Day Two Hundred Fourteen

Snapshots from mine and other big back yards....

The Fairy Ring was back on the front lawn of Jefferson Avenue church of Christ this morning when I arrived. They look different from the ones I saw there last week. These got trampled later on by some little kids. Bummer.

I notice mushrooms everywhere now this summer. Not sure why. Saw these in a neighbor's front yard today. I hope they didn't mind me creeping into their yard to snap some pictures. These mushrooms were huge.

This one looks like a sand dollar.

And these look like something in which a Hobbit would reside.

Found this discarded insect shell, an old pine cone and a rock keeping company in the outer limits of my own back yard. The nearest pine tree is two houses down from ours. Guess this one blew in during a storm a long time ago.

Discovered some more pretty flowers growing in our jungle. This one still sported a little dew drop on its petal.

Pretty little bud. Didn't even notice the bug attached to it until I downloaded the picture on the computer.

The cone flowers are fading but still photo worthy.

Get a room! I thought I was snapping a picture of a cute June bug until I got a closer look. I think we can be sure there will be more June bugs next year....

Our Dahlias are really pretty this year.

This is my favorite snapshot from today.

Dahlia bud

I like this little Morning Glory. The vines are growing everywhere now. They always remind me of the beginning of a new school year because the Morning Glories were always blooming when my daughters walked through the back yard to school.

Sun/Moon Face looks like he could use some Chap stick!

Day Two Hundred Thirteen

Finally got a first coat of paint on the old concrete front porch today. The color is called, oddly enough, Cement. It's a Benjamin Moore paint for porches and decks and such that's a special mixed color. It looks off white here, but it's actually a neat color that goes with the siding color pretty well. It will need a second coat of course, but that will have to wait until next week and a dryer day. We're moving right along....

Day Two Hundred Twelve

Eddie kitty (that's what I'm calling him) was so laid back asleep on this cushion in this seen-better-days wicker rocker that, honestly, I thought he was dead. Then I saw his little fat belly pumping, so I didn't have to do kitty cat CPR. I had to take this picture through a window of the patio door (or porch door--we have no patio) because I knew if I went out there, he'd wake up and lose this cute pose. I tried sneaking out the front door, but by the time I got around to the back, he was already alerted by the snapping of twigs and branches (I'm not very stealthy). Oh well. That's why I photograph mushrooms.

Day Two Hundred Eleven

Afternoon fun at Mom's place....

These juicy red cherry tomatoes are only a small part of the harvest taking place in my sister Ann's summer garden. And those cute hands holding the bounty belong to grand daughter Shelby.

A flock of Canadian geese hang out where my mom lives. They love the pond. These geese are banded and I'm guessing someone is studying their flight patterns and migration habits. My niece Julia and I were trying to take some pictures of them today. We managed to get a few shots, but we also ended up spooking them into the pond. Here some of them flee to the other side.

And they promptly take off and fly away, probably to another quieter pond where there is no paparazzi.

Ann took all the kids up on the hill for the traditional rock tossing into the pond. Son in law Kerry pulled off some pretty impressive rock skipping as the rain drops began to fall on our heads.

Caught a snapshot of one of Kerry's rocks in mid skip as it traveled the length of the pond.

Peace Lily says, "Peace, y'all!"

My sister Jane helps Snuggles the resident cat strike a reluctant pose on the front porch. If looks could kill....(We all refer to him/her/not sure which as Persian because it seems to be a Persian type cat--it's sporting its summer haircut).

Day Two Hundred Ten

Progress.....

This is not a pretty picture. I heard them coming two days ago--their back hoes and bulldozers and other weapons of mass destruction. And I hoped it was just something they were sent to fix at one residence along our old street. But they kept on coming and today they landed in front of my house and spent the afternoon digging up the street, the sidewalk and the front yard. As it turns out, they are moving all the water meters off the sidewalk and into the yards of each residence. I'm still not clear on why this must be done. The guy in charge assured me they'd replace the pavement and the sidewalks and the grass in the front yard. Something it seems we already had until they tore it all up just to move a water meter three feet. That's progress, folks.