Quenched: a photo essay

A few days ago we had a lovely day of much needed May rain. I woke early and in the relatively dim light, wandered around getting very sopping wet knees. ;o)

 I love pink bleeding hearts, but am especially fond of the "Alba" (which I didn't get a shot of yet - they are pure white.)

I planted the Blue Lake bush beans on the last day of April. A bit early (usually I put them in the first week of May), but they germinated well and are doing great!

I recently bought a red gazing globe. I always wanted a blue one, but they were out. Now I'm kinda hooked on the scarlet 'cause it goes with the hummingbird nectar color! Funny how it reflected me snapping the shot. ;o)

This is a lovely reseeding/spreading Centaura Montana, same family as the bachelor button. It's a large bloom, about 1.5 inches across, and is nice 'cause it's blue, really early in the season with the late tulips!

The kale overwintered and is blossoming. Soon seed pods will form, long and skinny, packed with seeds. I'll let them dry out, then save them for next year's planting!

 Sedum, transplanted from my woods!

Menton tulip, slightly scarred on lower left petal. 

Beet seedlings, long season variety. These grow late into the season and get HUGE, but they stay as tender and sweet as baby beets. One of my very favorites!

  The garlic is very happy!

  Rembrandt Tulip

  Lilacs from the front yard.

Fresh Lettuce, planted mid March in upstate NY!

 Poppy pod, ready to burst into color.

Squash seedlings - volunteered from last year's crop. Wonder what kind they'll be?

Tulip, wide open and almost gone by.

Thanks, folks. Stop by again soon! 

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In addition to a passion for photography, Aaron Lazar works as an engineer by day, but can be found on weekends in his gardens with his two toddler sidekicks, grandsons Julian and Gordon. His passion lies in writing, where he has created eleven books with characters of depth, color and substance. Lazar entices readers with intricate plots, lush imagery, breathless action, gourmet meals, classical music, bountiful gardens and surprising romantic moments.  

Mr. Lazar also writes monthly columns for the Futures Mystery Anthology Magazine, Voice in the Dark newsletter, and The Back Room ezine and has been published often in Absolute Write. He lives in Upstate NY with his extended family. Visit his websites at www.legardemysteries.com; www.mooremysteries.com, and his blog at www.aaronlazar.blogspot.com.

Here is a little bit about the books that are either already in print, about to be released, or available for the next book deal.

Double Forté, the founding book of the series, is a chilling mystery set in the verdant landscape of Upstate New York's Genesee Valley. Packed with memorable characters, hair-raising chase scenes, and touching family moments, it's a solid page-turner.

Desolate over his wife's suicide four years earlier, small-town college professor Gus LeGarde faces bewildering emotions when he falls for Camille, the vivacious, dark-eyed daughter of his secretary.  Yet troubling events in her past cause her to rebuff Gus's affections. 

Romance glimmers, however, as both become embroiled in an adventure when Gus discovers a mute child shackled to a bedpost in a secluded cabin.  The mystery turns deadly when the child's kidnapper escapes on a snowmobile that tumbles into the deep Letchworth Gorge. Purchase book here.

In  Upstaged, the second book in the LeGarde Mystery Series, Gus LeGarde is in for another wild ride as he faces a disturbed stage mother, a deviant predator, and a twisted saboteur who lurks backstage, terrorizing the drama club with deadly, psychotic games.

Who's playing bizarre pranks on Gus's fiancée, Camille?  Gus suspects handsome Brazilian student, Armand, whose behavior is laced with sexual improprieties.  His suspicion shifts as a jealous stage-mother goes berserk when her daughter isn't cast in the lead role.  As the attacks escalate, even the school superintendent is questioned when it's learned that his shadowy past is sealed in an official file. 

The action turns lethal as opening night approaches.  A sniper fires shots. Camille's home is ransacked and her beloved dog is missing.  The star performer takes a bone-shattering fall when the stage railing mysteriously falls apart. Was the set rigged?  Will Gus prevent the villain from upstaging the show? Purchase book here.

Tremolo: cry of the loon, a coming-of-age mystery and the third book in the LeGarde mystery series, is a stirring and nostalgic trip back to the summer of 1964 when the nation mourned the assassination of JFK and American life was forever changed by the arrival of the Beatles.

Eleven-year-old Gus LeGarde is spending another glorious summer at his grandparents' lakeside camp, along with his best friends, Elsbeth and Siegfried Marggrander. When their boat capsizes, Gus and the twins witness a drunk chasing a girl through the foggy Maine woods. She's scared. She's hurt. And she disappears.

On horseback and on foot, Gus, Elsbeth, and Siegfried search for Sharon Adamski, worried her brutal father will find her before they do.

During the hunt, Gus is faced with a number of personal dilemmas. He must keep secret his new friendship with "Mrs. Jones," a woman in mourning who resides incognito. Gus also glimpses a slice of the twins' life through their mother, who lost her family in a Nazi concentration camp. In a cruel coincidence, Gus faces the imminent loss of his own mother.

Reports of stolen religious artifacts reach the lakeside camp. New England churches have been ransacked, and missing is the church bell cast by Paul Revere, stolen from St. Stephen's church in Boston's North End. When Gus and his friends stumble on a scepter that may be part of the loot, they become targets. The villain turns on them, and all thoughts of a lazy summer whirl out of control. 

Order ebook here from Twilight Times Books. Print book scheduled for release August, 2007 under the Paladin Timeless Books imprint.

The Green Marble is the founding book in the new paranormal mystery series featuring Sam and Rachel Moore. Sam little brother Billy disappeared fifty years ago. Riddled with guilt, Sam still hasn't recovered from the loss that locked him in a mental institution as a teenager. His life as a country doctor has helped soothe his soul, but he mourns for Billy each day and is obsessed with thoughts about his fate. Was he kidnapped? If so, why didn't he come home when he reached adulthood and subsequent freedom? Sam doesn't like thinking about the alternatives, and at the age of sixty-two sill feels a strong link to the eleven-year-old boy who slept in the bottom bunk years ago.

Sam's recent retirement allows him more time in his sumptous gardens.  One day, while struggling to eliminate the rapacious Japanese Knotweed from his grounds, Sam discovers a marble. Glowing, it warms to his touch and whisks him back in time to his childhood.  Billy and Sam's childhood pals appear beside him - breathing, sweating, laughing - and very much alive.  Sam is drawn into the strong young body of his twelve-year-old self to re-experience his past. (Release scheduled fall 2007 through Twilight Times Books, Paladin Timeless Books imprint.) 

Mazurka, the fourth book in the LeGarde series set against the dazzling backdrop of Europe, follows newlyweds Gus and Camille LeGarde as they chase down a family secret with the potential to change history. A twist of fate propels them into a web of neo-Nazis with deadly intentions. When Gus's brother-in-law is framed for the murder of the Nazi leader, the couple is plunged into a cat-and-mouse game where the stakes are lethal and the future of Europe hangs in the balance.

Firesong: an unholy grave,number five, pits Gus and Camille against drug lords with a backdrop of a tornado, a forest fire, a collapsing salt mine, and the discovery of a fantastic local link to the Underground Railroad. The entire town is threatened as Gus and Camille unravel the truth behind reprehensible dealings in their country church and the scandal of a missing town supervisor. (Available rights)

Virtuoso, number six, spirits Gus into the world of art forgeries, teenage traumas, a deadly but talented tenor, and to New York City for a near-death escape at the Met and a chase through Central Park. In this story, Gus reconnects with an old friend who shares a stunning secret as he struggles to recover from the loss of a long time companion. Gus and Camille discover a link to his past via his great, great aunt, Emma Cunningham. (Rights available)

Portamento, the seventh in the series, occurs in 1969 when Elsbeth and Gus were students at the Boston Conservatory. White slave rings, an engaging flower child, the Boston Rock scene, and the titillating reckless abandon of the sixties set the stage for Gus's sudden need to grow up fast for the sake of his grief-stricken father and impending fatherhood. (Rights available)

In Counterpoint, the eighth book in the series, Shelby tries to grow up too soon - her teen hormones kick into overdrive. Camille's abusive ex-husband is released from prison, stewing in hot revenge. Joe Russell falls apart with agoraphobia and guilt-induced anxiety. Wedding bells are chiming for a certain young couple. And someone nearly drowns beneath the ice on Keuka Lake. (Rights available)

In One Potato, Blue Potato, the second in the Sam Moore paranormal mystery series, Sam holds a memorial service for his little brother at the Moore family plot. The whole family is in attendance, except his two children, Andrew  and Beth. Andy's absence is no surprise - he was called for duty in the National Guard and is serving in Iraq. But Beth has been unreachable for several days, which is completely out of character. Something is seriously wrong, and the Moores don't know where to turn for help. As fears escalate regarding Beth's safety, her Egyptian roommate, Zafina Azzia, swoops down on East Goodland. The NYU med student expresses concern about Beth as she waltzes into the Moore's life with long limbs swinging and head held high. The woman reminds Sam of an Egyptian princess, with cat eyes and a sultry voice. Hashim Azziz, her brother, is newly arrived in the States and will attend local Conaroga University. He cowers under his sister's will, and Sam doesn't quite trust his nervous mannerisms coupled with those deadpan eyes. (Rights available)

In Lady Blues: forget-me-not, the ninth book in the series, Gus LeGarde unravels twin mysteries of an abused Korean seamstress and a 1940s jazz ingénue whose pianist lover disappeared overseas on the same night Glen Miller’s plane was lost in English Channel, while helping an Alzheimer’s patient reclaim his identity and dodging a drug company who will silence any witness to keep the truth of their breakthrough Alzheimer's treatment under wraps.