Digging in the Dirt

San Francisco and Omaha

2011-09-25T09:22:00.005-05:00

Last weekend I was so fortunate to get a reserve trip to San Francisco and Omaha. Two cities I had never overnighted in.Our hotel was on the Bay in San Francisco. There was a walking trail right beside it that I had to get out on. It was a picture perfect day. Flowers there are gorgeous. This Princess Plant (Tibouchina) was gigantic and so pretty. This was my view from my hotel in Omaha. I had no clue this was such a nice city. They have an area called "The Market" which is a must for visitors. Great shops and restaurants along with brick paved streets. They also have bronze statues thru out town that are really pretty. But I think the best part of my trip was getting to work with these two ladies. I actually graduated training with one of them. We laughed and had a great time. Hope to work with them again some time soon.

Well that's it for this week. Unfortunately I am at home with a stomach bug and had to call in sick.

Where I have been...................

2011-09-15T18:10:00.004-05:00

For anyone left reading this blog, no I haven't fallen off the earth. A few months ago I decided I needed a career change and went for it big time. I began the process of trying to become gainfully employed with Southwest airlines. As the good Lord above would have it I succeeded.(much to my surprise).

Needless to say it has been a long road. After all the interview process I went to training in Dallas,TX for 4 weeks in June-July and then immediately went to work. I am stationed in Baltimore and commute there.This was my view for 4 weeks out of my hotel window in Dallas. Not exciting I know but I spent most of my time at school.Luckily I had this lovely area to walk and explore. It was across the street at a beautiful hotel.
We spent several hours in a maintenance hangar going thru this jet. I cannot imagine having to learn all those buttons and controls.I can't believe how big those jet engines are. My goodness! I truly have been blessed. It's a crazy life I'm living right now and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

I have really missed everyone and hope all is well.

Little wonders

2011-05-19T21:20:00.005-05:00

Now you see them!Now you don't!!!

It amazes me how little birds can make little nest in such odd places. This is my mil's front door. The little nest is right behind the flowers. We kept seeing little ones flying in and out of here and now we know why. Turns out they are little finches.

An update from my blue bird house is all 5 birdies are gone. Believe it or not we now have a new family making a new nest. Makes me proud to contribute to the blue bird population.

A Little Iris Color

2011-04-26T07:50:00.000-05:00

Recently I was over at my mil's home and noticed how pretty her iris's were. Mine haven't even budded yet. So I decided to snap a few pics.I don't know the names of any of them but they actually came from my yard in Atlanta. She had dug some up on a visit there.These were given to me by a patient from where I use to work. I don't think this one was mine but I still think hand me down plants are the best!

Hope everyone has a great day and happening gardening!

Happy Easter Everyone

2011-04-22T07:13:00.004-05:00

For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16.

Happy Easter everyone!

Birdies

2011-04-20T09:56:00.000-05:00

I love to watch and feed the birds as I think most gardeners do. Recently I was at my mil's home and noticed her little birds.Tried as they may they couldn't figure out how to get into this little bird house. They finally gave up the idea.This ring neck dove is fairly new to our area. They are a lighter gray than our mourning doves. He was checking us out from the pine tree.My mil has this small feeder that the little ones seem to enjoy. She simply fills the jar and they eat the seed in the holes.Like this as you can see. Well one evening I happened to look out the window and low and behold one had gone thru the feeder hole and was sitting in the jar. Sorry no pic but it was so funny. He was just sitting there watching his little friends feed. Poor thing didn't even seem to realize he had a problem. Luckily DH was there and he went out and twisted the jar off and out the little one flew. So far, we haven't seen anymore venture in.

So until next time ya'll, enjoy your birds. They provide constant, free entertainment!

Or Maybe Blue is Better

2011-04-14T09:37:00.004-05:00

Pink isn't bad but how about blue?Okay I know what some of you are thinking. Spiderwort? Why it's just a common weed! I reckon in many places it is but I like it's blooms and basically it takes care of itself. Now who doesn't like those kind of flowers?I know this plant has appeared on my blog before but I just love it. It's called Arkansas Blue Star(?). It's very grass like, blooms these beautiful blue star like blooms and turns a beautiful golden color in the fall. Then lastly, aren't these the prettiest little blue bird eggs? The blue birds have been hanging out at the nest lots so I popped my camera in and this is what I found. Can't wait for the babies.

So until next time, happy gardening!

Guess I Like Pink

2011-04-12T09:43:00.004-05:00

Strolling thru the yard I realize I must like pink.My pink rose bush has never had this many blooms. But then maybe it's because it's never been this size. Duh!This year I have a couple of rosey pink geraniums sitting on my front porch. They are doing well in a mostly shaded area.Lastly pink azaleas. I'm not sure what variety these are but they are late bloomers which is fine by me.

Hope everyone is enjoying the beautiful spring weather we are having! Until next time, happy gardening!

A Little Treat

2011-03-11T12:24:00.003-06:00

I don't know about ya'll but sometimes you just have to reward yourself for all your hard gardening work. One way I like to treat myself is to breakfast. It's actually my favorite meal of the day. Now I'm not endorsing McDonald's by any means but recently I had a couple of free coupons for their new oatmeal.Can I just say it's delish!!! It has chunks of apples, dried cranberries along with black and gold raisins. I do like to add a little butter to it but other than that it's really good. And of course with free coupons it's hard to beat. Now what goes great with it?!?!? Why their coffee of course. If you have never tried it, give it a whirl. Yummy!Now on to more important matters. No, I didn't buy this blueberry bush at McDonald's. I got three of them, two varieties and they are all looking good. But I would like to know if someone can tell me when blueberries produce? Is it true they need to be fertilized as long as they are leafing? Any hints would be great. Thanks ya'll. Have a great weekend!

I'm so bad!

2011-03-04T11:03:00.007-06:00

I had hoped to return sooner but I've not done such a great job. Sometimes I guess life just gets in the way. Or is it blogging gets in the way of life? Either way, I admit it, I've been bad. So, if anyone is still out there reading this blog, I thank you.

We've been blessed with some really pleasant weather for the last couple of weeks. This in turn has made it feel so much like spring and some of the plants are really looking "springish" with their new coats of color.I think the Bradford pears are prettier this year than they have been in a long time. They do stink but I think their blooms make up for it. And who doesn't love the daffodils? They give me such a wonderful feeling of spring not being too far away.Unfortunately this camellia is in my mil's yard and not mine. I've seen lots of camellias blooming now and they are beautiful. Maybe I need to get some.

Well I'm sorry I've been away for so long. Can't promise I'll be back on a regular basis. Right now I just have a lot on my plate.

Happy gardening everyone!

Merry Christmas Everyone

2010-12-20T09:32:00.002-06:00

I just wanted to wish everyone a wonderful Merry Christmas. Sorry I haven't been in the blogosphere for the past couple of months(goodness, I can't believe that) but I've been pretty busy.

Hope Santa is good to you all for Christmas. See ya after the first of the year.

Pumpkin Fun at Work

2010-10-23T15:48:00.005-05:00

Since it is that "pumpkin" time of year I thought you might like to see some work creations.This poor guy got all messed up in his basket. Wonder how that happened?!?Say hello to Gordy. Check out those bushy eyebrows!Little baby pumpkin stacks. We also sell the big stack-able pumpkins which are a big hit with customers. This last pic is an old cooking stove covered in some fall beauties. Ornamental peppers and crotons are really beautiful this time of the year. Plant together with some orange sedge and pansies and you can have a beautiful container.

Here's hoping you find some "pumpkin fun" this fall.

Remembering our Arkansas vacation

2010-10-15T07:45:00.015-05:00

When we were on vacation in northern Arkansas this past summer, we stumbled onto something we didn't know existed.We love to travel back roads cause you never know what you might find. As we were driving along we came to the Norfork dam and a campsite. We ventured into the campsite and then across the street we noticed this sign. But more than the sign, it was the sight of the bathrooms that caught my attention. If you travel back roads much you'll find there aren't as many of these as you might wish. (smile).
Neither of us had ever been to a fish hatchery before so we decided to explore a bit. Plus the price of admission was too good. No charge! The first thing you notice are these tanks that seem to go on for ever.
And as you can see they were filled to the brim with trout. I've never seen so many fish in my life.
They were beautiful and some quite large. If you enlarge this pic you can see big daddy in the middle.These are the pumps that keep the water circulating. It was quite an operation they had. Also they had netting across the top to keep birds from having a tasty dinner.Here is where the little babies start out. This room was really cold.Look at all those babies. Can you imagine how many thousands are in here? And they have many tanks of these little guys.The hatchery was located on this creek. They had built this nice walk along deck to aid in fishing. It is a catch/release creek mostly for kids to learn how to trout fish. I really loved the creek and could have spent many hours there just watching and listening. It had lots of trout swimming around.

If you are ever in this part of Arkansas I would recommend checking it out. We had a great time while there.

Colors on Monday

2010-09-27T06:00:00.000-05:00

It's time again for Colors on Monday. Today's color is black. For other participants playing along go to the link on my sidebar. I decided to post 3 pics today of things I may or may not need.

Picture from internet

Number 1-I use to think these little guys were such cute animals. But I have to say after our lovely run in with them a week ago, not so much. So I definitely don't need this.Number 2-My cell phone. I don't know if I definitely need this or not. I did fine before when I didn't own one. But I must say I like knowing I can be connected to help in case of emergency.Number 3-My bible. This I definitely need. I can't imagine my life without it.

This ends the meme that has been hosted by Jen at Unglazed. So, thanks Jen for the fun and I hope everyone has a great Black Monday!

Colors on Monday

2010-09-20T06:10:00.000-05:00

Once it again it's time for colors on Monday. Today choice is brown.One morning I was sitting at the breakfast table when all of a sudden I hear a little birdie singing his little heart out.As I peeked thru the blinds I found this little wren. Of course I had to watch him for a little while. He just sang and sang.I think he was waiting on me to toss him some money for his performance. After a few minutes I guess he figured out he wasn't getting any so off he flew.

Oh well, I enjoyed his sweet song while it lasted.

Hope you guys are having a great brown Monday. Be sure to check other participants by clicking on my side bar "Colors On Monday".

Sorry no photos and glad of it!

2010-09-19T15:07:00.004-05:00

Have you ever woken in the middle of the night and smelled something more different than usual? You know, a smell that isn't entirely pleasant.

Around 6:00 this morning when dh got up I smelled something funky which you might say smelled like a skunk. Well at 6:30 he came back into the bedroom to tell me he was taking care of an "issue". My first inclination was oh no, what's he done now. Well low and behold, it was nothing he had done. But it seems that last night when I went to close the garage door Mr. Skunk was in our garage and he didn't leave when the door shut. Oh my!!!

Dh had heard what he thought was a bird that was trapped due to the call it was making. He went to open the backdoor to the garage and saw two white stripes scurry across the floor. Needless to say he pressed the garage opener and shut the backdoor pretty quickly. But unfortunately it was waaaay too late! The damage was done. Mr. skunk had knocked things over and evidently everytime they made a noise he dosed it with a lovely smell.

Well unfortunately the "lovely" smell has come into our house as well. Also we are driving around two skunk mobiles!

So the moral of the story is, I'm glad I have no photos and secondly, What does a person do with this disgusting smell?!?!?!?

Colors on Monday

2010-09-13T06:00:00.000-05:00

Here it is Monday and time again for Colors on Monday. Today's color is purple. To see other participants click on the link on my sidebar.I love my little purple shamrock or officially known as oxalis. I like how it shows off it's pretty foliage and after awhile the foliage all dies back and the plant sleeps. It has little pink blooms too. You can find this plant with just green foliage too especially around St. Patrick's Day.This is a liatris bloom. This plant was new for me this year. It had about 4 spike with these little blooms on each.Here's a view with all the spikes blooming.
And lastly is a new iris I had bloom earlier this spring. Sorry I don't know which variety it is but it helped cheer up my pitiful looking garden this year.

Hope everyone has a great Purple Monday!!!

Colors on Monday-Blue

2010-09-06T06:08:00.001-05:00

I can't believe it's that time again for Colors on Monday. And I'm sure you guessed it. Today's color is blue.First up, my Caryopteris(bluebeard) is starting to look really pretty right now. The bees are loving it as much as I am. This perennial can get 2-3 feet tall and almost as wide. Blooms in the fall which is great when other things are starting to fade.
Yesterday and today we had the prettiest blue skies. There was a wonderful crispness in the air which made it feel so fallish. I was loving it and I couldn't resist taking this pic.Of course, I couldn't do blue Monday without a pic of the beach. I'm not sure which was prettier. The water or the storm clouds that were gathering.

Hope you enjoyed my blue Monday. To see others click on my sidebar to see our hosts site, Jen and all the participants.

Colors On Monday-Green

2010-08-30T06:00:00.001-05:00

Once again it's time for Colors on Monday hosted by Jen at Unglazed. If you want to play along just click on the link on my side bar. Today's color is green!One of my favorite herbs is cilantro. I think most people either love it or hate it, there is no in-between. Since hubbie and I love salsa I enjoy making it almost as much as eating it. Here's my easy recipe.

1 lg. can of crushed tomatoes or you can use chopped fresh

Juice of 1 lime

Medium chopped onion

Chopped cilantro-use as much as you like

Chopped fresh jalapeno peppers-I use 2-3. If you scrape out the seed and the white membrane they won't be as hot.

Salt to taste. Sometimes I have been known to throw in chilli powder or accent.

After mixing it all up I let it refrigerate for a couple of hours.

We love it and I hope if you try it, you will too.

Happy Green Monday to you!

Colors on Monday-Yellow

2010-08-23T06:00:00.000-05:00

It's time once again for Colors on Monday hosted by Jen at Unglazed. To participate click on Colors on Monday icon on my side bar.Care to guess? This is an upclose pic of a squash bloom. I wish I could tell you the squash did wonderful but I'd be lying if I did. I guess you could say the squash borers enjoyed it more than I.Rudbeckias are one of the easiest plants to grow. This particular one is Rudbeckia maxima. It grew to be about 7 feet tall. They can make a neat attraction to your flower bed.During our vacation in northern Arkansas we took a hike down by the Buffalo River. I can't resist stopping to take pics of wildflowers.

Hope you enjoyed my yellow pics and I hope everyone has a great YELLOW Monday!

Colors on Monday-Orange you glad it's Monday?

2010-08-16T06:00:00.001-05:00

If you haven't guessed yet, today's color is orange. If you want to join in this meme just click on my Colors on Monday sidebar.
This is the first year I have planted Cosmos in my flower bed. I grew this baby from seed and am so happy I did. Most of the time you see pink/rose and white cosmos. This one is a little more orange than it shows in the pic.

Hope everyone has a great Monday and I look forward to seeing other "orange" pics.

Colors on Monday

2010-08-09T00:05:00.001-05:00

Today I'm joining Jen at Unglazed for her new meme "Colors on Monday". Today's color is red.With summer finishing soon it won't be long til college football starts up. Yippee!!! This is my favorite football team. Need I say more?!?!? Oh, one more thing-woooooo pig soooooie!!!

Happy Monday everyone!

Vacation-visiting down under

2010-07-25T14:48:00.010-05:00

No, not Australia, even tho I would love to go there.I'm talking about visiting Blanchard Springs Caverns in northern Arkansas. What's that? You've never heard of it before. That's not surprising. We were told they don't have an advertising budget so I'm advertising for them.We visited here when I was a teenager. I'm glad I had the opportunity to come back.

We went down over 250 feet to a wonderful cool, constant 57 degrees. This felt wonderful considering it was 96 plus degrees above. They have two, actually three tours you can take. This one is about an hour long. We saw all kinds of stalactites and stalagmites. There were also a few bats flying around.Afterward we drove down to where the actual springs flows from the cave. The actual springs. They were so pretty and so loud. Hard to believe so many years ago the caverns were filled with water.This is Sylamore creek. I also visited here as a child. The water is crystal clear and cold as ice. We didn't venture in even tho it was so hot outside.

Hope you enjoyed the tour. If you ever find yourself in northern Arkansas, check it out. Tickets were only 10.00 which we thought was well worth it.

At it Again!

2010-07-03T16:21:00.006-05:00

During these past few days the bluebirds have been acting strange.They seemed to be hanging out at the blue bird box a little much. There has already been two broods this season so I thought no way for another.They even brought the last bunch of kids along with them. I thought maybe they were just showing them where they were born.But guess what? We now have a new nest and as of today 2 eggs. I'm tickled pink! I hope she lays another 5 eggs. How great would that be to help bring 15 new baby bluebirds into their population?

I know ya'll are probably tired of my posts on blue birds but I just can't help myself.

Hope everyone is having a wonderful Fourth of July weekend!

Just one question

2010-06-26T12:59:00.013-05:00

Recently I couldn't figure out what was wrong with my elephant garlic. Well come to find out nothing was wrong. It just needed harvesting.
So my question is, what do you do with this much garlic? I hung it up and let it dry and have given some to neighbors. I used a little in one dish but I still have too much left. Any suggestions would be helpful.This is a zinnia I grew from seed this year. It's one of the Benary Giants. I had no idea when I planted it but love it. I has bloomed it's pretty little head off.My Rudbeckia maximas have done well this year. This particular plant is about 7 feet tall. I like the big cone heads. I hope the birds do as they dry up.This is another favorite this year. My perennial hibiscus. It was just covered in blooms. Now I'm just trying to keep it going in this dry heat.As you can see the bees love it as much as I do.One last question. Uh-oh, I guess this makes two questions. Has anyone grown a Desert rose before? The tag said it could get 8 to 9 feet tall. Of course, I guess that would be in the desert. I planted it in a pot. It has pretty pink blooms and a fat trunk which is one reason I like it. It's just different. Kind of like me I guess!!

Happy gardening everyone!

Bird Babies

2010-06-10T19:48:00.010-05:00

Recently I told you about us having 5 new bluebird babies in the nest. The other day my hubbie checked and they had hatched. Well the parents have been feeding like crazy and the babies are now looking out the box hole. Yesterday I decided to open the box and stick the camera in to see how they look.
As you can see they look like one big mass of blue feathers. I expect them to leave sometime this weekend. That always makes me sad but I'm happy to know we have help increase the bluebird population by 10 in the last couple of months. Hooray!I think I mentioned(not sure) having a Killdeer at work sitting on a nest of 4 pretty little eggs. I decided to take my camera and get a picture of her/him. She has been on them for what seems like forever so after researching I discovered their eggs hatch within 3-4 weeks. So I am so glad I had my camera today because.......We have our first baby today. It's so cute and blends right in with it's environment.Here's another pic. Mom/dad wasn't squawking but she looks like she was getting ready to. So hopefully tomorrow we will have another baby or two.

Just Randomness

2010-06-04T21:11:00.005-05:00

Not much going on but dh has been experimenting with my camera. He really isn't much of a shutter-bug but he has captured a couple of good pics.
This little dragonfly was flitting around in the backyard. Looks like he was doing a balancing act.
Then I was out one morning and spied this guy. I like how transparent his wings are.Hubbie caught this baby mockingbird in a neighbors tree. It had been in our garage and couldn't find it's way out. Notice his little tailfeathers are not yet formed.

I love finding little winged babies in our yard. I hope you find some in yours.

Happy weekend everyone!

Backyard birds and a surprise!

2010-05-12T18:47:00.007-05:00

In my last post I had told you I wanted to capture an updated pic of my blue bird babies. Well imagine my surprise when we opened the box and found them all gone. It had been a week or two since I took the last pic. So I'm very glad to know all 5 of them left the nest.Imagine my surprise today when I opened the blue bird house and found these!! We had just cleaned out the old nest a few days ago and now we have a new family. Yippee!!

These are some of the other bird sightings in the yard. I guess these are finches?!?!And last but not least, these guy seems confused. Not sure what kind of bird this is either but he looked pretty.

Hope everyone is finding some pretty birds in your backyard.

Veggie Babies

2010-05-06T07:16:00.007-05:00

It's really exciting to find new veggies forming. It's so rewarding to see your hard work paying off.Sugar snow peas are forming. These are yummy and so easy to fix.First bloom of a sweet banana pepper. Usually I grow hot banana but I thought I'd give this a try this year. Plus I have jalapeno growing too. We don't need too many hot peppers.Okra is coming up. I soaked my seeds for several hours in warm water before planting. My grandmother use to do this. They were up in six days instead of the usual 10 or more. Now I have to see if they will receive enough sun where I planted them.
Strawberries are doing great! I planted these last year from just roots and they are producing a lot of berries. I just hope I can keep the birds away from them. Remember after all your hard work in the garden, find a relaxing spot to chill out for a while like Mr. Froggy here. He likes to hang out in one of the bird baths.

Hope everyone is enjoying their spring!

Newbies!

2010-04-29T21:07:00.007-05:00

Remember my last post telling about blue bird babies? Well here's a early pic of them. I find it interesting how they are all pointed looking out of the nest. I wonder if that is how mom/dad keeps up with who's been fed?Bless their little hearts. I think there is 5 of the little fuzz balls. This pic is about a week old and mom/dad has been feeding them like crazy. I'll try to capture a newer pic soon.Here's another newbie. I just love these flowers. I wish they would hang around all summer but unfortunately they don't like our heat.This is a new iris bloom this year. I planted these last year and when they were ready to bloom we had a hard frost which killed the blooms but not this year. Yippee!

I hope you all find some newbies in your gardens.

In the Yard

2010-04-20T21:14:00.010-05:00

Been out catching a few pics of blooms. I still don't have much blooming just yet.The salvia(hot lips, I think) is blooming and looking good. Arkansas Blue star is opening up. I love this grass. It turns a lovely gold color in the fall.Cheddar pink dianthus blooming. I like to brush against the blooms and smell the sweet aroma.Not sure how many blue bird babies we have in the house. We've been enjoying watching the feeding times.Proud papa.I have to admit I cheated on this pic. We were in Memphis a few weeks ago and I took this pic at Mud Island. I think this is a lilac but I may be wrong. Had a nice fragrance.Then I had a take a pic of this viburnum bloom. Looks like a big ole snowball. No smell but beautiful.

Lots of perennials coming up. Hopefully I will have more blooms to post soon.

Looking for Color

2010-03-25T18:49:00.010-05:00

I was out in the yard today looking for an signs of color but didn't find much. But I have to show you one thing that excited me. Last summer a friend gave me a trillium to plant. I was so happy to have it because it reminds me of all the trilliums in the Smokey mountains.(one of my favorite places to visit).

The other day he came by the nursery and asked me if it had come out. I told him I had not seen it yet.But today, not only had it come back and brought it's sister but it was getting ready to bloom.For me, this is exciting! Love seeing new things bloom. Unfortunately I don't know which variety this is.I also had a few blooms on my Japanese magnolia. As summer ended last year it looked pretty tough. I thought it was on it's way out; but another surprise!And then I also noticed some of my ground phlox blooming. I have two little patches of this plant. I like this one because it's such low maintenance. It's only drawback is it blooms now and then is a little evergreen ground cover for the rest of the year.

With these few blooms and some warmer temps it definitely feels like spring now. Yippee!!!

If You Get It They Will Come

2010-03-14T21:53:00.008-05:00

Don't you just love it when you get something new and it actually works!?!?! With all the finches we've been having I went out and got a new hanger and thistle feeder.It hadn't been up more than 5 minutes and I looked out and caught the first visitor.Then a few more decide to check it out. Then they were basically fighting over it! The bad thing about the feeder is it only has two perches.The little guy on the top decided to just wait out his turn. Doesn't he have good manners?! What amazes me is how do these little guys know that this seed is only for them?!?! And, none of the other birds even go near it. I'm sure you that feed the bird have observed this as well.

Well whatever the reason we've enjoyed watching them feed.

Trip to Bountiful

2010-03-08T09:23:00.016-06:00

Earlier in the week we had decided to take my hubbies parents on a little day trip to where my mother-in-law had been born and raised. So this past Saturday, off we went. I called it taking a Trip to Bountiful. In case you are wondering why, Trip to Bountiful is a movie about an elderly lady who lives with her son and his wife. She wants to return to her home of Bountiful but he doesn't want to take her. So she decides to go herself. Here's a little snippet of the movie from when she arrives at her old homestead.

Of course, we had to visit a couple of cemeteries. This is a grave site for her brother who drowned when he was a baby.She lived in this house when she was a tiny baby. How neat that it is still standing.I know this doesn't look like much but it's a homestead where she spent much time at. I believe it was an uncle's home. Most of the home had fallen in but you can make out the chimney stack and part of a wall. Daffodils seem to be always a sign of an old homestead. She wished she had brought something along to dig up a few of these. We considered trying to pull up some but figured they would just tear off.The end of a beautiful day. I couldn't help but try to get a pic of the setting sun across the lake.

It was lots of fun hearing and seeing things that were important to her and I got to learn a few more things about my mother-in-law.

I've gotten to take a couple of trips to bountiful myself. One of my favorite places is my grandparents home where I spent many countless hours as a child.

I surely hope you get to take your "trip to bountiful" sometime. It's fun to go back and open doors in our minds to memories that are waiting there to be remembered again.

Muffins Anyone?

2010-02-28T21:45:00.006-06:00

If you have followed my blog for any length of time you know I enjoy cooking/baking almost as much as gardening.

The other day I was at Wal-mart and ran across the prettiest little package of blueberries. They begged me to take them home so who was I to argue?!?!

When I got them home the first thing I thought was muffins. I'm making blueberry muffins. Well I researched some recipes and got started.Here's the funny thing. Until about the last 6-12 months I never liked blueberries. Now they are one of my favorite fruits. They smelled so good baking and their lovely aroma filled my home. Can you say yummy?And of course, who can resist a warm muffin right out of the oven? I like mine with lots of butter.
This was the first time I have ever made blueberry muffins but it won't be the last.

Is it Spring Yet?

2010-02-22T12:59:00.006-06:00

Is that wishful thinking? At least we have had some warmer temps lately along with blue skies and sunshine. Gotta love that!

Outside the window Mr. and Mrs. Bluebird have been checking out the bluebird box on a regular basis. One of them will go in and stay a couple of minutes and then fly out. I wonder what they are thinking while inside. Hopefully we'll be having babies again this year.These little guys are loving the birdbath even tho on this particular day the water was frozen.Looks like they are waiting on someone to come and break up the ice.I don't remember seeing these little guys here before and this year it seems like they are everywhere. But that is fine with me since they are so entertaining.

Hope your having a good day and possibly seeing something new for the first time.

Thank You God

2010-02-17T12:56:00.006-06:00

Oh my goodness, right now I am counting my blessings that I am able to sit here and type this.

This a.m. I went to the gym to run and then left there to go to Barnes and Noble for a Chai tea and the newest running magazine. When I left I pulled up to the red light and waited on the arrow to turn left. When it turned I mashed the pedal to go, got part-way into the street and looked left and had to slam on my brakes to keep from being hit by someone who had ran the red light. They were flying and either couldn't stop or didn't feel the need to. Luckily they swerved over or I truthfully think I would have been killed. They even had the audacity to honk their horn!!! I can't tell you how mad that made me. And usually I would have really gotten the shakes and my heart would have started racing but that didn't happen. As a matter-of-fact I stayed relatively calm (I don't know how). I really think a guardian angel was looking out for me. Had to have. I don't believe we all have appointed guardian angels but I do believe they are there looking out for us.

So as I sit here now I'm not mad, or shaky but things like this really make you realize how fast you can lose your life. If I hadn't looked left as I entered onto the road I have no doubt I would not be typing this right now.

So my friends I hope you all are having a great day and enjoying each and every moment. I know I am.

They weren't wrong

2010-02-12T16:08:00.004-06:00

The weather men hit the nail on the head. It snowed!This is my backyard early this a.m. I think the name "Winter Wonderland" fits perfectly. It was just gorgeous!We got out since the roads weren't bad and took a drive down the Natchez Trace Parkway. The pictures can't really capture the beauty of it. It is so quiet. I think this was the prettiest snow I have ever seen. Usually the wind keeps the snow from accumulating on the trees but not today.We found a hill off the parkways that was very popular. People were out sledding and playing with their dogs. It was fun just to watch.

This afternoon is a different scene. Snow is still on the ground but the skies are turning blue and Mr. Sunshine is lighting up the snow. It's still very pretty just in a different way.

Hope you are enjoying the day as much as we have.

Worth Repeating

2010-02-08T13:31:00.006-06:00

I just received a newsletter from a local church that has the best story so I thought I would share. Hope you enjoy.

How to Part Your Hair with Attitude

A lady woke one morning, looked in the mirror, and noticed that she had only three hairs on her head. "Well", she said, "I think I'll braid my hair today." So she did and she had a wonderful day.

The next morning she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed she had only two hairs on her head. "Hmmm," she said, "I think I'll part my hair in the middle today." So she did and she had a great day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that she had only one hair on her head. "Well," she said, "I think I'll wear my hair in a ponytail." So she did and she had a grand day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and saw that there wasn't a single hair on her head. "Yea, she exclaimed. "I don't have to fix my hair today."

Attitude is everything! -author unknown-

It's true, isn't it? Our attitudes make or break us. It's up to us to choose.

Hope you are having a great day!

Back Home Again

2010-02-05T15:05:00.004-06:00

After a gray, rainy day I arrived back home safe and warm thanks to God above. My mom's surgery went very good and she is doing great. Thank you for your prayers.When I arrived at mom's this was the view from her front porch. Yes, it was as cold as it looked. The roads were not bad until about 20 miles outside of her home. I was really glad I hadn't left the day before as I had originally planned. Don't think I would have made it.She had lots of Robin's playing in the yard. I tried to capture of this little guy but he wouldn't be still. They must not have nerves in their little feet. Mine were freezing while trying to take this pic.

Well I am pretty tired and hopefully will be getting around to seeing what all of ya'll have been up to.

Missing in Action

2010-01-23T19:19:00.002-06:00

Hi everyone! Just wanted to let you know I haven't fallen off the face of the earth. I've sorta been on hiatus from blogging. Partly enforced by my mom's health and partly by me. I've been traveling out of state to check on her and will be going back again soon so I'm not sure when I'll be back visiting with all of you.

I miss you all and hope everyone is well.

A Grateful Challenge

2010-01-05T11:46:00.010-06:00

My friend Darla at More Family and Flowers has issued a grateful challenge. So I thought I would take her up on her challenge.

I have to say I am most grateful for every day that God gives me on this earth.Everyday is a gift. Every morning when I open my eyes I'm thankful for another day, another opportunity. We never know what the day is going to hold.We never know who we might meet.............What we might see..............Or possibly even what we might can do........

But everyday that I'm on this earth I'm truly grateful for any opportunity that comes my way. Our lives are short. We really need to enjoy "the gift".

So I'm passing on the challenge. What are you most grateful for?

Merry Christmas!!!

2009-12-23T18:29:00.003-06:00

This is a favorite song of mine. I hope you enjoy!

I want to wish all my bloggy friends a very Merry Christmas. Hope everything is wonderful for you all.

A New Pansy

2009-12-09T08:46:00.006-06:00

I wish I could say I plant lots of pansies for the winter, but the truth is I don't. So, therefore my flower beds look pretty barren thru the season.

But I did want to show you a pansy that we sold at the nursery this fall.Say hello to Kharma Blue.Oh be still my beating heart! Is she a beauty or what?!?!!? She's a little darker than the Crown Blue pansy. Even tho the pic looks more purple, she really is a dark blue.As I said I didn't plant much this fall but I did put her in a couple of my pots. Couldn't help myself.

Without a doubt, she's my fav for the season.

Let it Snow

2009-12-05T08:51:00.005-06:00

Last night we had a 40% chance of snow and it Mr. Weather didn't let us down.It started snowing around 9:00 in our area. It was so pretty when it started coming down. It was so quiet outside and it was like you could almost hear it falling. So peaceful.A snow angel?!?!?Hubbie and I got up at 6:30 this a.m. to capture some more pics. It looked like winter wonderland. I know northerners, this is nothing, but to we southerners, we'll take anything we can get!!One of my knock out roses didn't look too happy.My Miscanthus looks pretty snow-kissed.The Tea Olive didn't seem to mind it too much. It was just a light dusting but we still enjoyed it much. Mr. Sun is now shining so it won't be around much longer.

A Recent Road Trip

2009-12-01T21:28:00.012-06:00

Yes, we were at it again for Thanksgiving. This time our travels took us to.......drum roll please.The big state of Oklahoma! We decided to go visit my brother and his wife in Tulsa. This was a first for both of us. They've been wanting us to come and so this was the perfect opportunity. My mom was there too so we got to eat some of her yummy dressing. Trust me, it's the best in the world!Here she is whipping up some of her magic! My brother giving his approval after a taste test.While we were there my hubbie read on the internet about the space station and space shuttle would be passing over. So we bundled up and headed out. Sure enough, about 7:00 p.m. we saw them both. It was interesting to see. I tried to capture some pics but my camera isn't that good.

On Friday we got out and they showed us around. We took a drive to Claremore, Ok which was home to Will Rogers. Then we took a drive out on Route 66 to get our kicks.(you have to be a certain age to get that)! hehe! Lots of history there.Then they drove us by Oral Roberts University. I just had to have a pic of these praying hands. The statue was beautiful as well as the school campus. Supposedly the base of the main building is to be the exact size of Noah's ark.

All in all, we had a wonderful time. Tulsa is a nice place for sure.

We returned home on Saturday after driving 617 miles in one day. I'm way too old to do that! I don't think I have gotten my energy back yet!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

2009-11-24T07:08:00.003-06:00

Originally I wanted to do a post listing things I am most thankful for. But unfortunately time has slipped away and I didn't get it done. Truthfully the list would probably be as long as my arm and I still wouldn't get everything listed. For me, everyday that God gives me I am thankful for. It's a gift.

I also want to say I am so thankful for my bloggy friends. There have been times where I have thought about deleting my blog and quitting blogging altogether. Then I would think how much I would miss you guys. I once saw on someone's blog a cute little saying. It said, " I love my computer cause all my friends live in it." There's so much truth to that.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Saturday Fun

2009-11-15T20:05:00.007-06:00

This past Saturday we decided to go exploring a bit. A co-worker had told David about Dunn's Falls near Enterprise, MS so we went to check it out.Even tho the falls were pretty it really wasn't what we were expecting. But we still had a good time exploring.The mighty Chunky river that the falls dumped into.
It was interesting to read that this grist mill had been moved from GA and rebuilt here. Some of the trees were still showing some color.Love this brilliant red.Wondering if this is a turkey feather? There were a few laying close together.
The next place we went was Roosevelt State Park. This was a park hubbie's family went to when he was a little boy. It was very nice with a small motel and cabins you can rent. The lake was really pretty as was the rest of the area.Well you know as soon as I heard they had a deer pen I had to go check it out. I think deer and horses have the prettiest eyes. I couldn't resist petting them but they didn't really smell too good!

Hope your Saturday was great!

Just Stuff

2009-10-30T12:52:00.011-05:00

Yippee! We finally got a new work kitty! His name is Mr. Man, and no that wasn't my idea.My ideal name for him would be Mr. Evil because about an hour after he came to us he decided to devour one of the caged birds the owners have. He jumped right up on top the cage and somehow got to one of them.Look at this precious face. Does it say killer to you? Actually he's a very, very sweet kitty. Loves people and hanging around them. He'll probably be bringing us little "presents" before too long.At work we have a lot of these whiskey barrels that we pot up. This is one I did using ornamental mustard as the center piece. There is also dianthus, pansies and dusty miller. I'm not a big fan of dusty miller for the summer but love it for the winter.This small lake is on my way to work. Notice the trees haven't turned just yet. I love driving by here. Sometimes ducks and geese are out there floating around.Here's one little bright spot among the green. This chrysanthemum is blooming in my backyard. Sorry I don't know the variety.Remember these blooms from a former post? I wasn't sure if it was a coreopsis or rudbeckia. It's coreopsis 'leavenworthii'. While researching it I found out it is Florida's state wildflower.And on a final note, it's raining again! It started just a little while ago. The drops were so big I just had to see if I could get a picture.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Okay, Does This Ever Happen To You?

2009-10-27T09:50:00.005-05:00

I'm so frustrated right now I could spit bullets. Since I have an unexpected day off I decided I needed to clean this filfthy house(thanks Blogger and Facebook). So I grabbed my little can of Pledge and decided to do some dusting. Bye the way, this is the dustiest house you will ever see.

I'm going along from room to room and dusting and basically enjoying myself at how much I'm getting done. Then my phone rings and I have a 1 minute conversation. After hanging up I start to continue my dusting and all of a sudden Mr. Pledge has disappeared. Okay, where did he go?

I traced my steps back and forth, back and forth and people he has literally taken wings and flown away. I'm thinking, where did he go? Oh my goodness my house isn't that big!

So I thought okay lets take another look for the fortieth time! Can you say aggravated and frustrated at the same time?!?!?

Finally I found him, hooray!Ah, there you are you little booger. Now get this, he was sitting right in the living room floor right where doofus here left him. Now I have to question my sanity. Why did I leave him on the living room floor out of sight and mind? Duh?

A Nice Day

2009-10-15T15:55:00.010-05:00

Yesterday it rained so I didn't have to work. So I had a free day with anything I wanted to do. What did I chose? I decided to go to the park and see if I could photograph some baby ducks that I saw there the other day. I had a couple of pieces of stale bread that I decided to take with me.It took me a minute to find them and when I did, I discovered she was sitting on them. See those little yellow fluff-balls? Can you say, oh my goodness?!?!? Momma didn't seem to be in any hurry about moving so I was glad I had brought the bread. After I threw her a couple of pieces those golden fleeces were revealed.Can you see the one sticking out it's little flipper? Is that not the cutest!!?!?!?It's okay, say it with me. Oh my goodness!!! Can I tell you how bad I wanted to pick up one of these little fuzz balls? I had one of these when I was a little girl. They are undoubtedly the softest little creatures.Momma was real nice to let me take pictures. She didn't seem annoyed or anything.This little one was watching momma the whole time. Is this not sweet? Who doesn't love baby ducks? After a few minutes I decided to leave them be and walked on around the pond til I found these guys.
These two weren't as shy as momma and the babies. I think they saw I had bread. The one with the red all over his face wasn't shy at all. I decided to see if he would take bread from my hand. He had no problem doing that. He did it really fast and I could tell his bill was so strong. I thought how bad that would hurt if he had gotten my fingers.Up close and personal. See the end of his bill. Yowsers! I bet that would hurt.As I was leaving the park I couldn't help but notice the azaleas in bloom. And this vine was growing on an arbor. Don't know what it is but I thought it was pretty.After I left the park I decided to whip it into Quiznos to pick up some lunch. I thought about going back to the park to eat but decided to drive out to the reservoir. As you can see it was a very gray day, but for me it was beautiful.

And bye the way if you ever eat at Quiznos try their broccoli/cheese soup. It was delish!

Not Much Happening.....Except The Rain

2009-10-12T16:13:00.006-05:00

Today has been a very rainy and somewhat gloomy day. Due to the rain I didn't have to work which is nothing unusual. There is only so much a person can do at a retail nursery. So I have been one lazy person. Luckily I found a marathon on t.v. of "Fame". Remember that show? Loved it!

A while ago I looked out the window and caught this little hummer at the feeder.Maybe I shouldn't say, little guy, because he has obviously put on the weight for his big flight. Which reminds me I'm going to miss these guys when they are gone. We have had so many hummers this year, it's been such a joy to watch. Makes me kinda sad to see them leave.I grabbed this shot out the front window. The Kildee doesn't seem to be minding the rain.This is the end of our driveway. You can see how much rain we've been getting.

I'm hoping the rain will stop just anytime now but something tells me it isn't.

Hope you are having some sunshine in your part of the world.

Something Creepy Going on Tonight

2009-10-06T21:36:00.002-05:00

Ya'll I was just on my Facebook page checking things out when I came across something regarding a gravitational pull today. Evidently it occurs only every 62 years. Well my sis had posted a picture of her broom standing up by itself. Weird, huh?Ta-dah! Mine has been standing like this for about 4 minutes now. Is that weird or what?

Backyard Findings

2009-10-05T20:02:00.006-05:00

I did a little work in my backyard this weekend and found a few things I wanted to share.My asters that a co-worker gave me earlier this summer was smiling at me. What a nice surprise!I like the way this pink rose shows off against my Autumn Joy Sedum.I forget which salvia this is, but to me the blooms are almost electrifying. Hummers really like this plant.Mushrooms anyone? We've had so much moisture I guess they were bound to show up.Their undersides were almost spongy unlike most mushrooms I've seen with those gills.Not far from the mushrooms I found this pretty feather. Pretty sure it belonged to a jay. Then lastly I liked being able to see the leaves from above reflected in my bird bath.

It's hard to get things done in the yard when you have a camera in hand. Oh well, maybe next weekend I'll accomplish more.

Happy gardening everyone!

Yoohoo, Any Clue?

2009-10-01T21:14:00.005-05:00

Working at a nursery gives me many opportunities to bring home new or throw-away plants. We have beds planted around in different areas including one out by the street. Not too long ago we decided to clean it out as it had become taken over by weeds. I couldn't help but notice plants that were growing in amongst the weeds. They were going to be thrown out so I dug a couple up and took them home. I knew a couple were phlox and I thought that's what this one was but I have never seen a yellow blooming phlox.So, who knows what this is? I asked one of the guys and he thought it was some sort of rudbeckia. Well me not being completely sure of his answer asked someone else today at work. We have a beautiful patch of them blooming right now. He thought it was a type of coreopsis. Here's a foliage close-up. The buds do look exactly like a coreopsis. A rudbeckia bud has tiny petals that are folded up together which these do not have.

So in conclusion, unless someone out there in blogland can come up with a better answer, I think this is a coreopsis. I'm very happy about that because I have it in two areas in my beds and they are just now starting to bloom.

Thanks to all!!

2009-09-30T18:47:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to do a quick note to thank all who voted for me on Blotanical. How nice to win! If you don't know about Blotanical, you can click it on my side bar. It will take you to an organization of wonderful garden bloggers.

If your blog is primarily about gardening you can join free and meet some amazing people.

Thanks again to all.

Bath Time

2009-09-23T21:29:00.007-05:00

We get more joy out of watching the birds in our bird bath. Who doesn't love cheap entertainment? The other day we caught this little guy out there. We hadn't seen him before.Sorry the pics were taken thru the window. We have no clue what kind of bird he is. At first he seemed reluctant to take a bath. I think he was asking the angel what he was suppose to do next.Then Mr. Blue bird came and offered his advice.Finally he got it right.

A Recent Trip

2009-09-17T21:23:00.008-05:00

This week we just returned from out annual trip to the beach. For us, fall is the perfect time to go; no crowds, weather is usually a little cooler, and it's cheaper. We had a great time even with all the rain.One of the highlights this year was getting to see my brother and sil. They too had gone to the beach the same time so we got to have lunch with them.The water was just gorgeous! I could sit and watch it all day long.It felt good to rub my toes into the sand. Lou, this pics for you girl!This was the view from our balcony. I think I could get use to seeing that everyday.

Hope you are having sunny days in your part of the world.

Findings from Monday

2009-09-09T21:38:00.006-05:00

We took a little drive up the road Monday just to get out for a bit. We drove up to an area called Riverbend. This is where my hubbie and family/friends use to go skiing years ago. It's right off the Natchez Trace Parkway.There was a group of people who had gathered and they were all driving these.
Pretty huh?Some of ya'll may remember driving around in these but that was just a little before my time. But personally I could definitely see myself driving around in that pretty orange/red convertible.
There were lots of big lily pads floating. Some were blooming but I couldn't get a very good picture.This guy seemed to be enjoying himself as much as we were. I hardly noticed the mosquitoes that were having lunch.Up the road a bit at a boat launch we saw this man taking his doggie out for a ride on his seadoo. Glad to see he put a lifejacket on him.

It's always fun to get out and go for a little drive. You just never know what you are going to see.

Not A lot Going on

2009-08-31T13:20:00.011-05:00

I can't believe August will be officially gone tomorrow. This summer has really gone by fast. Right now there isn't much going on around here. I did find this unusual visitor in the garage the other day.I guess this is a moth. He was hanging out on the garage floor. Don't know what his official name is but I'd call him a "camouflage" moth.My hibiscus coccineus is blooming. I grew these from seed earlier this season and they got planted a little late. So I was happy to look out and see them blooming. I have heard them call Texas red star and swamp hibiscus. I have them planted in the birdbath bed but unfortunately they will get too tall there. So I plan on moving them this fall.A couple of weeks ago we had a rainy day that ended up looking like this. This is the same picture just with the camera switched to the sunset setting. And last but definitely not least.Tomorrow is Sept. which is the official month for Ovarian Cancer awareness. I have a sweet blogging friend, Ashley, who has been battling this cancer. She could definitely use your prayers. If you click on her name, you can also visit her blog where you can get to know her.

Well that's about it from my world today. Hope yours is great!

Bird Surprises

2009-08-26T19:09:00.006-05:00

I have a pot of English ivy that I keep under my patio overhang. It used to be a combination planter but everything died in it but the ivy. There for a while dh and I noticed wrens flying in and out of the pot. I got to looking and it seemed that they were making a nest. But after awhile it didn't look like much so we assumed they went elsewhere. But these little birds are always outside the windows just a singing.

Well yesterday I went outside to water a few potted plants and thought I better water the ivy. I held the hose above the pot and as soon as the water hit the soil out popped these cuties.Is this not the cutest little thing you have ever seen? If you enlarge you can see the downy feathers sticking out.This one didn't look too happy to get his picture taken.

At first when they hopped out I thought what in the world? I had never seen any eggs or nest in this pot.

As soon as they hopped out, here comes mom and dad. Boy were they giving me a fit; bless their little hearts.

Well I went on about my business trying to water my other things and at the same time wondering what I should do. Mom/dad was having a fit their kids were out. So I decided I would capture them and put them back in the pot.

I caught the first one and put him in the pot and of course while looking for the others, he jumped right back out. Our charcoal grill sits right by the pot with a cover over it so I peeked under it and there the others were.

So, I decided to just leave them be especially since I thought mom/dad were going to have a heart attack.

When I went in they seemed to be doing alright. That is when I captured these pics.

Today, they are no where to be seen.

A Great Weekend!

2009-08-23T21:26:00.016-05:00

This weekend we decided to take hubbies mom/dad to Memphis, TN for a little visit. Luckily we live only about 3 - 4 hours away so its a nice drive.It seems the more we visit this place the more I like it. In this pic is the Pyramid where they use to have big concerts and show. I don't know what takes place in it now.This is the bridge that crosses the MS river from TN into AR. There is always lots of traffic on this bridge.They have these cute little streetcars that they use. Looks like fun to me!Memphis has so much history. I guess that's one reason it's fun to explore. Here's Sun Records studio. This is where Elvis, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis got their start.This is the main reason we went to Memphis. Welcome to barbecue heaven. The Rendezvous has the best ribs you can ever put in your mouth. It's a really neat old place that has been around since 1948. We asked someone snap a pic while waiting on our food. Our mouths were pretty much watering at this point!After we ate we drove around to see some of the sights. This is Beale street. Many moons ago this would not have been a safe place to walk around but Memphis is doing a great job revitalizing their downtown. I don't know if anyone has been watching the show "America's Got Talent" but recently they had a group called The Beale Street Flippers. In the middle of this pic(white shorts) you can see two of them here. They had been doing their routine but we missed most of it.The Federal Express Forum is where they host all the big shows and concerts now. Did you know Fed Express is headquartered in Memphis?On the way out of town today I tried capturing a pic of this Fed Express plane. These planes are so large that I love watching them.

We really enjoyed our weekend. The weather was picture perfect. No humidity and very low 80's. If you ever have a chance to go to Memphis, check it out.

Hope everyone else had a good weekend!

A Movie Review

2009-08-21T15:54:00.007-05:00

Since I was off from work today I decided I needed a little treat. So, off to the movies I go. What's that? What movie did I see? I ventured in to see "Julie & Julia". Can I just tell you how wonderful it was?

I didn't really know the history behind Julia Child and I had never heard of the book before. Of course there's lots of cooking that goes on and blogging too. But I think the best part was the relationship Julia and her husband had as well as Julie and her husband.

I highly recommend it. Yes, it probably is more of a chick flick but still a great movie.

A Little Good News

2009-08-19T18:59:00.002-05:00

Today I called the animal rescue to check on the little kitty(pictured from my last post). The good news is she is very much alive and thriving. She said Pebbles(we had to name her before they would take her) had taken to a bottle wonderfully. She said she's a great kitty and very low maintenance. She also said she was going to start her on whole food next week.

Hopefully she will find her a good home. Wish I could have her but dh is very, very allergic.

Happenings at Work

2009-08-14T09:16:00.012-05:00

I decided to take my camera to work with me this week to see if there was anything blog worthy. We actually have a new mascot at work and here she is.Can you say, "oh my goodness"? or maybe "ick" would be better.We call her Charlotte. She's a good spider to have, loves eating insects and low maintenance. Talking about organic pest control. We think she may be pregnant cause she's gotten quite a bit bigger since she starting hanging out with us. Yesterday I got to watch her tackle a bumble bee in her web. I kid you not, in 5 seconds that bee was completely covered in her webbing. I've never seen anything like that. Actually, it was interesting to watch.Okay, how about something a little more pleasant to look at. Has anyone ever seen a morning glory bush? We sell these at work. It's an annual, blooms during the summer, full sun and grows quite tall. This one is about 6 feet tall.It has these pretty pink/lavender blooms that bees and butterflies like.Okay, I'm aware some of you might not like cats/kittens but how can you not love this little face? She was found stuck in a wall just crying her little eyes out. Unfortunately one of her siblings was lying there dead. Something had happened to the mother. So the guys got this little one out and brought her up front where we all ooohed and awed over her. She was the tiniest thing and was so hungry. She was crying so much. So one of our guys went and got kitten milk and a bottle and we bottle fed her. At first this was not an easy task but then she got the hang of it. After she fed she took a little nap, finally. She was starting to get sleepy here. You can see her little milk moustache. None of us could take her so the animal rescue came and picked her up. They thought she was probably about 2 weeks old. just hope she makes it.

Caught Red Handed or should I say, Red Beaked!

2009-08-10T13:52:00.005-05:00

Earlier in the season I planted 14 tomato plants and 1 cherry tomato. The big tomato plants have produced nothing but the cherry produced wonderfully and is now like in it's second phase of production. But the other morning I looked out the window and saw a little thief."Hmmm, what do we have here?""I think I need a little closer look. Looks yummy. I definitely need a taste!""I think I'll just take this one, no one will notice."

Maybe this is what happened to my big tomatoes!

Just Color

2009-08-06T07:46:00.006-05:00

There's hardly anything blooming in the garden so I thought I would take a few close ups of whatever I could find.
I love hibiscus and have 4 that I have to bring in the house every winter. Moving them is a pain due to the large pots they are in but that's okay because they give me this unending color during the summer.This is a "Touch me not" bloom. I have these in several different colors.I'm not really into begonias but this baby has bloomed all summer for me. I love the dainty pink color.And lastly I did find one little verbena bloom in a pot I had planted earlier this season. As soon as I planted it, it just about croaked. I was pleasantly surprised to find it.

Hope everyone's gardens are showing off with lots of color!

Time Away

2009-07-29T18:06:00.007-05:00

This past weekend we traveled to south AL for a little relaxation. We spent the first day at Dauphin Island.We had never been here before and enjoyed it much. It reminded me of a sleepy fishing village. It's not your typical beachy resort type area with tons of people.The next day we ventured over to Gulf Shores to enjoy the day with some of my family that was vacationing there. While there we enjoyed the beautiful weather, crystal clear water and fantastic food!But mostly I enjoyed getting to visit with my sis. Hardly ever do we get to spend time together so this was a blast.

It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's...............................

2009-07-15T21:33:00.010-05:00

SUPER SQUIRREL!!! The other morning I looked out the window and saw this gigantic, supersized squirrel sitting on the fence. My first thought was someone's exotic animal had escaped. This is the biggest squirrel I have ever seen. My hubbie and I couldn't figure out what the white was on his face. I pulled out the binoculars and discovered it was just white/gray hair. Maybe he's grandpa of the woods.

We've lived here going on 3 years and this is the first time we have ever seen him.We decided to watch him for a few minutes. Knowing squirrels, we figured some free entertainment was coming up and sure enough. Isn't amazing how they can just shimmy up a tiny metal pole with no problem. Can't you just hear his thoughts? "H'mm I wonder what's in here? Let me see if I can get a closer look."I'd say he got a real close up view. Unfortunately for him our bird feeder is spring loaded. Everytime something heavy gets on it, it pulls the little covering down over the holes.

In the end he gave up and went on to check out the neighbors feeders. He was lots of fun to watch.

A Little More Exploring

2009-07-10T08:41:00.018-05:00

I promise this is the last post I'm doing from our trip to the Smokies. One of my blogging friends, Betsy had asked if we had seen any waterfalls while there. So, here's what we saw.One of our hikes led us to Grotto Falls. The trail actually walks right behind it so you could feel the cool splashing from it.This is the trail right behind it.It was a beautiful area that we enjoyed much!Then on another hike to Rainbow falls we first came across this little splash of water. Then a ways on down, or should I say up, the trail we came to Rainbow Falls. There was lots of people here so I only got this one good picture.As usual on our hikes I was always keeping my eye out for anything of interest such as this Flame azalea. In a vastness of green this color was easy to spot.I don't think I have ever seen a red topped mushroom before. I wonder how long this tree had been laying here? Not sure what kind of fungus this was but if you enlarge the pic you can see some type of bugs enjoying it.Normally we never see any wildlife on our hikes. But then we came across this guy laying across the trail. He didn't seem in any hurry to move. Even with rocks and sticks being thrown at him from two ridiculously scared adults(gee, I wonder who), he seemed perfectly happy to stand his ground. I thought we were going to have to walk over him but luckily he decided to mosey on.This is more like my kind of wildlife. She was only about 20 feet from us and didn't even seem to mind us watching her.She kept on going down the trail right over from us. Unfortunately, we didn't see anymore of them.

The whole time we were there we enjoyed wonderful weather but on the way out it had turned.The rain and fog had rolled in but I still found it beautiful. Luckily I was able to snap a picture of these wild turkeys on the side of the road. They weren't bothered by the rain.We decided to take a different route back home and discovered this area by the Ocoee river. When the 1996 olympics were held in Atlanta this is where the kayaking events took place. We had never been by here before.

I think we discovered a new place to explore!

Hope you enjoyed the trip. Have a great weekend everyone!

A Little Rain

2009-07-06T18:53:00.009-05:00

After 31 days of dry, very hot days we woke up this a.m. to a wet ground. Can I just tell you how happy that made me?!?!?!?Not to mention my little cherry tomatoes. I think I saw one smile at me, he was so happy!Before you start thinking I've got great tomato producing plants listen to this. I have 13 tomato plants and so far guess how many fruits I have eaten off of them. Give up? ZERO. Yes, you heard me right. Nada, zilch, none....... Between hot temps, no rain and those pesky little(sometimes big) tomato worms my poor plants have suffered tremendously.See that little cuke? Hopefully he'll grow into a big boy. I have harvested 4 off the vine and they were mighty tasty. Now the vines are covered in blooms so hopefully I'll get stocked up.The Limelight hydrangea too was enjoying it's splattering of drops.I know if it could have, this iris blade would have sucked these little droplets thru it's foliage. Needless to say all my plants were so happy with a little rain. I hope we get more. We need it.

So if anyone wants to, feel free to do a little raindance!!!

Lighting up the Skies

2009-07-05T08:56:00.008-05:00

Last night we went to a 4th of July celebration at one of the local parks. They had a great show featuring some big band music. Chic-fila was there giving out their wonderful lemonade and the city was giving out watermelon. Then at dark the fireworks began. Hope you enjoy the show as much as we did!They had the American flag on the stage so I tried to capture fireworks and it in the picture. It turned out to be my favorite.Reminds me of a flower, jellyfish or meteorite flying thru space.Not sure what this reminds me of but I like it.Looks like lightning bugs woven together with string.

Hope you all had a wonderful celebration!

More from the trip to the Smokies

2009-06-27T15:31:00.022-05:00

Since everything is dry and parched outside I decided to show more photos of the cool and green Smokies. As I mentioned we hiked several miles while there. One of our favorites was the hike to Mt. Leconte Lodge. There are a few trails to choose from to access it, but our favorite is the Alum Cave Bluffs Trail. You can only access this lodge by foot, sorry but no cars.As you can see by the sign, it was 5 miles to the lodge. When walking this trail before we always stopped at the bluff and never continued on to the lodge. So this was an exciting and new experience for us.I love seeing shrubs and flowers in their natural habitat. Rhododenron was blooming everywhere.There were beautiful sights everywhere and this interesting rock formation. It's called "Eye of the Needle". You can see the opening thru the rock.This is the bluff area. If you enlarge you can see my honey standing over there. Little squirrels greet you here with hopes of a nibble or two of a snack. Unfortunately for them, our snacks would be going with us on the rest of the hike.The hike from the bluff was pretty tough. Lots and lots of uphill. We ran across a couple of guys who pointed out to us where we were headed. See the little notch at the top of the mountain? That is where we were headed. Trust me, it looked like a long way off and it really, really was. You had to be very careful walking on this trail or take a wrong step and hello, you'd be seeing the trail from a completely different view.There was lots of rocky, wet and slippery edges. Thanks to the National park for putting up these cable guides to hang onto. We were oh so glad when we finally came upon the lodge. As you can see, it's a bunch of small cabins grouped together. The views up there were really incredible. You can see how high we were by the elevation posted on the dining room. There's several interesting tidbits about staying here. First off, you have to book a reservation 6-12 months in advance. They serve a wonderful dinner and breakfast to their guest. There is no electricity or running water. It is only open 9 months(I think) out of the year. Last year it never reached 80 degrees up there. When we left the lodge we decided to take a little jaunt out to Cliff Tops. I think it was the highlight of the whole day. I can't relay to you how peaceful and gorgeous this was.When I look at this photo, to me, the background looks like a backdrop. I could have sit there all day taking in God's glory. Whenever we find ourselves in the Smokies again we will definitely take this trail again.

Hope you enjoyed this segment of our trip.

Backyard Visitors

2009-06-25T19:06:00.011-05:00

This a.m. while having my coffee I couldn't help but notice all the flurry of activity out back. The first two little visitors were these cuties.And then I spotted this Brown Thrasher having a big time in the bath. "Hey, how many of you kids are still in there?" Mr. or Mrs. Bluebird was trying to coax out another baby. It seems like they have been trying to leave the nest for a couple of days now. My hubbie caught these early this a.m. He looked like he was pretty comfy in there.But one had left the nest and sat perfectly still while hubbie took his photo."Don't mind me, I'm just sitting here waiting on mom/dad to show me how to fly."

On a sad note I came home from work today and hubbie had found a large pile of blue/gray feathers right below the nest. We think something got one of the babies. That makes me so sad that they lost one of their children.

Right now there are still two left in there. They are still being active so hopefully they will fly away soon.

Spread Your Tiny Wings and Fly Away!

2009-06-21T20:00:00.000-05:00

I couldn't resist. We've been watching a second brood of bluebirds and I was really curious as to how many were in the box. So yesterday curiosity got the best of me. In the beginning my hubbie said he thought there were 5 eggs. In this picture it's hard to tell how many there are.

The last couple of days the momma/daddy have really cut out feeding as much so I figured it was time for them to vacate. I figured they would leave this a.m. while we were at church but....Not yet! If you enlarge the pic you can see two little birdies checking out the big world.

I think they are kind of like we humans. There's a big wonderful world out there waiting to be discovered if only we would take the first step.

While on our trip to Gatlinburg we came across a t-shirt with this wonderful quote that I really like. "We don't quit exploring because we get old, we get old because we quit exploring."

I hope everyone has a great week and finds/discovers little surprises along the way.

Some Flower Pictures

2009-06-15T19:43:00.008-05:00

Since my blog is primarily about gardening I thought I would show what's blooming. With these high temps and no rain I'm sure my blooms are going to be pooping out soon.I'm really loving this Rudbeckia. Sorry I have no idea which variety but it's just like a ball of sunshine.These lilies are new for me this year. They smell divine. I really like coreopsis. This is Creme Brulee. It blooms all summer long for me.This is another new plant for me this year. It's the Rudbeckia maxima. They are taller than me. These three daylilies are new for me too! Sorry I don't know the names. And lastly as you can see my hardy hibiscus is starting to bloom. It's definitely a favorite of mine.

Hope you enjoyed my blooms. I'm hopeful I'll have more before they all burn up.

Happy gardening everyone!

As Promised, Part II

2009-06-10T09:03:00.019-05:00

Since rain was forecast for later in the week we decided to do our two big hikes first. So first day, off to see the view from Charlie's Bunion. Isn't that an interesting name for a look-out point? More on that in a minute.To go to Charlie's Bunion you follow the Appalachian trail. The AT goes from Springer Mtn, GA to Katahdin, Maine. Glad we weren't going to Katahdin, don't think we were up to 1972 miles.Since this trails follows the top of a ridge, it provided many beautiful vistas. You know the old saying, "it took my breath away". I felt like that alot. Of course I had to take photos of the wildflowers along the way. Beauty was everywhere.I reckon they don't call them the Smokies for nothing. Final destination point. After two miles we were glad to see this sign. Say hello to Charlie's Bunion. What a magnificent view. If you enlarge the picture you'll get a better feel for it.When we arrived here we climbed up on that ledge. Now I don't like heights so trust me, I didn't sit there but just a minute. Here's how it got named. Story has it in 1925(before the park was established) there was a fire and then in 1951 a flash flood occurred in the same area which left a rocky ledge. Well a group of men decided to go check it out. In the group was a man named Charlie Connor who was known to have a very large bunion. They thought with all the vegetation gone this outcropping reminded them of his bunion and hence the name Charlie's bunion stuck. No, I didn't make that up, true story.Even sitting at the base of the rocky ledge creeped me out. This is just a sampling of what the trail is like. Between the rocks and lots of roots you had to be very careful or you could find yourself kissing the ground.After we walked back down the trail a ways we turned back and could see the "bunion". See those people on top? That's where we had been sitting earlier. Yikes!!!Since this trail if part of the AT we decided to check out a backpacker's shelter.How would you like to sleep here? Total strangers just line up on those bunks. This is kind of scary to see!!! Don't think I'd be able to sleep a wink.

This was the first time we had taken this hike and it was worth every minute. Since we were still in the park we decided to go check out Clingman's Dome. We had never been there before either. It is one of the highest points in the park at an elevation of 6643 feet. We knew there was an observation tower there. We thought we would just drive to the parking lot and walk up the observation tower.Oh my were we ever wrong! We had another mile round trip to make. And this trail, even tho paved, seemed so difficult. If you enlarge you can see the parking lot.It was pretty much up hill all the way. The observation tower. Was it worth it? Oh yeah, definitely!

Hope you enjoyed our hike as much as we did.

As Promised

2009-06-09T07:30:00.018-05:00

While we were in the mountains we hiked over 38 miles of trails. And let me tell you, for us flatlanders it was pretty tough. Most of them were all uphill. But in the end they were all worth it. The views were spectacular.This view is in the park on New Found Gap road. It's a main thoroughfare to Gatlinburg from Cherokee, NC. We usually always stop here along with every other visitor to the park. If you enlarge the pic you can see the road we came in on.This is the first of 3 pics from Gatlinburg. The streets looked bare when we first arrived. One thing we like about this place is once we park the car seldom do we move it. It's definitely a walking town. In this picture though you can see one of the trolleys they operate. So walking is optional.This little shopping area is called "The Village". It houses The Donut Friar which has the best donuts in the world! It's such a nice sitting area for watching people. Plus look at all the New Guinea Impatiens. It was landscaped beautifully.Here's a picture of the fountain at night.(Enlarge for better viewing). Pretty huh?After we settled into our hotel we decided to hike from Gatlinburg to the visitor center. The trail is easy to walk and has beautiful views such as this.The sound of the rolling water was music to our ears. Sometimes you just have to stop and listen. Once we arrived at the visitor center we took another small walk to Cataract falls. (Betsy, I thought of you. I figure you have seen these falls before). This would be the first of 3 different falls for us this trip.Along the walk back I had to take a few pictures of some of the flora. Ferns dotted the path all the way. I loved the way the sun highlighted the white rhododendron. And the mountain laurel was blooming everywhere. Our first day in the mountains was wonderful. Hope you come back to see more.

Hey It's Good to be Back Home Again!!!

2009-06-06T16:30:00.004-05:00

No I didn't fall off the face of the earth. (Thanks Kanak for inquiring, you're sweet). We've been on vacation and have just gotten back in. Where did we go? Only to one of our favorite places in this whole world.Gatlinburg, TN borders the park and we were married there several years back. So GSMNP is very special to us. I can't wait to tell you all about it but right now chores are calling my name. I can't tell you how many loads of laundry we have to do not to mention all my gardening chores. Things have grown quite a bit since we have been gone.

So I'll be back soon.

A Few Zoo Pictures

2009-05-26T21:10:00.011-05:00

So I mentioned we stopped at the Memphis zoo taking mom home. I thought I would show a few of the animals. Hopefully, you won't get too bored.I've never seen a white tiger before. He/she posed so perfectly that he/she reminded me of a stuffed animal.They had two pandas on exhibit. I think these little guys are the cutest. They were both munching on bamboo. They must have some really strong teeth and jaws. Now I didn't say they were the neatest eaters. This one looks like he's saying, "Do I have the life or what?" Sorry for the dimness of the picture, they were enclosed behind glass.They had a nice area for the polar bears. I was hoping they would get in the water where you could see them up close. But instead they opted to play. They had a small but nice aquarium. I enjoyed watching this polka-dotted fish as well as the lion fish(I think that's what it was called.).I think this is the lion fish. So interesting to look at.They also had a new bird exhibit this weekend. It was like we were walking around inside a cage full of parakeets. They were everywhere.You could purchase these little feeders and the birds would hope down on the sticks while you were holding the feeder. This little birdie was about 2 inches from hubbies face and could have cared less.They also had two beautiful bald eagles. One can certainly see why they are our national bird.

Hope you enjoyed the zoo. I haven't been to this zoo since the 60's. Needless to say, it's changed a good bit.

On the Road Again

2009-05-24T18:31:00.015-05:00

Well we just returned home this afternoon from taking mom back to AR. I miss her already. We had a great visit and now my house is quiet.On the way home yesterday we took a detour to the Memphis zoo. This was a horticulture exhibit they had that was so pretty.As we traveled thru the delta you can see the mighty Mississippi is still out of her banks a little. Luckily some of the farmers have been able to plant unlike a couple of weeks ago. This is a very young rice field. Sorry for the blurriness, it was raining and the picture was taken out of the window. See the levees in the field, that helps control water on the rice.This is a field of winter wheat that is about ready for harvesting. I loved looking across the field at all the colors.As we were driving along we came across a big touring bus pulling this small trailer. We're big Jimmy Buffet fans. It looked like a trailer full of merchandise. We weren't sure what was up with it but would like to have followed it wherever it went. Unfortunately we had to come on home. Oh well maybe next time.

A Day in the Life of a Runner

2009-05-16T15:19:00.022-05:00

5:15 a.m. - Alarm clock ringing, drag myself out of bed, turn on coffee(even tho I won't be partaking), 1st trip to the bathroom.

5:25 - Eat one piece of toast with butter and jelly. Would like another but stomach forbids it.
Legs start their nervous shaking(cut it out legs, it's only a run).

5:40 - Second trip to the bathroom. Nervous stomach. Every race day starts this way.

5:45 - Sit ups. I've discovered this helps get air out of stomach that I got from eating my toast.

5:55 - Dress in new running shorts. This could be a big mistake. Never wear something to run in
you haven't tried before.

6:10 - We're on our way. The beautiful morning sky didn't do much to calm the nerves.Rain was predicted today but luckily not until the afternoon.

6:45 - Arrival at Mississippi College who was hosting The Senior Olympics where I am running my
5K. Get registered

6:55 - Nervous stomach is needing another bathroom break. A couple of more times should be
sufficient.

7:25 - Walk to the other side of the track to begin race. Heart is racing, I feel like I am going to
"lose my cookies" any minute.

7:30 - "Runners ready!" Gun goes off. 1 1/2 laps inside the track. At the first curve breathing is
already labored and I'm ready to quit. It's going to be a tough run.

7:32 - Out of the track and onto the neighboring roads.Time to leave the track onto uncharted territory.7:45 - Heavy, heavy labored breathing. I probably sounded like a fog horn on a boat running down the road. Lungs are begging to stop, legs ain't letting it happen.7:52 - Oh so glad to be headed back into the stadium. I'm smelling the finish line.7:54 - Finish line. Yippee!!! Did I say yippee!!! Labored breathing finally stops. Stomach instantly settles down. And the winner is!!!! So is it worth it?!??!?! See that smile!!!!!

I always feel like, somebody's watching me!

2009-05-14T21:41:00.008-05:00

You just never know what you are going to find in the garden. The other day I was checking out my Rudbeckia maximas to see if they were budding. It took a minute but I discovered two sets of eyes looking back at me.Aren't these little guys cute? There had been 3 but one jumped before I snapped his pic.Remember these guys? I think they knew I was checking them out. This picture is now about 5 days ago so they have probably changed a lot more now.No, I know they don't have eyes but I was definitely checking them out. This is the first time I have grown amaryllis. I'm very happy with the results.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. I'm off for another race Saturday morning.

A Fast Trip

2009-05-11T07:36:00.007-05:00

This Saturday we took a quick trip to Arkansas to pick up my mom for Mother's day and bring her home with us.
Due to much rain in this area the mighty Mississippi was out of her banks.I think it's going to be a while before the farmers are able to work these fields. Small lakes dotted the terrain all the way.Needless to say we don't travel lightly. We carry everything with us except the kitchen sink. Mom didn't say she was crowded in the back but as you can see she didn't have much wiggle room.

Saturday before we left I got to run in another race. It was hot and soooo humid. When the race started I think I got just a little too excited and ran my first mile waaayyy toooo fast. I was almost ready to quit before I even got started. Halfway thru my lungs were begging to stop but my legs wouldn't let me. I'm glad they didn't because I got to take another Grand Masters trophy home with me. Yippee!!!

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Check this out!

2009-05-07T17:52:00.011-05:00

Now I don't know how many of you folks shop here but I don't. But the other day we were passing thru this favorite shopping area and I noticed this neat store front. At first glance one might see nothing special. Come on, let's take a closer look.What have we here? I heard two girls say, "Hey mom, it has weeds growing out of it". Nah, take another look.I believe you would call this sedum and lots of it. I placed my camera right against the wall and shot upward. Is this not beautiful?I thought it was just gorgeous. How cool would it be if more stores did this?!?!? I don't know if you noticed or not but the outer metal part with the name on it is stamped with birds. This is definitely a cool store!

Saturday Scenes

2009-05-02T19:57:00.013-05:00

Evening everyone! I hope y'all had a great Saturday. Today we had lots of hot sunshine and high 80's. Glad I had applied sunblock. This is what went on in my world today.Off to Mississippi college(Clinton, MS) we went for the State Track meet. Sorry for the blurb but I took this pic thru the windshield. You can use your imagination to figure out what that is! Luckily we didn't have to be there until 11:30 but was it ever hot already. We only had a few girls to qualify for this meet. One of them brought home 3 medals. Not too bad, huh?!?!?Before we left this a.m. I managed to check out the beds/garden. Here's the three little pots I showed a couple posts back. As you can see they are filling in nicely. I'm enjoying this red beauty. This morning she had several blooms.These snapdragons are still putting on a show.These two guys were waiting on breakfast. They were both in the corner section of the fence and had built their webs on top of each other. I love organic pest control!I knew there had been lots of excitement around the blue bird house yesterday morning so I decided to take a peak. Are these little fuzz balls the funniest looking little things. I think they were definitely born yesterday. I'm curious if that one egg you see hatched. I may have to take another peak in a day or two.And lastly, we gardeners take lots of risks when we are out working in our beds. We can get bit by spiders, bugs, wasps, bees, or cut our fingers/hands or possibly step on ends of hoes and whop ourselves in the head. So see that lovely red spot on my neck, it's a dad-gum wasp sting. But guess what? It didn't happen gardening. It happened while I was riding my bike. Darn old wasp flew right into my neck while I was enjoying my ride and just to be mean he stung the pooh out of me. Let me tell you it didn't feel none too good either. No wonder I can't stand those sorry boogers!!!

Oh well, I hope you all had a wonderful Saturday. I did.

A Living Wreath

2009-04-30T18:43:00.005-05:00

At work I have the option of taking any pot, container, form or whatever and planting it however I wish. A couple of days ago I decided to plant a living wreath. I had planned on doing this for a sunny location but then a customer called and wanted one planted for the shade. Luckily she called just in time because this was my last wreath form.This form came with a liner that I'm not a big fan of. It's made of some type of material cut in a circular form. I prefer the ones that come with pre-molded sphagnum moss which has a nicer effect and are easier to work with.

These are kind of a pain to do but they look so nice when done. In this one I planted pink and coral colored impatiens, variegated plectranthus, ivy, asparagus fern(sorry I don't remember the type) and torenia.

I have done them using different sedums too. Those with sedum work a little better since you don't have to water them as often.

Some garden blooms

2009-04-29T21:18:00.010-05:00

Last fall I removed my 5 Itea's from my birdbath garden to a new bed. It was too wet in that bed and they were drowning. This year they are doing much better and are now in bloom.As you can see they are all blooming wonderfully. I like the fuzziness of their blooms. They have a light fragrance as well.The upper two photos are of the invasive shrub Privet. This is the wild variety that has these pretty white blooms. They also have the familiar sweet, sickeningly strong smell. For some odd reason though I like it. I guess it reminds me of what spring smells like.I planted this variegated iris a couple of fall's ago. It finally bloomed.Sorry I don't know the name of it. I like that it turned out this lavender color.

I'm hopeful I'll continue to have more blooms to show as the season progresses.

A New Award

2009-04-28T18:46:00.007-05:00

I've been selected to receive The Renee Award. It is given to me by The Dirt Princess. She is next door in the great state of AL. Her blog is always fun and she has great photos. Go by and check out her fun site.

The Renee Award is one of the most meaningful awards in blog world because it honors someone who is incredibly inspirational in her intelligent and witty writing. And by doing so, this award celebrates women's smart, strong and inspirational spirit! It honors women who spread joy and love like an Acorn......a small package growing into a tall and sturdy oak tree which gives more acorns.............. I am so honored to receive this award from my dear bloggy friend Dirt Princess.

According to the rules I am suppose to select 5 bloggers to receive the award. I know there are so many who don't like awards or memes but if you want to play along feel free to grab the award.

They're back!!!

2009-04-27T19:30:00.008-05:00

I looked out the kitchen window the other day and saw our redheaded woodpeckers are back. I'm not sure what he thinks is in the feeder but I don't think he'd be interested.There were 3 or 4 chasing each other around. I guess this one needed a water break. The only time I'm not crazy about these guys is when they decide they want to search for bugs on the gutters. Rat-a-tat-tat will drive you crazy! Anyhoo I'm glad they are back. They are fun to watch!

Saturday Scenes

2009-04-25T21:23:00.014-05:00

This morning got off to a bang by my husband waking me at 5:00. At least it was his soft voice and not the alarm clock. We were off to Greenville, MS for the North State track meet. He's the girls coach but this was a coed meet.

When we first moved to MS we moved to Greenville. It is in the delta part of the state where lots of farming goes on. Also there are catfish farms.Greenville is a small place but luckily they have this grower nursery that I was able to work at. As we drove by it today I decided to snap a pic.It was a beautiful sunny morning with expected temps in high 80's. This is the quiet before the storm.Looks kind of like an art festival or something with all these canopies. In my days of track this didn't exist. We all hung out in the bleachers. Our girls did pretty well in the running events but it's the field events that kills us. After a very, very long day it was time to go.No, we didn't pass it up. Our gas in our home town is about 1.99 a gallon. What are you paying for gas right now?When you cross the bridge by the swamp you know you are close to home. I love the moss hanging from the trees. Sorry for the blurriness. Taking pictures in moving vehicles is not an easy task.

Hope you all enjoyed your Saturday.

Garden surprises

2009-04-23T21:49:00.009-05:00

Today after work I took my usual tour of my flower beds and couldn't help but notice this gazania.I've not ever been a huge fan of this plant but was given the opportunity to take it home free from work a few weeks back. I had no clue what color it was. I expected it to be the normal yellow, orange, white, or pink. But what a pleasant surprise. Actually it is much darker than the picture shows, almost burgundy. I really like it! It is an annual, prefers sun and gets to be about 8 - 10 inches tall.

Another plant getting ready to bloom is the Arkansas blue grass.This is the grass I showed back in the fall that turns a beautiful golden color before the frost takes it down.This is it's star like bloom. It has these little clusters at the top. It's a very soft blue color. I thought it would be more full this year but it stayed about the same size. Still, I like it a lot.

I love coming home from work and finding these little surprises.

Is this for real?

2009-04-21T20:54:00.006-05:00

Okay, I just received this in the mail and I'm curious how many of you received it. It's an invitation to join the National Home Gardening Club in Minnetonka, MN. Has anyone heard of this?

Along with the invitation they sent me a package of slow release fertilizer and some cosmos seeds. It looks like it costs $12.00 a year and for that I get to try gardening products, answer a brief questionnaire and then supposedly keep the tried product.

Also the invitation states they have giveaways, members only magazine, seed swaps and free use of their website. As I typed that out that sounds almost like what we gardening blogs have.

So I'm just curious if anyone has heard of this, belongs to this club, or what.

Saturday Scenes

2009-04-18T13:41:00.015-05:00

This morning started at 5:45 a.m. when I got up to check the weather. I decided I wanted to run a race this a.m. and the forecast called for rain. It was a pleasant 62 degrees and cloudy but no rain. Yippee!!!

What's that you ask? How did I do?Not too bad for an old woman! And let me tell you this was a tough, tough course. I don't train on hills and guess what? Hill after hill after hill. Somehow between talking to God and to myself I made it thru. Not to brag but I was the sixth female to cross the line and yes there were more than 6 runners!

When I got home I needed to head immediately to the garden for chores.Remember these little pots? As you can see I planted rose colored million bells in the yellow, strawberries in the orange and an orange million bell in the green.The gaura is starting to open it's pretty pink flowers. I can see why they call this "whirling butterflies".I had to show this azalea again. It's just one big, puffy rose colored shrub that so far the heavy rains haven't destroyed. I have a grouping of three in the front of the house and I love them.These little cheddar pinks were planted late fall last year and are doing well this spring. I like the sweet smell they have.Then I wanted to show my snapdragons. They are just now starting to bloom. The color is a little more darker than the picture.

Well that's it for this Saturday. Hope everyone is having a great one!

Happy Easter!!!

2009-04-12T10:42:00.014-05:00

I hope everyone is having/had a great Easter! This was always a special holiday for us when I was growing up. We always went to church then we had a big dinner with family. Hunting Easter eggs was fun too but I think dying them was more fun. We always drove mom crazy when it came to dying them. We were always asking her, " are the eggs ready yet"? We hated waiting on that boiling part! We probably ended up with more dye on us than on the eggs.

Today for hubbie and I, we went to the early service at church which was fantastic! Now we are getting ready to head over to hubbie's brother's home for a get together. So far it is beautiful here but we are expecting storms tonight. Since Easter reminds me of flowers or that could be the other way around, I wanted to show a couple of beauties.....This is a new salvia I am planting in the next day or two. It's called Oceana blue. Sorry I don't know the species. We are selling them at work as annuals but the grower told me he thought it might be a perennial. I surely hope so.Here's a close up. It is a true blue color. It's so stunning I just had to have a couple.This caught my eye this morning before going to church. I just planted these Iris' two/three ago and it's blooming. I couldn't believe it. I planted these in my "wet" garden by the birdbath. Here's the close up. A friend/co-worker gave me a few of these from his garden. Aren't friends great?Lastly, this is a picture of my azalea in bloom. I have 4 of these that are just now opening up. I don't know which cultivar this is but it is always the last to bloom.

Happy Easter everyone!

Saturday Scenes

2009-04-05T13:13:00.022-05:00

Yesterday morning started out great. When we got out in the yard it was already 65 degrees. After putting down some pinestraw mulch I grabbed the camera to see what I could find.Ms. Butterfly was enjoying her visit to the pincushion flower. Poor baby had lost part of her wing but she still flied around okay.Mrs. Bluebird had begun to build her nest but evidently she was taking too long according to Mr. Bluebird. He dived at her and off she went. Unfortunately I didn't see either bird back at the box the rest of the afternoon.I did notice this beauty. This is a perennial cornflower(Centaurea montana). It's has such a unique bloom. As I was focusing on it I noticed this little visitor.Hello little froggie!!!He got a little camera shy.The foxglove has been showing off. Can't blame her for that. Then I found little tiny little flower along the fence line. I think it may be common flax but I'm not sure. It is actually more purple than in the picture. Sorry for the blurriness, macro didn't want to cooperate for some odd reason.Here's an updated pic on my walking path I made. I have added a few things and more will be added later.After our day in the garden we decided to drive down by the lake. There were so many people fishing and lots of boats out and about. I would love to spend a lazy day on the lake like this.Now when you are out and about driving around on country roads, you better make sure you act right cause if you don't, these guys are glad to straighten you up. Actually they were checking for driver licenses and insurance proof. This is very much a common thing around here. Then after our wonderful day we went out for catfish. As we were going down the road we came across these little guys. They couldn't make up their minds which way to go. As you can see they got right in front of us and decided to just stop. See the oncoming traffic? Everyone in that group had to stop to wait on these guys too. Finally, the ducks got smart and flew out of the situation. Thank goodness everyone was nice and waited on them.

That concludes this Saturday's scenes. It was a great, great day!!!

Garden Visitors

2009-04-01T21:05:00.012-05:00

This is the first butterfly I have seen in my garden. He loved the purple verbena.I posted the other day about my little blue bird looking for a Mrs.. Well he may have found her. He's on the left, she's on the right."Look, it's a new home. It's all comfy and just waiting for a family. Check it out."I guess the verdict is still out for now. Hopefully, she approved. At work we had a couple of interesting visitors as well....Say hello to Ms. Rae. Sorry I don't remember why type of animal she is except that she is an exotic. She looks kind of like a cross between an ant eater and a raccoon. She was real sweet. She was fairly heavy when she was on your shoulders. Next say hello to Wilson............This little guy is a kinkajou. He's a marsupial type animal. This is the second or third time Wilson has visited. He is like a little cuddle bunny. However, he does love to hide in your shirt(hence the word marsupial).I would love to post more happenings in my garden however I need a boat to check on it. Well, almost!

Saturday Scenes

2009-03-29T12:27:00.011-05:00

Here's this Saturdays happenings.............................................................

At the front of the house I found Ms. Mockingbird hoping around. At first I thought she wasn't able to fly. She beep-bopped around on my bench and then clung to the side of the wood support. Then off she fly but not before I snapped this picture.We put up this birdhouse a few weeks ago. So far, no new boarders but I was lucky to catch Mr. Bluebird checking out the scenery from the top.This is a new hibiscus I brought home. I really enjoy the beautiful colors of hibiscus. Unfortunately it is one that has to be brought in every winter but I'll deal with that when the time comes. And lastly, most of you don't know I have always been active. In high school I ran track, but I was a sprinter. If anyone had ever told me, one day you will run distance, I would have laughed. Well since then, in my early adult life, I became a long distance runner. I use to run 10K's(6.2 miles) and actually ran the Peachtree Road race in Atlanta twice along with other races.

As I have, let's say matured, I have slowed down to walking. I haven't ran a race since the early 90's, that is until yesterday. I have been throwing some running in with my walking and decided I wanted to give it a go again. This was a 5K(3.1 miles) which is more my speed. The picture above shows my results. I am proud to say I won 1st place in my age group and 1st place for Grand Masters overall female. Needless to say I am in search of my next race.

Well that was fun........not!!!

2009-03-27T07:25:00.011-05:00

There's nothing like receiving a phone call at 12:15 a.m. telling you a tornado is headed your way. That's what happened to us Wednesday night. My in-laws have a weather radio that warns you when violent weather is in your area so she is the party that called.

At first it's like okay and then the senses kick in telling you to get your lazy self out of bed and into your "safe room". Our safe room happens to be our laundry room. Immediately I start grabbing pillows and blankets and anything else I can think of. My hubbie immediately turns on the t.v. to check the progress. The next thing you know, the power goes out. Since we live out here in the "country" we know it won't be back on for who knows how long. He grabs a flashlight and I go in search of the trusty candle.

I'd say we stayed up until about 1:00 watching the storm. After we thought it had passed back to bed we go of course with our hearts beating at an abnormally faster pace. So Mr. Sleep doesn't come as fast as we would like.

When it's time to get up that's when you realize how import electricity is. It's tough trying to get ready for work in the dark. After hubbie left I looked out the window and noticed how beautiful everything looked. I loved the way Mr. Sun was waking everything up.The privet looks limey green.The mighty oak looks a little softer with Mr. Sun waking up his sleepy leaves.The tall bloom of the foxglove is smiling in the warmth. This picture was taken thru the window. Same picture taken from outside.

We had storms again last night. Luckily the power stayed on.

I hope everyone has a great gardening weekend and please remember to pray for those folks in Fargo, ND. I have a blogger friend up there and it looks pretty bad.