Savoring

 Family Pot Luck Picnic/Beach Day

There was swimming in bath-water-warm waters 

and lots of pictures being taken.

 The 3 Musketeers/Cousins/a few of My Grandsons

 were inseparable.  

more swimming and splashing of cousins...

 and football tossing...

 and still more family, food and visits.

There were 65 of us loving this perfect picnic day.

 There were grandma kisses and pleads for

piggyback rides...

 and FROSTING~

 and MORE please!

 Not past your belly buttons, boys, or

the wind will blow you away.

 Silly but serious Scrabble went on throughout the day~

 and stories and memories, some lies?

 There were snail shell collectors all along the shore

but Sydney was the most careful not to get sand in her 

tiny carrier.

 and MORE cake, but this time, 

an intentional SURPRISE~ and

 inside jokes, or ' do you remember when?... '

 Everyone was in their most Happy Place that day.

 One last swim, and

 it's time to pack up and go,

one trip or bust~~~

taking a day's FULL of fond memories with~

UNTIL NEXT TIME. 
We must leave so we can come back.

Family Fun, So Very Precious

Your turn, what did you do this weekend?

BlessingsPerUsual

Caution In the Woods

 With ownership of our home and our cabin, 

there is always maintenance., constant maintenance.

My workaholic man has several tools that fit his hands perfectly.

This time, it's buckets of cleaning supplies and paint rollers.

He insisted on painting the cabin floors even tho it was hot and humid at the time...then came the rains.

 After hours and hours of generated fans and finally a 

change in weather to cooler and breezy, the floor dried.

I must say, it looks beautiful considering it is a concrete floor.

Someday it will be done the way we Really want it done, with in floor heating and wood and tile flooring.   Wait, don't we need electricity for that?

 12 yrs. ago when the slab was first poured, it was the fall of the year.  Several maple leaves fell onto the quick-to-dry floor.  Being a cabin in the middle of the woods, it was only fitting to leave them as they lay and brush them off later.  Once I'm able to bend again, I will make them even more visible with a touch-up of veining with darker paint.  I do love this floor.

 Of these two photos of the leaf impressions, the top one is most true to color of our new look.  I wonder how long it will be before it is all scuffed and ugly again.

 While my guy does all the labor within this project,

I have been enjoying the view from the deck during my continued recuperation.  The trees are so many shades of greens and

 the gurgling sound of the creek is nearly enough to put a girl to sleep.  Who needs electricity anyway.  The creek was so loud that I barely heard the generator running.

 I swear, these Hemlocks couldn't possibly get any taller, could they?  They sure could as they are only just beginning to gain their maturity.  They tower so high above the cabin already.

 Just as my man finishes the second half of the cabin floor, I have finished another drawing in pencil.  It gives me something constructive to do, at least, feeling a bit more useful.  This Goldfinch isn't the best, but he's mine.  I think I will fill him in with colored pencil the next trip to the cabin.  Quite frankly, I can't wait to go back.  I could very easily live the cabin life.

 Until next time,

so it goes at our little piece of heaven

in the woods.

Blessings All

~Of All Things Sweet~

Sweet~comes in many variations...like

the 300 times sweeter than sugar, of the Stevia plant,

and it really IS that sweet. 

 or the sweetness of brothers playing, sharing.

 There is the intoxicating sweet scent of the first peonies of summer....or the 

 sweet surprise of a 7 yr. wait to see the first Seashell Peonies finally show their delicate faces.

 Nothing compares to the sweet success of the first swim across the pool into a favorite uncles arms...or  

  the first sight of your sweet sister's smile in 3 long years.

But of all things sweet~~~the best is 

the feeling of watching your Sweet Mama,

picking up her cane and ' running ' across the yard

with a smile as large as the life within her.

Who says age slows you down...

You go, Mama!

~sweet~

Sweet Blessings Are Mine

American as Pie

 We, the people, need Only to Remember,

that AMERICA remains as Beautiful as

Caramel Apple Pie and~~~

 and the HOPE that rains down on us.

GOD will ALWAYS BLESS our

AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL

HE promises!

Happy Independence Day Everyone

Play Safe, Celebrate Safe

Blessings

Rest and Wait...

Who's that resting on the deck rail,

 basking in the summer heat?

The Mourning Doves are plentiful under the feeders this year,

and in the gardens, snipping bean tops and stealing seedlings.

 In fact, they have become so comfortable that 

they even sneak a few shut-eyes just outside the door.

 It doesn't seem to bother this teenager at all,

as I step out to take a few images of her. 

 Finally she feels more secure way up high

in the spruce tree, looking down.

 I wonder if she lost trust in me?~~~

 or the young buck and his sister, watching

traffic as they wait their turn to cross the road.

 On second thought, lets head back across the field

and wait...

This time of the year, the young and old does

are cautious, as they hide their spotted fawns

in the middle of the fields, at the woods edge, or under the 

rhubarb leaves in plain sight for all to see.

The mothers graze all day, but never straying

out of the sight or hearing distance of their babes.

We have yet to see this young doe's fawn or are 

there two this year?  She will NEVER lie them in the same place.  When they are plenty big enough

to run like the wind, she will show them off.  It is late for such a show, so we wonder~~~have her fawns met their demise at the hunger of the wolves or the bear?  They too, have young to feed....

Until then, we wait.

Spring has gone, summer is here as we continue to~

Wait....

Stroll with Me

Everything is lush with the heat and rains...

even under the steps~ 

 Honey Mushrooms

 Our 33 yr. old Bridal Wreath

 Wood Violets in purple and yellow

 brilliant Cinnamon Ferns~already 5 ft. tall

 a closer look of the Bridal Wreath

 the last of the Allium and Bleeding Hearts

 Dame's Rockets on the rock pile

 even decayed Maple leaves and new

wings of new Maple seedlings are a beautiful sight.

 Mama Bluebird has her eye on me constantly~

 she doesn't want me too close to her birdhouse

on the corner of the garden...

 the slightest move and she's on guard!

 OK folks of baby Blues, now Pa has his eyes peeled on me too...

his plumage is always brighter while she does the work...

her feathers are ruffled from keeping her young warm~

to be fair, they both take turns feeding, back and forth, 

back and forth.

 The beginning of the Mohican Viburnum~

love these~

 the beginning of the new Spruce cones...

 mid-stream growth...

plump new cones~in the making~

 not sure what kind but this moth caught my eye...

 as well as this spider nest high in the Maple with leaves tucked tight around her nest...my guess, maybe a Wood Spider's nest???

 Finally, confident I mean her family NO harm,

she flies back to her babies.

Thanks for tagging along.  I hope you enjoyed it

as much as I enjoyed your company...

Nature is so much a part of my life and

my family as we learn something new each venture.

Blessings One and All