Flowers

Flowers painted on a window at Boonsboro High School cast shadows Wednesday afternoon.

Monday's weather was gray and gloomy, but shopping for flowers at a local farm market was a colorful diversion for some.

Chris Mayer, left, master gardener coordinator for Franklin County, Pa., and Jane Krumpe, a master gardener, select flowers for cutting Tuesday during the open house at the Penn State Cooperative Extension Center's Horticulture Center Gardens in Chambersburg, Pa. A finished arrangement of fresh-cut flowers explodes with color.

On March 10, members of the Crossroads Garden Club visited with the residents at Golden Living Center on Dual Highway in Hagerstown. The group made bouquets of flowers, which included roses and carnations. After arranging the flowers, the residents were treated to homemade cookies, ice cream and punch.

Purple crocuses push through snow Monday morning in a garden in Hagerstown's North End. Winter officially ends this evening, and more flowers will bloom in the new spring.

A Herald-Mail reader in the North End sent in this photo of a clematis plant that covers the lamp post at her home. She said it is beautiful, along with the other variety of flowers.

Blue Ridge Summit (Pa.) Free Library branch manager Nancy Bert waters the petunias under the porch of the library Thursday. The flowers were not affected by the recent rains.

While forests have a lot to offer the visitor at all times of the year, spring is a particularly beautiful time to take a walk. Take time and look for flowers, listen, then look, for birds, and enjoy the fresh scents and clean air as the trees use sun, air and water to grow and provide for the needs of a host of other species, including us. Precisely what you see in a forest walk varies from place to place, according to forest type, elevation...

Gene Alden O'Dell, 76, of Hagerstown, Md., died April 26, 2013, at Meritus Medical Center. Born May 25, 1936, in Quinwood, W.Va., he was the son of the late Lundy B. and Edith M. (Jones) O'Dell. Gene served his country in the U.S. Marine Corps, 1954 to 1957, during the Korean War. He received the National Defense Service Medal. Gene worked as a truck driver for Pony Express and Halls Motor Transit. He received driving awards for 15 years with no accident and million-mile safe driving.

Catherine Irene "Kate" Cline, 89, of 9710 Old National Pike in Hagerstown, Md., left her earthly home and entered into her heavenly home on Monday, July 30, 2012. Born Jan. 29, 1923, in Hagerstown, she was the daughter of the late Harlan and Lula Gruber Rider. She was preceded in death by her husband of 55 years, Arthur Earl Cline, in 1996. She was a member of Cornerstone Community Church, formerly known as Grace Brethren Church. Kate was a homemaker and was content with her life of loving her family, and planting and tending to her garden and flowers.