Near #Spring #Equinox 2024 we celebrated my #motherinlaw 's 80th. And on the #Erie shoreline I captured my #BrotherInLaws family in the Sunset #Glow . #DailyPictureTheme
08:01 AM - May 09, 2024
The #dailypicturetheme is #grass . Here is a C. #pa view with bonus of blooming dandelions and leafing boxwood, cherry, willow, maple and sturdy hemlock. Happy 🌼.
11:38 AM - May 02, 2024
The #Orchard #pathoftotality is moving out of blossom phase and into #Fruit Set for #Pears . Will pull off about 50% of the sets, leave the strongest, then an annual spot spray of copper soap to hold down mildews and blight. North sides of apples still blooming. South sides also setting fruit.
06:26 AM - May 01, 2024
The #Orchard #pathoftotality took three nights of freezing temps well into bloom and a bit into fruitset. Some losses. Brown flowers. But #hornfaced #Bees and #honeybees are working the #Anjou #pear +McCoun, Glacier, NY and Fuji #Apples so... C. #PA #fruit is on track.
12:42 PM - Apr 26, 2024
The #Orchard #pathoftotality post bloom period examines fruit sets at the base of the fading flowers. I will remove some and keep others. Don't want young trees can be harmed long term by being overfruited short term. Her are #bartlettpears fruit sets plus #Ranier #Cherry in peak flower today.
08:58 AM - Apr 24, 2024
The #orchard #PathofTotality took a hit. 2 nights of freezing conditions in C. #PA a 3rd possible Thursday. Lost some early fruit sets and some blossoms. But...in order...MacCoun, Glacier, New York (brown is frost damage) and Fuji Apples blossoming today. Plums are done. Rainier Cherry starting.
11:42 AM - Apr 23, 2024
Today is #earthday in the US. But on Earth isn't it #earthdayeveryday ? It should be. The Solar Panels are cranking today....but it's been cold here in C. #PA . Spent hours trying to protect early garden plants from last night's late freeze. Lost some early #Orchard fruit sets. Ah well.
02:46 PM - Apr 22, 2024
1 Threaded Spouts
Dog woke up when I called to him and pointed out a rabbit just running across the lawn. He rolled up and wagged, but didn't get up. I laughed and he gave me his "I know chasing the rabbits is my job, big human...but mostly I'm still sleepy...". I told him it's all good. He is back to sleep now.
01:17 PM - Apr 19, 2024
On the #orchard #pathoftotality spring bloom season the Italian Plums have peaked. The #Pears are peaking now and the #Apples are just opening. The #masonbees are going nutso. The #honeybees saying 'meh'.
11:03 AM - Apr 18, 2024
The #orchard #PathOfTotality today celebrates the #masonbees who are the key #pear #pollination mechanism. My #honeybees love #apples but meh the pears. As a XXX bonus. #Ladybugs seem to enjoy enjoying each other in my pears. Several pairs and a throuple spotted enjoying spring today.
11:15 AM - Apr 16, 2024
The #Orchard #PathOfTotality has #Pears are in bloom exactly on time. #bartlettpears and #anjou pictured. Plus #Italian #Plums and my excited #pollinators . Many types of #masonbees and #Ukranian #honeybees ... who are doing house cleaning this AM...FWR. #happyspring
10:26 AM - Apr 15, 2024
Massive rains here in C. #PA . 1.6in in last 24h. No #Orchard walk today, but the #greenhouse is lovely. Veg and Tom starts. Winter salad growing racks. Nasturtiums going feral. I love them in salads and dry the leaves and flowers making lovely pepper like local spice.
09:32 AM - Apr 12, 2024
2 Threaded Spouts
The #Orchard advances on it's #PathOfTotality . Let's look at the same two Bartlett #Pear clusters. Today the 11th about to have the big blossom day. April 7th during it #cthulhu form. And way back March 25th when I inspected for frost damage. Same two buds. Different angles.
10:25 AM - Apr 11, 2024
2 Threaded Spouts
Update from the #Orchard . #Apples are coming along. I have three legacy trees. All productive.
Glacier, Macoune and ...still not sure... Pictured in order Along with several I've planted including pictured Fuji. They don't require cross pollination but are almost always better for having it.
Glacier, Macoune and ...still not sure... Pictured in order Along with several I've planted including pictured Fuji. They don't require cross pollination but are almost always better for having it.
11:18 AM - Apr 10, 2024
The #Orchard continues on the #PathofTotality . The #BartlettPears are now opening the flower clusters. Will bloom in 72 hours. All seem to have survived the last freeze. One of the #LovellPeaches (pink) decided to rush out ahead and it's two partner trees 🤔3 of 5 apple species showing.🐝s r out.
09:57 AM - Apr 09, 2024
#Orchard Update. Three Days of Biblical Rain in C #PA . Standing water everywhere and local flooding. Now we have two days of cold and possible freezes. Will lose some of the early flowers either to rot, freeze or both. But, both Grafted and Stock Pears all ready to burst open.
10:53 AM - Apr 05, 2024
Today. Orchard Lesson. Along the main road the prior owner planted invasive, now banned Bradford Pears. They make lovely, but stinky flowers. Rather than just eradicate, I am (attempting) Barlett and Anjou graft stems to the shorn trunk. A fruitful Frankenpear. Some stems are taking.
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Stephen Spoonamore @SpoonamoreToday. Orchard lesson. Three days of very cold nights with hard Freezes. You can see the white flashes from pictures I posted 3 days are now brown. Frost damage. But the inside likely remains viable. This week sunny days+nights over 0c will pop open some. Macoun and Glacier apples in background.10:49 AM - Mar 25, 2024![Picture]()
12:02 PM - Mar 27, 2024
Today. Orchard lesson. Three days of very cold nights with hard Freezes. You can see the white flashes from pictures I posted 3 days are now brown. Frost damage. But the inside likely remains viable. This week sunny days+nights over 0c will pop open some. Macoun and Glacier apples in background.
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Stephen Spoonamore @SpoonamorePears, Apples and Blueberrys have a common ancestor about 40M years back. All three share an interesting botanical promiscuity kink. They require cross pollination from one or more close cousins, but not a sibling plant to bear fruit. I have Bosch, Bartlett and Anjou. Bartlett photo attached.11:47 AM - Mar 22, 2024![Picture]()
10:49 AM - Mar 25, 2024
Today is one of those daye where I miss an important but small part of my past so strongly I even wierdly, yet fondly, miss the least liked part of the past thing I miss.
I am sure there is a complex German word for this feeling.
But in English I ... nope.
I am sure there is a complex German word for this feeling.
But in English I ... nope.
05:36 AM - Mar 18, 2024
11:33 AM - Mar 01, 2024
Welcome Yule. All Hail Solstice. Joyful Darkness tonight here in the North, and Light in the South. And a tip of my hiking staff, to all those who celebrate. A photo I took from a Buffalo Welcome Ceremony outside Calgary.
03:19 PM - Dec 21, 2023
The #ClimateCrisis at PONRs. National mood, sour. #Christian #Fascism accelerating. #America betraying #Ukraine , which by treaty we agreed to protect, if they gave up their nukes. Delusional #Moses and #OrangeJesus make scarey mouth noises. But, #DailyPictureTheme on the Highest Point in #PA ? 🥰
07:53 AM - Dec 08, 2023
