I've enjoyed seeing which new templates people are choosing, and the ways they set them up. I would like to have 3 columns like many do, but I can't figure a way to get my large photos centered. I just don't think it works.
Jacqueline from Purple Chocolat Home, asked me to come tell her how I adjusted the width of my blog. I figured others may not have found where to do it yet, either, so I will let you know. If you have discovered any tricks or tips, please leave a comment, and if you want, a link to your blog in the comment to fill us in on what all fun things we can do.
What I did do, was go into "layout" and saw that you could adjust the width. It's in the second column, after, "Body Layout" and "Footer Layout". I drug the little arrow for the entire blog clear to the right, to make it the widest I could, then adjusted the right sidebar until the photos on both sides were pretty much centered. My numbers ended up being 1,000 and 230 px.
I just went to Jacqueline's blog, and saw that she is not using a Blogger template, so I don't know if this will be helpful. Jacqueline, maybe you can use the numbers of px to find a way to adjust yours.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Critters
It's been a busy week. I spent a couple mornings going to the Special Olympics National Games, since they were in our city. I don't think they got any national news coverage, though. It seems like the networks cover fewer and fewer stories, and run some they have into the ground. CNN was blaming the news people "on the right" and the Department of Agriculture for not getting all the facts before airing or making a judgement, but CNN was reporting Ms. Sherrod's comments out of context before they found out they were. They are just as guilty as anyone for the problems that ensued for her. (I don't think I've ever vented on this kind of thing, so please bear with me. I could go on about some complaints I have about the news networks, but won't. Yet, I do watch some news every day.)
Anyway, I took my camera the second day of the Special Olympics, but remembered the batteries were low, so left it in the car. When I returned, I saw a butterfly on some bushes, and remembered my camera. There was enough power left to take a few photos of what I believe is a question mark butterfly. I think it was Iowa Gardening Woman who showed one last week. I'm not sure what kinds of bushes these are, but there are a lot of them around the parking lot.
I found some more photos from the week for Misty Dawn's Camera Critters. The link is in the sidebar.
I don't often get photos of monarchs with their wings open. It took lots of tries to get this one.
When I opened the front door to check the mail a few days ago, this squirrel was eating perched on the hook. I took a few photos from the closed screen door, then opened it and took some.
The squirrel wasn't aware of my presence yet, here. I'll write a little commentary of what the squirrel may have been thinking. I wonder what it really was thinking.
"Oh, it's you again!"
"OK, I'll look cute for you while I get another bite."
"OK, you've taken a bunch of photos, don't you have anything else to do?"
"Oh, good here comes another squirrel for you to pester."
"Have you noticed I've been eating across the street more, and not in your garden?" (Yeah, well I don't trust that you'll stay away for long.)
The grackles have been singing from high places. This one was there for awhile calling out with a loud voice.
I had the previous photos loaded and waiting for me to write about, but went outside to do a little gardening before the arrival of our grandson. Well, look what caught my eye, and sent me in to get my camera! It was so big, I thought it might be a giant swallowtail, but after referring to a book, those are darker colored. This appears to be a male Eastern swallowtail. I got lots of poses of it.
I found a different kind of wasp on the short toothed mountain mint. I can't remember if I've seen this kind or not, but this is the first one I've seen this year.
This isn't the clearest photo of the other black wasp we have, but I like to show more than one insect near each other on plants. Is that a lightning bug?
I took lots of photos because the wasps were moving around a lot. I kind of like this one, even though it was a total accident that I captured this angle.
As I was taking the above photos, I heard neighbor dogs barking and looked up. Heidi is such a good girl most of the time. She was very calm, but looking at something in the street. Can you guess what it was?
Look at that silly squirrel! It seemed like it wanted her to chase it.
It ran into the yard across the street, and looked to see if Heidi was looking at it, and then, looked to see if I was. Do squirrels crave attention?
Heidi must have decided she's not as interested in squirrels as she used to be. She stayed in her spot and continued to watch the world.
As we were about to go in, I saw a grackle getting a drink in the bird bath. I took a quick photo as the water was going down, then it turned and flew away.
I hope your weekend is going well, and your encounters with critters are good ones.
Anyway, I took my camera the second day of the Special Olympics, but remembered the batteries were low, so left it in the car. When I returned, I saw a butterfly on some bushes, and remembered my camera. There was enough power left to take a few photos of what I believe is a question mark butterfly. I think it was Iowa Gardening Woman who showed one last week. I'm not sure what kinds of bushes these are, but there are a lot of them around the parking lot.
I found some more photos from the week for Misty Dawn's Camera Critters. The link is in the sidebar.
I don't often get photos of monarchs with their wings open. It took lots of tries to get this one.
When I opened the front door to check the mail a few days ago, this squirrel was eating perched on the hook. I took a few photos from the closed screen door, then opened it and took some.
The squirrel wasn't aware of my presence yet, here. I'll write a little commentary of what the squirrel may have been thinking. I wonder what it really was thinking.
"Oh, it's you again!"
"OK, I'll look cute for you while I get another bite."
"OK, you've taken a bunch of photos, don't you have anything else to do?"
"Oh, good here comes another squirrel for you to pester."
"Have you noticed I've been eating across the street more, and not in your garden?" (Yeah, well I don't trust that you'll stay away for long.)
The grackles have been singing from high places. This one was there for awhile calling out with a loud voice.
I had the previous photos loaded and waiting for me to write about, but went outside to do a little gardening before the arrival of our grandson. Well, look what caught my eye, and sent me in to get my camera! It was so big, I thought it might be a giant swallowtail, but after referring to a book, those are darker colored. This appears to be a male Eastern swallowtail. I got lots of poses of it.
I found a different kind of wasp on the short toothed mountain mint. I can't remember if I've seen this kind or not, but this is the first one I've seen this year.
This isn't the clearest photo of the other black wasp we have, but I like to show more than one insect near each other on plants. Is that a lightning bug?
I took lots of photos because the wasps were moving around a lot. I kind of like this one, even though it was a total accident that I captured this angle.
As I was taking the above photos, I heard neighbor dogs barking and looked up. Heidi is such a good girl most of the time. She was very calm, but looking at something in the street. Can you guess what it was?
Look at that silly squirrel! It seemed like it wanted her to chase it.
It ran into the yard across the street, and looked to see if Heidi was looking at it, and then, looked to see if I was. Do squirrels crave attention?
Heidi must have decided she's not as interested in squirrels as she used to be. She stayed in her spot and continued to watch the world.
As we were about to go in, I saw a grackle getting a drink in the bird bath. I took a quick photo as the water was going down, then it turned and flew away.
I hope your weekend is going well, and your encounters with critters are good ones.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Flowers for Friday
I've been so busy this summer trying to keep up with gardening and housework, that I haven't done much else. The Special Olympics National Games have been in my city this week, and I managed to go to a few of the events Tuesday and Wednesday. I was disappointed not many other locals took advantage of this once in a lifetime opportunity. I wish I'd have had my camera there. Well, I did on Thursday, but then remembered the batteries were low, so I left it in the car. I did get it out when I saw a butterfly. I'll post the butterfly Saturday. (I got some event photos taken with my cell phone, but haven't looked at them to see if you can see what's going on in them.)
I going to have fewer photos than usual this week for Tootsie's Flaunt your Flowers/Fertilizer Friday. I am sad that the daylilies are almost finished, but some of the annuals are finally starting to grow and bloom. Some of the goldenrods are blooming, too, and the rest are forming buds. The asters are forming buds, too, but they hold on to theirs awhile before they open.
The phlox, 'Orange Perfection' is blooming later than last year. It almost looks orange in this photo. The first time I saw it bloom, I thought it had come with the wrong tag. When I looked it up, I saw it's not really so orange.
I did make it to a few garage sales last Friday, and this hen is one of the things I got for the yard. It has a nice little drinking area for critters. I wonder if you're supposed to put bird seeds there. The annual black eyed Susan is blooming nicely. The German statice looks good, even when it gets dry. I had enough to cut for drying inside, and still have some for color in the garden. It looks like I need to deadhead the Veronica.
I planted flower seeds in some of the tubs to save money, then got impatient and planted other things in them. I was glad to see this gomphrena up awhile back, and now, it is blooming, quite close to the strawflowers I planted.
Some of the strawflower blooms are past the point to pick for drying. I need to get out there and harvest them. I use the blooms in baskets or other containers, and put other dried flowers in with them. The gomphrena is in the lower left corner of this photo. I'm glad I had extra sweet potatoes to plant in some of the tubs, because most of the ones I put in the ground were eaten by rabbits, and now, they've discovered the ones they had missed. I need to get the little fence material I got at a garage sale up around them. I actually have some of it next to the fence, but need to do the rest of it.
Larry got some snail, also called corkscrew vines one year, and ever since, has gotten 3 or more of them every year. He loves them, and I don't mind them. The problem is that the lows need to be around 60 or else they don't do well. Some years, they get a disease and don't do well no matter what the temps are. When they do well, they are quite pretty. I told him to just get 2 this year, but he got 3. I put 2 in this pot, and one is in a hanging container. This is the one in the back yard, with 2 plants in a pot. These are the first blooms, so I don't know yet if this will be a good year for them. They had to spend a lot of time in the house before it was warm enough to be outside this spring.
The love lies bleeding has grown tall enough for the flowers to drape over the leaf burner dealy instead of growing inside it. I got this hibiscus deadheaded yesterday.
Well, each week there is always something different going on at Tootsie Time. Go check it out, and find out what else is blooming in others' gardens.
I going to have fewer photos than usual this week for Tootsie's Flaunt your Flowers/Fertilizer Friday. I am sad that the daylilies are almost finished, but some of the annuals are finally starting to grow and bloom. Some of the goldenrods are blooming, too, and the rest are forming buds. The asters are forming buds, too, but they hold on to theirs awhile before they open.
The phlox, 'Orange Perfection' is blooming later than last year. It almost looks orange in this photo. The first time I saw it bloom, I thought it had come with the wrong tag. When I looked it up, I saw it's not really so orange.
I did make it to a few garage sales last Friday, and this hen is one of the things I got for the yard. It has a nice little drinking area for critters. I wonder if you're supposed to put bird seeds there. The annual black eyed Susan is blooming nicely. The German statice looks good, even when it gets dry. I had enough to cut for drying inside, and still have some for color in the garden. It looks like I need to deadhead the Veronica.
I planted flower seeds in some of the tubs to save money, then got impatient and planted other things in them. I was glad to see this gomphrena up awhile back, and now, it is blooming, quite close to the strawflowers I planted.
Some of the strawflower blooms are past the point to pick for drying. I need to get out there and harvest them. I use the blooms in baskets or other containers, and put other dried flowers in with them. The gomphrena is in the lower left corner of this photo. I'm glad I had extra sweet potatoes to plant in some of the tubs, because most of the ones I put in the ground were eaten by rabbits, and now, they've discovered the ones they had missed. I need to get the little fence material I got at a garage sale up around them. I actually have some of it next to the fence, but need to do the rest of it.
Larry got some snail, also called corkscrew vines one year, and ever since, has gotten 3 or more of them every year. He loves them, and I don't mind them. The problem is that the lows need to be around 60 or else they don't do well. Some years, they get a disease and don't do well no matter what the temps are. When they do well, they are quite pretty. I told him to just get 2 this year, but he got 3. I put 2 in this pot, and one is in a hanging container. This is the one in the back yard, with 2 plants in a pot. These are the first blooms, so I don't know yet if this will be a good year for them. They had to spend a lot of time in the house before it was warm enough to be outside this spring.
The love lies bleeding has grown tall enough for the flowers to drape over the leaf burner dealy instead of growing inside it. I got this hibiscus deadheaded yesterday.
Well, each week there is always something different going on at Tootsie Time. Go check it out, and find out what else is blooming in others' gardens.
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