Saturday in the Garden

Today is kinda of a hazy, lazy day.  I did get a decent night's sleep last night so I didn't sleep too late this morning....I don't like sleeping late, it seems to eat into the day.  By the time I get around to having breakfast, enjoying my morning cup of coffee and perusing the newspaper the day is half gone, well, not really half gone, but a lot gone and if I sleep late it really is half gone.  Some may envy this schedule, but remember I raised children, worked really hard for many years, took care of both my Mother and my Husband so I guess it is time I feel I can sleep a little later in the day if I need to.  OK enough of that talk. 

Camera in hand, I strolled thru the backyard garden to see what needs attention, what is still blooming and how many new weeds have appeared.  The kitchen windowbox is full of red impatience, but looking at those yellow leaves it's telling me it needs some fertilizer. 

It sprinkled this morning and as I looked down under the windowbox I spotted the spider webs covered with the raindrops making them appear as diamonds (I only wish). 

The Endless Summer hydrangeas are beginning to turn that lovely shade of pink with tinges of tan, giving them that worn vintage look.

The Limelight Hydrangeas are turning white, I added a Kim Klassen texture (canvasback) to these lovelies.

I call this "phlox with bokeh butterfly".  Almost everytime I walk thru the garden I spot beautiful butterflies, they have been lovin' the monarda and phlox this year.

Isn't she just eye poppin' stunning?!  She appears as tho she is just laying her head on the petals to rest.  I would think she would need a rest watching her flit from flower to flower, her wings in constant movement.

I am currently taking a class over at Big Picture Classes entitled Picture Inspiration (see button on my blog).  Each week the lovely and talented Tracey Clark sends us a prompt via email to base our images on for the week.  This week our prompt was "shoot for the stars"...find star shaped images in our daily lives.  The remains of my roses make a perfect star.

 
I have an extremely difficult time trying to get this little flower in focus on camera.  It is so bright that it always comes our rather blurry.  I added a texture to this to try and cover up the blurriness, but I love this little candy lily so much I just keep trying. 

My "Friday Foto Fun" friend, Catherine gave me this flower early in the season.  She couldn't remember the name of it, but said it would bloom later in the summer.  It has begun to bloom and the name of it is Heliopsis.  I like saying that name...heliopsis, sounds like a happy name and yellow is definitely a happy color. 

As I walked thru the garden, I snipped off one of the phlox and added it to this new little bottle I picked up on my travels.  I know it is rather hard to see, but trust me, it's cute. 

Oops the day is almost gone and evening is moving in quickly.  Need to stop and decide what to eat for dinner.  Bought some tomatoes yesterday at a farmstand, nothing better than fresh sliced tomatoes to please the palette. 

"For all of us, the key is to pay close attention to which activities make us feel most alive and in love with life - and then try to spend as much time as possible engaged in those activities."  -  Nathaniel Branden, PhD

Until next time........,

Friday Foto Fun - The County Fair Edition

Today, Catherine and I headed to the Kendall County Fair hoping that it would be filled with color and excitement that fairs can be.  But....it wasn't exactly what we expected.  Not too many people, not too many rides, not too many animals, not too many exhibits, in otherwords, not too much of anything.  Now you gotta understand I grew up in Texas and every October the Texas State Fair was held in Dallas, my hometown.  Now that was a fair, they had a Midway that wouldn't stop, food galore, (I had my very first corny dog there), exhibits, everything big, like Texas.  Needless to say, the Kendall Co Fair was not quite
the same as the Texas State Fair.

 
There were a few rides.....

There was the pig judging...not sure what the criteria was for winning.  They were all big pigs.....

There were goats....I had never seen this kind of goat, note the small ears. 

There were ponies.....

Look at that sweet, little calf.

I am posting this image at Favorite Photo of the Week contest over at Through a Photographer's Eye here.   I love the expression on her face and her tossled hair, sweet freckles and those gorgeous eyes. 

Little kids and bunnies, go together like a horse and carriage....

And the chickens....looks like he was having a really bad hair day....and I can certainly relate with all this heat and humidity we have had most of the summer.

And ofcourse the food....what would a fair be without Funnel Cakes...had to have one before we left.  A taste explosion in my mouth...needed chocolate drizzled all over the top for $1.00 more, but well worth the extra buck...didn't quite finish it, maybe it's because of the tasty pulled pork sandwich, chips and Dr. Pepper I devoured before the funnel cake. 

After leaving the fair we drove thru miles and miles of cornfields....I am always amazed at how straight the rows are...looks like soldiers lined up for a parade.  I can't even draw a straight line let alone plant in a straight line.  But then I'm guessing maybe some kind of farm machinery is doing this...shows how much I know about farming.

A family portrait...Mom and her young ones.....or maybe Dad, I really can't tell from this angle.  Again, not a farm girl.

We stopped by a field where the cattle were trying to stay cool under the trees....they all just lined up for
 us as tho we told them, "heh, get together guys, we want to take your pictures"  Cows have such sweet faces when they are young, but these guys look like they have their nasty faces on.  I guess if I had a staple in my ear I would not have a happy face either.  Are they tagging them these days instead of branding them??  That is a question for a farmer. 

Isn't this a beautiful grass?. .it had these wonderful wisps of curly ques going on....




And the butterfly all dressed up in her elegant, colorful wings.

Maybe the fair wasn't the best fair I have ever been to, but the day was lovely and in retrospect I gained a renewed appreciation for the life of a farmer. 

"Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings."  -  William Arthur Ward

Until next time......

Sweet Strawberries

Tonight is the weekly band concert in the park and I am planning on joining in on the food and fun.  Several years ago a group of us decided it would be a great idea if we all packed a main course ie: sandwiches, KFC chicken, etc for ourselves and brought along a dish to pass.  We began to gather in one spot and over the years that has remained our spot, you know kinda like your special seat in church, and I double dare anybody to take it from us.  We enjoy the food, many times trying out new dishes on each other, all with oohs and aahhs over how tasty it is, and always enjoy the concert.  Naperville has had a municipal band for more years than I have been living and they pride themselves on their longevity and loyalty of listeners.  What is more American than picnicing and listening to a band concert on a summer evening.  This same group continues to gather each Thursday evening, share our food, and listen to the band play on....

Tonight my dish to pass is strawberries...sweet, sweet strawberries.  Eventho the heat and humidity has been miserable this summer, the fruits have been extra sweet and juicy.  I don't know which has been better, the strawberries, the peaches or the nectarines, all have been lushly ripe and summer sweet. 

Doesn't this look like the perfect strawberry.  Nature sure has a way of producing the perfect fruit.

Sure hope you have some slurping strawberries to savor and a band concert to enjoy. 

This post was inspired by Tricia at a Rosy Note.  She has the most delightful series of blueberry images.  Hop on over and visit her, she has a lovely blog. 

And I am linking up to Feathered Nest Friday at The French Country Cottage for the first time.

"Appreciation can make a day, even change a life.  Your willingness to put it into words is all that is necessary."  -  Margaret Cousins

Until next time......