The poppies always bloom around Memorial Day...

...hence the symbolism. Tho I think that also has to do with WW I. I found this special poppy plant as a "newbie" flower gardener, about 1984. I simply purchased one red poppy plant from the perennial section at a local hardware store. I had no idea the plant would send up such tall stems--about 5 ft. tall. It's difficult to photograph the flowers without cutting them; I hate to do that. So, the plant is 26 years old now--older than my youngest kid (the blonde guy in CA). If we move, I'll have to leave the plant, since poppies seem to have a tap root; once that is broken, it's curtains. Another of life's pleasures which must be savored at each moment.

The Red Poppy bloomed today...

Gold and Purple Irises on a Late Spring day...

...taken from the Cardinal Greenway Trail near Muncie, IN.

Random shot taken while in search of dinner....

...in Anderson, IN. I wonder how long it's been since Lee's Drug Store was closed? I like to photograph those fading old ads painted on the sides of brick buildings.

Happy Birthday to pretty l'il pearl!!!

...another one of the "bridal fitting" candids from a couple of years ago. She hasn't aged a bit!!

Tomorrow is a Special Day at Barbbblog...

...l'il pearl will be celebrating her birthday. It's strange having the kids so far away on their birthdays; it was so delightful to visit her and the blonde fellow only a few weeks ago. She's such a cutie-pie. oh, and sweetie, the card is in the mail....

Iris blooming season in Central Indiana...

...strong, hardy "farm flowers"; iris flowers are often spectacular in bloom. There seemed to be lots of interesting gold, red and purple combinations around the farms of Indiana. For any child--like me--who was a toddler around blooming irises, you never forget the sweet, floral spicey fragrance; every sniff of an iris is a trip back in time, in a way. Aroma therapy.