Spotted in the yard. Have a great day!

Let the Countdown Begin!

Finally can start our countdown to Isla! Not having the best summer so it's something to look forward to. It's still way off but now less than 6 months away! these were all taken early morning on the malecon...my favorite time of day! Today here in CT it feels like Isla in January--very sticky at 6 am. It rained during the night & brought the humidity up higher. Very dry & warm this summer here...

Our Kitty Squeak, RIP

The last 2 weeks have been very hectic--have spent 2 -3 day weekends helping to move my Mom & get her settled in. ( Thanks Tom & Karen for all that you do !) Then I came home Sunday & found out that Alan hadn't seen Squeak all day......he's 13 years old and rarely misses a meal! Now it's 2 days later and he still hasn't shown up. We've looked around the area & contacted some of the neighbors , but no sightings. We have lost others to the woods ( probably coyotes)--We've had 15 cats in the last 25 years--Alan had 3 when we got married. We are now down to one cat & one dog--so few pets!

Squeak was the best buddy of the dog & it seems that Rafe is looking around for him , too. He will be missed by all of us!

Rafe & his Favorite Frisbee

Rafe loves these pliable frisbees in a doughnut shape. They make it easy for him to pick it up & carry it around. He picks it up the minute he goes outside &

only puts it down when he's ready for you to throw it!

A boy & his toys!

Evolution of a Black Eyed Susan

I've been watching and photographing a patch of Black- eyed Susans in the yard. They are growing along a walkway by the house and then growing wild in our front pasture. These pictures were taken over the course of a week.

These last 2 photos were taken of the wild ones. I didn't realize how blurry the 1st one was. It is so enjoyable to get up most every day & see new flowers blooming!

Aptly Named

Isn't this flower appropriately named? The balloon flower! First thing in the morning they are closed up & round like a balloon. As it gets warmer & sunnier, they open up.....

So pretty!

Highly Anticipated

I planted this echinacea in spring 2009 and when it started growing someone told me (someone that knew about plants) that I should pick off all the flowers before they bloomed--that way the plant would put all its energy into getting bigger rather than into the flowers. So I did! And I'm being rewarded this year with quite a few flowers on the plant!

Don't you just love the color? it's called "Tomato Soup"

I will be incommunicado for a few days--going to my Mom's to move her & I'm not taking my computer!

Random Shots

There has been some interesting shots around the yard lately....Thought I'd share a few just randomly. Enjoy!

Spotted in the Yard

I was walking around checking all the berry bushes & spotted this butterfly--and for once I had my camera with me! it graciously stayed put so it could be photographed!

A Few Mexican Ingredients

Am growing a couple of things in my garden used in Mexican cooking.....isn't this ancho pepper beautiful looking--ready to make a few chili rellenos? And this is chaya......really took off this summer ...not sure what to do with it...got any recipe that you like?

Yum!

Been picking berries every day! The red and golden raspberries are cultivated; some beds didn't get many canes growing in them this year, but the ones that did grow are producing well. Unfortunately, raspberriy canes don't transplant well because we have many new canes growing around our blueberry bushes! Been ripping them out so the blueberries aren't choked out. The black raspberries ( black caps) grow along our driveway--the canes are wild & we never know where they'll pop up year to year--not a bad crop this year....I've been picking & freezing until I have enough for jam...or maybe ice cream!

Fairbooks are Here!

Goshen Fair premium books arrived from the printer last Friday afternoon. This morning we started getting them ready to mail out--they get mailed to anyone that requests one, people that entered last year and various judges and committee people. I've been working on putting this together since last November so it's great to see it finished! Once they get mailed within a few days we start to get entries.....the the fun begins!

An Update

It must have been in the stars to post yesterday about the photos I entered in the contest..... I got a call last night that one of my pictures was chosen for the calendar for the month of Sept.--the ferris wheel photo!
I'll be buying lots of calendars once they go on sale! ( Even took some to MX this past year--gave them to Gaby so she could see a little of where we live!)

Entered Another Photo Contest

An organization here in town called the Goshen Good Neighbor Fund puts together a calendar to sell --- photos must be taken of Goshen. There's a limit of 2 entries per person--here are the 2 photos I entered. This was taken on the ferris wheel at sunset at the Goshen Fair--perfect for Sept.--the fair has been held for almost 100 years! This is a favorite of mine--taken in Feb. on Tyler Lake--got my fingers crossed, but am realistic--lots of great photographers here in town ( and the surrounding area!)

A Soothing Sight

Isla, take me away! Early morning on Isla--a favorite time of the day for me.. Not been the best of weeks--my Mom went home from the nursing home on Tues. & ended back in the hospital this morning. She's supposed to be moving to assisted living next week! It will all work out......I decided to look at Isla photos--very calming!

A Few New Blooms

A couple of days have flown by.....and this is a short week anyway! Walked around outside & saw these new flowers----Tiger lilies..... Such a beautiful pale yellow color. Alot of the lilies I had grwoing were eaten by the red lily beetle & I had to cut down the stalks; luckily they didn't get themall!

Noticed this rose on an established bush today with a few more buds coming along.

Astilbe

The rose again. It has been so hot here in NE & we haven't had any rain for awhile--quite different than last year! I usually don't water my gardens, but I've been out by 6 am the last few days to water the roses, tomatoes, peppers & squash....they'd be dying on the vines otherwise!

Matt's Wild Cherry tomatoes....lots of tiny clusters!

And the 1st one to start ripening--it's a Bloody Butcher tomato.

Kids & Sparklers--happy 4th!

We went to a neighborhood party on a nearby lake--had a great time--will share more tomorrow--but kids & sparklers are a 4th of July tradition.

Have a Drink on Me!

Think this is big enough we could all share! Taken at Margaritaville a few weeks ago...

Happy 4th of July!

A Walk in the Woods

Went for a walk in the woods while on the Cape--Found a trail that went off one of the main roads & decided to see where it led...... Saw this pretty bush--no idea what it is, and it was the only one around.....

Here's the whole bush.

Walked a little further & the path opened to this beautiful view!

Some of the many lily pads.

Walked a bit further & spotted this interesting tree......

Mkaes you stop & wonder how it grew like that..............

Turned around at this point & walked back out...this is a little hidden gem......usually you think of beaches not woodland trails on Cape Cod.