The lovely shower ended up only depositing about 2/10 of an inch...so, I have just put the hose on the front yard bed.
My afternoon nap left me feeling like a wrung out dishrag!!! Hopefully, this too shall pass.

Great pics Kathy, and my plants have numerous holes from various causes. :-(
Most of them I chose to ignore.

It is 92F at 3 PM, and expected to be similar highs until Thurs, then a cool down into the 80s. I can take that!

Marian

gb - great photo gallery! I like the red (?) trim under it - was that there before or did you add it for the gallery? I want to put a photo gallery of some of Randy's plant pictures from the garden along the hall to the living room this winter so your gallery is is giving me ideas.... :-)

As a kid, we lived in 'the boonies' so there weren't any close neighbours - or none with kids - so I have never baby-sat anything but dogs! My first job was as a waitress in a local restaurant. I lasted 11 days - with no days off - and quit! My next job was working weekends at a local vet's. That was lots of fun! Cleaning kennels and cat cages, receptionist and providing assistance to restrain problem animals during examinations during Saturday morning office hours, taking and developing x-rays (!) - but best of all - getting to help out during weekend emergency surgeries! When I started university, it was with the intention of becoming a vet. However in chemisty labs in my first year at agricultural college, I had the distressing tendency to somehow cause the Bunsen Burners to explode everytime I lit one! I decided it was a sign I needed to switch to a safer educational stream so moved into economics instead.

My summer job after first year of university was working on a blueberry breeding project at the horticultural researce center for the Department of Agriuclture in my home province. Summer jobs in subsequent summer holidays at university were with government or academic employers.

It was definitely easier getting summer jobs 'back then'. I hope Annie's in luck and gets that call.

Today's message to Liam's owners:
'Liam is almost becoming a social butterfly! Last night friends were here for supper. Pam used to do obedience training with her N.S. Duck Tolling Retriever many years ago, so she put Liam through some paces, at which he excelled. Pam was quite taken with him & he with her as he then lay on the floor beside her when we played a few hands of bridge.' (Liam is friendly but can be aloof with strangers - he's just not interested in most people but he seems to becoming more sociable as he ages - he's 7).

Wonder how things went at the Monique garden today ? Sue posted a pic on FB of Deanne manning the check-in table. She was not being rained on (good sign) and her table sported an urn of Gerberas..only fitting I say !

Im not exactly sure what I accomplished this weekend A WALAT may be needed later to confirm that I was in fact productive. I did achieve level 24 on FarmTown , and now have a house in my tropical area, have planted my white garden in the Plum Alee and have started a cutting garden. I might need a Farm Sitter for IU.

I got out my D60 field guide this afternoon too, I have been relying on auto settings and want to master a couple of the semi-manual settings that are available on the camera before I find myself in New England.

First job here, picking strawberries in Oregon, back in the day when students could find summer work harvesting crops. We had to get up really early , and were paid by how much we picked. I got a great tan (It was still ok to get a tan in the early 70s) and made enough $$ to fly home to LA.

That would be Gays Delight Denise lol, -I still have the tag for a change ! I am duly impressed that you have already ordered tulips, way in front of the pact we all made to nag each other to buy and plant more bulbs this fall. If that Dahlia is Mystic Illusion" I bought two of them this spring and planted them in the garden- talk about dark foliage ! And that bright yellow flower- its definitely va-voom. Looks like it will be Joy Creek for Arabella- I also looked at Cottage Gardens in Petaluma-they usually have quite a selection, but no dice .

Well Marian, thats too bad that you didnt get enough rain to irrigate things. Dusted things off though , yes ?

Mary, I hope Annie doesnt take the possible poor results of the job search too hard. It seems there are many many applicants for even the most hum-drum jobs right now. Even people who have substantial experience and are highly employable have tough going right now. There are a lot of desperate people out there.

The container area is filling in nicely .

{{gwi:168339}}From Garden 2009

This is a combo I'm enjoying ... {{gwi:168342}}From Garden 2009

Waves to all ..wonder where PM is this weekend..and Julie ?

Kathy in Napa

I was in a rush to do too many things today (and so feel like I finished none!) so I don't have many pictures, but this will get you started:

This combo makes me happy (Wendy's lobelia is mingling with Michelle's geranium and Deanne's coleus!):
{{gwi:168344}}

Here's the deck - there are still plants to move and arrange, plus my "pond" to assemble...I need a better picture, but I didn't catch one this go around - this is what I see from my office window:
{{gwi:168346}}

And here's the freshly mulched bee garden. They finally got their honey supers put on today! I should be ready for harvest in September (there's no honey in any of the hives because of all the rain):
{{gwi:168348}}

I've got to get to bed. More from me tomorrow :)

I've enjoyed the pictures of nicely groomed gardens. Mine, sadly, have fallen to the bottom of the priority list with alterations occupying the number one slot, the bathroom the next one, and so it goes... . A few bright spots I noticed this morning while escorting the Huge One for his pre-prandial pee were the "Rhineland" Astilbe arendsii and their deep red cousins, whose tag has been long lost. Orange daylilies are beginning to reveal themselves and are being dutifully tagged for ID. Lots of slug holes here, too, Kathy. So your plants looked perfectly normal. :)

One batch of alterations down and another big one to go. I have calls to make this morning There is a a message of some sort on the machine that evidently arrived after I'd boarded the Winken, Blinken, and Nod boat last night. The Salon receives rave reviews as a pleasant work space. Yesterday was really the first time I've actually done real work there. It's bright, cheerful, and with the windows open it's rather like a treehouse which is as good as it gets when you have to be stuck indoors. Another day of the same thing today with the helpmeet assisting my brother as required. I'll be glad when today is over.

Maybe later on a break.

Good morning all!

I too have enjoyed the colorful photos from Kathy and Denise. Good to have California keeping up with its reputation for warm and sunny gardens. Saucy, no wonder you were tired last night! Spreading mulch, spiffing up the wonderful deck, etc. It looks like the perfect spot to unwind, but I'm not sure you actually sit there often enough! Lovely colored banana too!

DH dug out some ragweed for me last night as I weeded around the propane tank. Good to have more chores completed. Of course there are a million or so left to deal with...One day just is not enough to do so either. I need to gather more rocks for the bridge area, remove giant thistles and burdocks, weed several island beds, and then there is still more weeding in the flats to do that was halted last week because of a ground nest with baby birds in it. Then too there is the barn which needs a major sweeping before Skyler comes there to play. The raccoons have left telltale signs of their stay there over the winter. This is a job which requires wearing a mask too. Somewhere along the way I still have plants from the ghetto to get planted.

The English Patient. Was that you Denise who watched that recently? That's a film I actually enjoyed as much as the book. The beginning was hard on my sensitive soul, but I loved many parts of it. What comes to mind right away is the scene in the bell tower, the candles lit along the path, I guess all the romantic parts. The desert photography as well as the Italian scenery too of course. Have you ever enjoyed Cinema Paradiso? I would think that might be one for you! I have not seen the new version yet.

On my mind these days is packing for a trip to NH and ME. There are preparations needed including easy food for DH while I'm away. I need to write out charts for pet care too. For some reason I am the one who is usually in charge of their care.

Life is full!

Later,
'bug

PS: Still enjoying Corydalis elata.

{{gwi:168350}}

My corydalis elata and c. lutea are still in their pots waiting to go into the Goddess Garden, gb! Maybe I'll move them to the top of my list today.

I am a bit sore this morning from jumping and wrenching my back. I needed to get some extra bee equipment that I keep in the front garden (all assembled, just for looks) and when I opened the extra hive it was FULL OF SNAKES! I just about killed myself trying to get away from them, and they stood their ground. I think it was mating season :) They're just garters, but the sight of them causes a gut reaction to GET AWAY! Luckily I lived to tell the story, lol!

I have to find this link of gb's that everyone's mentioned - how did I miss it?

Chelone, you are one busy woman! I'm so happy for you enjoying your work space. You put a lot of thought and effort into making it a great place.

Um, Kathy, maybe you can give me some camera lessons, lol. I have given up learning anything new right now and my photos show it. I really need to sign up for a class this fall/winter.

Mary, we need eggs at our local farmer's market! I think of you everytime I think we need eggs :) Did DH have a happy day ending in mousakka?

I'm making a list of all the things I need to do and it's growing by the minute....I'd better go get started. Have a great day friends!

Saucy

Where is this

Lol, Saucy. The "squeal and dance"... I do it, too. But then I force myself to go back and look and sometimes even pick one up...

(Michelle would keel over).

:)

A rainy morning, with lots of T&L. We now have enough rain to help, and more on the way. Yey! I was not looking forward to watering.

Nice pics Saucy. I see the geraniums and coleus, but cannot detect the lobelia. Are the flowers in the foreground lantana?

Kathy, your flowers are lovely, too. And Denise, I like that dahlia, they are another that do not do well for me here.

Marie, I like your corydalis. I have not tried them.

Corydalis elata is a wonderful blue plant. I've had bad luck with all the other blue varieties. Corydalis lutea is pretty, but it is almost invasive, so you'd better love it if you plant it because it will be everywhere for a long time!

Tomatoes are roasting in the oven, the plants have been watered with Miracle Gro, breakfast is over and the dishes are washing themselves, the pets are fed, the wheelbarrow is emptied, a note sent to Julie, and now it is time for me to get moving.
'bug

Saucy, I've read in NE garden blogs that it's a bumper year for snakes, and now proof from you too! The blog Awaytogarden has pix of them lounging on garden walls. I'll do a link. Second row of photos, the last two on the right.

I do love Cinema Paradiso, one of the best. Yesterday I did slack off from work and googled lots on Amasy, the "English" (Hungarian) patient. Amazing how Ondaatjie wove fiction with nonfiction and the selections of each he made. Most everything in the book is true about Amasy except for the central love affair (he was homosexual) and the horrible burns. The scene you mention is a stunner. Amasy did work with the Germans in the war, with Rommel in Egypt, but as a uniformed soldier, not a spy. At heart, he was always a Hungarian royalist, and he played all sides in WWII, considering them all interchangeable colonialists. The Libyan desert in the 20th century was one of the last unexplored regions on earth, apart from the polar regions...

I think I revert to my adolescent state in summer...summer days are for reading, obviously!

Corydalis on the brain. I'm looking at finding a source for Corydalis solida, which may or may not be summer dormant in my zone. Not a blue flowerer tho.

Enjoying the Liam reports, the Niki reports, first job accounts, and Chelone "breaking ground" and working in the Salon. Napa is looking good, Kathy.

And the tub went in yesterday and may be read for a soak any day now. Preparations underway here for the family vaca in Oregon, arriving right about when you're all gathered on Deanne's terrace sipping G&T's.

I have not posted my 'first job' experiences. I think milking cows, herding cows along the railroad track, and pitching hay, on my dad's farm, would qualify. He paid us each an allowance each month...and a pretty good one for that time period. I was 5 years old when I first started. :-)

As an early teen I worked in neighbor's farm crops, thinning beets, weeding beans, and sacking up potatoes. The later was a back breaking job! One year a group of Mexicans were hired, and they sang a lot as they worked. Pretty interesting. :-) One neighbor was Catholic. He had cold beer for the workers, including the teens! Can you imagine how that would have gone over today??
I think it was the same neighbor who made us go over the beet field again because we did not cut deeply enough, and the beets regrew!

Then, when I was a teen, I ran away from home and stayed with a farm family...helping the wife with the feeding of the harvest crew. Following that, I went to work for a family in town, taking care of their 2 children while they both worked. They were very skimpy with the food that they left for us to eat, so I bought some with my own money! The man decided to 'come-on to me' so naturally I quit and left! He was not going to give my the pay I had coming, but I went to the authorities, and got it.
Those were the first jobs, but several others followed over my young years, including waitressing, cashiering, cooking.

Marie, I can almost quarantee the yellow corydalis would not be invasive on our place. :-( I would be fortunate if it even survived!

Marian

Hi everybody! I'm still alive and kicking - just barely. Family crisis this week-end kept me out of the garden and out of the house - everything is under control again, for now. Sheesh, I must have been bad in my former life - I am SO good now *LOL*
The gardens are sort of coming together - I think things will look great - next summer. I feel like we aren't having summer this year - still cold enough to wear fleece and sox, along with other things....and windy too, so I have to water everyday - all the pots plus the grass seed, which is sprouting. I sympathise will all of you who have to tote buckets and drag hoses.

Chelone - the salon sounds wonderful, and I can't wait to see it. Don't worry about the state of your house or gardens - we will love being there, all together, sharing the good, the bad, and the ugly! (and the Bloody Mary's, don;t forget that!).

Ewwww snakes. I'm o.k. with them if I know they are there, but I would also surely do the squeal and dance just like everyone else. The photos, BTW Saucy, look gorgeous! As do all the others that I've browsed through this afternoon.

I am a reader too, every day. They know me well. at the library. DD is the same, often has three or four books going at the same time. Her job can be boring so she always has a book at work (she's a 9-1-1- responder and sometimes there aren't many calls...) DS is not a reader at all. DH is reading the Harry Potter series to TCS every night, and they are enjoying it immensley. TCS is an A+ reader also.

No luck with corydalis here I'm afraid.

Anyway, I am thinking about you all and looking forward to meeting some of you in person.BTW, DH thinks the "helpmeet" must be a saint, referring to the influx of female guests soon to come.

Off to move the hose - that grass seed is surely soaked enough by now!

Cheers!

Julie

To change the subject a bit, this is what I found while weeding this afternoon. It was so bright a yellow that I was astonished!

Very tiny spider in Mason jar:
{{gwi:168351}}

This tiny spider may be a crab spider, but I cannot find a bright yellow one like it on Google so far. The one I found has red bars on each side, but this photo (below)of a pale yellow spider does not.

Time to prepare some chicken.
'bug

Is this your spider, Marie?

It is definitely a crab spider. This one looks fatter than yours, and I did not look farther, but think there are more with the red stripe.

Once again I am horribly behind! It was another full weekend that left little time for the garden or for visiting with on-line friends.

My first job was helping my uncle, who had a card and record store. I helped out on a couple of Valentine's Days that fell on a weekend, when there was a never-ending stream of men who would go to the candy store across the street (the original Dove Candies) and then come to buy a card. Since my uncle's cash register had stopped working years before, we had to do all the math in our heads. He never accepted credit cards and rarely took checks.

I worked briefly at Sears Roebuck as a cashier, but left there for better pay at the enormous Johnson & Johnson plant near Midway Airport. I spent one summer delivering mail through the plant (three trips a day, and I lost a lot of weight that summer!) and spent the second summer as a floater in the Gauze Mill, where they made a variety of surgical dressings. The summer after that, recession was threatening and they did not hire any summer help, so I worked as a hostess in a restaurant in the giant Carson Pirie Scott store on State Street in the Chicago Loop.

In college, I worked part time as a cashier in the dorm store, worked in food service for a brief stint and did bookkeeping for an othropedic surgeon. I always had good luck finding a job when I needed one, and the only one I despised was the food service job. Mostly because I had mono and they didn't want to give me time off. Really? a contagious disease and you want me to keep handling food? I quit the job AND quit eating there!

My DD is among the many college kids that could not find a job this summer. She is working a couple of hours a week for the City Band, and we are paying her and her cousin to do some yard work instead of paying an outsider to do it. She's making good use of her time by learning to sew, learning how to cook her grandmother's recipes and reading. It's not a profitable summer but I don't see it as a lost summer.

DH and wife decided it was time to add some landscaping to their new home. I gave them permission to dig up a baptisia "seedling" that had located itself too close to my front sidewalk, as well as some daylilies that were in an old field. I was quite impressed with their results! (need to get a photo) The baptisia turned out ot be enormous when it was dug up, and looks more like a medium-sized shrub than a perennial. They were very pleased with their efforts and are ready to do more.

We're off to dinner tonight to celebrate DH's birthday a day early; he'll be gone on business tomorrow night.

Work lately is just that - work. Grumblings from on high about cutting vacation time. Then grumblings in my direction as I am covering for other employees on vacation which slows down some of my other duties. Since almost none of my work is covered when I am gone, this all puts me in a mood to whine. I keep dropping giant hints in the direction of DH that perhaps my income isn't so necessary, but he begs to disagree. Given the state of the economy, finding a new job seems all but impossible at the moment. I shall "grin and bear it" until they come after my vacation time!

Enough whining from me!

V.

Thanks for the lead Marian! Misumena vatia it is. I found tons of photos on Google eventually.

Someone (PM?) asked about the photo display in my study. They are all favorite family pictures: DH with Skyler, DS hiking in the mountains, DSIL with Reed, DD's & DSIL's wedding, DD with Ivy, Reed with Indy dog and Skyler with Reed. Woody, the board beneath the frames goes all the way around the room and has been there for over 100 years! Really! It isn't supposed to be red, but was likely re-stained the wrong colour at some point.

Tonight DH and I tied up 2 Vernonia plants which tend to flop to the ground. Also a rose bush. The sprinkler is busy watering the vegetable garden still, since before dinner time. Accomplished lots of small tasks but wish I'd had energy for more. Tomorrow is another day though... At least Phoebe had a wild run about. :)

V, I think you intended to write DS and wife rather than DH & wife....In any case, I hope the Baptisia is well watered as they don't much care for transplanting. Is it a blue, yellow or white one?

I suspect Chelone's DH is a saint too. Anyone who can deal with the general public day after day, rainy and snowy days at that, must have been nominated for sainthood. Then too, he helps move industrial sewing machines, grows vegetables and cooks too!And does he have a swelled head now? ;)

Lots of mosquitoes out tonight, so maybe the bats are out as well.

The cats are telling me that their dinner is late.
Waving gnite to all.
'bug

A pleasant day today after a good rain yesterday. Cool enough to make working outside a pleasure. The plants are looking refreshed and the grass freshly mowed. I have managed to tame a few of the weeds. I cut a pink knockout back severely and will dig it out soon. May or may not replant it. The spot it was in is viewed from the windows daily and since the Japanese beetles have found me it is ugly more than it is pretty and in winter is not attractive so will be replaced with something evergreen. I need to revamp that whole area as there are some under performers (daylillies) there too. I have nicer ones. It also needs a path for better access. I looked at some software for home and landscape design but was afraid it didn't have enough landscape features. I want something that will do retaining walls and such too. Probably want to much huh? Anyway it would be nice to have.

Saucy, I came across a small brown snake this morning. So glad I didn't have the surprise you did though.

Julie, you do have your trying times but you seem pretty resilent. I know it is tough though. Good to hear the grass is sprouting. I need to do some reseeding but it needs to wait another month here,

V, hang in there at work. I know how unpleasant it is though. I worked a long time with someone very much like Chelones employer. Some days were enjoyable but many drove me nuts.
Cutting yor vacation time would suck.

Waving to all. Gotta go throw some clothes in the dryer. Norma

Finding lots of June Bug corpses in discarded glasses of wine, on the floor, in the sink, beneath the lamps. They seem late this year (July Bugs in fact) but I suppose they are better than cuke beetles and snails. They are always more interested in what is going on in the house than in the garden. I watch a baseball game while they buzz around crashing into the walls. Ted and Doobie are unimpressed. They would rather sleep.

It got unexpectedly into the upper 90s today, and that is also on the agenda for tomorrow. Fuchsias are not on board . Happily,it looks like Wednesday things return to the 80s.

No snakes here, have not seen one in maybe 5 years ? I am close to the river so perhaps they would rather hang out there. The rattlers are in our hills.

I had a blue Corydalis that I managed to keep going for about 3 years I think. They dislike out hot, dry, rainless summers. I have an area where it might be nice to pop a couple in, Im happy with a plant that lasts 3 years, particularly if its blue !

Hi to everyone, its past my bedtime , and hope to post more tomorrow while I hide in the A/C d house and watch the Allstar game.

Waves !

Kathy in Napa

Hello to all, from the chilly northeast. :-) Like Julie, I'm back into flannel pjs and using hot socks as we speak. I'm not complaining just continue to be surprised by this odd weather. The past two days have been perfect weatherwise for a change. Comfortable temps, sunshine most of the day, and great sleeping weather. This is the first time I would say we've had even close to summer weather, but more like spring. I'm sure by IU6, we will be having 90 degree temps and high humidity though. [g]

Continue to have distractions on the home front. If it isn't one thing, it's another. Some medical testing, DD discovered a mice problem in her apartment and DH and I are in the benefits enrollment period at his new job. It would have been so easy if they offered the same health insurance options that we had before, but they don't. So we are trying to figure out which health plan is going to cost us the least out of pocket and give us the most choices.

In the garden, sunshine has provided a shot in the arm. Managed to start fertilizing and will be working at that the rest of the week. Surprises this week.....I dug out Casa Blanca Lily last year and tossed it because the red lily leaf beetle was so out of control and I was fed up. This year, lo and behold I had a whole new stand of them. I am guessing there were side bulbs? I moved two shrubs around in front in the spring and the Lilies are budding behind them and really looking nice, so I am on a mission to eradicate the red buggers. I've developed a new technique. The problem in the past has been when I try to hand pick, they drop to the ground, upside down and you can't see them. They are not easy to squish with your hands and stepping on them on soft ground doesn't help at all. So I have been carrying a 5 gallon bucket with water in the bottom and I hold it under the leaves and flick them in. When I get them all, I pour them out on the patio and put them out of their misery. It has been working very well, but every day I find more. Also seeing evidence of earwig damage, big surprise with all the wet weather. [g]

Second surprise was an unhappy one, working in the garden, head down, I heard what sounded like someone crashing through bushes, I looked up in time to see a hawk with a bird in it's talons, flying across the yard about 5 feet over the tops of the tomato stakes. It must have pounced through the tree branches. Not a happy morning. I struggle with whether I am providing a buffet for the hawks, with my feeder.

Mr Chipmunk showed up with Mrs Chipmunk making themselves at home, chasing each other around the patio, the other day. We stopped filling that particular feeder that had black sunflower seed and went back to filling another one across the yard with safflower. So far, I've not seen them at that feeder, but I am sure they already have enough sunflower for a family of 12 for the rest of the year. [g] Yesterday, I had a pair of gold finches flitting from flower to flower looking for seed. I love that!

Deanne, yay for DN! Smart thinking to enlist his help. Nothing I would enjoy more than spending the whole weekend with all of you, but very unlikely. Thanks for asking. :-) Ditto, Kathy and Denise. :-) Everyone must be getting excited, yes? We have been resigning ourselves to the fact we won't be able to make IU6, but I keep holding out hope that we will suddenly find ourselves in a position to at least come to meet everyone. I will definitely email you for directions just in case.

Poor Phoebe! Marie, your photo gallery looks terrific!

Love your clematis and honeysuckle, Woody! Enjoyed Randy's report on Liam. :-)

Denise, I love Mitch's sense of humor. [g] Congrats on the prize, where is the photo you submitted?!

Kathy, you must be about ready for another flush of roses, no?

Great to see photos of Saucy's garden. I love that bee garden but don't envy you the snakes. Hope your back is feeling better today.

Kathy is correct, a lot of industry around here lately! I imagine Chelone will be straight out from now until IU6.

I have to stop there and wish I could comment on more. Very enthusiastic hellos to all I've missed! :-) :-)

{{gwi:168352}}

The beauty of a Tassajara, California, sunset is enhanced by towering cumulonimbus clouds�but they will likely spoil the serene scene. These tallest of all clouds often produce violent storms of rain, thunder, lightning, hail, and high winds.
Photograph by Gary Crabbe/Alamy

A bright, cheery good morning to my virtual friends. A few sunny days in a row can have a measurable impact on one's attitude even if I did have to spend two of them inside working. One very pleased customer is busily packing for her trip, another is coming tomorrow afternoon for a fitting on a completely altered summer suit and will be heading out for vacation next week. Whew! I was again reminded how much I really do enjoy alteration work. It IS fiddly and it does require precision but it is fun to take things apart, nipping and tucker as required and then reassembling. I've always like seeing happy faces when something they like looks "just right". And I really like the Salon, you guys! it was a joy to work there.

The helpmeet is indeed a saint. Even when he drives me nuts. I liked him the moment I met him (a quiet, droll sense of humor is definitely an attractant) but only the passage of years has revealed the unplumbed depth of his generosity and character. I don't believe there is a mean bone in his body and he's always up for a good time (rather like Rex, actually). :)

I spoke with the plumber last night who wanted to know when he'd be needed for the final hook up. He has a hankerin' to go fishing and I told him to go and enjoy himself. I'll let him know as soon as I've done what needs to be done. He told me I am his priority. Didn't see my brother yesterday but I figured he had something to do nearer his home and what's left here isn't all that pressing. He really reminds me of Dad; looks so much like him and has the same sense of humor and instintive willingness to touch any animal within easy reach. I frequently see him talking to a cat or that fool dog ("... well I know but we can't leave the wall in bare studs just so you can walk through it, you know...", that sort of nonsense).

I have a later start today, a harried boss called and asked me to delay arrival this morning which is OK. I need to run to the fabric store for an unusual shade of greenish thread to finish the topstitching on the suit and I have 2 cocealed zippers to reset this afternoon. That could be a challenge as I've not had to do it some years and my needle feed Juki does not have the proper foot for the job, so I'll have to haul out my trusty Kenmore zigzag. The one I haven't used for anything save buttonholing for nearly 20 yrs.!

Love all the first job remembrances... I've never milked a cow before, Marian. ;)

Oh what a beautiful morning! The cool weather (46F) actually allowed me a good sleep last night with only a few interruptions. I hope to get many small tasks accomplished. Showers predicted for Wednesday.

I was eight years old when I milked cows.(In France) I was not very good at it, but with practice got better. I enjoyed the baby calves but not seeing them sold for veal. That was a life altering time!

PM, it sure would be fun if we could visit. I hope things work out if only for a meet & greet. I'm hoping for cool & dry IU6 weather...but I know...

Enjoy today!
'bug

Heat lightning all night long, then it really got down to business at our place around 6 AM. We got another very nice rain, and it moved on out in about 1/2 hour. It is still rumbling in the distance....
Now my main outside need is to get the old garden spot mowed. I didn't get to it whan I did the mowing last week. The black locust seedlings are beginning to make it look like a young forest. :-(
BTW, I moved the cucumbers to the corner of the deck across from the large elephant ear's tub. It has improved greatly.

Marian

It's blueberry pickin time...

{{gwi:168353}}
mmm...yum! Aren't they beautiful?!

{{gwi:168354}}
What a *perfect* morning! My neighbor and I went blueberry pickin at 7 a.m....no traffic...sun shining...a comfortably cool 75 degrees...does it get any better than that? :-) Can you tell I'm in a good mood...LOL!

Anyway I picked 11 lbs. of blueberries...that cost me under $20.00. I have to pay $2.99 a *pint* at our grocery store.

Our weather has been perfect for the blueberries this year (actually it's been a perfect year for my garden too...and the weeds; of course)...LOL! I still have to pick my blueberries over, but I'd be surprised if I found more than just a few bad ones. The bushes were full of big juicy, perfect blueberries, ripe for picking. You just rest a bunch in your hand, tickle with your fingers and watch them drop into your bucket. :-) I think I smiled the whole time...singing "Anticipation" in my head and imagining all the yummies I'll be making! First thing I'm going to try is a recipe for Blueberry Ricotta Squares.

My first greedy instinct when I poured my "loot" into the bowl was to wrap my arms around the bowl and say "mine... mine...all mine"! I *do* love blueberries...LOL! But after I clean them up, I *will* share them with my friend Dot and my sis...they both love blueberries too.

Anyway...

Anita...we lived very close...in fact my first love was from Bellwood. Wasn't River Forest beautiful too? Did you ever go into the "warming station" in downtown Oak Park to wait for the bus? I loved that little nook. I remember it was on the corner and a stone building that was very Arts & Crafts, with cool old lights and beautiful wood on the inside. And they had great old wood benches you could sit on as you waited for the bus and underneath the benches...*radiators"! What a welcome respite...especially on those cold, slushy winter days. :-)
Great memories for me! Funny, I can remember nearly *everything* from my childhood and see it as vividly as if it was just happening...but ask me where I just laid down my pen or what the name of the person I've just been chatting with is...and forget it...I have no clue. I have the worst short term memory and feel very badly that I can't remember people's names....plants, yes, people no. I hope it's not a bad reflection on me as a person...LOL!

PM...my hubby and son were be big white water rafters...Colorado was there favorite place to go. I've only been white water rafting once in Wyoming and it was a pretty mild ride, which was A okay with me, but kind of disappointing for my hubby...LOL! As for myself, I enjoyed the lazy ride and was able to take in the view of a mama eagle feeding her babies in the nest...what a thrill that was! I'll take that over getting dumped out of a boat anytime! :-) I haven't decided yet if I will put any vines on the trellises in the pond area yet. I *do* like seeing the trellis. I did plant horsetail below the trellises with hopes that they would fill out and hide the trellises feet...but apparently the bunnies love horsetail...they've chewed them all down to stubs! :-(

Denise "your" clothesline is a hoot and I love the ship! I can't imagine the work it took to put that together.

Deanne...your Arabella is breathtaking! I'm definitely putting that one on my list...though I don't think I've ever seen it available here...I'll have to keep my eyes peeled.

Marian...glad you're getting the rain...we'll be getting some this afternoon and it's just in time. Some of my newly transplanted are looking a little peaked.

Kathy your coleus are gorgeous! I especially love that burgundy and wine one in your container picture...the container area sure is filling out nicely. Like Marian, my coleus seem to be taking a beating with earwigs this year...though much appreciated by me - they've been leaving my basil alone.

{{gwi:168355}}
Michelle...you probably don't recognize it cause it's not blooming yet, but the geranium in the center front is the one you sent to me a few years ago. I was upset when I thought I may have lost it this winter. It's taken awhile to get going, but now at least looks healthy again and has buds getting ready to bloom. I *love* the color of those flowers and thank you again for sending it...one of my favorite pass along plants! :-) I'll have to share another pic when it's blooming.

Thanks Cindy for noticing the pond redo! :-) I am pretty happy with how things are shaping up. I know the large fish may look a little goofy..lol...but I'm kind of tickled with it. It's a figurine "Maxx" find along with the pedestal it sits on (which was actually a pottery seat that we turned upside down). Anyway, Paul and I turned it into a fountain with an old pump I had lying around. I'm not sure what if anything I'll put on the trellises...it would have to be something that loves shade and I haven't figured out what vine would work...any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

First jobs...well, my first job will probably gross you all out...it does me when I think about it. I was about 12 years old. The carnival was coming to our town and me and my BF wanted to go in the worst way...but we had no money. What to do? We decided to offer our services to the local ma and pa gas stations in our area....we cleaned their *bathrooms*! I can't believe we did it, but we earned enough money to go to the carnival and neither of us came up with hydrophobia or even a sniffle for that matter. :-)

My second and "most fun" job was when I was 18 years old. I worked in the city and delivered medical records to lawyers...it was so much fun! I credit that job to knowing the downtown area like the back of my hand and I *love* walking and there was always so many wonderful sights and sounds and sometimes I'd stop and dip my feet in the fountain and listen to a little live music (if I was ahead in my deliveries). Wonderful times and my favorite job ever!

Okay...got to go prepare the blueberries...

Have a great day all!

Eileen

I had the same first job as many around here, bean walking, detasseling and babysitting. Later in college I worked at the city library.

Last night Jaden and I had the most wonderful walk at dusk. The air was warm with a slight breeze and the fireflies twinkled brightly over the fields as we walked down our country road. Ahhh, the simple things in life.

The pressure is on here these days. We left for camping on Thursday night after work and returned Sunday. After the week in FL and then a couple of rainy nights after we returned and then camping and lots of rain during that time, the garden is quite weedy. I have about a dozen ladies coming Thurs. night for a garden tour - yikes! We have had tons of rain in July after a dry June which is really the opposite of usual for us.

A few things Im enjoying in my garden lately is the 2 Arabella cuttings that I rooted last year putting out blooms. Im letting both sprawl on the ground. The Asiatic lilies are putting on quite a show, most of mine have formed very large clumps. This year my hostas have really bulked up and are looking quite impressive.

'bug, nice gallery - how nice to have all your favorite pictures grouped together. I like your corydalis/hosta combo. Is that one plant? Have you had reseeding? I have one corydalis elata in its 2nd year and its quite small. Now Butterfly Blue delphinium is a true cobalt blue that is very eye catching in my garden.

Saucy, how fun to be mingling with Wendy and Deanne.

Kathy, is that an oregano? I havent tried growing any but Kents Beauty has caught my eye at several botanical gardens.

Denise, that dahlia looks perfect in that container.

Mary, I enjoy seeing pictures of your garden and the birds. I thought of you the other day as a group of quail crossed the road in front of me. I was curious when I typed this so check and its not a group, a group of quail is called a covey, bevy, or drift per Wikipedia.

PM, I encourage you to meet up with the Idylls if at all possible - they are the sweetest and most fun people you could ever meet.

Ei, great container! I wondered when I first saw the picture. I thought it would be perfect with the other colors. I dont know if I have that one any more or not, Im waiting on one to bloom to know for sure. The ivy leaved ones arent nearly as vigorous for me. The blueberries look yummy. DH was at the market recently and they had a huge overstock of blueberries and were selling them for 7 cents a pint. He bought a bunch and froze them. We like them in smoothies. I also made blueberry muffins for the family when we were camping last weekend and really loaded them with the berries.

Chelone, you are right I'd be freaked, but Kenzie wouldn't. Here is the latest picture from DD. Kenzie caught one of the fast moving lizards and she looks pretty happy about it.
{{gwi:168356}}

Michelle

In the category of "the more things change...", DD and her cousin went to Crate & Barrel today and they decided it would be very cool to buy a large piece of Marimekko print fabric and mount it on wooden stretcher bars. I took her down to the storage room to show her the one I had mounted back in 1977. It's still beautiful but I don't have any appropriate place to hang it in this house.

On the topic of early jobs, I forgot to mention that I never really did any babysitting to speak of. I grew up in a real baby boomer neighborhood and we were all about the same age. No opportunity for baby sitting!

Not much else to share tonight.

V.

More travel arrangements were made this evening; Ill drive to the city the evening before my very early morning flight and stay in an airport hotel, and parking for the duration is included in the package. Tapping my footare we there yet ?

Helpmeets virtues will be tested as he finds himself faced with a full court press of Idylls. I believe he may be up to the challenge the droll humor will help. Cleverly designed spaces such as the Salon pay off a pleasant workspace certainly makes work less so.

Eileen, that Coleus is Mariposa and I mail ordered it from Rosy Dawn. The leaves are very large , by far the largest on any of the coleus I have this year. Blueberry-ricotta squares sounds very tasty indeed ! Love your container combo with Michelles geranium- and nice to see your cool table again with the berries displayed so nicely !

I believe that Michelle is the only person I know who was employed as a de-tasseler . it would be a mystifying entry on the resume I think ! Though perhaps not in Iowa, lol. That is in fact Kents Beauty Michelle, I love the ornamental Oreganos and have several different cultivars. I use regular culinary oregano as filler in bouquets as well. Oreganos really thrive in our climate.

PM, the 2nd flush is almost over for many of the roses, but things get more staggered as summer progresses. Some are putting on a third batch of blooms, others never really stop. Hoping you can stop by and see us for a while during IU ! I used to feel bad about luring the birds into my garden and then seeing them stalked by cats, but Ted and Doobie have gotten so lazy that a bird can pretty much hop around on the ground 10 feet away and they just blink lazily and doze off again. They have become "Patio Potatoes" lol.

OK , time to decide whether to open up the house now or wait another ½ hour. A/C is still blowing but cool off is happening outside.
Upstairs is always an issue

Nite all !

Where is Martie ?

Kathy in Napa

I am running late this morning and feeling the pressure. I have to make the cover for a big awning this morning (while the shop is empty and the phone isn't ringing) and I have a late afternoon alterations app't. that involves a final fitting. After that, it should be no work until after Camp.

I believe one of the cats pulled an "all nighter" and that makes me terribly nervous. I don't believe in tempting the night shift but the helpmeet does not take that as seriously as I do. What will be, will be. But I'd like to see her before leaving for work.

Brother is coming today, too for more mudding and a few other things. Will the tile arrive today as promised?

Only time will tell.

MIchelle, Kenzie does look quite pleased with herself and reminds me very much of myself at that age... better what out! ;)

I see pink clouds forming on the horizon. "Sailors take warning!"

Very much enjoying Ei's blueberry post! It brings back memories from - oh my!- 58 years ago! I was in Alsace on family holidays and our neighbor Madame Karl made enormous blueberry tarts for us with the berries my Dad, sister and I picked in the Vosges mountains. Poor Daddy had to haul the containers, giant metal milk jugs, back down the mountains to the village. But even he felt it was worth it! YUM! It was at about this time that I collected a small "pet" snake and gave older ladies heart failure with it, unintentionally. Kenzie's photo is a reminder of those times too!

Ah YES! Marimekko! When my parents came to West Africa to join me for a short holiday back in 1966, my Mom brought me a bright red dress with a pretty design in the fabric, and yes it was Merimekko. Later, in Ithaca New York, I bought a pattern in green that I used to decorate the kitchen and later resurrected it for use in our family home in Toronto. Somewhere along the way there was also a navy and white Merimekko pattern, but I can't place the decade any longer.

I fully understand needing to see kitty before heading off to "the shoe factory" (as DH puts it). It sounds like a busy day full of heavy work and excitement as well. ..The kind of day I'll enjoy reading about later on!

I have high hopes for weeding, planting, rock gathering and burning at the fire pit before the rains fall.

Enjoy your Wednesday activities!
'bug

That's an exciting Wednesday, gb! Chelone will be wrestling with an awning....gb wrestles rocks.

I'm headed to the wholesaler again this morning - I love these trips with my neighbor. I don't think I've been this late in the season, so it will be fun to see what's there.

Ei, your blueberries bring up memories of blackberries for me. Once we went to a farm and did the "pick your own" and I remember that as being hard work, even for a kid. Seems it was very hot that day (when isn't it hot in the south?) and I remember lots of scatches on my arms. My grandpa would eat the berries like a bowl of cereal: berries covered over with cream. I ate them while I picked and then no longer had a craving for blackberries once they were in the kitchen :)

My first job was the best! I worked at Baskin-Robbins - 31 flavors! Funny, I don't remember any of us being over high school aged. The owners just gave us all keys and put us in charge.

I have to say that my wrists were always tired at the end of a long hot day - scooping is hard work!

I had fun jobs before joining the Navy - I worked at the video store (watched all the latest movies), and the car wash (drove all the cool cars). I always quit the ones that weren't good for one reason or another (I am NOT a good waitress!).

I couldn't wait to get out of the Navy while I was in it, but I loved working in the Outside Machine Shop in San Diego. The weather was always nice and I was always outside, and the guys in my shop treated me like one of the guys (I had come from a shop where I felt unwelcomed - and harassed). They even watched my soaps with me at lunch time. It was nice to have tools and fix things, too. Something I've carried with me (I can fix things!). They called me "String Bean". On recollection, I broke a lot of things in that shop during the learning process - that really helped me bond with the other guys - I was always asking for help in fixing something.

Okay, I'd better get a move on! Have a great day.

Saucy

Oh...I didn't realize you would all be seeing Chelone's garden too...what a treat! I would *love* to see the compound, Chelone's garden & home and would really love to meet that most handsome Rex in person! Chelone, don't worry...they will have so much fun and you will too! I admit when everyone was here it was a bit of a blur to me. I had never met any of the Idylls and I was worrying about mom & sis issues and just didn't *relax*! The Idylls were wonderful and appreciative and fun...my only regret is I didn't soak it all in as much as I could have and really lived in the moment. But it still was a great time for me and a special memory. I definitely want to come to another Idyllunion and just enjoy everybody.

So, if the Idyllunion will be making a trip to Deanne's and Chelone's does that mean you'll also get to see Sue's and Monique's...and possibly Mary's too?! Wish I could be there.

Saucy...ouch...I can imagine the pain of picking blackberries...raspberries too! I love them both, but don't think I'd enjoy picking them either. Can you imagine doing that for a living? That must be hard, painful work...makes me appreciate those little pints of them I see in the store and now I'll look at the cost with a little more appreciation.

Kenzie must be such a joy for you grandma! She makes me smile. 7 cents a pint...wow Michelle...now that's a deal!

Loved your story Bug. What a wonderful memory and I can just imagine how delicious *wild* mountain blueberries must be.

So V...did your DD take your Marimeeko? I would! :-)

Gotta get moving on the house cleanup today...even though I'd rather be in the gardens. The hubby's family descends in just a couple of days! :-)

Have a great day all!

Ei

Had to google Marimekko and bean walking, the latter apparently being weeding amongst the beans. Kenzie is an adorable water sprite. Hope she practices catch and release with the little guy in her fist.

Came across a snippet of video from a Nova special "First Flower." Anyone catch it when it aired? The clip shows Dan Hinkley in China going ape over the diversity of genera in a roadside verge. Really remarkable.

Ei, nice pot with the setacrease. Snails made away with mine. What a bounty of blueberries! My first semester of college in Sonoma I rented a house that had a blackberry hedgerow. I must've turned violet that year from all the tarts and pies (as in Wonka's "You're turning violet, Violet!") Picking and eating fresh berries makes indelible stains on the fingers and the memory, judging from the reminiscences.

Knock wood Chelone's night owl is sleeping it off in some cozy corner. Joseph the male cat has been religiously dragged in before sunset by Duncan since the last bite injury nearly lamed Joe, but the girls occasionally pull all-nighters. And all these odd habits will have to be conveyed to the house-sitter. And the tomatoes kept alive til we return...aagh! Usually either Dune or Mitch or both are home to watch things, but this trip everyone goes.

Ei's comments re hosting an IU has me wondering if there is an idyll historian who remembers who's attended each of the IUs, who hosted, etc. Just a nosebag inquiry ;)

One more transcript to go on my brand-new 23-inch monitor on which you can read text at 100 feet (yesterday the old one went dark and is now E-waste), then some window shade shopping for the bath house, start grouping plants into watering zones, rigging some sort of automated sprinkler. I really hate leaving for 10 days in July!

It's been a hectic week and Im working on gearing towards the vacation too -- heading off to Vermont for a couple days with my SIL before driving over the the IU meet-up in New England....

Love that bowl of blueberries, Ei - Major yum; I love berries of almost every variety - and have picked blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and strawberries - used to have own raspberry canes which were terrific fun and made it hard for me to understand their horribly high prices in the stores - I have wonderful memories of handmade sorbets with them over the years....

Denise -- I totally "get" the emotions now of why gardeners sooo hate to go on vacation of more than 2 days at a time in spring and summer! Worrying about pets and gardens and their mutual survival is a test of one's ability to throw off the inability to control everything... and hope for the best....

Hastening thru here... but wanted to see what's up - my foot is tapping too with the anticipated fun, games and exciting gardens...

-cindy

DD and DSIL are going camping for 2 weeks. I am annoyed that Skyler misses out on that, but at least he will come here in August. They have bought a truck from DSIL's brother and just bought a camper top for it which is quite luxurious.They'll have a good time!
{{gwi:168357}}

Did you know that babies are born with their adult sized eyes? Here is Miss Ivy. I can't wait until they arrive here, but first, IU6 is calling my name!
{{gwi:168358}}

Oh my goodness! Ivy is sooo precious!

Darling photo of Ivy! We had a visit from a week old babe at the office today, the new daughter of two employees, and it's always amazing to see those little fingers and toes. She wouldn't share her eyes with us, though. They were shut tight as she peacefully dozed the entire time.

Denise, at the risk of leaving someone out, I think that Sue, Les & Monique and I have been to all of the IU's so far. It would be fun to compile a history of the IU's. I know various people have the attendee lists and itineraries. I think this is something that should be discussed in the salon and a plan fomented for the winter months.

Chelone, DD is almost done with her first skirt and is hoping to have another pattern done before we leave next week. It's an "Easy 1 hour" pattern so she hopes to be able to finish it in three days. :) I think she'll enjoy seeing your equipment and the Salon.

I pledged to myself that I would make this a productive evening. The enormous mess in the kitchen is 80% gone, the laundry is underway and I have a few odd tasks to wrap up. So I think I shall get to it!

V.

ps - our black raspberries are ready for picking but the mozzies are just awful this year. I may try to get some picked on Sunday.

Looks like Ivy's hair is lightening up. I didn't know that about babies having adult sized eyes. Or if I did I had forgotten. I love the fresh look of babies.

It rained again this morning and our humidty is back. I worked on containers today. Nothing exciting.

I feel Idyllunion excitment building. N

Marian...you took the words right out of my mouth...what a precious baby!

Cindy...is there a trick to picking raspberries and blackberries without getting chewed up by the thorns?

V's got my head spinning...what is a mozzie?

Does anybody know the particular variety of blackberry that is always so monstrous when you see it in the grocery store? Is it something that would be hardy in Zone 5? All of Cindy's talk about the berries she use to grow has me thinking that maybe I need to find a spot for them somewhere in my yard; possibly behind the shed? Are they a lot of work to maintain? The area behind the shed is nice and sunny now because we cut down the old silver maple that use to grow there and so I need to move all the hostas, ferns, etc. that are growing there now. We did replace the silver maple with an oak tree that just tickles me. I think oaks are so pretty. It's not terribly huge and I'll probably be long gone before it gives really good shade, but I'm enjoying it's charm anyway.

My dear sweet neighbor that moved away use to grow gooseberries. I *loved* her gooseberry pie. Unfortunately the people who bought her house tore the plants out...such a shame. If I had known they were going to do that, I would have rescued one or two for my own garden.

Oh well, I'm pooped from cleaning the kitchen all day...I think I dislike cleaning kitchens even more than cleaning bathrooms. There's too many things to clean in a kitchen!

Well, I won't think about that unfun job, instead I'll dream tonight about what else I can make from all my blueberries. I separated them all into 2 cup measures in baggies and then froze them. I didn't wash them because washing them before you freeze them tends to make them mushy. Oh well, I'm just babbling with scattered thoughts, so I think it's off to bed for me.

Have a wonderful evening all.

Oh, I think I've just realized what a mozzie is...mosquito; right?

Anyway, good night!

Eileen

Im unmolested by mozzies, and wonder if the NE version will find me more appetizing than the western bugs do.

My journey to NE is an all day affair , but I am rewarded by visiting with Idyll friends both before and after IU. Picnic preparation parties, airport greetingsall on the agenda. Denise, if you go back on some old threads in late July you might find pics from past IUs. I am only a sophomore but would not willingly miss another.

Ivy has reached the stage of ultimate cuteness, and I hail your DD for the camping gig;my DH and I had an agreement to never take anyone younger than 2 camping, and we kept the pact. Once they both hit the right age we were off and away several times a year.

Not much else to report, have watering to do, and I think our heat wave finally broke tonight. One more hotel booking needs to be taken care ofwave to all

Kathy in Napa

Fly-by ...

Ei, I feel a need to warn you about blackberries. The ones I planted took years to eradicate. They spread terribly, uncontrollably. I have tons of work controlling my raspberries. I started with 6 plants and have thousands now suckering about. I cut them back to the ground each year and need to tie string around them so that they don't hang to the ground from the weight of the berries. If I didn't have an addiction to them, no way would I put up with the nuisance they present.

Yesterday a sweet friend came by to enjoy the clematis here. We talked about magazine garden photos, the death of her maple, insects, local drama, a friends illness, and lovely names of plants and plant stories. She sent me a kind thank you note and among other things said:
YES
you are right
i need baptisia
i had a lovely evening with my eyes closed remembering names and floods of blossoms
thankyou for a memorial celebration
gardens are silent magic
this am i had a fire of the fallen maple..the fragrance was a surprise
hope you saw the pinkdawn
e

I liked that, "silent magic".

Tomorrow is sale day of office furniture at the university. I'm afraid we will be joining the mobs at lunchtime to locate filing cabinets and possibly a chair for my computer desk. I have no idea how we will transport any of it in a tiny Honda Fit.

We accomplished much that was on my list today: some mowing, some weeding, some planting, some rock collecting. DH had a huge bonfire to burn rose canes etc... It was very HOT and dramatic!

A few shots from today:
The area where I'm putting rocks.
{{gwi:168359}}

White baptisia and clematis
{{gwi:165639}}

Grass and Astilbe
{{gwi:165777}}

Sweet dreams!
'bug

Even I have to grudgingly admit that Ivy is pretty cute. Wouldn't we all kill for skin with such clarity??

The tile is sitting on the hearth and it glistens. I'll like it even more when it's on the shower surround. ;) But next few days around here with lots to do and plenty of "sanitizing" in the future.

More thises and thats have appeared on my list at work. My present assignment is a "life sentance" and I had a very frustrating day yesterday. I might have lost it had the tile not arrived, lol.

OK, I have to get rollin' here.

Good morning! It seems as if today is Michelle's birthday!

{{gwi:168361}}

Today is the farmer's market. I'm going to work with my friend again. I am meeting another gardener there and he is going to give me a gunnera leaf and an astiliboides leaf for me to cast!

TTYL!

Saucy

For Michelle...Hope you have a great birthday!

{{gwi:168362}}

Eden

{{gwi:168363}}

{{gwi:168364}}

And a happy day to all! I hope there's a little gardening for everyone!

Good Morning all! Guess What??? Yesterday we had SUN for nearly the whole day! After TCS's swimming lesson and a short shoppoing trip, then off to get the two flat tires on the car repaired (road construction can be a nuisance!), we went for a drive to see a house for sale which apparently has huge and beautiful gardens. Unfortunately from the road we could only see about a dozen large hydrangeas, but to me that's indicative of a gardner-in-residence. We then actually sat on the wine deck, with wine even, disucssing weighty matters and being serious. What a waste of wine deck time *LOL* I finally got into my relocated back garden where the soil has compacted to concrete and the weeds have managed to sprount anyway. Got that all cleaned up before dinner. A sort of productive day I guess.

Today I am going to finish painting the baseboards in TCS's room. I am going room by room here, decluttering, making minor repairs, putting small annoyances to rights. After IU VI I intend to try to do a room a week in this way. Just little stuff. Julie Jobs.

I have done all my shopping for IU VI, and now am starting to pack. DH has told me that I won't exctly be a fashion plate, (he especially dislikes the Crocs) but he thinks I will have fun. I don't like my IUVI haircut so I'm getting another one today.

Oh goodness that Ivy is sweet! Oh to be young and adventurous and go camping with a little one! Marie your DD and family seem like such an energetic and fun bunch!

And another Ruby Birthday! Hope you have a happy day Michelle!

Blackberries and Raspberries - I love them, and Raspberries are DH's favourite. Everytime I've gone to a "pick your own" place to pick my own, I have ended up with poison ivy. I just need to know that there's some nearby and I get it. So I do go to the roadside stands or farmer's markets to buy them already in the basket. Raspberry pie is heaven to DH but my pastry skills aren't the best so I buy the frozen pie shell and cook em up for him.

Today if the weather is any good I will take photos of my gardens, being selective so I don't get the rotten parts on film (or whatever it is we get them on now!), and upload to a Photobucket album that we can look at if we have five minutes of down time at IU. Ha! As if!

I still have one very messy area to put to rights after the fence construction but as it is on the nasty neighbour side I haven't hurried up. Not very kind of me and it's starting to bother me, so I will maybe at least get started there today. I hate being mean.

Also, Tucker distinguished himself by eating the living room windowsill, so I have work to do there. And Ajax came prancing in yesterday with blood streaming from his paw, where he had caught a nail and ripped up his toe. He isn't putting that foot on the floor today, so maybe I will try to gently soak it and figure out what I can put it to promote healing without making him sick. It may mean another trip to the vet. They love me there, they see me so often it seems.

Anyway, off to do battle with the elements for yet another day!

TTFN!

Julie

{{gwi:168365}}

Hope you have a lovely day!

Ei

Happy Birthday, Michelle -- many happy returns for the day!! Hope it's lovely for you.

{{gwi:168367}}

--Cindy

Good evening Friends, temps have cooled off here, but three days of above 90 temps did not do the garden any favors. Things are just growing like mad, but so dry the best feature is the Dahlias which continue to pump out flowers in spite of the heat. And the lilies ! The Asiatics and trumpets are done, and now the Orientals are opening- So beautiful ! I am taking photos and will post this weekend. I really need to plant more, I enjoy them so much. Its a crap-shoot though, I always get some that just dont do well here.

bug, I love your Tydll and the sentiments behind it. It made me think about how I cherish the early AM in the garden. When you have close neighbors the mornings are the quiet time; I seem to be the earliest riser in the neighborhood. Being out in the garden with the birds and Ted and Doobie while the neighborhood sleeps is just the best.

Woody, your garden just looks beautiful ! The new bed is really filling in nicely and I think you really hit the spot on the design . You must get a tremendous amount of satisfaction out of it.

V, you have got the camera down pat I think- we are going to be expecting some pretty nice contributions form you on the IU threads. Ive decided to take my laptop along so I can post here from the road.

Lol Julie, hopefully Tucker did not escape after eating the windowsill and head over to Woodys to challenge Liam to a duel !

All for me tonight, Im going to watch the baseball game and do WALATs during the commercials.

Check in Martie ?
Wheres Anita ?

6 Days to IU6
Kathy in Napa