Sunday Snippets 6/25/23
I’ve been taking photos of my flowers. The ones that survived all the intense winds just over a week ago; strangely enough.
And I’ve been taking photos of the yard birds too.
There have been birds like this at the neighbors’ bird feeders this past week. Odd looking birds.
All the birds look so pretty against the bright green of the big cypress tree that sets in the middle of my back yard.
Pink Yarrow:
I planted yarrow a month or so ago. Here it is beginning to bloom tiny pink blossoms in the galvanized tub gardens.
At the other apartment I had yarrow with yellow blooms.
Here are more birds at John’s bird feeder. All of them trying to light on the bird feeders at once.
What I’m Watching:
I decided to catch up with the show “Vera” on BritBox. So about a week ago I tried to figure out where I’d left off watching in the 12 seasons there are so far.
I couldn’t, so I just began watching the seasons from the beginning. I’ve forgotten much of what happened anyway.
And who doesn’t want to rewatch Brenda Blethyn as Vera???
I’d forgotten how endearing her character is, with her odd hat and simple clothes. Solving crimes in in her blunt, somewhat antagonistic way in the rolling hills of Northumberland.
I read that they’re now filming the 13th season of Vera.
And David Leon as Joe is back at Vera’s side. Looking a little older and wiser and still thin as a rail.
I’m well into the second season now and looking forward to a new episode each evening.
What I’m Reading:
I read a book by a new-to-me author named Charlie Dunlea. The novel was “Twenty Years Later”.
Avery Mason, host of American Events, knows the subjects that grab a TV audience’s attention. Her latest story—a murder mystery laced with kinky sex, tragedy, and betrayal—is guaranteed to be ratings gold. New DNA technology has allowed the New York medical examiner’s office to make its first successful identification of a 9/11 victim in years.
The twist: the victim, Victoria Ford, had been accused of the gruesome murder of her married lover. In a chilling last phone call to her sister, Victoria begged her to prove her innocence.
Emma Kind has waited twenty years to put her sister to rest, but closure won’t be complete until she can clear Victoria’s name. Alone she’s had no luck, but she’s convinced that Avery’s connections and fame will help.
.Avery, hoping to negotiate a more lucrative network contract, goes into investigative overdrive. Victoria had been having an affair with a successful novelist, found hanging from the balcony of his Catskills mansion. The rope, the bedroom, and the entire crime scene was covered in Victoria’s DNA.
But the twisted puzzle of Victoria’s private life is just the beginning. And what Avery doesn’t realize is that there are other players in the game who are interested in Avery’s own secret past—one she has kept hidden from both the network executives and her television audience.
A secret she thought was dead and buried.
More Books By Charlie Donlea:
I enjoyed this book, so I ordered a few more of his paperback novels.
When I finish a book I walk over and put it on Ron and Pat’s patio table for Pat to read.
Then I read “Ghosted” by Rosie Walsh.
Seven perfect days. Then he disappeared. A love story with a secret at its heart.
When Sarah meets Eddie, they connect instantly and fall in love. To Sarah, it seems as though her life has finally begun. And it’s mutual: It’s as though Eddie has been waiting for her, too.
Sarah has never been so certain of anything. So when Eddie leaves for a long-booked vacation and promises to call from the airport, she has no cause to doubt him. But he doesn’t call.
Sarah’s friends tell her to forget about him, but she can’t. She knows something’s happened–there must be an explanation.
Minutes, days, weeks go by as Sarah becomes increasingly worried. But then she discovers she’s right. There is a reason for Eddie’s disappearance, and it’s the one thing they didn’t share with each other: the truth.
The Girl Who Was Taken:
And then I started reading another Charlie Donlea book.
This author goes into much detail and has fully researched whatever he’s writing about. So I’m learning about all sorts of different careers.
This last one I’m reading is about a forensic pathology student, and what they must do to get their medical degree.
Have you ever read books by the author Patricia Cornwell? She writes about the fictional chief medical examiner named Dr. Kay Scarpetta.
I’ve read some of her books. I need to check and see what she’s written lately.
You might enjoy this article about Dr. Scarpetta being filmed for Amazon!
https://deadline.com/2023/02/nicole-kidman-jamie-lee-curtis-star-ep-patricia-cornwell-kay-scarpetta-series-dorothy-amazon-blumhouse-liz-sarnoff-1235252848/
Love yarrow! It is beautiful in its simplicity.I also love Vera and plan to go back to the very beginning as you have.I find that I always miss something the first time around!xo
Hope you are still watching white cottage company on YouTube like I suggested, found another you would most likely enjoy call Lost Forest. It’s in Ireland with beautiful cottage gardens and her 4 cats. It’s extremely relaxing to watch each 20 minute video with the music and visuals. Please look it up and give it a try. Thanks
I don’t like crime/mystery reads, but my husband does. He’s a big Patricia Cornwell fan and has read all her books.
Hope you’re having a good Sunday!
I wonder what kind of bird that is in the first photo with what appears to be an extra-long beak? He (or she) is very unusual looking. The two little birds remind me of fledglings with what looks like fuzzy heads! SE WI is in a “marginal” drought which doesn’t sound serious but we’re more than 3 inches below our (old) “normal” rainfall in my area. Got some rain early this morning with more promised off and on today, but so far other than a 10 second sprinkle while I was in the backyard picking up leaves that had blown off from my neighbor’s maple tree during the strong winds, no new rainfall as was forecast. The rain we got in the early morning hours was just enough to “green” up parts of the lawn but not enough to give everything the 6 inch deep soak it needs. Even though it’s expensive, I’ve been watering with the sprinkler once a week in front and back yards because I can’t stand to see my lawn go brown in summer, but even watering each section of the yards for an hour before moving the sprinkler just doesn’t have as good an effect as rainfall. It’s pretty windy right now and it feels good even though the temperature is 81 and dew point is 59. The wind is primarily from the south although in this neighborhood the houses seem to make the wind swirl around from all directions! With the air feeling “cooler” because of the gusting winds (it’s 81 out right now) I turned the AC off for now and I have doors and windows open to take advantage of the wind. I don’t deal well with the heat, but it’s nothing here compared to what’s going on in other parts of the U.S. I feel very sorry for the people living in Texas, they’ve been dealing with what seems like unending temperatures above 100 F and pleas from the state power grid manager to cut back on energy consumption to keep the power grid from crashing! El Nino seems to be serving us up some nasty weather cycles this season that hover over an area for days and even weeks at a time. Ugh!
I really love Vera too ! I’m excited to hear there will be a season 13 !!
Thank you for your gorgeous pictures !
I love the bird photos! Esp the first one! I will have to check out Vera – I don’t have BritBox but may start a trial to check it out.
On another note, I have noticed some bloggers will re-post an older post one day a week or so in lieu of new content. I was reading a post yesterday that was originally posted in 2016. Maybe the post is chosen because it was popular then and so it may be again. Anyway it’s probably something you know and maybe even have done, but it seemed like a good idea so that you could post (one day a week or more…) without creating new content.
All your photos are really stunning. I really like the show Vera too. I watch it on PBS. Right now it’s not on, but hoping it comes back in the Fall.
I love the first photo very much, but you definitely have a knack for taking amazing photos.
Enjoy the rest of your day!
Have always loved your wildlife photographs. You do such a beautiful job of capturing the essence of both animals and plants.
The orioles are busy here in Southern Wi. They are bringing their young to teach them where the grape jelly is…It is so fun to watch. We are in a drought here..it has been a struggle to keep both annuals and perrenials going…we finally got rain last night but not enough…the plants prefer rain water for sure.. they say July will be better…we have lucky as far as storms so far…seems to be a bad year for that…hope you got your food situation dealt with…blessings💕
I also find that first photo wonderful! Beauty of the bird in that tree – and the particular perspective. Love it.
The books all sound good! I’ll add to my library reserve list. Thanks!
And Vera – I really like that series too. She is one of a kind.
Have a good day, hope your fridge and freezer situation is getting resolved.
Beautiful pictures! I, like Bonnie, have several books I need to read! I just need to designate a day to just reading!
Your photos are fantastic!
Oh Wow, Brenda, Your photos today are Fantastic!! All three, but the third is really really something!! LOVE!
As for book reading, sorry to say, I have a pile of unread books just sitting here waiting for me to get to them. I’ve been slowing down with my reading, and I have to do something about that.
Getting ready to go to a graduation party this afternoon. Raining here on and off, but the party will be inside, so that is good.
Have a nice Sunday. Hugs from WI
Wow. That first photo! Utterly AMAZING!
I loved Patricia Cornwells books at least the first ten or so, but her stories became too gorey for me, almost horror stories. I am looking forward to seeing Nicole Kidman as Dr. Kay Scarpetta. I wonder who will play her neice. thanks for the link.