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| Aware that last night was the night of the full “Super Moon” we kept a watchful eye as the sun began to set behind the mountains. We hoped that redness in the sky would indicate a bit of warmth today, but its quite cool as it was yesterday was a sweater day. |
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| We love photos of the moon, although my photo taking skills are limited. |
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| Moments later, the clouds moving quickly.
Yesterday, a cool day, kept us indoors part of the day, with the veranda calling us to bundle up and partake of the beauty around us. The brisk winds whipped around us as we huddled in our now “usual” spots overlooking the mountains and valleys of Tuscany.
How quickly we forget the “chill” in Minnesota, finding ourselves whining about 55 degrees and a breeze! We have been in relatively warm weather since last November, ranging from a low of 55 (Tuscany, yesterday) to a high of 105 (Dubai, a month ago), certainly nothing to complain about.
With no air conditioning or fans in this house in Boveglio, we should be grateful for the cool nights. When we arrived over a week ago, it was in the high 80’s during the day, leaving us comfortable both day and night. The three foot stone walls of this solid house provide a definite cooling effect. |
Last night after a fabulous dinner of homemade Italian meatballs made with herbs from our own garden on our patio, topped with Marinara sauce, stuffed with fresh, locally made mozzarella balls, topped with Provolone and Parmesan cheese, a side of fresh organic asparagus and a lofty salad, we felt a walk would be in order.
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| This window is above the stairwell that goes down to the basement where we wash clothes and access the main door. |
As the sun started to set, as we anxiously awaited the appearance of the “Super Moon,” we walked up and down the various areas of the expansive yard with more growing gardens at our disposal.
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| Tom suggested we take this shot again. The last one we posted was unreadable due to the glare of the sun during the day. |
A few special areas caught our eye. Although it was almost dark, we delighted in taking these nighttime shots of what we termed, “A Nighttime Garden in Tuscany.”
Learning to take photos has been a daunting task for me. When we acquired our new camera in April, we’d decided not to take the time to edit any of the photos.
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| More herbs for our pleasure in the enormous backyard. |
If a photo appears blurry from my lack of experience and unsteady hand, it is tossed into the recycle bin. Otherwise, you see them all here, some good, some not so good and some, often to my surprise, quite good.
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| Is this perhaps an old fashioned “courting bench?” I wonder what stories this could tell. |
Continuing to experiment with the zillions of settings on the camera, I’ve yet to find the perfect combination but continue to try. It astounds me that I do continue to try since I’m the sort who, if not naturally good at something, can easily move on to something else. Photo taking doesn’t come naturally for me.
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| Soon, these cherries will be ripe. Due to my restrictive diet I can’t eat any fruit, but my eyes behold their beauty with great admiration. |
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| Is this a pear tree? Pears didn’t grow in Minnesota from my recollection. We’ll verify our finds next time Lisa or her mother tend the gardens. |
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| With no cookbooks with me, I’ll be researching online for new recipes to make use of the wide array or herbs growing everywhere. |
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| Years ago, I was obsessed with Vinca Vines, growing this variegated leaf plant everywhere, including indoors where surprisingly, when watered frequently, they did quite well during the Minnesota winters. To see them here brought a warm feeling for my sister Julie, who shared my passion for Vinca Vines. |
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| Anyone recognize these flowers? Please comment if so. |
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| Even a vine wrapping around a branch held special interest for us last night in the dark. |
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| Sorry. This is the second showing of these precious flowers by our mailbox. Gee, can we get mail here? Supplies would be in order to take to Africa where we think we can’t get mail.
After taking photos on the grounds, we found our way to our usual spot on the veranda, awaiting the appearance of the “Super Moon.” As we sat down, we were disappointed when we didn’t see the moon in the same spot as the previous night.
With many clouds in the sky, it didn’t appear to be enough to obstruct its view. Waiting patiently, chatting away, we squealed when suddenly it appeared to our left, big, bold and bright. Having yet to learn all the proper settings for moonlight, we winged it getting these, although not as clear and bright as we’d have liked, leaving us with a reminder of this special night for us in Boveglio, Lucca, Tuscany.  Sooner or later, I’ll get it right.
Actually, so far, every night has been special in Tuscany.
 Ugh, is that a plane, a bug or an alien spaceship? Note the double exposure of the moon toward the center. Bear with me. I’m working on it.
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