Fall Flowers, Part 3

Fall Flowers, Part 1 here
Fall Flowers, Part 2 here

This last batch of photos from Sunday afternoon is actually all the same stem of flowers!  It's amazing how different something can look just by moving to let the sun light it from a different angle.  I sat on the ground and rotated around the flower as I took photos.  Isn't nature just so pretty?

Fall Flowers, Part 2

Fall Flowers, Part 1 here
Fall Flowers, Part 3 here

Fall Flowers, Part 1

Fall Flowers, Part 2 here

Fall Flowers, Part 3 here

Yesterday, our weather was beyond perfect - cooler temperatures with a crisp, easy wind and the bluest sky you've ever seen.  Bo convinced me to put my chores aside to take my camera out into the clearing behind our mini forest to snap pictures of the flowers in the sunshine.  I'm so, so glad he got me out there.  It was beautiful!  And time in nature always slows down my incessant fast-paced approach to life.  It calms me and makes me feel centered and grounded again.

So, I took a ton of photos, and here is the first batch of them.  Lucky you, I'll be posting them over the next couple of days, so it's a pretty pretty flower fest for all of us :)  Happy week!

...Toad in the Yard

Frog in the House

I was putting dishes away this morning (anyone else do the dishes unnecessarily before work?) and looked up to see this little guy in the window sill over our sink.  Yes, inside the house.  I think these little frogs are just about the most adorable ever.  No bigger than a cookie, and such a pretty green.  We've seen a few in our yard, and Bo has taught Rory to chase them.  (Which is a whole other flipping hilarious video-photo blog post I've yet to write.)



I have no idea when this little guy sneaked into the house (and obviously scooted across the floor mat from the looks of all the Rory hair stuck to him), but he was clinging to the window this morning to try and escape.

Bo released him in the backyard, with Rory's supervision.  I think I'll name him Cookie.

Weekend Scrapbook 7

This is pretty much how I looked for three solid days.  Well, ok, that's a lie.  By the third day, my hair was definitely more frazzled, and I probably wasn't quite so smiley.  But in the kitchen, wearing an apron, utensils scattered, and recipes hanging from everywhere is pretty accurate.

And this is the end result!  Friday was my last Sarandipity hurrah, when I did the cake and dessert table for our friends' wedding.  I made four different mini-desserts: Cheesecakes with strawberry sauce, chocolate truffle cakes, red velvet cakes, and pecan lace cups with key lime filling.

The lovely bride!

And groom :)

After putting up with my stress and chaos for three days and jumping in to save the day no fewer than six times, Bo is still smiling.  He's such a keeper.

Wordless Wednesday: More Pancake Rory Time

video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6TbkTWK8Oo

Squirrel Wars

There was a 3-week span of time where I'd always come home to Bo staring out our kitchen window. Staring at the bird house. You see, he's been deeply engaged in a battle with a squirrel who's got a taste for the bird seed in the fancy bird feeder that Bo built.

So, before you press Play in the following video, here are some things that have gone down in this ongoing war:

- Bo moved the bird house off the platform in a tree to the middle of our little clearing, because the squirrel kept packing off all the birdseed before the birds could get to it.

- In its new location, the bird house is perched on a metal pole.

- After Bo caught the squirrel climbing the metal pole, he greased it.  Yes.  He greased the bird house pole.  With my fancy shea butter and lavender massage bar, in fact.

- Then the squirrel began climbing the surrounding trees and kamikaze-style throwing himself in the air and landing on the bird house roof.

- So, Bo cut back all the trees.

- And then put together the following video:



- Not two days ago, Bo saw the squirrel poke his head out of the bird house door.  There will be new tactics employed, mark my words.

(If video doesn't display, you can watch it here.)

Happy Farmers Market Week!

Bo and I visited an enormous, indoor farmers market over the weekend, and it was bananas.  (Literally, of course.)  It was like walking through Costco, but with fresh and organic everything, and there were even stations with samples.  Ba-na-nas!

I posted more about it and a ton of (illegal) photos over on the food blog, so grab a cuppa 'jo and scoot on over!

Farmers Market Week on From Blah to Ta-Daa

Rory was scared of the enormous collards we brought home.

Weekend Scrapbook 5

I gave Bo's basil plant a huge trim and ....

... turned it into pesto!

 We had pancakes (again).

 Rory's had a special message this time:

"Bossy Betty"

Yes, BB, these are just for you! :)

Yellow chin:

Bo leveled out another section of our back yard.

And Jane is thriving in her new spot.

Hibiscus flowers are so pretty!