May 31! Finally.

Driving down Market Street

heavy book, light reading

This is the book I contributed to book club for the past year, and now I have it back. It is considered a cookbook, but it also has a lot of stories. Thought the women would like it.

Glads

A nice woman in the art group gave me these pretty flowers today.

Rainy Today

Underside of a leaf. Looks like a city map.

Newfangled Drive Thru

On the road. Over the bridge.

hydrangea

So surprised to see the hydrangea bush that's hidden on the side of the house in bloom with different colored blossoms. So pretty.

Cupcakes

I go to a lot of art receptions; it is my job. These cupcakes were at one of them. Loved the chocolate palette and the brush!

Memories

As it so happened, I have become a frequent visitor to the famous USO, the subject of many stories from my mother's heyday, before she met my daddy. It is now an art center, but the old days are kept alive throughout the place. One of my favorite displays is this mannekin dressed in a style that was popular during World War 2. I don't know if Mother would have liked the dress, but I know she loved saddle shoes.

quiche

I am improving on my quiches. This broccoli and chicken one tasted really good. No more homemade crusts for me.

Potted pineapple

tugboats

I was so glad I learned where to go to photograph the tugboats that are kept on the river almost under the bridge. When I was little, I used to love to see one docked on the city side. These big beauties are nothing like those of yesteryear.

Dried Gourds for Sale

Brown pelican

A Day in May

A small wine shop where a few of us were working to hang some art.

This beautiful day in May

on the waterway

Wyatt loves to fish

So happy he wanted to spend a few days with me. Here he is with the two fishing rods he brought and hopes to use. Last weekend he was second in a red drum fishing tournament, and with his $100 winnings, he bought a rod and reel strong enough to catch some bigger fish.

popular eatery

This old house was renovated and turned into a restaurant a few years ago. It is now a favorite place for lunch.

In a neighbor's studio

Going into my new neighbor's studio, you feel like you have entered a garden. Among the lush plants you will find her art, things she has sculpted like these cute goldfish. She chose her studio space because of the good skylight that helps with growing as well as picture taking.

what I learned this May day

This is a loquat tree, and its fruit is ready for picking. With permission, I helped myself to three and ate them when I got home. They were small but really delicious! Who knew they grew in Wilmington in May!

A Day in May - 9

The Arboretum gardens are well-tended by many volunteers, and right now the roses are magnificent.  The woman who was deadheading them today said she thinks the longer, colder winter and the deep pruning made the difference. I added two pix for the two days I missed.

A Day in May

When he was little, before he got his drivers license and new friends and then moved far away, Jacob was a huge help to me. It seemed he knew how to do everything and was never afraid. He is still that way, and I couldn't be more grateful. A wild tree behind my house kept growing and was covering my fence, threatening to push it over. Today, using a small hand-held saw, he cut the tree down. Thank you, thank you.

A Day in May

A cool recycle event was being held today near my studio space.
Decorators and designers got cheap, used things from the Habitat store, fixed them up, and filled their little temporary spaces with lovely things and ideas for paying visitors to see. Very good.

May the Fourth

Around town on my rounds. Or self-imposed duties. Sam's is where I get prints of my pictures.

another favorite subject

a heron on the lake on a windy day

camera zoom is an amazing thing

A Day in May 2

Another tree, another sunset. This one is at CB State Park. I do love those few moments late in the day when the sun spreads its glow all around then gets lost behind the horizon.
In Wilmington the sun sets over the Cape Fear River.
The moon and the sun rise over the ocean.

A Day in May. #1