This and That

This is what greeted me this morning. The sky was actually a redder sky than it shows. Beautiful non-the less.

I have admired this tree for a long time. It is at one of the clinics I go to. Just wanted to share it with you.

The tree is a water oak and apparently has never been trimmed. I like that it has been allowed to grow just like it wants to.

I can vision ladies back in the 'day' with their long dresses on waiting for a picnic under the tree.

This was the sky this weekend. So glad to see those clouds. They brought much needed rain to our area.

After the rains I found some things that wanted to shout - thanks for the moisture from the skies.
Begonias with a bug. He's just resting though.

A tropical hibuscus. It was very small when I planted it and it is going to take off in the spring. It is happy to grow now since I removed so much that was shading it.

This is one I saw yesterday morning...

I let most of my zinnias go to seed this year and I have little zinnias growing everywhere.

And they all have little buds on top of them.

This morning there were 4 of these babies open. They must be real proud of the rain.

The tree service came out yesterday and look at my pecan tree. The utility companies keep the trees cut back away from the utility lines and this is what my tree looks like now. They cut the side of it off. Oh well it'll grow back.



That's about it today.

Have a blessed day everyone.

The Year Was 1955

The year was 1955. September 28 to be exact. Fifty five years ago. I am turning 55 tomorrow. I don't usually like to call attention to myself normally letting birthdays go by with only a mention from family. But today I am feeling nostalgic and just wanted to share some things and tidbits you don't know about me.

This of course is my baby pic. Born at the Mobile General Hospital. The hospital doesn't exist now but is now known as the University of South Alabama hospital. The building that housed the General hospital is now a Dept of Health bldg - A Historic Building.

1956 my mother and me

just learned to walk - this is 1956 

This is 1960. We were living in California for a couple of years.

Me on the left, Bonnie on the right and Teri in the middle. I am the oldest of 5 brothers and sisters.

part of the photo of 1st grade class of 61-62 in Santa Clara CA. I am second from left middle row here

Here at age 13 me on the right. Labor Day Celebration. Back in these days Labor day was all about the local unions. Mobile had many big plants with large unions.

Excerpt from the speech from Gov Wallace - my interest here is the tone of the speech and well this just sounds so silly to read it today. Check out the second paragraph here. Doesn't sound lawful at all.

This is 1972 in San Francisco with my father and my sweet little April on the way. Here I was 6 months along.

This is 1973 one month after April was born. Here I am at my mothers in Saraland Alabama (Mobile)



This is my first 5k run/walk. This is Sept 1995 at the Hurricane Run on Dauphin Island.

This is my last 5k in Saraland AL. Improved a good ten minutes. I wish I'd never stopped.

This is today. Many years older and wiser.



A few tidbits you don't know about me:

I am the daughter of a preacher.

I lost seventy pounds.

I have 2 children.

I began bookkeeping in 1978.

I got a GED and attended college beginning in 1984.

I became a full time student in 1994 for a nursing career and then decided to go back to bookkeeping.

I was a Sunday School teacher.

I have been single for 9 years.

I have six grandchildren, 4 boys and 2 girls.

Hope you all have a blessed day.

I

This and That

I'm wearing my new birthday shoes today. I have needed new walking shoes for more than a year now. Yea - I've never had an $85.00 pair of shoes before. These are the toning shoes and are suppose to tone your butt and legs. I can tell from just wearing them this morning that they really do kinda lift you when you walk in the rear end. Anyway I'm planning to get out next week with some cooler temps and walk with Buddy. I love walking the little fellow but it has been entirely too hot this summer for me to do much walking.

I have been seeing quite a few deer coming up in the yard lately. I've also seen several dead ones along the sides of the road which means they are getting more active now that the babies have grown over the summer. Running into a deer can severly damage a car and potentially cause a tragic accident. Just have to be watchful. The deer just dart out in front of you so fast most of the time that you don't even see them coming and then the headlights will cause them to stop.

I have a birthday coming up on Tuesday the 28th. I am planning a post for that day.

So glad it's Friday today. Always ready for the weekend. I am planning on getting out to search for some photo moments. Sort of a stop and smell the roses kinda thing. I am realizing that I need to do this more often. My life is rather boring being a single person who doesn't drink but maybe one to three times a year. I don't get out to do anything with others. I don't really have any friends to speak of. Mostly just acquaintances. I'm just not very outgoing and wish I were different. I have someone I like to spend time with on weekends but we do not have the kind of relationship that would ever bring anything to permanent but as I'm saying this I'm thinking that I could have to eat those words. I am a tolerant person. This person drinks a lot and that alone would deter me from anything permanent. Been there done that with an alcoholic. So anyway I just need to get out more and visit some of those people that I haven't seen in a while.

Well the boss just walked in so I need to get busy. Off at noon today. Ya'll have a great weekend.

Little Buddy

It has been hard this week getting around to visit you. I will get by to see what you've been up to. Work has been busy and thats really a good thing. It makes the day go by quicker and a good feeling of accomplishment at the end of the day.

Little Buddy gets a new chew bone. He first decides to drop it off here...

He says.....maybe this is good



...hmmm... thats not gonna do..

...I'm going to check out the hall or bedroom...

..thats not gonna work - one of those neighbor dogs might find it there...

...let me think...this it pretty important since I haven't had one of these before...hmmm...

...up here.. lets see .. under this pillow...

...hmm yea ..maybe..

...hmm is this gonna be ok here...

...hmmm.. no lets check this out again.. I know there must be a place to hide it...



...hmmm..hmm..I can see it from here...I'll keep an eye on it..until..

...hmmm..hmm maybe I should eat a little of it before I find another place to hide it....

...hmmm...hmmm now let me tell mom how much I appreciate my new chew bone.



Finally some cooler temps are on their way. Next week we should be seeing more seasonable temps and hopefully some rain.



Come on Fall

This is what I'm hoping for:

The morns are meeker than they were,

The nuts are getting brown;

The berry's cheek is plumper,

The rose is out of town.

The maple wears a gayer scarf,

The field a scarlet gown.

Lest I should be old-fashioned,

I'll put a trinket on.

Emily Dickinson

Nature XXVII, Autumn.

 

I think I'm trying to push this summertime weather we are still having out of the picture. I mean give it up already - I'm tired of these 90 something days and want some more seasonable temps. I love to open my doors in the evening to the quiet sounds of fall and it is just so pleasant. I could plant some mums if it wasn't so hot. Rain well we haven't had any in a long while now. I've done a rain dance but it isn't working - maybe because I danced to Stevie Nicks. I love Stevie.

 

 

Not much going on in my world. Not feeling very wordy today so this is it.

Fertilizer Friday

It's Friday - A day to holler it's FRIDAY! It's the WEEKEND! Yay!!! But before we go today I'm joining the group over at Tootsie Time to share a few blooms. Head on over and check out the other participants today. http://www.tootsietime.com/

This was a welcome surprise. A big bunch of these things growing wild in the back of the property. Today was the first time I've noticed and boy were they in bloom today. All over growing in tall weeds. And blue to boot. I didn't have any blue morning glories so I was pleased to find this patch of them. Sorry about the blur - blues and fuschias are the hardest colors to photograph and focus.

I was lucky to have both of these plants this year because I didn't plant them and they are showing a nice mass of color in their wild conditions. I like this kind of gardening. Needs no attention and is beautiful.

Huge mass of four'oclocks that are in bloom all the time. I think all of the plants seem to have a mind of their own this year choosing to bloom whenever instead of their usual times - in the AM and the PM.

Short today but that is all I've got today.

Here's hoping we get some much needed rain this weekend. Sunday prediction is at 40%. It hasn't rained in at least 3 weeks and what is left of the gardens is really showing signs of their dry conditions. 

Hope you all have a great weekend.

Pecans

Look at the pecans on the ground. There are opened pecans all over the ground. The squirrels are having a pecan eat out. There is no where to walk that you don't step on at least 3 or 4 nuts with each step. With so many green and black ones falling it's anybody's guess if there'll be nuts this year. The extreme heat and drought has effected them. Last year I didn't think there would be any but I was surprised so we'll see. My mom makes the best divinity candy. Melts in your mouth. And those Martha Washington candy balls - scrumpious. None are complete without pecans. (Too bad I can't eat the nuts though. sad face)

Not much going on in my world. I have lost interest in the gardens for a while. I think about the end of the month I'll be ready to plant some new fall plants.

It's that time of year when I begin to think of getting some Christmas shopping started. I've already begun to make those decisions about what each will get this year.  The grandkids are usually easy to buy for. But things change - I'll add to or take away trying to make sure no one gets more than the other. When the kids were little, I made sure that one didn't get more than the other, trying to spend equally.

Sky at noon today taken when I was driving down the highway.

I love how these old oak trees hang over the roads making a tree tunnel.

Getting that time of year when festivals are about to kick off everywhere. Time for cotton candy and candy apples. Shrimp Festival at Gulf Shores Alabama is a big one and hopefully will be big this year. Hoping there aren't any lingering effects on tourism caused by the oil spill for the festival. People around here are talking less and less about the oil spill.

I've babbled enough. Just writing today. Babbling. Hope you all have a great day and lovely weather.

PS send some rain and cooler temps you friends up north

A Few of My Pretties Still Holding On

I have no idea what this is. This bush is growing around a tree and is about 4-5' wide and about the same in height. Can you identify it? I am assuming it is something wild.

These are my Marvel of Peru Four o'Clocks. I have been waiting on these to open for so long. They have had buds for at least 5 weeks. Finally I found them open around 10:00 on Labor Day. Why are four o'clocks only opening up in the morning and they close up about an hour later. I have other four o'clocks that open up and pretty much stay opened. Weird.

In the same pot is Cleome. Come up by accident.

Can't believe the hardiness and long blooming period of the Okra Hibuscus. I will be spreading these seeds in a concentrated spot next year for a big showing. The eye candy will be gorgeous.

Hope you are having a good week so far. It's a short one for me after a holiday on Labor Day but you'd never know it.