White Wild Roses

Rosa multiflora, Pittsburgh, PA, 2019

Before the seemingly ceaseless rains began, the wild roses came into bloom.  They grow too densely around a wild mulberry tree.  I say 'wild' because I didn't plant the mulberry.  A bird or deer deposited seed-laden poop and voila!  Mulberry.  I don't know how the wild roses got there, possibly the same way as the mulberry, or a previous owner could've planted them, but then other vegetation suppressed their growth, and now conditions are more suited to their re-emergence. 
After blooming I will cut them back, but next year they'll be too dense again.

Two Gulls In Glasgow

Two Gulls, Glasgow, Scotland, 2018

This shot was taken out of the hotel window, 5th floor,  maybe the 7th floor, I can't recall exactly.  It was our last night in Scotland, the following morning we'd be at the airport by 6am for the flight back to the States.  What I was photographing in this shot was a common scene in both Glasgow and Edinburgh; plants, or trees, taking root in rain gutters or on the windowsills of buildings.  Given the steep price of property, I was surprised that this was allowed, that the owner(s) wouldn't make sure that the vegetation was cleared out because it could undermine the integrity of the structure.  Maybe people can't keep up with the sheer volume of encroaching botanicals.  Who knows.  I do know that I miss Scotland, unlike and more than any other country I've ever been in.

And Then There Were 2

The Oldest Reads To The Youngest, Banned Books, Pittsburgh, PA 2019


On the occasion of my mother's 80th birthday, the family gathered to celebrate.  After awhile, away from the revelry, two of my nieces settled in on the steps with a book.

Cliff Side Botanicals

Ground Ivy, Glechoma hederacea, Scotland, 2018
While some view ground ivy as a fast spreading nuisance weed (indeed, it sends out runners and keeping up with it is impossible), but it does have valuable medicinal qualities.  Wikipedipea has this to say:
"Glechoma hederacea has been used in the traditional medicine of Europe going back thousands of years: Galen recommends the plant to treat inflammation of the eyes. John Gerard, an English herbalist, recommended the plant to treat tinnitus, as well as a "diuretic, astringent, tonic and gentle stimulant. Useful in kidney diseases and for indigestion." It has also been used as a "lung herb".^[11] Other traditional uses include as an expectorant, astringent, and to treat bronchitis.^[12] The essential oil of the plant has been used for centuries as a general tonic for colds and coughs, and to relieve congestion of the mucous membranes.^{[citation needed]} In the traditional Austrian medicine the herb has been prescribed for internal application as salad or tea for the treatment of a variety of different conditions including disorders associated with the liver and bile, gastrointestinal tract, respiratory tract, kidneys and urinary tract, fever, and flu."
My own anecdotal observation to the herb's effectiveness were evidenced 20+ years ago when my oldest son was quite young, around 4 or 5 years old, and complained that his throat hurt.  I looked down his throat and sure enough, it was inflamed and swollen.  It was a Sunday evening, almost bedtime, and a trip to the ER seemed extreme, so I went into the yard and collected a heaping handful of ground ivy and placed it in a pan, overed it with water, and brought it to a boil on the stove.  I allowed it to steep for a good twenty minutes, and cool.  Finally, I told my son to gargle with it.  Over and over he gargled and spit until I finally I told him to drink just a bit of it.  I then looked down his throat and the irritated red was gone, as was the swelling.  He said that his throat felt fine and I thought, hopefully we'll be good until morning...And when morning came his throat was still fine.  A very good treatment for a sore throat has been my experience with this herb.

Red Fern 2

In The Land Of The Red Fern, 2019

Taken at the same time, and similar to the original Red Fern print, but just different enough, darker, busier.  This iteration of the red fern will be hanging in the Northland Public Library, McCandless Twp, PA for the summer.

Surrealism in Black and White

2xInvert, Glasgow, Scotland, 2018

Posted without comment.

Always Mother's Day

Mom and 1st Baby, 1958

My mother was married at 18, and a mother, starting with my oldest brother, at 19.  I don't know how she did it at that young age, with virtually no help from my father, but all four of her children survived.  So Happy Mother's Day, Mom! 
Also, as a footnote, I wonder if we have taken survival for granted (or, as the kids now say, 'granite').  If we are about to discover how fraught, perilous, and tenuous living really is.