Utility poles and snowballs

This is the road-side part of our neighbors' property. The utility poles carry our electricity (the line between our hamlet and the rest of the local network is under ground) and fiber optic lines for telephone and internet. There's a concrete pole and a wooden pole. I wonder if there are plans to put it all underground and eliminate the visible wires and the poles. We haven't heard of any.

Our neighbors' snowball bush is in full bloom right now.

Last evening we heard thunder. The low rumbling kind. There were two instances out to the east and north and then it was over. I saw no lighting (we still had daylight) and there was no rain. 

Labor Day

Today is la Fête du Travail (Labor Day) in France. It's a national holiday, so a lot of businesses will be closed today. This is the first of many holidays in May, so stay tuned.

Machinery in rust.

Here's yet another view of some old machinery on the Artsy Organized Neighbor's property. Looks like it could be (or could have been) a harvester of some sort. But what the heck do I know? 

Campanules

This patch of campanules (bell flowers) has been growing in this spot since before we bought the house. It just comes up every year. And there's no maintenance! It's s sure sign of spring and we look forward to them blooming every year.

There's another patch of these not far from this one.

Our mail box has met it's end (don't ask) and it's time for a new one. Problem: we're having trouble getting the new box installed. It should be a simple "out with the old and in with the new" kinda thing. Instead, it's a complicated "out with the old and in with a pain in the ass" thing. Bother.

Grape buds

Here's my first look at this year's grape crop. The tiny round buts that you can see are grape flowers. They'll soon bloom and then form fruit. 

Soon, these little buds will open into flowers and set fruit.

Yesterday I mowed the north forty and did some weed whacking along the garden path. Next up is the west forty, probably the largest parcel that I mow. It's supposed to be a nice day (again!). Fingers crossed! 

Two lips

 

To celebrate the annual Tulip Festival in Albany, NY, here are some bulbs from 2016. This year's festival gets under way on May 9.

I'm getting my hair cut this morning. Yoohoo! 

I'm also having some technical difficulties with the formatting of this post. Bear with me! 

What's left of the piney woods

I call this stand of conifers "the piney woods." It still is "piney," but all the deciduous trees have been removed. "Harvested" is probably is a better word. I first started walking in these woods with our dog, Collette, back in the early aughts when we moved here. Later I'd do the same walk with our next dog, Callie. We've had Tasha now for ten years but our visits to the piney woods have become fewer and farther apart. The woods got denser with brush and there are (were) fewer good paths through. But now they're wide open, beckoning for new exploration.

Yesterday's sunrise over the piney woods.

 

Five and dime

This is the Woolworth Building in lower Manhattan as seen from the World Trade Center's observation deck back in 1994.

Woolworth Building, New York City, May 1994.