IN Carmel

 I woke up to find that we must have had a severe storm during the night.  I heard nothing.  Trees were down in the neighborhood but we seemed to have escaped.  Tree grinders were taking care of some of the mess.   I saw this on my way to move Larry Curly and Mo, or Winkin, Blinkin and Knod or Shadrach Meshack and Abednego on to Rita and Bob's house for the two weeks we're gone.  It's the three caterpillars if you haven't caught on.  I call them also the diversion three.  We had a great time talking about EVERYTHING.  She loved the yummy tomatoes as well as another flower arrangement.   Back home it was packing time.  We gathered all the camping stuff in the garage and I climbed in and Doug handed me what I called for.  We were finished in less than two hours stopping at times to gather things that were missing.  The van is full once again.                A pictur...

                                                  Faries continue to live in our Maple tree in the back yard..    We will be leaving early Sunday morning for Green Bay, Wisconsin staying overnight there.  Monday we'll do the rest of the trip ending at Copper Harbor.  I've always journaled at the end of each day but this year I'm choosing not to write. The reason.  The internet is slim to none at our campsite.  In order to post an entry I need to walk the computer to an area where I can write and send. The speed to send is a very slow, very slow process. This year, I'm on vacation, I'll say a real vacation that has no expectations.  We will be back home on August 16th.  In order to use our Iphones we need drive to places cell phones work There are few cell towers in the U P.  \\   ...

 Another quiet morning in the garden, snipping and clipping, stretching and stooping.  All good things happen in the garden.  I looked again for the third caterpillar.  One of two things... hiding or maybe a bird found a Swallowtail caterpillar.  I'll continue to look. Monarchs are safe from birds.  Because they eat milkweed, birds have learned to leave them alone.  I learned last night that Rita is going to take care of the two caterpillars I found.  A good diversion, I would say. I hope this doesn't unnerve her.            I found the third caterpillar after supper.  Can you find three friends that have been reconnected?  While in the garden a far neighbor walking her dog stopped to talk.  We had a grand tour of the garden.  Sharing lots of talk and enjoying the early morning very tolerable breezes.  Her in-laws lived in our neighborhood when our children were little.  She shared l...

 I can remember that Doug took the big blues to the street and the lawn was mowed so it's Wednesday.  I need those markers.  You know the morning routine.  It happened.  We had a wonderful rain last night and the garden needed to be checked.  Yup.  The State Fairs lost their footing.  So a lot of prop ups happened.  In some cases the heavy flowers added to the tip.  So...Off with the flowers.                                                               A vase of leftovers looking pretty snazzy.   I put together two flower arrangements to take to Rita.  That's where the zinnias went.  Becky Daisys filled another vase.  We had a great visit.  I need to do the flower thing again.  It's a great excuse to head south to s...

 A GREAT night of sleep.  Woo.  Doug woke me.  I slept through a lot of the alarm clock.  I did an Eric run.  Breakfast on the patio followed and FINALLY, the paper arrived. Today I felt alive. Sleep will do that.  It seemed my senses were on overload this morning during the garden walk.  I was aware of the stillness, the silence of the birds having gotten their songs finished before I arrived.  The morning sun was at a beautiful low angle spotlighting the flowers.  My awareness of the hibiscus so beautiful in its white and pink colors was at its best. My feet moving across the grass watered with dew became soaked through and through. It felt good.  All nature sings and around me rings the beauty of the sphere. Another magical gifted morning in the garden aware of so many gifts the garden offers.  I wish you all had been with me.    We planted this hybiscus years ago.  There are three other places in the garden w...

 The morning started way too early.  Dee, I beat you up by nearly two hours.  My new hormone smasher pill has something to do with the lack of sleep.  I did some googling during those night hours to learn more about this latest pill coming my way. It will be with me for 5 years                Look carefully or you will miss one of two cute little friends I spotted in the garden tonight.                                                           Wee little bunnies no longer than three inches at the most.   I met Eric again and left him to catch the bus in Nora.  Then I was on the way to my primary care doctor to talk about many things.  She's up to date and I am the better for it.  I stopped at the drugstore to check on some iro...

A wonderful cool sunny morning to spend time on the patio with the morning paper, the birds, and all the sights that come alongside the garden walk. A sweet little Carolina Wren sang to me this morning while sitting on top of this birdhouse not more than 6 ft. from me. The sparrows have stuffed this house full.  Then they just leave.  I guess the fun is over for them when the stuffing is finished.  It's happened before and will probably happen again. I been thinking for a while about a couple of empty spots that appeared after trimming off all the first blooms from the perennials.  Only thinking...but this morning I got tired of the thinking about part and moved 6 marigolds that were not doing so well to a place with better soil and where a watchful eye could help. Yes all that in my good church clothes.  I did get a bit of a muddy splatter but decided, what the heck.  My church clothes are going to church no matter what. And I did get away with it. G ...

 Today started with the usual.  It was a Saturday Bread and Bowl day at church.  I dropped off a bucket of vegetables and a pot of geraniums at the carriage house where Bob and Rita Schilling will be living.  It will be fun having them as "neighbors" although checking today will make them a 2-mile neighbor.             This picture was taken about two weeks ago.  There are all kinds of buds ready to burst forth now.  Then on to church for a morning of work.  We were busy preparing food but seemed to get it finished at a record pace.  We were busy and most of the food was gone by 12.                            It's hibiscus time.  Remember this beauty from last year.  This is the first flower.                              ...

 A thrilling sight in the morning as the sun shines on these beauties.  It's worth getting up to see, never disappointing.  In the cool quiet of the morning with just a chirp of a bird, I say thank you for being here. Oh, what a beautiful morning...Oh, what a beautiful day.  I had a wonderful feeling when in the garden all day.  The temperature was PERFECT for a long morning of snipping, clipping, digging, and harvesting.  We have tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers now on the patio table.  Yum, yum.  Eric stopped over after receiving a good report visiting with the hand doctor.  There are peppers and tomatoes at his house.  The ground got an excellent fluffing in many places.  The weeds will need to go elsewhere.   Two male flowers on the squash.  The bees are happy to find these beauties.  Female flowers bloom a little later and the bees will be carrying pollen back and forth creating SQUASH!  What kind....