Fringe Tree

 

A couple of different looks at the Fringe Tree captured just at peak bloom.

Smoketree

 

I'm keeping an eye out for the "smoke." :-) The flowers, it's said, are clustered in a large open terminal panicles with a fluffy grayish-buff appearance resembling a cloud of smoke over the plant, from which the name derives.

CNU

 

Yesterday found me on my way over to the Peebles Theater on the Christopher Newport University's (CNU)  Newport News campus to attend the senior recital of a very talented friend.

Carolina Jessamine

 

Although I understand that much of this plant is toxic to animals, I've noticed how the House Wrens who have taken up residence in that storage building in the background like to use it for shelter during the day.

Kale

 

Perhaps the Duke basketball team could have used a little kale in their diet before last night's game against the Tennessee Vols, because they didn't seem to be playing at their usual high level. By contrast, I thought the Arkansas and Kansas players must have had too much, especially given the frenetic pace at which they played in the first half. What a game! And yet one more #1 seed bites the dust!

Organic

 

Heard an expert in the field say that the label "Non GMO" means almost nothing and that it's more of a marketing tool than anything else. Anything that's labeled "organic", though, does have to meet certain federal government standards. I noticed this morning that my favorite brand of black beans does actually carry the OCIA Certified Organic label.

Filter

 

Well, so as not to keep everyone in suspense about yesterday's post, here's the explanation. Continuing work on my car, I replaced the cabin filter. What happened, however, is that I became fascinated by the way my camera captured the images of both the filter and the chamber in which the filter is housed. 

Here's the new filter.

And here's the chamber where the filter is housed.

Bosch

Seeing that Packard yesterday inspired me to install some parts on my own humble Yaris, beginning with new windshield wipers. According to one source I consulted, you should replace your wipers after 50 hours of service. But since that can be a pretty hard figure to calculate exactly, I prefer my method, which is to replace them whenever I feel like or when they begin to squeak or chatter. 

Which wipers to buy? Well, I'm not sure it makes a lot of difference, since we should be replacing them more often than we do. Still, I've had a fairly good experience these last two go arounds with Bosch wipers. This time I bought the more expensive Envision wipers only because they came with a 10% discount AND a free gallon of windshield wiper fluid. (Not sure what I'm going to with that since I already have most of a gallon left. But . . . it seemed like a  good deal, so I went with it.) Here's what they looked like still in the box. BTW, I had to order the rear wiper blade myself through Amazon, since the attendant said her store didn't carry them. Not sure what THAT was about! I think she just didn't look very carefully at her inventory list.

Wishing you all clearer vision of the road ahead. :-)

British Union

 

It was a cold west wind blowing a couple of days ago when I took this photo. We experienced gusts up to 30 mph. Great day for flag lovers! I believe the one that was flying on this occasion was the British Union Flag designed by King James and that was used in the American colonies from their inception and until 1775.

Brazil Wood Extract

 

Shingle Oak

 

One of the many new trees being planted in and around CW after several legacy trees had to be removed. It would be interesting to know why the folks responsible for CW's arboretum chose this particular species as well as why they planted it in this location. I'll have to check the QR code next time I pass. Maybe there is a link to that information there.

Holiday

Some pickup in foot traffic lately due mostly, I think, to the fact that yesterday, when this photo was taken, was a public holiday and that William & Mary students are starting to return from their winter break.

"Quiet" Time

 

Well, as of yesterday at least, the tourists were still here in large numbers, as were the wreaths that have been such a special part of this holiday season. Today, and certainly by tomorrow, I'm expecting things to quiet down, especially with young people returning to school, their parents returning to work, and the college students still away on winter break. 

This also is when Colonial Williamsburg traditionally gives its guides a much needed rest. But it's also been the time when maintenance crews turn out in large numbers to plow through what I can only imagine is a long punch list of projects that probably have been put off until when the crowds of people began to thin out. Wreaths have to be removed, sidewalks and steps repaired and/or replaced, roofs patched, and so on and so forth. 

So did I say this was going to be a "quiet" time? Mmm, on second thought, maybe not. 

Coffee

 

Had your New Year's first cup of coffee yet? :-) Happy New Year, everyone!

Chowning's

 

Hamiltons'

 

To Arms!

 

 

 

So, since living in Williamsburg, I've pretty much come to the conclusion that the American Revolution was based upon a terrible misunderstanding and that what Patrick Henry, George Washington, George Mason, George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, and Thomas Jefferson really meant when they cried, "To Arms! To Arms!" was that everybody should all just go down the street to the King's Arms Tavern for rounds. :-)

 

Linking again today with Skywatch Friday

Crossing

 

The Humpback Rocks Loop Trail meets the Appalachian Trail at just about this point where a spur leads to the rocks, so quite often you'll meet folks like this fellow who looks like he's making a longer trek of it.

Loop Trail

 

It's been several weeks now since I climbed Humpback Rocks in the Blue Ridge Mountains, a favorite of many in this region. Still, as I will soon show, there was just a bit of fall color beginning to appear.

Ginkgo

 

Linking today with Skywatch Friday