More NBG Pics

It was quite a dreary day at the Gardens today and kind of spooky looking. So I thought I would share a few photos. I also wanted to let you see who I spend my time with while I'm there...

This is Kevin my volunteer buddy. We work really well together and always have a great time. He also gave me a lot of really great info for our trip to England & Scotland last summer!

This is Don the big boss guy, busy watering a few plants. He teaches us all kinds of stuff we never new!

He thinks he is scaring me with that hose!

And now a few more plants & flowers from the greenhouse...

I don't know why but I really like this plant. Its called Globeberry.

Pretty blooming succulent

This is a new bloom on the Giant Cucumber vine. I love the way it smells.

Kevin hard at work!

NEW LENS!!!

Wooo hooo!!! I have been eyeing a new lens for quite a while. A good photographer friend of mine, Chris Taylor (no relation that we know of) has been helping me decide which one to get. Im such a chicken when it comes to spending that kind of money. Well it came today and Im in LOVE! I had to try it out but neither of the human kids would let me take their pics so I was left with the dogs...they can be just as cute I guess!

Here are a few photos I took while playing around with it.

THANKS CHRIS!

Jake giving me a look Im use to seenign the kids give me...

Steph saluting the sub...

I have been searching for this photo for MONTHS! I put a photo album together while Rick was deployed with all of his Navy pics. I thought I had all my negatives & photos pretty organized but I couldn't find this negative OR the 4x6 photo I had printed. I had given up on ever finding it and was very sad about it. Well tonight I was looking for something in my junk drawer & it slipped out from between some papers!!!

It was originally in color but I want to hang it in the living room with my other B&W pics.

She was about 6 in the photo and it was when we lived in Hawaii. I LOVE this photo!

Norfolk Botanical Gardens

For those who don't know, I volunteer at Norfolk Botanical Gardens. Because of the days getting longer a few things are beginning to bloom in the greenhouse! Thought I would share a few.


This is the coolest bloom. Its a Giant Cucumber and I wish computers had smell-o-vision cause it was heavenly! A very light sweet soapy smell. Beautiful!!



Don't ask me what this is because I never remember anything! Its pretty though.




This is the greenhouse that I water every Friday-yes the whole thing! There is also a cold house next door. There are a lot of plants that have to come indoors for the winter!

For my friends in Hawaii-Plumeria, and let me tell you how awesome THIS one smells!! Takes me right back to Hawaii! And let me tell you how big this puppy is! It would fill my palm!

Now I'm not a big fan of Hibiscus, but I have never seen one colored this way.

I know there really aren't any blooms on this but I think it is the coolest Jade plant.

And finally-one of the benefits of volunteering is that I get to bring plants home when they have too many or have no use for them. This crab apple tree has been sitting there since fall and I kept saying I was going to pick it up but with Rick home now I never had the truck. So Justin & I ran down there today to pick it up!

That's all...hope everyone has a great weekend!

Snow?

Well well we finally got some snow. I would call it a dusting myself, but I'm a S Cali girl so what do I know?

The sad part is that I have a few daffodils beginning to bloom & now they look like this...

The doggies having some fun...Jake LOVES the snow & cold weather!

Poor flamingo

So what do ya think...was that enough for schools & business to shut down?

Back Home...

We made it home safely this afternoon after driving through some sleet and a lot of snow! Snow that is following us down here! Thankfully we wont be getting as much as N. Va!! Can I just say how ready I am for warm weather!

We had a nice visit with the cousins & got to see our good friend Christy and her son this morning for breakfast!

The cousins bought themselves a wii for Christmas and they are so addicted to bowling! This time I couldn't escape & was forced to play-and kicked butt with no effort at all..then Saturday afternoon we went REAL bowling. After about 3-4 games when everyone else was begining to get tired, I began bowling better then them!! Of course I just HAD to take a pic of the scoreboard...and here it is...

In the end I didn't win though...ah well...here are more photos of all the fun...

I'm a happy girl!

Wes...

Sue waiting to see what she knocked down with her green ball..

Rick trying to do the impossible...

Come on Wes!!

We took a few pics sbefore we left when it was snowing, but they are on Wes & Sue's camera because I *cough* forgot *cough* my cameras!