Lazy Sunny Afternoon

I took these pictures Saturday or Sunday, can not remember which :).

Sunday Bloomy Sunday

The blooms are getting further and further apart but it is still unbelievably warm.

Playing in PSP

I had a bit of free time today, so decided to try out some filters in PSP. Kind of fun. Same image before and after.

Yesterday I went to Soy Basics Candle factory in New Hampton for a tour with my step-daughter, we had a great time, we both make candles and buy supplies from them. They took us on a tour of the whole factory, they make soy candles for shipment all over the world, their web-site is kind of an off shoot of the business, the web site sells supplies for soy candle making for hobbyists http://www.enchanted-lites.com/. We got to "sniff test" all the fragrance oils. We bought some Christmas fragrances. I stopped to see my Dad who is doing a bit better, I think he has a funny color, kind of yellow, I don't think that is a good sign. But the Doctors are watching him so we shall see.

Lady Bug, Leaves and Other Things

I hope everyone is well, I have not been around much. My Dad has been diagnosed with congestive heart failure and has been in and out of the hospital for the past 3 weeks, that is the bad news, the good news is he is home now and seems to be doing well and mostly just worried about ending up in a nursing home and cost there of. My parents live an hour away from me, that makes it even more difficult. My son, daughter-in-law and grandsons were here for two weekends, that was fun and a good thing :). Plus I have been going to training in Des Moines for some new software we are getting and that is a 12 hour day with the traveling time, so it has been crazy around here, thank goodness my hubby is retired and can take care of things around here.

Sunday after we got home from seeing my Dad in the hospital, I puttered around outside, putting away pots, lawn furniture, pulling dead annuals, I worked outside until dark, it was just what I needed to clear my head. The weather has been unbelievably warm.

I took this picture of a lady bug a couple of weeks ago, not sure if is one of the nasty ones or good ones. The other pictures are just some pictures I took of what I thought was interesting leaves.

Turkeys, Peppers, Fall and Other Things

My posting time has been limited lately, I hope all is well with everyone. We got a bit of frost the other morning, nipped my flowers but lots are still in bloom, seems difficult to believe it is the end of October. My hubby picked the last pepper this past week, I still have a few roses in bloom. Leaf color has not been the best this year but it sure has been beautiful the past few days. I put up most of the patio furniture today, leaving out two chairs for the last few nice days, may have a fire or two yet this year.

I live in town but we have a wooded creek area behind our house, it seems wild turkeys have moved into the neighborhood. We have been seeing these four turkeys, it is a gobbler and his hens, Bubba and the girls as we have taken to calling them. They are very wary, the only time they can be seen is from the car, cars do not seem to scare them, but if you are on foot they can see you from afar and are gone. The dogs go crazy sniffing the ground where they have been.

Green Manure

This is green manure also known as buckwheat, my husband plants it each year in the part of the garden that does not have vegetables, with this summer like weather we have been having it is still going strong, when you walk by it you can hear the hum of bugs, the blooms are covered with various little bees etc. In the spring it gets rototilled into the ground.

Bees, Cosmos

The weather has been cool and dreary. I would have loved to stay home this AM, sleep in, do some therapy baking and cooking, continue my Jeffrey Deaver book but it was off to work I went.

I took these photos early Saturday AM, the bee must have been chilled because he barely moved, I think the washed out color gives the photo some what of a dreamy effect.