LEGO ART AT MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDENS

04 Jul 2014 Leave a comment

by jeannieadams in Uncategorized Tags: , , ,

DSCF1409

HAPPY  4TH OF  JULY,  2014 !!!

From now until September 7, 2014,  Lego Art “Nature Connects”  is on display  in the Climatron  at Mo Bot.  in St. Louis, Missouri.  Guaranteed  to be enjoyed by  kids  and adults of all ages!   There are 12 displays and here are my favorites:

DSCF1437

Of course, being a bird watcher,  I love this  Pileated Woodpecker.  It’s made with  4424 Legos.

DSCF1448

This is just a partial caption of “Feeding the Birds or the Squirrels?”  which  took 8586 Legos to make.

DSCF1414

Mama  and Baby Lego Ducks are  so cute !

DSCF1432

Now  onto the bugs…….. This Monarch Butterfly  is feasting on milkweed, a much needed nutritional plant  for them  to make the long  journey to Mexico for the winter.  You can help the Monarchs by planting milkweed in your yard.  This display used 60,549 Legos.

DSCF1428

Did you know that the Praying Mantis can eat frogs, lizards and even hummingbirds?  No wonder I didn’t like these creeping looking  bugs!  42,167 Legos were used in this display.

DSCF1421

This Milk Snake is after it’s favorite mouse snack here.  12,069  Legos used  to create this slitherly  image that I hope I never see in my garden.  : )

DSCF1481

This would  look great in any garden !    27,869 Legos were needed to make the Sundial and Bluebird.

DSCF1460

Our applause to the artist – Sean Kenney !!!

DSCF1475

But Wait!  By the time I was finished seeing the Lego Art, it was raining buckets outside!!!!  So I  photographed some of the  plants and flowers that make me smile.   Proof that Mother Nature has a sense of humor:

DSCF1446

DSCF1393

DSCF1425

DSCF1447

DSCF1390

DSCF1435

DSCF1441

DSCF1440

DSCF1443

DSCF1439

DSCF1455

DSCF1445

DSCF1444

Lastly these Climatron residents wanted  to be  included  also.

Thanks for reading!

 

 

 

 

CORPSE FLOWER AT MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDENS

04 Jul 2014 4 Comments

by jeannieadams in Uncategorized Tags: , ,

DSCF1628

June 30, 2014

Recently the Titan Arum ( Amonphophallus  titanum) plant bloomed at the Missouri Botanical Gardens.  Originally  from the Island  of Sumatra, a part of Indonesia, these plants bloom infrequently and when they do bloom, it only lasts approximately 24 hours.   If  I understood correctly, the last time this particular plant bloomed at the Gardens  was in 2012.   Since the bloom  is open only for a short time, the Gardens  remained open until 2:00 am the day of the bloom  for anyone interested in seeing   and smelling   this rarity.  I arrived about 8:00PM  and stood in line for about an hour.   When I left, the line was even longer so the plant definitely brings  in the curiosity seekers.

Did I mention the smell???  It isn’t  nick named the Corpse Flower for nothing.   As I stood in line, there was definitely a stinky odor  and the closer I got to the plant, the worse it got.  When I finally had my turn to stand in front of it,  the stench  was nauseatingly  horrible.

As I learned from my visit,  the spadix ( the thing that is sticking up in the middle)  releases this stinky odor to attract pollinators. Interestingly,  the tip of the  spadix  is also  approximately human body temperature, which helps the odor  volatilize and  attract  the pollinators also.

Now I can obviously show you the photos I took but I also wanted to do my best to share with you the smell.   So if you can  imagine this….

According to Wikipedia, the America Chemical Society and Cornell University did an analysis of chemicals released by the spadix .  It showed  the  “stench” includes chemicals similar to the smell of  limberger cheese, rotting fish, sweaty socks,  a sweet floral scent,  Chloraseptic and mothballs all rolled into one.   Now, aren’t you sorry you missed it?

DSCF1630

Thanks for reading!

 

 

 

 

ROBIN INVASION

13 Jun 2014 7 Comments

by jeannieadams in Uncategorized Tags: ,

Image

June  20, 2014

You are witness to my one and only Robin Invasion!   These photos were taken late spring, while the bird bath warmer was still in use. It started as a calm visit but caught my attention because never have I seen so many robins all together in one spot.   Within moments the news spread…..

Image

and spread….

Image

and spread….

Image

Was this the Robin version of a Hot Tub party????

Image

They became increasingly rambunctious and noisy as more robins arrived….

Image

This photo still only shows a sampling.  There were more Robins in the trees and in the rest of  my back yard.  They all partied  for approximately  15 minutes, drained the Hot Tub, I mean, bird bath, dry and flew away leaving me to clean up the mess.  

 Image

 

Meet Daisy, one of my two Yorkies.  How does Daisy fit into this posting you ponder?  Because, as sweet  as this little face may appear, Daisy loves to eat bird poop.   Thus, though the Robin Invasion was a  photo op for me, it  took on a whole different meaning for Daisy.  So I had some serious cleaning up to do…….. oh the things we do for the animals we love.    : ) 

Please provide fresh water for our feathered friends if you can and thanks for reading!    

FLEDGLING ROBINS ENJOYING MY BACKYARD

08 Jun 2014 1 Comment

by jeannieadams in Uncategorized Tags:

Image

June 8, 2014

It’s  was a family scene  outside out my kitchen window  – this was  Fledgling Robin # 1.  Just sitting there chirping  and looking around.

Image

At times, Fledgling  # 1 seemed a bit frustrated….

Image

Then Dad arrived with a snack and it became clear to me what was happening.  Then I noticed…….

Image

Sitting on my back fence was Fledgling  Robin # 2.

Image

Dad was busy feeding  both Fledglings !   Then I spotted…..

Image

Fledgling  Robin # 3 is sitting  in the next door neighbor’s back fence.  Poor Dad –  I’m getting tired just watching him hunt for worms and  fly from one chirping Fledgling  to the next, all the while chasing away  other stray birds  he thinks might be a threat to his fledglings.  .

Image

Back to Fledgling  # 1.

Image

At a moment,   I thought I’d get to see Fledgling  # 1 take flight…

Image

But then Fledgling  # 1 decided to stay.  

How long did they stay there?   Not sure, but a better part of the morning I’m guessing.   I finally had to put down my camera and get some work done.  When I finally looked back outside the  whole family was gone.

Although since then,  I have been noticing “teen-age”  Robins with the fledgling spotted breast poking around my back lawn …

Image

 I’d like to think these are the same Robins , growing  up healthy on my backyard bugs and worms.  

 

 

 

PAPA FINCH & HIS FLEDGLINGS

01 Jun 2014 2 Comments

by jeannieadams in Uncategorized Tags:

Image

June 1, 2014 

Spring is a great time to keep your eyes open for the new generation of our fine feathered friends.  This feeder sits  outside my kitchen  window so by offering  food and water for the birds, I’m blessed  with a lots of feathered activity.   I think this Papa Bird,  in the middle,  is a House  Finch (although the Purple Finch looks similar so I’m frequently confused) and he is  helping/teaching the  fledglings  to find food.  

Image

Oh dear, I think they spotted me in the window! 

Image

Not sure if this is the same family or maybe a cousin?

Image

This baby has found  a feast and made itself comfortable.

Image

Is this is a fledgling starling maybe?   It has been hanging around my feeders for days and one afternoon I caught it having an   identity crisis and trying  to eat from the finch sock.   

Image

Lastly, there are two joyfully singing wrens residing in my wren house.  So maybe there are some baby wrens in the future????

Thanks for reading!

 

MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDENS TULIP TIME AND A SURPRISE, ST. LOUIS, MO

28 May 2014 5 Comments

by jeannieadams in Uncategorized Tags: , , , ,

Image

May 28, 2014

Tulip time at the Missouri Botanical Gardens  has already come and gone but  maybe this posting  can help you with some ideas for your garden next spring.     I hope you enjoy my  Mo Bot  tulip photos and then go see the surprise that lives in the Climatron……..

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

What is that?

Image

SURPRISE!  from one of the geckos that resides in the Climatron …..and  also …..

Image

 

this Silver Beaked Tanager ( who also lives in the Climatron)   is very friendly if you bring him bird seed .

Go visit them soon!

Thanks for reading!

RANDOM PHOTOS OF PARIS, FRANCE

22 May 2014 1 Comment

by jeannieadams in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Image

Eiffel Tower

May 22, 2014

Dedicated to all of you happy travelers  who delight in the same addiction as I do…here are my final  photos of my April 2014 trip to  Paris, France.  Such a beautiful city with so much to enjoy.

Image

 Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel – built in 1806 to commemorate Napoleon’s military victories.  It stands on the sight of the former Tuileries Palace ( yet another palace for the kings).

Image

Tuileries Garden:  Queen Catherine de Medicis created  the garden of the Tuileries Palace in 1564, it was  opened to the public in 1667, and became a public park after the French Revolution. 

Image

The Louvre ( a small portion of)  – also a former palace of the kings and now an art museum where the Mona Lisa resides.

Image

Winston Churchill sighting at the Grand Palais :  The Grand Palais was built for the 1900 World’s Fair in Paris  as an exhibition hall. During WWI it was used as an military hospital , than during  the France Occupation by the Nazis, they used it as a truck depot and later  to house propaganda exhibitions. Again, this building is huge, has three separate entrances and this photo only captures a small section of it.

Image

Les Invalides – Built in 1670 as a  military hospital and  home for war veterans, Les Invalides  is a  now a complex of buildings  with museums, monuments and burial vaults all relating to France’s military history.

Image

Statue inside Notre Dame Cathedral.

Image

Bird Watching in Paris –  window shopping in Paris can make you hungry!

Image

Macaroons are everywhere.

Image

  WONDERFUL  PATISSERIES  ARE ALSO EASY TO FIND.

Image

Umbrella Store

tomatoesfruit stanmd cropped

Lastly, neighborhood fruit stands are so Paris!  Love them!!

Jusqu’à ce que je retourne…….

 

THE CONCIERGERIE & MARIE ANTOINETTE, PARIS, FRANCE

22 May 2014 1 Comment

by jeannieadams in Uncategorized Tags: , , ,

Image

May 21, 2014

Marie Antoinette was beheaded via  the guillotine  on  October 16, 1793, approximately 8 months after her  the execution of her husband, the former King Louis XVI of France.

The reasons behind the  French Revolution and  how  the King and Queen lived  shamelessly  extravagant  makes for  very interesting reading.  Simply put,  in the end, revolutionary forces  captured Louis and Marie-Antoinette during their attempt to flee  the country,  monarchy was abolished, and Louis and Marie-Antoinette were condemned for treason.

The Conciergerie is where Marie-Antoinette was imprisoned during the  final days of her life. The building was originally a royal palace but in 1391 it  became the Parliament of Paris  and  a portion of it used as a prison. 

Image

The Conciergerie

Image

If you were imprisoned and had no money,  your accommodations consisted of concrete walls, straw on the floor and a bucket.

Image

If you had money to pay, you could possibly  have a little nicer stay.

Image

This was a re-creation of the cell Marie-Antoinette was kept in. She is dressed in black since she was mourning the death of her husband.  She was also had two  guards with her at all times. 

Image

Lists of the  2780  people who were executed by the guillotine .

Image

The Hall of Men-at-Arms proves the building is not all doom and gloom.  The architecture inside is beautiful  with the way the light bounces around.  This room used to be the dining room for the guards. 

Image

 

  Lastly, this beautiful clock  hangs on the outside of the Conciergerie.  It is the oldest clock  in Paris dating back to 1535.  Granted, it has been restored more than once, but it still works.  Just for grins, check the time against your smart phone……….

 

    

 

 

Musee Carnavalet, Paris, France

20 May 2014 2 Comments

by jeannieadams in Uncategorized Tags: , ,

Image

Painting  by Jean Beraud 

May 20, 2014

In the Marais District of Paris is the Carnavalet  Museum which is dedicated to the history of Paris.  It is housed in two  neighboring mansions that were built in the 16th and 17th century.   It has over 600,000 pieces  and 100 rooms.   I enjoyed  wandering through this museum and especially seeing all of the paintings of  Paris from  the “day’s gone by”  era.  Admission is free  but everything is in French.   So, unless you know the language, it is truly a museum of looking and not  necessarily knowing what you are seeing.   Had I had more foresight,  possibly I would have read about the contents before going.   None the less, I enjoyed  walking about  for a couple of hours  exploring  the different rooms and simply absorbing the adventure of being totally language-disconnected.   

Image

One of the mansions  that houses the museum.

Image

One of the entrance hallways. 

Image

Baby cradle of Prince Louis-Napoleon ( nephew of Napoleon I )

Image

Painting by Gustave Denney  that I liked.  

MUSEE d’ORSAY, PARIS, FRANCE

20 May 2014 Leave a comment

by jeannieadams in Uncategorized Tags: , , , ,

Image

May 19, 2014

The Musee d’Orsay  is without a doubt one of my favorite museums.  It was  well worth the hour and a half that I stood in line to get in. ( That was with the Museum Pass.)  Known for  Europe’s greatest collection of Impressionist  pieces, it will not disappoint.  The building used to be  an old train station  built in 1898 and has been transformed with the style you would expect in the city of Paris. Be sure to stop in and say Hello to Whistler’s Mother….

Image

 

The original train station clock over looks the Great Hall….

Image

The Great Hall of the Orsay. 

Image

Looking from the inside out to the roof and beyond for views of  the city. 

Image

 

Young Girls at the Piano –  just a sampling from my favorite artist,  Renoir,  who has 81 paintings at the Orsay.  The Impressionist paintings are on the top floor – see these first.   

Image

Also, be sure  to take a quick  glance outside the clock tower before you leave. Then stop at the gift shop and buy the post cards or book marks of your favorite paintings since you cannot take photos in the Orsay.  Or buy the book –  its a great way to take home  this  fascinating building of art.  

 

Previous Older Entries Next Newer Entries