Margarets & Ians website

Queen Of The Night

Ian C. — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 01:15:51 +0000

Our neighbours Joanne & Earle called us over this evening, to see their son Jason’s plant bloom!

The plant is called “Queen Of The Night” or more officially, Epiphyllum Oxypetalum! It was a gift to Jason from a friend, and originally comes from South America … it didn’t flower for the first few years (just grew big), but this year has 10 or more blooms!

As we chatted with Joanne & Earle, the flower slowly opened more and more, giving off a stronger sweet smell too:

It’s hard to take a front picture of the flower, as it’s pointing outside, but here’s a try:

I also took some pictures of Joanne’s frog! When we moved to USA 12 years ago, she had this frog and had had it for a long time already - she promises that it’s the same frog still, so it must be 20 or more years old, living in it’s little aquarium, and occasionally “singing” …

(gallery link)

Christmas already?!

Ian C. — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 21:40:25 +0000

Received a mail order catalog today, selling christmas ornaments (among other things)!

Why did the duck cross the road?

Ian C. — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 23:44:47 +0000

Head over to GBMINI.net to learn why …

Working!

Ian C. — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 19:47:25 +0000

A picture taken back in April 2008 (hence the jackets), or Matthew & I working on a sizzor vehicle, with one of JLG’s smaller boom vehicles in the background - note the portable computer we are both looking at:

White Mountains Water

Ian C. — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 21:40:39 +0000

We spent the weekend in the White Mountains region of New Hampshire - near Franconia and where MINIsOnTop happens - here’s a picture of where we stayed (the Attitash Grand Summit hotel):

The view from our balcony:

Touring around, we stumbled on Jackson Falls on the Wild Cat river - very spectacular!

I couldn’t decide if fast or slow shutter speed gave the best pictures - so I took both!

Some more views:

Later, we found more exciting water - but this was the result of a dam being partly opened in Berlin, NH - it’s been raining a lot in New England recently, and the river was up to the top of the dam!

(more pictures in the Gallery)

The garden in green

Ian C. — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 01:21:44 +0000

Following on from the Blossom pictures, here’s a few more I took over the last couple of months, and finally get around to posting - pictures of our Gloucester garden, all beautifully green and growing with the regular rain and sun we’ve had so far this year

The front (May 31):

Rhododendrons (May 31):

The pond (June 27):

The rose (our bush is quite unhappy this year, almost dead so we cut it back drastically in hopes of rejuvenating it - meanwhile, just one flower):

Bridgette, getting older, thinner, stiffer, but still seems happy:

(a couple more pics in the Gallery)

Blossom!

Ian C. — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 21:55:05 +0000

I took these pictures back in early May, and just finally now got round to posting them … these are pictures of blossom on various trees at the office; hope you like them

(visit the Gallery to see more)

Hot cat

Ian C. — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 03:00:31 +0000

It’s been super hot today - around 90 (and the same again expected for the next few days) … From her normal winter behaviour of trying to keep rolled up and as warm as possible, Bridgette had to switch today to finding a way to keep cool; spreading out long and thin was her chosen technique!

Of course, it might be better not to lay on a quilt, but she hasn’t figured that out yet!

Sadly she’s getting quite old now, very stiff (arthritic? if cats get it) and thin - but she still does eat most days, and seems to remain happy in her life (we think she’s around 15 now)

Another way to visit Walt Disney World

Ian C. — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 22:35:47 +0000

Here’s an amazing new way to tour all four Walt Disney World parks, without leaving your computer - Google Earth and Disney have got together to create a 3D virtual tour:

(click the picture to go to learn more)

Epcot with Sheila, Paul and family

Ian C. — Tue, 27 May 2008 00:13:18 +0000

Our friends Sheila and Paul and their sons Matthew & Tom are visiting our Florida home - and the Disney parks - and we joined them for a few days; here are pictures from when we all visited Epcot:

Margaret decided to start collecting Disney pins - here’s her first few:

Nemo & friends:

Water everywhere:

Sunflowers:

Acrobats:

Rainbows in the fountain:

I also took a number of Epcot dome pictures:

As always, more pictures in the Gallery (and the Epcot dome Gallery)