A little bit of everything...

"If you seek creative ideas, go walking.  Angels whisper to a man when he goes for a walk." -Raymond I. Myers

One of our favorite TV shows has been "Blue Bloods", staring Tom Selleck. 

We like it because it has old-fashioned values, shows the family praying, and eating together, plus it has a great story line.  We have always liked Tom Selleck, but now I like him even more after hearing about him saving a 90 year old's birthday party from disaster. The link to the story can be found here, but I am going to quote it in its entirety as well.

"TOM Selleck is a good guy!

The actor apparently came to the rescue when an old lady dropped a birthday cake on the floor.

Here’s how it went down… a woman was walking out of a bakery in Brooklyn, New York, when she spotted Selleck shooting scenes for his hit TV show Blue Bloods. The woman accidentally tripped, and the pastry box she was carrying hit the pavement.

“She let out a howl, and burst into tears when she saw the birthday cake she’d just bought was now a jumbled mess,” a source told the National Enquirer.

“Seeing the woman’s distress, Tom walked over to comfort her — and asked who the cake was for. ‘It’s for my mother — she’s ninety years old today,’ she told him, explaining that her mom lived in apartment right across the street — and that a few guests were coming by to celebrate.

“Grinning, Tom grabbed the box, walked the lady across to her mom’s apartment, then spent 20 minutes congratulating the birthday girl — and taking pictures with all the guests.

“Everyone was so thrilled that nobody even noticed the lopsided cake!”

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I solved a mystery at my house.  We have lots of trees.  Because we have lots of trees, we have lots of birds.  I like birds... I just do not like the fact that they leave behind an incredible mess underneath where they roost...like lots of poop.  When it gets really bad, I know I need to try to stop the birds from roosting over the sidewalks, or deck.  I go out, and beat my shoes together making a loud noise to scare them away, or squirt them with water from the hose, and as a last resort, I shoot a BB gun into the air to scare them away.  Well, I kept seeing bird droppings all around my deck.  I would go outside at night, shine the flashlight up, but would see no birds.  I, also, noticed huge feathers around in the yard, but could not see any huge birds.  Last year we had a hawk family...not good when you have a cat around.  Finally, I was enlightened...

Yesterday, I was working in the yard toward dusk when I noticed a huge bird land in the top of our Cottonwood tree...which my yard man tells me, is the tallest one in town.  No wonder I never saw the bird...it was too high up.  Then a second bird came.  They were buzzards.  I don't want buzzards in my yard, or trees.  Nothing I did would make them leave.  Finally, I got out the BB gun to shoot in the air...it took about 15 times before they flew away...and there were not only two, but about 8.   Horrible to have buzzards roosting in your trees.  They are ugly...I mean really ugly.  Plus, they eat dead things.  They have nice feathers though.  I guess I will have to go out for the next several nights to shoo them away.  

For the past two days, I have been working in the yard.  Warren was off on Monday, and helped me clean out flower beds, and spread mulch.  I have almost all the beds cleaned out, and have planted some squash: zucchini, and butternut; basil: sweet, and cinnamon, two strawberry plants, and zinnia flowers.  

Squash, and Zinnias

These are Zinnias...their flowers will be lime green.  So cool.  My red ones have not come up yet, because I just planted them.

I walked down the street to an empty lot where they have a lot of gaillardia plants that have gone to seed.  I thought I'd gather some seeds to scatter around in various dirt patches.  I figure if they can grow in a lot that doesn't get any water, or attention, they might survive here.

Gaillardia..

Gaillardia with opposite coloring

Apparently, the city had just come down the street, and cut some of the "weed" flowers.  They were lying scattered all in the street.  So...in addition to my seeds, I collected the "weed" flowers, and put them in a vase.  I did not want to let their beauty to go to waste.

Weed flowers I picked up from the street...I think they are rather pretty.

Then I decided I needed to take photos of some of my flowers, and perhaps do a still-life for one of my classes.  Setting up a still life is really harder than it looks.  The right composition is a must.  Maggie was right there to help me.

Maggie checking out my stuff

Do I like this one...

or this one???  Hmmm

I have no idea what this is...it is just growing in one of my beds.  Only one plant.

Hollyhock getting ready to bloom.  

Hollyhock leaf...it did not rain, it was just watered.  I wish it would rain.

Ladybug...we have a ton of them this year...

First Red Hot Poker

Coreoposis

 Of course, I had to take photos of Maggie, too.  She was eating plants, so I picked some catnip, and fed it to her...she ate 3 bunches of it.

Love this catnip...

 Then it was bath time...

A little spit goes a long way...

Now up here...

 Checking out my camera...doesn't she look funny.

She got right up in my lens...so funny... I love this cat.

 At last, a good pose.

This is my good side...take a photo of me like this.

Finally...I will end with... what makes my heart throb...

My man...

Outside lunch...

The wind has actually stopped blowing long enough for us to eat some of our meals on the back porch.  This was our first of the season outside...hopefully there will be more to come.

Be Blessed...