Monday, June 4, 2012

In the sandbox

This weekend the weather was about as gorgeous as weather can possibly get.  Breezy, sunny, fluffy clouds, low humidity and almost cool.  Saturday we went with Mom and Dad to the live broadcast of A Prairie Home Companion at the Koka Booth Amphitheater.  


The set.

Garrison Keillor and Heather Masse sang while walking through the crowd before the show.   They sang three songs.  I can't remember what the first one was.  The other two were Unchained Melody, and I Saw Her Standing There.  Mr. Keillor manages to be both sweet and silly, without missing a beat.  :-)



I should have brought a better camera than my cell phone.  I fooled around with taking photos through my binoculars.



It was great weather to walk around our small property admiring blooming things.  The gardenia bushes are in bloom.


As are the hydrangeas.  We have pink, blue, purple and white.  :-)





The bluebirds have built another nest.  As of today there are four eggs.  They abandoned the second nest last year so we'll see what happens.


Shepherd's Pie for Sunday dinner.  The ultimate comfort food!  I put ketchup on my serving, a hold over from my childhood.  The Tramp however, took my putting out of the ketchup bottle as an opportunity to insist I must be indicating the dish wasn't flavorful enough......so he doused his plate with barbecue sauce!  *shudder*  lol


The Tramp and I took a leisurely walk on Sunday....before the Shepherd's pie.  (I'm just too lazy to move the photos around.)  :-)  Our neighbor had put the green algae treatment in the pond.


There were turtles basking all along the bank and on various floating branches/logs.


Now the pond is well stocked the Great Blue Heron is around most every day.


Our house is enveloped in green again.


The goose family pops up all over the neighborhood.  Gosling is getting to be a leggy adolescent and a few feathers are beginning to show.


Dragonflies, blue or otherwise, are enjoying the pond too.


Turtles gathered to see if we were going to offer any food.  The Tramp spotted this large turtle trying to figure out how to attack an egg.  We think it's one of the abandoned goose eggs.  If so, it's been floating around for about three weeks!  I'm not sure that's possible.  I did take video.  I'll see if I can post it, maybe on a separate post.  I haven't had any luck lately with videos.


A Belted Kingfisher was swooping around overhead chattering loudly, and while we watched it, several crows (middle of photo) came into view chasing a Great Blue Heron!  As soon as the heron landed we realized it was a second heron as the resident heron quickly chased it away.  Never a dull moment!


I finished this large quilt last night and delivered it to Julianne today.  I like the yellow and black (Steelers fan).

I had to go to the dentist this morning.  Ugh.  So this afternoon I treated myself to some dirt and flowers at Lowes.  :-D  I repotted my Boston Fern.


Dug various old flower pots out of the corners of the garage and filled them.  The yard may be ugly but I will have flowers.  Yay!



Also on Saturday we talked to a landscaper about our mud pit backyard.  He assured us it could be beautiful.  I'm counting on it.  The River Birch I got on Earth Day seems to like it back here....now I've killed the aphids.


I also scored a Knockout Rose for $2.  I think I should go back to get more!




The Tramp got home just as I was cleaning up.  He said I was "emanating contentment."  That's me.    "Happy as a kid in a sandbox."

2 comments:

Lynn said...

$2 roses at Lowes!! I'll race you there! You had a wonderful evening at Koka Booth. I went to his last show here and really enjoyed it. I'm so sorry I couldn't make this one. He walked through the crowd in that one also. So fun.

Stephanie D said...

My gardenia bush is in bloom, also. I have it right by the front steps and its heavenly scent greets me each morning when I come home from work. It's been a struggle, but I think the bush is happy now. It's certainly growing.

Love the little blue eggs. Hope these hatch!