ps

Be sure to click on Louie's Blog on the right hand side bar of mine. She got really cool eclipse pics. . .and David is catching lots of fish. Woody still in hospital, but due to come home wed. am. Missed his flight home, so we get to have him here awhile longer.

a night i can't sleep. . .

working on trying to retrieve my photo library. not much luck so far, but have gotten some things straightened out and found some things I thought were lost. yippee, my music is back. . .I-phone is great fun, but a steep learning curve. . .have had a few panic-y moments. Company again today, invited next-door neighbors over for dessert and to meet MA and David. Good evening.

Up in studio at the computer so makes sense to share improvements up here, have plants 2 new bookcases, and the craft storage unit is amazing. . .I may get organized after all!!!!!. Painting is one that started with a can of "oops" paint from home depot. . .the bathroom is the darker blue, wall on south side became a lighter shade of the bathroom color and I did 3 paintings in a style I fell in love with from peru. Love the symbols, simplicity and whimsey. Of course, the colors are not peru, but my twist on the style. Handicrafts were wonderful there. A beautiful and spiritual place reflected in their art.

new photo editing technique. . .

Sunday was a slow start day, Louie came to retrieve packages, David and Maryanne are on their way, off to mom's to pick up a computer table that she had replaced, and I stopped at Louie's. Ended up taking friend Woody who had been at the emergency room saturday due to a fall on the beach while fishing (3 ribs, one broken, 2 fractured) back to the hospital again with breathing problems. He was admitted and hopefully found some respite.



The gourd ended up on the glass table in the studio, even unfinished, it looks nice.

just gourd-eous

sat aug 25th

Got up at o"dark thirty to catch the ferry for a seattle class on preparing and decorating gourds. I had bought some in TX during the "road trip" phase to make "jellyfish", an artistic gourd confection that I saw in Mexico when we were there for the Adam/Marlee wedding. Not really knowing how, the class through Louie's basket guild was just the ticket. Coldish and rainy-ish, we settled in with a great group to play.

it's been awhile. . .

my computer for some reason no one is able to figure out decided to lose all of its memory. . . for things I needed like passwords and my whole itunes and iphoto libraries! while at the apple store today losing my mind since they couldnt find my lost or hidden stuff, I headed out with 2 new iphones. wow, I mean WOW. will get some photos and more news out tomorrow after Louie and I get back from our "gourd" class!

mishmash day

worked on computer, (research on how to fix my dead ipod), bought rosa rugosa roses in pink (5)and white (4) for the back fenceline, went to mom's and unveiled the concrete leaf pieces (they worked great!) for the birdbaths, then went to Bush Point Restaurant with Dave, Louie and FL friend, Woody. Good dinner, too much food. . .the day like the sentence is a run-on, didnt stop, but good all the same. The Woodman and Cowboy. . .Dave and Louie, view from restaurant window down the beach and kayak at sunset. . .

Catching up!

Wednesday the stove was delivered and set up. Should keep us warm this winter. Our installer was too much fun. He had that "skirt" to walk on the carpet so he didnt get it dirty. Got a bit of grief from us and the crew! People are so nice and friendly here! What a great bunch they were.



Yesterday went to Mom's and she and Marjorie helped me make a rhubarb leaf-shaped concrete bird bath, actually 2, and 2 stepping stones. Quite a project mixing all that sand and cement. . . covered it with plastic wrap and should be hardened in 7 days, but I'm sure I will peek before then. Mom hauled the stuff to the garden in her new used mower complete with trailer!! How much fun is that? Her blue mophead hydrangeas are turning green, they are about 10" across!



Today was grand central station. Started with the irrigation guy, Paul, bringing a new valve cover at 8am, propane people came and set 2 tanks for the stove (we froze last year when the power went out for days at a time. . .this will guarantee a mild winter), sears dropped off a refrigerator, the mulch truck came with 15 more yds, and my brother and Woody, a friend from Florida, finished the parade. . .A grand day. Lots of things to check off my list. Jonathan did the hard work, sorting and unloading from the old to the new!

Watching the shooting stars. . .

Spent two nights camping out on the deck to watch the meteor showers. Pretty fantastic and the sky was so clear. No moon, the milky way was so milky it was hard to diferentiate the constellations. Body schedule sure out of wack. Tired today.

MA and David picked Sandra up, they headed for Salem and then Eugene. Was a good, if short, visit.

Spent this evening reorganizing my picture files had gotten so tangles up that I had to start over completely, no names or categories saved. . . Found some good photos I had forgotten about. . . One of the things I collect is patterns.

. . . will add them later, it's late and I'm tired and the internet is not cooperating. . .so
Sleep well!

Coopville Art Show

and lunch. Not too hot, not too cold, rain held off. . . Lots of wonderful stuff. Had lunch at someplace with crab in the name on front street, it was good and the view pretty spectacular. Got some christmas shopping done. Sandra and I got Jonathan a late birthday present, beautiful wooden double flute. Stopped at mom's on the way home and picked green beans, beets, basil and dug the rest of her potatoes for her.

When we arrived home, Jon had made "pork normandy" with the cider from last years' apple tree (and that was another story, it was a cold and stormy day. . .). Dinner was outstanding. I got the recipe.



Family unit tonight. . .parental unit and baby units.

there and back again!

Took a cruise with lunch (mukilteo ferry, hot dog and coffee), all in 20 min! Went to the airport to pick up Sandra.

Seattle airport is wonderful in its support of the arts, always something cool to see. There was a metal sculpture (small) and jewelry display this time. Enjoyed that while waiting for the plane to find a gate!.





Also play of light from ceiling was reflected in the tabletop. . .



Had dinner with brother Gary at Lanna Thai. Food was wonderful and decor was tasteful also. Caught the 8p ferry back to the island. Other ferry is visible in background of this odd unintentionally blurred photo.

One inside one out!

Jonathan worked inside, I worked outside. Planted all the flowers in pots or the ground. Dug out blackberry bushes and wild roses out of theLavendar bed. Steady all day. Irrigation guy, Paul came and put in new valves and fixed directions on the sprinkler heads. Yay! The boys got sidetracked today, so didn't get to the 15 yds of mulch or the edging. There's always tomorrow. Speaking of tomorrow , we are zipping overseas to see brother Gary and pick friend Sandra up at the airport. The lavendar Pi pic is from Friday Harbor lavendar farm and sculpture garden, not my backyard. . .




Baby birds now have sortof feathers, the mom yells alot whenever anyone comes near. . . Bunnies are out and chippy munk came into the house again 3 times. Hope he found his way out again!




Yesterday, 8/9 was a shopping adventure with mom and jonathan to oak harbor. . .chinese buffet, home depot (tools), office max and wally world. More plants, potting mix, blades for the edger, all that fun stuff. Even saw some sunshine. When we got back, Jon had finished mulching the middle bed and it looked fabulous! photo of Jon at computer.

Hard work day!!!!

Exciting yard day. . .lots done. Jon used new edger, Jonathan pulled dead bushes and roots, M. pruned bushes and trees, it was a grand day and the pile gets bigger. . .
Had an interesting visitor. Guess I need to watch open doors. . .the resident chipmunk came in to explore the kitchen. . .climbed into the sunflower seed container and was ready to kick back with the tv remote and watch animal planet, but I had to remind him that he had other obligations tonight. They are so darn cute!
MA said I should share the birthday pictures, but I will be kind, the photos were not. . .lol

We had a hard work day today and made at least eleventy-seven trips to the hardware store for tools, got 10 yds of mulch, borrowed a sawdust shovel (thanks, David)and a wheelbarrow (thanks, Mom) and went to town!!!! The pile is what well-dressed yards don't wear, 20 yr old k-nik k-nik which came out, the other pic is where it used to live and is happy without it!!! Still much more to go and the 10 yds may make it through half of what needs to be done. . . Was good to be really physically tired. Will sleep well tonight!

THE MISSING DAY!

Nephew Jon who is doing a yard make-over (what not to wear said no k-nic k-nic) was sleeping in the computer room, so I skipped last night. I did get the baby bird pics though, so we'll just pretend this one is yesterday! Worked in the yard, visited mom, did a bunch of framing, was a productive day!!!!! Gray and chilly makes fit easier to work in the yard! Top photo is what came out, next is the dent we made in the mulch!

Gotta love a gorgeous redhead. . .

Company left this morning and Louie and I went to Anacortes for the art show. On my way to pick her up I pulled off the road in front of some blackberry bushes to finish a phone call and was gifted by a visitor. . .a pileated woodpecker. He was quite cooperative. The art show was enlightening and as is most always true with a show, it is amazing what the human mind can think up and produce. Lots of things I would have loved to take home or for that matter be able to do! Gathered great ideas, saw some old friends and Jack the puppy was so tired he didn't even open his eyes when I petted him! Louie and I rounded out the trip with dinner and a trip to Wally's world for more bird seed and other treasures we couldn't leave behind! Will check the baby birds tomorrow, it was after dark when we made it home!

And then there were three. . .

The day has been delightful. Lunch in Langley at the Braeburn restaurant, some shopping, to the nursery for new plants, solved the problem (thank you, Mike!) of how deal with my photo library going crazy so that my thumbnails did NOT match my 4000 photos or titles. . . It's a bit unnerving to click on a picture of a painting only to find that it is actually a glacier in Chile! Must have been some gremlins, maybe the same ones that came through and bit only the flowers off the new plants . . .good thing I got some pictures . They now have cages. . .Nephew Jon did a fabulous job in the yard and beds weeding and such. AND we now have 3 babies. . . all eye spots and mouths. . . Sweet dreams.

new life

Gray, rainy start to a now bright day. Picked lavender and daisies. In my search for flowers, found this tiny baby in a nest Rockey discovered some time ago. . .congrats, proud papa.!!! Computer working as it should today despite its tantrum last night. Housecleaning day. Company tonite!

double double bluff

A sight not seen very often in these parts, between winds and tides, not usually clear enough for reflection. To add to this glorious start to the day, a strange buzzing sound produced a crazy person in an acrobatic plane skywriting (and just playing). Must have had a strong stomach. Birds continue to be great entertainment and flowers like this gotta make you smile! Nephew Jon and friend Colin dropped by and fedex after 4 stops over 2 weeks, finally arrived with the last of the desk parts, The desk is now a whole entity with multitudes of drawers instead of misc, pieces!!!! To top off the wonderful day, the all in one printer refused to send photos to the computer. After an hour or so of %$#@%^^&,, Jonathan finally came to the rescue, took him awhile, but he has more patience than I and didn't get angry with itt. (Like it did me alot of good. . .) Anyway, pictures are now ready for view! Happy trails!