Day 152 - After the rains...

... the sun reappeared and I was able to get an outdoor shot after all. Amazing how a good steady shower can make everything look cleaner and greener, isn't it?

Day 151 - Have a seat

Lew moved the chairs from the deck while he worked on it. I thought their random placement in the dappled sunlight looked inviting and ready for a group of friends to visit for a spell over a glass of lemonade.

Day 150 - Dinner is served

*sigh* I so hate to resort to dinner pictures, but it was either this or another bird photo... at least this one's different. ;)

Oh, by the way, it's a Chicken Spaghetti casserole. It was pretty good and makes a good bit - had enough for tonight's casserole and two more in the freezer. If you're interested in the recipe, I got it from The Pioneer Woman Cooks - fun site!

Day 149 - Planting time

One of the perennials we planted in the side bed last year has failed to make an appearance as it should have. So, needing a bit of fill-in, Lew planted this pretty little scabiosa pin cushion plant today (shearing through the automatic watering system hose in the process... ooops! - luckily, we're not using that zone right now.)

Day 148 - Twinkle toes

With sandal season fast approaching, it's time to get my tootsies in shape with a little home pedicure treatment. Unless I religiously slather goop on them on a daily basis, I have the dryest feet on the planet! I can cover them up with socks when it's cold, but when the weather warms up, they need a little work before I take them out in public. ;)

Day 147 - Memorial Day

Frederick's Memorial Park pays homage to its veterans who have served our country. The monuments for World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War are engraved with the names of those Frederick countians who were killed in action. It's a very peaceful and respectful spot in which to reflect and remember those who have been lost.

Lew's Pics tells about the Vietnam veteran we talked with today who told us about an Air Force crewman, missing for 36 years, whose remains have recently been identified.

Day 146 - Pretty 'n' pink

We're running a little late with our planting this year, but we finally made a start with the purchase of two flats of New Guinea impatiens today. Getting them into the ground should keep us busy for a bit.

Day 145 - Sound effects

When they do what they're supposed to do, they're absolutely wonderful. When they develop weird noises ... eh, not so much.

Such was the condition of my computer tonight - it sounded like it was either going to blow up or become airborne any second! After a call to my computer whiz kid, we think we know what the issue may be (a dusty over-heated fan) and will know more when Lew takes a look-see ... I hope.

Day 144 - Nuts in May

At the risk of boring y'all simple with my squirrel/bird photos, please bear with me for at least one more set. :D

So, obviously, our resident rodent managed to uncover one of his buried treasures... a walnut...
And look! He used our deck bench to feast on the fruits of his labor... the little beast has no table manners at all!

Day 143 - Lazy reflection

So, I was sitting at my desk this evening, wondering what the heck I was going to do for today's photo, when I looked up and across the room and voila!... there it was, reflected in the cabinet door and just waiting for me to notice. :)

Day 142 - Squirrely rodent

I was pretty pre-occupied today so all I managed to shoot was one of our resident squirrels all in a dither looking for the acorns he forgot where he buried... goofy critter!

Day 141 - Reflection in glass

All kinds of reflection going on in my dining room today. A view of the back yard corner from a different angle - reflected through the window and onto the buffet/china cabinet.

Day 140 - Orange stuff

Orange Jello, mandarin oranges, orange sherbet, water, and a mold... bada bing, bada boom - simple dessert!

Day 139 - Candle light

“My candle burns at both ends;
it will not last the night;
but ah, my foes, and oh, my friends
it gives a lovely light!”
Edna St. Vincent Millay

You can't really tell that well from the photo, but not only does it smell good, it's a purple candle too! :)

Day 138 - Afternoon sun

After being treated with water seal, the bench gave up its storage spot in the garage and made its way out to the patio for the summer. I liked the way the late afternoon sun hit it and the shadows it cast .

Day 137 - Backyard wildlife

Since I haven't strayed too far from the house this week, the critter doings in the backyard have captured a lot of my attention. Today I saw Mr. Cardinal going about his daily search, as well as one of the goofy squirrels who apparently likes to live dangerously. That cat sitting on the post regularly gives chase as the squirrel runs up and down the tree and across the yard. So far, the squirrel has been lucky... or the cat's slow.

Day 136 - Spring cleaning

Yay!! Lew started cleaning the garage!

Bonus Photo -

I took this a couple of months ago when the weekly theme was transportation but didn't use it. I hung onto it because I just knew that one day I'd need a picture of a purple bus! :D

Day 135 - Uhmmmm...

...I don't know what it is. Some kind of screwdriver something from Lew's stash. It's purple... that's all. :)

Day 134 - Welcome visitor

Recently, we've been getting a daily visit from at least one cardinal. Usually the missus is with him, and sometimes even another male or a sparrow or two.

Everyday at about lunch time and again later in the day, they flit onto the patio, peck and scrounge around for a bit and then fly off.

Not sure what it is they're finding or looking for, but often he and/or she comes right up to the patio door to take a peek. Any day now, I'm expecting a tap on the glass for a handout!

Day 133 - The Color Purple

"I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple
in a field somewhere and don't notice it."
Alice Walker

In spite of the wind and rain we've been having, our newly blooming rhododendron was just begging to kick off this week's purple theme.

Day 132 - My Mom

I never knew the history of this photo of my mother, obviously taken at a happy time, but it's always been one of my favorites. I wish I'd had her legs! ;)

Happy Mother's Day, mom, and a most Happy Mother's Day to all you moms out there too. :)

Day 131 - I Remember Mama

It's been over 37 years since she passed away, but every once and awhile I take out her bottle of Coty L'Origan perfume that I saved from her dresser and reminisce. Surprisingly, even after all these years, it still smells like my mother and almost always evokes a few tears. It's not as strong as it used to be and I'm amazed it hasn't totally evaporated, but it's her.

I remember her wearing this pair of (screw-type) earrings, which usually rest inside the jewelry box with the rest of her jewelry. The doily was also hers.

Day 130 - Packed and ready to roll

All good things must come to an end... who made that decision anyway?? This week went by entirely too darn fast but we had a wonderful visit and loads of fun. I'm thinking we should do it again, sooner rather than later!

I neglected to, but Lew took a nice photo of the whole gang.

Day 129 - Puzzle trivia

When we weren't eating or playing cards, we worked this cool jigsaw that my sister, Elaine, provided. A cinema trivia puzzle, it came with 100 questions to answer about the stars shown when we finished putting it together. Unfortunately, I neglected to take a photo of the finished product, but we did finish and it was fun!

Day 128 - Fuzzy beastie

Another quickie, this one came out fuzzy, so I played around with the soft focus and blurred all but my Zoey's face.

Day 127 - Before the petals fall

Another quickie shot just to get a photo taken for the day. I'm glad I got it when I did, though - a few days later, we had a wicked wind/rain storm and most of the petals were blown off.

Day 126 - Golf equipment

Players, two decks of cards, a pad & pencil - that's all we needed to enjoy umpteen games of the card game, Golf (different from the solitaire game of the same name.)

Day 125 - Baby brother

He's all grown up now (with less hair than he had then, I might add!) but I remember feeling him moving around when he was still in my mommy's tummy. What a guy! ;)

Day 124 - Got an itch?

Caught this sequence of one of our resident squirrels going after an itch... or maybe a flea or some other creepy crawly thing.

Day 123 - The man...

I'm baaaack! Sorry I've not posted all week, but I was having too much fun visiting, catching up with, and reminiscing with my sisters, brother, and sis-n-law. Though not my best efforts, I did manage to get a shot in every day in between singing, eating, playing, and enjoying their company.

Terrible composition I know, but this was my emergency shot - it almost didn't get taken at all. With all the excitement of family arriving, I totally forgot about picture-taking. It's a nice pic of my guy, though... except for the fan thing. ;)

Day 122 - Jay Cafe

While finishing preparations in the kitchen for my siblings arrival tomorrow, I caught a glimpse of bright blue out of the corner of my eye. Grabbing my camera, I caught this blue jay going to town on an acorn (that's an oak tree behind it.)
If you look closely to the left, you can see part of the squirrel that interrupted its meal and made it fly away.