Nature's Fireworks

We usually watch an hour or so of TV each evening.  Tonight I came upstairs around 9 p.m., and saw a golden-pink world.  It was so lovely.

Fourth of July Parade

Guenther and I sat in front of our house and watched the parade pass by.  What a nice way to watch a parade.  We planned to go over to the park for breakfast (McCall was helping there), but when we got over there, we saw a mob.  We don't do mobs well, so we came on back home, fixed our own breakfast, and then enjoyed the parade.

More photography

We're not into a lot of travel, so most of my photography hobby is done here at home.  We really enjoy our songbirds...Guenther keeps the feeders filled with sunflower seeds and thistle seed

We used to raise mourning doves.  I wonder if this one is a descendant. 

We enjoy watching the lambs and taking care of them.  We feed them a slice of alfalfa every day. 

 Jen's dog, Nixon, also liked the lambs...and they seemed to like him.

I just can't get enough photos of the fields and the sky.  They're so beautiful.  This was taken with my little camera.

I like to call these shots "country livin'"

Guenther climbed up on the roof to fix a small leak in the water hose.  We had the raingutters replaced last week, and we're happy with the result.

I take lots of photos of goldfinches.

My New Camera

These are shots that I've taken with my new Canon Rebel. I'm looking forward to getting better. (1) The rose is in the front by the street, and it's always so lovely when it starts to bloom. (2) I love to see the sheep graze. (3) And Guenther painted Marcelle's bench for me to match the vase that I bought when I saw it at Sam's Club and fell in love.

Back to Blogging

Spring has brought a lot of cold, rainy weather, but the fields are a gorgeous green, so I guess that it is worth it.  Here's a photo of Caleb (Jackie's son) roto-tilling our garden.  It needed a second go-round, but the tiller stopped working, and we were thankful for our neighbor who offered to till it for us.

Here's our new downstairs bathroom.  I am so pleased...Bryce, you'd love it.

Sorry for the blurry image, but you get the idea.  Lindsay graciously agreed to shop with me and give me her take on a vanity for the bathroom.  Kai and Ellyn don't mind shopping at Home Depot where they can steer the carts.  I love the hickory vanity that Lindsay helped me choose.

We love our goldfinches and house finches.  We put a bird bath on the corner of the deck, and it's working well.

Can you recognize McCall?  She and her date are headed for the Prom.  She said they had a good time.

And here's Summer...costumed for her part in "The Hunchback of Notre Dame."  She did a great job.

We had a nice get-together with the Stolls two weeks ago.  As always the food was yummy. I used a recipe that Renee had shared with Jackie for Sloppy Joes that turned out great.

Our lilac bush is in full bloom.

Uncle Scott was invited to present the story of his life at a Fireside at the assisted living center where he lives. He spoke for an hour and forty minutes, and did a very good job...both with the material he selected and with his presentation.  Guenther and I have finished reading Larry Miller's biography, "Driven."  And Scott and Larry are kindred spirits..only Scott didn't have the fantastic success that Larry had.  But they both regret not giving greater priority to their families.  Scott used the phrase  "No success can compensate for failure in the home" to write a song which we all sang at the close of the fireside.

I love my new kitchen

"Before" photos.

"My Gutted Kitchen"

                                                                  

                                                                  The Finished Product
Here are some before, between, and after photos of my remodeled kitchen. I love the granite, the new grouting, the new appliances, and all the cabinet work. Between Jackie's husband, Brad, and son, Caleb, and Atwood Cabinets who work with Brad, the kitchen turned out just as I had hoped.
 We haven't moved in yet. It's actually easier to live downstairs while we're using the apartment bathroom...plus, I'm still airing out my new cupboards. The new paint..lacquer?..whatever..smell drives me crazy. Guenther and I had a severe case of food poisoning this past week. (I believe from a talapia sandwich spread that I had made...we both ate it and both got deathly ill..at least nearly sick enough to wish for death.) So that may be part of my aversion to the present smell. Anyway, I have all the doors and drawers open right now.