A Few of the Things I Love About This Time of Year.

Building our vertical garden.

Flowers and succulents in the pallet gardens.

Flowers in the front yard.

Flowers in the back yard.

Flowers in hanging baskets.

Tim and I have absolutely enjoyed adding a little of our own touch to our yard this year, and a big part of the fun for me is seeing the plants change as they gradually fill out and grow. Hope you enjoy the beautiful colors as much as I do!

Updated flower pallet 8/21/12.

Updated succulent pallet 8/21/12. 

 

A Quilt for Grandma Betty.

Tim's Grandma came to town I was excited to meet her for the first time today. Knowing what a lovely family she had, I knew that I was sure to have a good time. I wanted to make her something special and got to work on a Quilt. I was told that she likes pink and gold and went to work from there. She was just as lovely as all the stories I heard and kept me laughing. I also met Tim's cute aunts for the first time and those Elkins gals sure know how to have a good time!
Also, for fun (and since I used a few of my favorite pieces of stash for this) I am entering it in this quilting contest. If you like looking at quilts check out their flicker group to see some fabulous pieces from some truly talented people!

The lovely fabrics I picked out of my stash.

Testing out where to place the panels....please ignore our  brown lawn :)

The front.

The back in the works.

Lots of ironing was involved to make seams lay flat.

Of course Charcoal had to be involved.

The finished product.

Lola scrutinizing my work.

The back of the finished product.

Packaged and ready to go.

Grandma Betty with the family.

The Elkins gals....what a fun family!

Camping is Swell.

Three weekends ago Tim and I took our once yearly trip to the San Rafael Swell. Tim + Dogs + Tent + Subaru = a great weekend.

The bridge where we left some of Lady's ashes. It was one of her favorite places to swim every year and we had lots of great memories there.

Playing in the San Rafael River.

Gretchen's first time swimming.

Timber was so happy running around that she did a little face plant in the mud. Silly old gal still thinks she is a young pup sometimes.

Tadpoles.

Puppy G looking mature beyond her age.

Such a sweet little puppy.

Then she started acting her age and rolling around in the mud and on the rocks.

All worn out and happily napping with her stick.

Timber was ready for a nap too, but always keeps one eye open to make sure I stay around.

Wild flowers.

Timber getting a drink in the shade.

A sweet little spot to stop for the pups.

Smiles all around.

We took boots for the dogs in case it was too hot, but left them in the car because we didn't think we needed them. Ended up that Gigi's pads were too soft for the sand so we had to carry her down. She was happy to have a lift.

Cuddling in the back seat after a good day.

Home Sweet Home.

I love Gretchen's smiles, especially when Timber is enjoying the moment too.

Gardening, Vegies, Chicks, and More Toys

While Tim has been working hard to keep our garden growing....

The first few weeks of growth.

Ready to harvest last week.

They are growing beautifully and even larger now.

Onions

The cats being mischievous in the garden. I laugh every time I look at Lola's face :) She was so mad that I wasn't picking her up and bringing her into the garden with me.

 I have been working hard making toy fruit, veggies, and reversible baskets to put them in.

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In the meantime, our chicks have been growing big. I love their little peeps and coos.

They are sweet little things, but I must admit I have a favorite. Lucy, the little black one laying down in this pic.

Charlie.....she started as the boss of the group but has become quite sweet and docile.

Lucy......she is always watching what is going on around her.

Mu Shu....she is a spunky little gal.

 This fenced area didn't have much going on, so we decided to do some vertical gardening. The first step was getting things cleared....

Before..

After...with the hens digging for worms and Gigi wanting to be a part of the digging.

Naughty gals. They usually wait outside the door, but today they tried to sneak in for the first time.