Mom's Flowers

Mom has such beautiful flowers, both those she planted and ones that grow wild. I love them all. I wish I could have captured every one I saw when we were home, but I couldn't. I did pretty well to get these to show you. Maybe next time....

Brownie loves going to Nana and Papa's

Brownie loves going to her Nana and Papa's. For one thing, she doesn't have to wear a leash! For another, she has lots more to see and sniff. One of the things I do with her is take a morning walk and an evening walk. We go down to the mailbox and back. Every so often, she will look back to check on me to see where I am.

We sat outside all afternoon Saturday under the shade of a little tree, helping my brother with the "fort" as needed.

What a happy girl! But I tell you when it is time to come back home, she sticks pretty close to us and to our vehicle. No matter how good a time she has had, she doesn't want to be left there without us. I think it is safe to say our hearts are knit together with this beautiful brown dog girl's.

Sunset on the farm

I really love watching the sunsets while we're at home. I think it is because I love having a complete 360 degree view. And when Brownie and I are standing outside with my camera, I kind of feel God is creating a show just for me. I like knowing that out of the billions of God's people out there, in these moments, it is just Him and I focused on each other. What a wonderful thing. I matter to God!

Home for Memorial Day weekend

This is the view of one of Mom's rose bushes and her bird feeder from her kitchen window. She has some really beautiful birds that come and eat. They really are lots of fun to watch.

We had such a good time while we were home. We helped Dad plant some trees (or rather, Pooker did). We helped my brother build a fort for the grandkids. (I guess I could have taken a picture, except it is mainly just poles in the ground at this time--not much to see yet.) I helped Mom make the lunches and dinners (fried soft tacos, grilled hamburgers, roast beef and baked potatoes). We ate really well. I may have eaten too much as it was so good.

I had Dad take Brownie and I rock hunting in one of the pastures. We were looking for arrowheads mainly as it is one of my goals in life to find a complete arrowhead. I have lots of ones that were being carved to be arrowheads, but not one that was actually completed. I'd like to have at least one. Dad drove us up a very rocky dirt road, then off the road and bumping across the pasture. When we parked and got out, he grabbed a big stick from the back of his truck and he said it was to kill any rattlesnakes with. We probably walked around for two miles. We found several that had been started, but nothing complete. I also found some rose quartz, which I thought was really pretty (I'm not only limited to arrowheads or the makings of one when I look for rocks--whatever strikes me as neat, I pick up.)

At one point, Dad went on ahead a little bit to sit and rest. When Brownie and I caught up with him, he was sitting on the side of this little hill, right beside a big hole (burrow) with fresh little tracks in front of the burrow. When we walked up, Dad asked if I wanted him to poke his stick in the hole and see what came out. He thought it might be badger, then went on to say that badgers were a really ferocious animals. I told him to definitely not stick anything in the hole. He asked if I would leave him there if a badger got him and I told him no, but as I had no stick, I wasn't sure how much help I would be getting the badger off. He didn't poke it in the hole and we went on back to the pickup.

We got in and were driving off. We were bumping around in the pasture, going up a little incline (in which we could not see what was beyond the hood of the truck) when Dad's seat flew backwards. He did not let off the gas and for a little bit, his hands weren't even on the wheel, but he finally righted himself and we made it up the incline. It was pretty funny.

It wasn't until after we got home that Dad mentioned that he had actually never killed a rattlesnake with the stick he had been carrying. I was glad I hadn't known that earlier, as I had been walking confidently behind him, secure in the knowledge that if anything popped up, he'd take care of it. I guess the only thing the stick has been used for is to herd cattle.

Unfortunately, I didn't take my camera with me as I didn't have anywhere to put it. I saw so many beautiful wild flowers that I would have loved to share with you. And it was so cute to see Brownie following right behind Dad and his stick at times when we were going through knee high prairie grasses. Dad has said he'll take us again, but we'll try a different place next time and I'll try to be better prepared (ie. have a place for my camera and maybe have two buckets with me instead of the one bucket of water that I carried for Brownie because I really didn't have much room for my rocks, either).

"Unconditional Favor"

"Unconditional Favor" painted 4/3/08

And another turtle, too!

We continued on with our walk. I was deep in thought, but Brownie had paused so I stopped walking. After a little bit, I realized she had found us a second turtle! This turtle had some orange/red on his face. The other turtle only had a greenish/brown head. I don't know the difference in turtles, but colorwise, I was happy to see ones with different colored faces! Once again, no turtle was harmed, only photographed, unless you count the flash going off in his eyes in this last photo because I was trying to get more of his face to show you.

We found a turtle

We found a turtle while we were walking by the water yesterday morning! First turtle we've seen this season. I sure enjoyed it, although Brownie was a little unsure about what it was. She avoided getting too close, just in case. The only thing we did to that turtle was take his picture, then we left him to do his thing while we continued our own walk.

On a walk last week

I've had so many pictures lately that I haven't gotten around to them all. This was from one of our walks last week. We've yet to take our walk for today, so who knows how many more pictures I'll have (if any). Depends on what we see.

We are in the process of packing to go home for Memorial Day weekend. I just wanted you to know so you don't sit at your computer waiting for my new blog post over the weekend. It might not happen until Tuesday. But I hope to have some more fabulous sunsets for you, as well as who knows what all wildlife. Mom is trying to capture (on film) elusive birds of her own, including the red cardinal that comes and eats at her bird feeder. Maybe we'll both get lucky.

Yellow Flowers

I love popping around the corner on these trails and being amazed by these splashes of vibrant colorful flowers. On the same day I took these, I also saw the elusive red bird I want a picture of. I just can't seem to get my camera out quick enough (although I suppose I can show you the pictures I took of the bird, it's just that the bird is no longer in the picture).

Purple Flowers

On our walks, I look around for flowers. These were tiny and hidden behind some grasses. I was down on my hands and knees to get these shots, with my camera and Brownie's leash in one hand and my other parting the grasses for a better shot while I kept telling Brownie to "hold on, hold on." Makes me feel like a nature photographer which is quite similar to me feeling like a wildlife painter because I painted a somewhat abstract duck a few months ago. Nevertheless, voila, here am I, nature photographer.

Fisher Price Little People House

Here is Mom's vintage Fisher Price Little People house. I'm sorry to say this one cost closer to $100, but the truth is that to get a house in this condition, plus half the stuff and 1/3 the people would still have cost you around $65-$75. I may have went a little overboard, but believe me, the toilet and sink alone are worth at least $10, not to mention for even ten of the people, especially in good condition, you would pay $15 and up. I'd say the people in this set alone are worth $40-$50, the house by itself is at least $25, and the furniture at least $40. All in all, a good deal. If one were to sell this set, as it is, it would bring at least $175. Not that Mom got this to sell. I'm just saying it's really a pretty good deal. Now I've just got to stop watching the auctions for great deals on little people and furniture we don't have, but might need. I'm kind of addicted to the thrill of getting a good deal. We could end up with a hundred little people if I don't get control of myself. But who's to say that's a bad thing (besides Mom, who is paying for the house and little people)?

Brownie - Intrepid Explorer

She loves our walks. This morning, we didn't take one and I think she was a little disappointed. We went for a ride instead, but it isn't quite as thrilling as sniffing for yourself. I think of Brownie as my little mountain goat sometimes because she goes places only nimble mountain goats can go. No trail unexplored. No exciting place left unsniffed. She sees all and hears all. I love her attitude towards life. She's in it wholeheartedly, enjoying each moment as she is in it. I love to see the sparkle in her eyes when she is doing something that means the world to her. And her sweet little doggie grin makes me smile, too.

On our walk yesterday morning

It was a beautiful day yesterday, if a bit warm. It is starting to be so warm that we should take our walks earlier now. I was so enjoying the spring weather. Some seasons don't last long enough for me, in life as well as in nature. This year, one of my seasons came to an end after 37 years. Maybe that is why I've mourned for so long. It wasn't just losing my Grandma (who I miss), it was also a season ending. And when you've enjoyed that season for 37 years, it is kind of hard to adjust to the season being over. I wasn't ready for it to end. But it is okay. Along with endings, come beginnings, just like the changing of the seasons. And I can't live in the past, or in fear of the future seasons, but I can enjoy today.

Friendly squirrel at Woodward Park

I seem to get more pictures of squirrels than anything else right now. This is finally the last of the pictures from when we went to Woodward Park a few weeks ago. I do try to get them on sooner, but sometimes I'm just not able to get to it. Since you missed my blogs for the past four days (due to me not blogging), I'm making up for it today!

This little one was actually somewhat friendly (but I didn't try to pet it). It was quite close to us and didn't seem disturbed (we didn't have Brownie with us, which probably renders us less harmful). In fact, it seemed as if it wanted us to give him some food, which makes me wonder if people feed the squirrels at Woodward Park. It wouldn't surprise me. I would have fed him if I had anything with me (not sure what else they eat besides nuts, though). I really like watching squirrels move--they have a wonderful gait. Would love to touch them, but value my hands too much. Plus, the threat of being bit by a rabid little creature (and having to endure painful rabies shots in the stomach, not sure how many rounds of them) is enough to make me keep my hands to myself (for now).

Fisher Price Radio (1971)

Here is the Fisher Price Radio I got for Mom off ebay. So far, this has been the cheapest item I've been able to get for her, coming in at $8 (with shipping). I thought that was a pretty good deal. It works great. Kind of makes me wish I had the room to collect some vintage Fisher Price toys. I'd put them in the room I do my art in (assuming it was bigger). They remind a person of fun, of good times, of being a kid. Maybe playing with them would keep me "young" and let me be in touch with my inner child, to see what other creative avenues I could tap into. A child sees everything as possibilities, but sometimes as adults, we've lost that. And in order to dream, to create, to imagine, you need to believe the possibilities are endless and that they are possible for you. I'm tapping back in to all possibilities and am believing that all things are possible for me.

Our 12th Anniversary

We celebrated twelve years of marriage over the weekend (the 18th). We went out to dinner and a movie (Chronicles of Narnia, Prince Caspian which I enjoyed, but almost burst into tears at one point) and my sweet Pooker gave me a dozen roses. On our first anniversary, he gave me one red rose. On the second, two red roses, and so on until this year, I've earned the full twelve. He let me pick them out and so I got six red roses and six pinkish roses (the color of my soul!). I think he would have given me all red roses (for his great love for me), but when I got to choose, I thought the pink were really pretty. We had a hard time getting Brownie to come sit by me for the picture. She was more interested in playing (because we had just gotten home and it was time to play). Someone had to hold her tennis ball in his hand to get her attention. You can tell by her direct stare that she is just waiting for the ball to be thrown so she can run after it. I'm not even sure she blinked.

We had a really nice weekend together and I am just thankful, thankful to have my Pooker and my Buppa.