Rabbit tracks

Geranium in winter

The dead bug party

Haiku: Flower from Mars

Sneaky star blossom
on prickly mystery stem
planted by Martians

Terrible Idea Tuesdays: dog beds

Sometimes it's just as helpful to learn what not to do, as it is to learn what to do in life.  In that vein, here is the first in what may become a long series of Terrible Idea Tuesday posts.  First up, a dreadful dog bed:

You see, while using things you've already got in new ways is admirable, like anything it can be taken too far.  And here it has.  An ironing board is not a good ersatz dog bed.  The dog shown below seems to think it is, but she is mistaken.

Black raspberries

Best fruit ever:  black raspberries.

The very best way to eat them:  fresh-picked, baby.  But I would never turn them down in a pie or over ice-cream, of course.  And if you have some in your kitchen, waiting to be made into a cobbler, I will probably snitch some, and then want a few pieces of the cobbler, too. 

WASTE update

The sumac excursion, while poorly attended, was a raging success.  Many varieties of sumacs were found and labeled, and many trees, aspects of the central Illinois landscape, and items of personal history were observed and discussed.  A few fine photos, if you please:

"Tiger's Eye" Staghorn Sumac

Leaf and immature fruit of buckeye tree

Smooth sumac

Kyle Schlie of WASTE

Sassafras leaves