile from here. These are tung nut trees in bloom.

Below is a corner about two miles down the road from us. The purple I hope you can see all the way up the utility pole is wisteria. The pinks and reds are azaleas. The white flowers with the yellow center (Closeup) are morning glories, I think. I am absolutely not sure. About gravel roads like the one you see below: When we first bought our property back in 1988, most of the roads, including the future Crabapple Lane, were gravel roads. We used to ride around and explore where each road goes just because it’s nice to know that and alternative routes are sometimes handy. One time, we went down a road called Homer Dutch Road (Not far from this corner) for about a mile and intruded quite rudely on some family function. It turns out Homer Dutch Road is Homer Dutch’s driveway and there was no turnaround. We had to back up the whole way out to the highway. It was quite embarrassing and we are quite a bit more careful about the roads we turn down now.

Blog of the day here.

Quote from said blog: “I used to call it spam, too, but now I call it spoot. I'd eat spam if I were hungry enough. Spoot, however? As my Robert E. Lee Civil War General software game cries at me when I attempt to mis-maneuver my cavalry, "NO, SUH!""