Note to Visitors

Actually more a question then a note, but wonder if anyone else noticed a difference with the Blogger photo upload (picasa) lately? The screen where you normally have to click 'done' isn't coming up...but they appear to all have uploaded. Strange but then many things are strange at 3 AM!

Blessings from the PNW,

Aimee

Note (5/22): Whatever was happening with the photo upload, things seem to be OK :)

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Photo: our first daylily of 2010; since this is a known snake zone and since the daylily was really, really close to the pond edge--well it was a lot of fun getting this:)

Pond Time

Ah, spring---time of sun, rain, sun, rain and more sun in the PNW...
and when we have the sun, and when it gets warm --
well it seems like the frogs just want to lay around in the shallow part of the pond and on the shore around it
which makes them a whole lot easier to take pictures of,

or just stand and watch them:)

Have a wonderful day!

Blessings,

Aimee

What Am I?

I hope you aren't getting bored yet with this series, but nature brings out the child in me--as I search eagerly almost everyday for sights I haven't seen before. Beautiful sights that hold the promise of even more beauty to come, or of beauty that has been and still is. Today's hints:

• I am a flower (duh, Aimee---I know you are saying that so please admit it because it will make me smile)
• I remind Aimee of a child's toy pinwheel in my present, baby flower form, and she had to hold on to me to get this photo because it was windy the day she took it:)
• I live in her wildflower-style garden, but would be happy almost anywhere.

And--if you don't know, but just have to know, because you need to know, because you are you....then please see this link.

Garden blessings, Aimee

In Their Words: Voices From the Past

Our family has been fortunate in that we own some of our ancestors writings (poetry, books, journals, family history information, letters). I find that the more I read them, the more I see how many of life's challenges - and joys - are the same.

Here is an excerpt from my Grandpa M's journal (1909-1911) written while he was at college in the PNW:
“ I worked a little while on my story plot this evening but did not accomplish much. Time passes so swiftly and I can’t do half of the work that I plan. I am praying for wisdom regarding these things as I wish to make my time count for more than it has in the past.“

• Do you see any similarities between any of your ancestors and yourself or your children?
• Do you think that many of life's challenges and joys are the same as they have always been-despite improvements in technology?
• Do any of your ancestors inspire you because of hardships they faced?
• If you could go back in time, which of your ancestors would you most like to talk to and why?

Blessings, Aimee
Photo: Grandpa & Grandma, probably on their wedding day.
Note: If you would like to learn more about Grandpa M, please see this earlier post here.

The Word on Wednesday

"O Lord, how manifold are Thy works! In wisdom hast Thou made them all: the earth is full of Thy riches…The glory of the Lord shall endure forever: the Lord shall rejoice in His works.”
Psalms 104:24,31 KJV

Candles of Another Kind:)

Our tree, that replaced the one we had to cut down last year, is growing up! It looks good in the Japanese-style garden, and will look better after we let it get more of a naturally windblown look, but I still miss our old friend...and it's shade.

Blessings, Aimee

Photo: new candles--new growth on our pine tree planted last summer

Wildflower-Style Garden Update: Mid May

Back on this post I talked about our current garden project of a wildflower-style garden. Here are some updated pictures--sorry about the image quality (very bad lighting conditions)

Dianthus (Telstar mix)

Oriental Poppy (Allegro)

Cosmos (Sonata pink & Sonata mix); gypsophila (Gypsy)

Iceland poppy (Champagne Bubbles).

Also in garden--but no close up photo here--is an Iceland poppy (Spring Fever Red)

First section of bed. Columbines thus far planted: Musik Red-White & McKana's Giant (see post link above for close-ups of columbine). Also there is alyssum planted in the garden.

First 2 sections; third section (not shown). Not done yet, but a good start I think; will look better when one Oriental poppy from the first section is moved to the last section (after the rose is transplanted).

What are you working on in your garden? What is your favorite wildflower?

Blessings, Aimee

Reflections on the Pond

Last summer, when we redid the garden in the pond area, one of the things we did was to remove all the grasses which we, and nature, had planted in the upper (bog-like) pond.

I really wanted to do this to make the upper pond,

which doesn't have koi in it, a reflecting pond.

I've not been sorry a day since!

Would you be?

And just to give you an idea of what lives in our pond there is this photo--you'll see why I put it at the bottom of the post:)

'Cute', huh?

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Blessings,

Aimee