Chalk giraffe

Check out this funky giraffe I walked past the other day, all drawn in chalk, coming in at over 4 feet tall. Goes to show that pretty much any surface can be your canvas, and this artist (Alexis Booz) let the colors fly. Just hope the rain holds off!

Maple syrup time

It's that time of year when maple trees in the northeast get tapped for their sap, and today we visited a sugar house in Greenwich, NY. Sugar Mill Farm hosted a pancake breakfast and offered tours and insight into the whole operation. This picture shows their sugar house "in full steam." Did you know it takes 40 gallons of sap to yield 1 gallon of maple syrup?? And boy, is it good!

Ice dog

Don't know whether you caught the American Kennel Club dog show on TV (or live?) recently, but even if you did, you wouldn't have seen this icy breed. He was part of an ice sculpture at the recent Chowderfest in Saratoga Springs, NY. Even in the sunshine, it was cold enough for him to stay poised. What a beautiful day and a tasty event!

The ides of March

The first of March, and we get a beautiful snowfall. The snow was still coming down when I snapped this picture of a very peaceful park scene. One thing I love about snow is that it makes everything quiet and serene. Welcome, March.

Daffodils on the horizon

March is the month of daffodils. In the south, jonquils tell us spring has sprung. They’re one of the first flowers to come up, and the cheery yellow flowers help chase away the winter gray.

Birthday flower

In celebration of a friend's birthday today, I thought I'd share this photo of an award-winning dahlia from the 2010 NC State Fair. Beautiful, just like my friend.

February is upon us

What happened to January?! Today is Feb 1, the first day of this leap-year month and stock are in bloom. If you don't yet have your JAKE & META 2012 "Year in Bloom" mini desktop calendar, you can get one here. And this month we're offering 50% off! Just enter code FebPROMO. Ends Feb 29.