I Am A Thief ~

I am a thief....yesterday I walked across the street, scissors in hand to snip a branch (small, mind you) off of my neighbors tree to place in a spring bouquet (see below).  The woman that lives there is Asian, doesn't speak English well, and I swear if she saw me, she would have probably called the police.  Unfortunately she is that kind of neighbor.  But honestly the tree is hanging over onto open property so I figured why not.  I didn't take a step on to her property, and it was just a little snip.  As I snipped, I didn't hear the police sirens, so figured I was safe....but somehow I really felt guilty, I almost rang her doorbell to confess, but instead went home with stolen bounty in hand.

After our long and seemingly endless winter, Spring has arrived and plans on sticking around, at least this week anyway, according to the 5-day forecast of sunny and in the 70's.  Absolutely perfect.  Perfect for anything, especially gardening.  I spent the last 2 days outside working in the yard and garden, gathering up the winter debris.  I have a pile of sticks that if lighted could roast an entire Girl Scout troop's marshmallows.  As I worked in the yard, this pretty female cardinal was whistling high above me in the tree, I am not sure if she was calling someone or telling someone to stay away.  Probably not the best angle, especially of a female.

My hyacinths are drooping, but I like the look, they resemble little bells or fairy hats....

I went to Home Depot on Saturday to cautiously buy a few flowers, not ready to plant alot yet, fertilizer and weed spray.  My mistake to go on a Saturday, I have never seen the parking lot so full.  While I was there, I did buy a few spring flowers....couldn't resist, they were only $2.67 a pot. A pot of ranunculus, some English Daisy's, and tulips and pansies for the front porch.

My red tulips are all in bloom.  Nature astounds me every Spring when the earth comes alive again.

And I have a clump of these multi-petaled yellow tulips that are ever so lovely.

This year I am in mourning, my crab apple tree in front has bit the proverbial dust...dead!!  There are only about 3 branches that show any signs of life, so a call to a tree removal company is in order...$$$.

My quince beauties are beginning to wan...I look forward to their beauty each spring.  When I bought these 3 bushes, almost 30 years ago, I thought I bought all the same kind, but each spring they show their true colors, one is an orangie red, the other two are pink.  Variety is the spice of life, right??

Well, gotta go, Spring is calling.

Linking to Mandarin Orange Monday's and Project 52

"Every spring is the only spring - a perpetual astonishment " ~ Ellis Peters

Until next time....

I Couldn't Help It

I couldn't help it.  Really I couldn't.  After taking my Toby dog to my daughter's for 2 weeks, he really didn't want to stay because Mac (the Husky) has grown considerably and he wants to play rough, a little too rough for Toby.  Hopefully they will come to terms on who is boss.  Anywho, since today is my last day here before I am off to Phoenix first, Palm Springs 2nd, whoo hoo I had to drive the long way home and just take one or two more pics of barns and the gorgeous colors that I know will be gone or darn close to it, by the time I return. 

Actually I took this pic last Friday on my way home from visiting my sweetie.... lightened & processed with a Kim Klassen texture.

But this was today...the skies were bluer than blue and the sun was low in the sky giving everything that wonderful glow.

I found these beauties right next to the bank....stopped for a couple of things at the grocery and these just screamed at me from across the parking lot...."please take my picture before you leave!!"  The sky had those wisps of white clouds making it look like I added a texture, but this was nature's paintbrush in action.

Now I really do have to end this and finish packing.  I am catching a rather early flight in the morn so the alarm will go off mighty early.  But I just have a feeling I won't be sleeping too much tonight.  Too much excitement coming my way.

Linking to Tricia's Barn Charm & Mandarian Orange Monday.

"Some of life's greatest lessons cannot be pried from books - they must be experienced in your bones."  ~  Kobie Yamada

Until next time.....

Info On A Monday

I mentioned on 5 Fact Friday that I am a Almanac junkie, so now it is Monday and I feel compelled to share a couple of very interesting happenings on this date in history.  Today in 1871 the Great Chicago Fire began and ended two days later on Oct 10th.  It destroyed 3.3 miles and killed hundreds of people.  Altho the fire did start in or around the O'Leary barn, it was never proven that Mrs. O'Leary's cow actually caused the fire.  But if that cow did kick over that lantern and did indeed start the fire, that cow really did the city of Chicago a favor, because in the re-building after the fire, Chicago grew into one of the most populous and economically important American cities today.

One of the early leaders in Chicago history was Joy Morton (a man) who founded the Morton Salt Company and who also donated all of the land which makes up the 1800 acre botanical garden in Lisle, IL known as the Morton Arboretum.  I have spent many happy hours wandering the roads and trails of this land in every season of the year.  Fall is perhaps when of the most colorful.

After enjoying a cup of coffee (my motor oil that gets me going) and a wonderful cinammon scone that I purchased last night at Panera's to enjoy for breakfast this morning...I found this piece of interesting news on-line.

Early this morning in Stockholm, Sweden the Nobel Peace Prize for Medicine was awarded to two men, one from Briton and one from Japan who have discovered that cells in the body can be re-programmed to become completely different kinds of cells, opening the doors to growing customized tissues for treatments such as Parkinson Disease and Diabetes.  This eliminates the stigma associated with stem cell research in embryos.  I can only hope and pray that some of these discoveries will lead to a cure for the devastating Alzheimer's disease which took my sweetie from me way too early.  Praying that my children will be free from the fear of developing this disease as they age.

In the days ahead the winners for the Nobel Peace Prize for Physics, Chemistry, Literature and the Nobel Peace Prize for 2012 will be announced.

Sharing with Lorikart at

"Those who are lifting the world upward and onward are those who encourage more than criticize."  ~ Elizabeth Harrison

Until next time.....

My Sunday Best

Today was a beautiful, beautiful day.  The kind of day you look back on and say, "remember how beautiful Sunday was, I wish we had more days like that."  Temps in the 70's, sunny skies, big puffy clouds, wow....just about perfect.  And because it was such a lovely day, I decided I definitely needed to go to the Arboretum and view the lovelies there.  And I wasn't disappointed.

A monarch was flying around this garden planted in all bright yellows and oranges and he was just lovin' it.  I was lovin' it too...I think I snapped about 50 shots of him going from flower to flower.

Linking this to Nancy's "My Sunday Best" because I definitely think this is my best since I have hardly seen any butterflies this summer.

I am not sure what this flower is but it just shines in the sun and some of it's petals look like little stars...

Linking this to Mandarin Orange Monday...a new linky spot.

And there were fields of wild daisies just enjoying their time in the sun....

I hope your Sunday was as pleasant as mine was.  Have a good week ahead, stay healthy and happy.

"Any place that we love becomes our world."  ~  Oscar Wilde

Until next time....