This Is Me

This is me except that I don't have gorgeous long auburn-colored hair. So maybe I can publish a post but it still seems I'm unable to leave comments on blogs. Although early this morning I was able to leave a few comments but now I can't. This is making me crabby!

This Is A Test

This is a test to see if I can publish a post.

Barefoot From Heaven

One of the many blogs that I enjoy reading is Barefoot From Heaven and for more than a week now I've been unable to successfully leave comments there. For a few days, I had this problem with comments on almost every blog I visited but that seems better now. So, Dagmar, if you're reading this, please know that I'm reading your blog and enjoying it as much as ever.

When Annabelles are in the photo, it always looks pretty to me. I have two containers filled with impatiens and hypoestes (pink splash) but only one shows up in the photo. Bought the containers at a rummage sale back in the spring for $1.00 each. I like them a lot.

This pot of lavender impatiens continues to do well even though it gets too much sun and I worry it will tumble off the tree stump it sits on.

There are almost 40 hostas growing in our yard and they all seem to like it here. Since taking this picture I've cut off the bloom stalks on all hostas except the ones in the backyard and once they're in full bloom and I've taken a picture, off with their heads. Big Sky Sundown coneflowers behind the hostas. They were planted in 2008 and would benefit from more moisture.

This Pretty Hosta

Deserves A Solo Photo

Our new sweet kitty with the amber eyes looking out the window. If you'd told us a month ago that we'd enjoy having a cat, we'd have called you CRAZY. Guess what? We're CRAZY about Alley.

Red Begonia, White Begonia, Pink Begonia

I don't know if it's my ailing computer or some other problem out there, but I've been unable to successfully leave comments on your blogs nor reply to comments on my own blog. Don't want you thinking that you're being ignored. All visits to Mamma Mia Days are appreciated.

Back to begonias. The fiberous begonias don't get the credit they deserve. There's nothing impressive about them in the spring or early summer, but as the growing season gets hotter and dryer, they flourish and never fail to deliver color. Note to self: plant more begonias in 2010.

Red Begonia

White Begonia

Pink Begonia

New Guinea impatiens can also be counted on for a punch of color in our lightly shaded areas.

This is a wide shot of one of the flower beds along the sidewalk. Nothing particularly gorgeous about it right now because the yarrow, yellow loosestrife and most of the Stellas have finished blooming, but there are black-eye susans, autumn joy sedum and mums in there waiting to put on a show.

Changing the subject completely.....grandson and family are back home safely after an RV trip to Yellowstone National Park and many other places in between. Last night, Phillip and I went to see the movie G-Force in 3D. My goodness, that was fun!

So Many Photos, So Little Time

Having some computer problems and it keeps me awake at night worrying about it. We have a new cat who's recovering from surgery and she keeps me awake at night. I've taken more photos of what's growing and blooming in the yard than I'll every have time to post about and that keeps me from sleeping because it's another item on my list of undone things. Have I mentioned that I'm tired?

Coneflowers & Purple Fountain Grass

White Dahlias

Too Tired To Look Up The Name

Perennials Lined Up

Waiting To Be Planted

Lilies, Yarrow,

Autumn Joy, Mallow

Russian Sage

Planted Them This Morning

Son & Dil's Wildflowers

Photo Taken In The Dark

Amazing How They Grow

In The Hard Dry Clay

A Frog Or A Toad?

I Don't Know

It Hopped Out Of

The Wildflowers Onto

The Driveway And

Made Me Scream

Chicago Skyway At Five O'Clock

According to the watch on my wrinkled arm it was technically 5:19. And now you know that I own a Rolex. It was given to me as a gift almost twenty-five years ago. You can see that I set the time but never the date. Who cares what day it is?

Last week we flew to Atlanta and drove back to Wisconsin and thought it would be fun to drive through Chicago at the worst possible time of day. Not really, it just worked out that way. We had a good attitude and enjoyed the sights as we sat, and sat, and sat waiting for traffic to move.

I decided to take some pictures through the car window, but it wasn't easy because there seemed to be cars on both sides of us almost all of the time. We saw this sobering remembrance of September 11 and then stayed silent for a while with our own thoughts of that day.

Here's the Sears Tower and if you look closely you can see what I believe to be the new glass viewing platforms on the 103rd floor. Each of the four platforms extend out from the Tower about four feet. I so want to experience this. I think there's something similar at the Grand Canyon.

Wisconsin, left 3 lanes. Easier said than done when you're in the far right lane.

Not crazy about driving through any tunnel and especially not one with four lanes of cars all driving over the speed limit.

We enjoyed the two hours that it took us to go twenty miles, but were very happy to see this sign and be on our way home. Not that we don't love St. Louis!

Sentimental Blue

This balloon flower, 'Sentimental Blue', was planted in 2007 and while the plant has remained on the small side the flowers are big and plentiful. I checked the plant tag that's in my gardening journal (I only sound organized). The reason the plant has stayed small is because it's a dwarf plant. Don't remember reading that when I purchased it. It's growing in some really crummy soil under a big tree and still puts out these pretty flowers.

A couple of months ago I planted this small clump of cobweb hens and chicks next to the balloon flower. I like it and so does Phillip.

Earlier today, on the way to visit my parents, I passed by this row of old wooden wagons overflowing with petunias. My goodness, it was a pretty sight. The photo doesn't do it justice. Bad lighting or bad photographer, not sure which.

This critter looked like he was about to jump up on the pot of impatiens sitting on the tree stump. He took one look at me and changed his mind. He gave me that innocent look, but I know better. The squirrels, the chipmunks and especially the rabbits have given me lots of trouble in the garden this summer.

Donna's Got Her Groove Back

I didn't get my groove back, just felt like saying that. Hate that I missed Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day on the 15th, but plan to check out what you all posted. Good stuff, I bet. I'll be around to visit, so look for me.

We have two large containers with these purple fan flowers (Scaevola Aemula) that are doing really well. Also have them in white in a hanging basket, not this large though. Deadheading not necessary, drought tolerant, heat tolerant and blooms all summer in sun or partial shade. They are annuals here in Zone 4 and I plan to buy some every year for the rest of my life. That's how much I like them.

Phillip and I never did get around to planting pumpkins back in the spring. A grandma can only do so much, you know. So, last week I bought this pathetic little pumpkin plant (Connecticut Field) for $1.19. Plunked it down in this plastic pot and it's started to show some life along with a nice big flower. Think we'll ever get a pumpkin from it? No, I don't think so either.

Coneflower

Big Sky Sundown

Planted in 2008

Some Of The Flowers

Look Like This

Some Of The Flowers

Look Like This

What Do You Think Is Wrong

Please Tell Me, If You Know

The Annabelle Hydrangeas are in bloom and looking lovely in an old-fashioned way, which I happen to like a lot. They do a little flopping, but that appeals to me and so I do nothing to keep them upright. We are lucky enough to have five of these bushes in our yard.

There is something else that will be taking up some of my time and her name is Alley (like in Alley Cat). This is her first day here with us and she's being a little sweetie pie.....so far. Warning, you may be subjected to pictures of her in the future. Just for the record, Phillip named her.

Going South

I'll be away from the computer for a few days. Try not to miss me too much, she said in jest. Our yard is in full bloom and looking lovely and it pains me to be away for even a day.

I see loveliness, everywhere I look. Well, there's a little ugliness here and there, but I'm not going to show you that today.

We won't see our little sweetheart for a couple of weeks because when we return, he'll be gone with his family on an RV trip out west. Here is in the very early morning, sitting on the sidewalk wearing my "big white fluffy" robe and watching a chipmunk in the Havahart live animal trap.

I Knew What She Was Thinking

She was thinking that if she sat still, she'd blend into the mulch and I'd walk on by, but she was wrong. I shot her with my camera. I know this rabbit is a she because yesterday there were several baby bunnies running around playing and this brown-eyed mother was nearby.
Then there was this cute chipmunk and there's no denying they're cute even when they're being destructive. Eventually it made its way into the Havahart Live Animal Trap and I drove it four miles to Quarry Park where it was released. It's the same spot I've been releasing chipmunks for the last ten years. I really should put a little orange paint on the tips of their tails to see if they're making their way back here.

The prickly pear cactus is blooming and looking pretty. This photo was taken in the sun and so it's full of shadows and doesn't do the plant justice. It was given to me three years ago by my mother's friend who had it growing in her garden and it always seems to have flowers on my parents' anniversary, so now I refer to it as the Anniversary Cactus.

The astilbe are still going strong and looking better than ever. The birth bath jumped into the picture to get a little attention because the birds have for the most part ignored it all summer.

The first time I published this post it had some problems, so I tried again. I still see one goofy sentence when I look at the preview. You probably think that all of my sentences are goofy. Not that important. Will publish the post the way it is.

It's All About The Blooms

Hens and Chicks

Always Amaze Me

With Such Pretty Flowers

Almost Twenty Years Ago

This Sedum Passed From

My Garden To My Mother's

Where It Still Blooms

Nice Of The Cardinal

To Pose For The Photo

Wildflower Seeds

Tossed In A Field

Full of Weeds

And Dry, Cracked Clay

And Still....

A Colorful Bloom Appeared

Fluffy Pink Astilbe

Not Its Official Name

In Full Bloom

Along The Sidewalk

My Friend, Candace

Has A Rose Garden

She Can't Recall

This Lovely Rose's Name

A Heart Within A Heart Within A Heart

While Phillip was playing in Duck Creek with his friends trying to catch minnows and crayfish, I walked around with my camera and found this leaf plastered to a rock with water running over it. The rock, the leaf and the hole in the leaf all look like hearts to me.

Drove by this house and looking at it made me wonder how the people living there can stand having ivy grow over the windows. Gives me the creeps. I like it growing every place but over the windows. Guess the ivy got out of control and took over before the owners could figure out what to do.

Came home one evening about 8:30 and everything outside had such a pretty, rosy glow about it. The rosy glow doesn't show up in the photo but it's still a nice view from our front door. Less than four months ago this was still all under snow.

Speaking of snow, every winter I have Phillip pack some snow into a plastic bag and then we keep it in the freezer until July. Some years we do icicles. Here he is in January collecting some snow that he chopped from a snowbank.

And here he is a few days ago with the dirty chunk of snow that's been taking up space in our freezer for five months.

Hey, a kid's gotta do what a kid's gotta do to have fun.