Victoria gardens

In 2007 I was in New Zealand to visit my family. One place I always go when I am there, is the Victoria Gardens. Besides all the wonderful flower gardens, trails, rose gardens, and conservatory, there is a rather large aviary housing many native and exotic birds. The pictures are taken through the front of the cages, so sometimes you are seeing the wire. I would spend quite a long time walking from enclosure to enclosure, standing at each one watching the birds as they went about their daily lives.

Imposter

Gee I thought I would blend right in!

Skywatch Friday

Wednesday evening 8:15 pm, and I couldn't get outside fast enough, to snap these pictures of the most glorious color and formations. The setting sun painted the most beautiful shades of pink on the wind blown clouds.

What an awesome sight from our deck.

Go and check out more Skywatch images at the Skywatch Site

I am still alive and kicking.

No, I have not left the country, gone on vacation, or are too danged lazy to write anything. I have been spending all my time on my other blog, Keewee's Garden. I have been spending hours outside tending my flowers and getting the vegetable garden planted.

I love this time of year when the garden starts to wake up after it's long winter snooze. I go out every day to see what has survived the severe winter we had, it seems almost everything has, except for an Agapanthus and perhaps one of my favorite Hostas Whaaaa! I know for sure the Agapanthus is a goner, but I will wait and see about the Hosta, it may just be late in showing it's self.

Well, I'll be, It is hailing outside. Two days ago I was outside in the garden wearing a tee shirt because it was so hot, and here we right now, having a hailstorm. Sheesh! the weather is crazy. I hope my veggies are OK, danged if I am running out there to check on them.

It is just one month until we go to Amsterdam, I am becoming so excited. I have not been to Europe before, so it is going to be quite an experience. I will have some thing to blog about for weeks. You are going to be so sick and tired of seeing and reading all about my trip. *grin*

Well, as I am still working part-time, I had better get moving, and ready myself for my day.
You all have a wonderful day, and I hope where you are, there is a little sunshine.

A pretty yellow calendar

These days, the only way I can keep my schedule straight, is to keep a calendar, updated with my work and vacation schedule.
This year there is almost more fluorescent
yellow highlighter on the pages than there are white squares.

May, MrC and I are off to Amsterdam so he can shoot in the European Steel Challenge.

June, is our annual camping trip to Banks Lake with the Fishin' Club.

July, we pack up our RV and drive down to Missoula MT to compete in the Montana Shooting Sports Celebrity Bowling Pin Shoot. This one I will be shooting in.

August, we fly down to California where MrC will compete in The World Steel Challenge in Piru.

September, is the annual Gun Blogger Rendezvous, held in Reno.

October, I can't believe there is NO yellow highlighter on this page. Hmmm! better do something about that. *grin*

November, yours truly, is going to visit family in New Zealand.

That is all the big stuff, there are smaller trips in between. There will be an exclamation at the end of the year "whew! we made it!"

Just playin' around

I have two cameras and with one of them came, MGI Photo Suite. It has been so long since we downloaded the program that I don't even remember which camera it came with. Anyhow, I decided it was about time to figure out all I can do with it. There are shapes, frames, collages, photo albums and a quite few other things you can amuse yourself with. I have the first version, and there is a second you can buy, which does a whole lot more, but I figure this one will suit me just fine.
Creating the images and figuring out all that the program can do, is a whole lot more fun than trying to amuse myself watching all the junk they are putting on TV these days.
I thought the crocus turned out OK and I have several other images saved for future posts.

Now I am convinced

The plum trees are smothered in blossom, daffodils are nodding their heads in the breeze, and some of the tulips are beginning to bloom. Now, I believe spring is finally here, and about time too.

Easter greetings

You all have a Blessed Easter weekend.

Something to look forward to.

My very first tulip opened it's petals today.

These are some of them which bloomed last year.

If you are a gardener go check this out.

I for one, am a follower of Urban Garden Project. They have some very useful information on their site, and as a newbie gardener, and for those of you who have had their fingers in the dirt for years, I say, "you are never too old or young to learn." With the economy in the state it is in, many families are turning to raising their own food by creating their own vegetable garden, raising chickens etc.

QUOTE:

The Urban Garden Project™ is the initiative to encourage people to learn from history, become more self-reliant, save a significant amount of money, and eat healthier, all as a result of planting their own urban garden! The goal of The Urban Garden Project™ is to encourage and catalog the creation of 100,000 urban gardens by 2020. We know that this is a large goal, but we will accomplish it 1 garden at a time!

Go check THEM out, sign up, doesn't cost a penny, and who knows you may learn something to help you in your gardening endeavors.

A beautiful day On Whidbey Island

What a fantastic day we have had here in the Pacific North West. It was in the 60's and the sun beamed down on me all day long.
I spent almost the entire day getting some gardening chores done, and by golly I sure feel tired. Of course, feeling tired could also be a side effect from the large glass of Merlot I drank a while ago.
Here is my check list from Keewee's Garden :
Sheets removed from over seedlings ~ check
Compost spread on front flower garden ~ check
All gardens soaked in llama tea ~ check
Leaves raked up ~ check
Weeds pulled ~ check
Nasty thorny bush( don't know the name of) cut back ~ check
Roses fertilized and dead branches pruned ~ check
Shower ~ check
Pour glass of Merlot ~ check
Finish blog post and go to bed ~ check.

So there you have it. I am tired but very happy with all I accomplished today.

LOVEMAKING TIPS FOR SENIORS:

1. Wear your glasses. Make sure your partner is actually in the bed.


2. Set timer for 3 minutes, in case you doze off in the middle.

3. Set the mood with lighting. (Turn them ALL OFF!)

4. Make sure you put 911 on your speed dial before you begin.

5. Write partner's name on your hand in case you can't remember.

6. Keep the polygrip close by so your teeth don't end up under the bed.

7. Have Tylenol ready in case you actually complete the act.

8. Make all the noise you want. The neighbors are deaf too.

9. If it works, call everyone you know with the good news.

10. Don't even think about trying it twice.

(This was done in large type so you can read it.)

MOTHERS

Real Mothers don't eat quiche; they don't have time to make it.

Real Mothers know that their kitchen utensils are probably in the sandbox.

Real Mothers often have sticky floors, filthy ovens and happy kids.

Real Mothers know that dried play dough doesn't come out of carpets.

Real Mothers don't want to know what the vacuum just sucked up.

Real Mothers sometimes ask 'Why me?' and get their answer when a little
voice says, 'Because I love you best..'

Real Mothers know that a child's growth is not measured by height or years or grade... It is marked by the progression of Mommy to Mom to Mother...

The Images of Mother

4 YEARS OF AGE - My Mommy can do anything!

8 YEARS OF AGE - My Mom knows a lot! A whole lot!

12 YEARS OF AGE - My Mother doesn't really know quite everything.

14 YEARS OF AGE - Naturally, Mother doesn't know that, either.

16 YEARS OF AGE - Mother? She's hopelessly old-fashioned.

18 YEARS OF AGE - That old woman? She's way out of date!

25 YEARS OF AGE - Well, she might know a little bit about it!

35 YEARS OF AGE - Before we decide, let's get Mom's opinion.

45 YEARS OF AGE - Wonder what Mom would have thought about it?

65 YEARS OF AGE - Wish I could talk it over with Mom

The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair.

The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides. The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mole, but true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul.
It is the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she
shows, and the beauty of a woman with passing years only grows!

Thank you to Linda for this beautiful piece.

Peter Black Conservatory

I took these photos inside the conservatory on my visit to New Zealand, November 2007.

To view more photos, please visit Keewee's Garden

We have a thief in our garden

Caught him/her red handed , pawed stealing from the bird feeder.
It isn't the first time this squirrel has been in trouble, as it is missing half of it's tail.

Talk about the cat that got the cream!

As a caregiver, I am privileged to work for some wonderful people. This particular woman and I became very close, but unfortunately, her circumstances changed, and she was no longer able to live in her own home.
During the many hours spent in the company of this person, I learned a great deal about her life and the history surrounding many of her treasures in her home.
A few days ago, it was advertised that the family was going to have a real estate sale of my dear friend's possessions. There was one particular object I was hoping to buy as a remembrance of this lovely lady. Last night I tossed and turned all night just worrying someone else would see what I had my heart set on. I tried to tell myself to get over it, but this particular piece of art was something I had always admired.
8:30am this morning, found me waiting, along with many others for the door to open announcing the start of the sale. As I entered the house, my heart did a flip flop as I saw right there by the sale table, the object I coveted. Immediately I asked the woman who was ringing up the purchases if I could please put a hold on the object while I looked around. A sold sign was placed on the statue and I continued browsing.

Here she is. Quan Yin a beautiful 22 inch high statue.
I admired her from the first time I saw her in my friend's home, and what better remembrance of my friend than something she loved too. Quan Yin is going to be in a place of honor in one of my gardens where I will see her and remember all the special times shared with my friend.

Not only did I come home with my Quan Yin, but all the other Indian and oriental statues I liked.

The lovely lady on the left is made of bronze and is very heavy, the one on the right, appears to be made of resin, although it is also rather heavy for it's size.

The lovely couple of the left looks as though they are ivory, but of course are not, they are probably made of resin. The little guy in front, I thought was made of resin, but appears to be carved from some kind of stone. I think it could be sandstone. Hotei, who is sitting on the stand, also brings some special memories. Every time I arrived at the house, I would rub his tummy for luck. If you click on the picture, you will see that there is a penny tucked on the right side of Hotei's tummy. You can imagine my surprise and delight, to find the penny still there as Hotei sat on a shelf waiting for a buyer. I just knew I had to have him too.

And of course, I could not leave this charming couple behind. They are made of porcelain.

In the second picture from the top, you will notice all the statues are flanked on either side, by two planters. Being the avid gardener I am, I had to have these too. Naturally, on the way home from work this evening, I stopped by the garden center for some pretty flowers to fill the planters. Oh boy what fun I had. I am still smiling from ear to ear with a feeling of satisfaction and delight, with my purchases of special memories.

I have a post up over on Keewee's Garden, showing the planters and how pretty they look all decked out in their new finery.

Never lie to your Mother

Brian invited his mother over for dinner. During the course of the meal, Brian's mother couldn't help but notice how beautiful Brian's roommate, Jennifer, was.
Brian's Mom had long been suspicious of the platonic relationship between Brian and Jennifer, and this had only made her more curious.
Over the course of the evening, while watching the two interact, she started to wonder if there was more between Brian and Jennifer than met the eye. Reading his mom's thoughts, Brian volunteered, 'I know what you must be thinking, but I assure you Jennifer and I are just roommates.
About a week later, Jennifer came to Brian saying, 'Ever since your mother came to dinner, I've been unable to find the beautiful silver gravy ladle. I saw your mom admiring it. You don't suppose she took it, do you?' Brian said, 'Well, I doubt it, but I'll send her an e-mail just to be sure.

So he sat down and wrote:

Dear Mom,

I'm not saying that you 'did' take the gravy ladle from the house, I'm not saying that you 'did not' take the gravy ladle. But the fact remains that one has been missing ever since you were here for dinner.

Love, Brian


Several days later, Brian received an email back from his mother that read:

Dear Son,

I'm not saying that you 'do' sleep with Jennifer, I'm not saying that you 'do not' sleep with Jennifer. But the fact remains that if Jennifer is sleeping in her own bed, she would have found the gravy ladle by now.

Love, Mom

Happy St Patrick's day

May your day be touched by a bit of Irish luck,
brightened by a song in your heart,
and warmed by the people you love.

The Legend of the Shamrock

St. Patrick used the three leaves of the shamrock, a three leafed clover, to describe the Trinity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

While most Shamrocks are three leaved, it is believed a rare four leaf clover, will bring you good luck.

They're Back, They're Back

Three days ago I set out two hummingbird feeders, and late yesterday afternoon, as I sat at the kitchen table eating dinner, something flashed by the window. I was so excited in my trying to tell my honey what I was looking at, that I almost choked on my mouth full of food. Now I am really starting to feel as though spring is truly on the way.

By the way, I am so proud of myself for learning how to put a collage together. It took me a couple of hours playing around,and some frustration, before I finally figured out how it all fit together.

Moon Over

I took this one through the kitchen window about 7.30am this morning. It is a little fuzzy, as I had to zoom in, and I left the flash off so it would not bounce back into the camera lens, off the window glass. Still, you can appreciate the sheer beauty of the moon, as it slips slowly behind the Cascades.