Window on Cherry Pie Lane

Marilynn is turning 12 and is quite the young lady. She is taller than I am already and loves hats. I seldom see her without a new fashion hat. She is taking 4-H photography and found some interesting shots under the planting tables while we were at a macro workshop with the Great Falls Camera Club at Herman’s Flowers.  I hope we can share some more photographic adventures this year like we did in Yellowstone Park last sumer.  Marilynn, you look pretty stylin’ there. I believe I know where that particular hat came from, don’t I? What a special treat you are having tonight in honor of your birthday tomorrow – water slides!! Yippee!! I hope you removed your hat for your time in the water. Have a wonderful Happy Birthday!

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Today is a very special day in the lives of my twin grandsons. They are celebrating their 5th birthdays. Plural, as there are two of them and each one is extra special. I love this photo that Becca took last fall. They love going to the shop to see Grandpa’s big tractors and equipment. They spent several hours there climbing on things and being boys. This image shows how silly they can be. I know there are times their mom could pull out her hair when they pull some of their shenanigans. She really needs to write a book about “The Perils and Joys of Raising Twin Boys”. They are such blessings and I am wishing them all the fun they can possibly have today on their BIG day! Grandpa says Happy Birthday Day to the House Wreckers. Thanks to Becca for sharing the image too.

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Every morning we see hot air balloons launch from the airport here and travel toward our house. Today there were two, one right after the other. I swear they knew I was wanting a photo or two because they headed right for us. But then the wind must have changed and away they went heading for Bell Rock. Not a close photo, but you get the idea. Low and behold, a jet flying to Phoenix came zipping along and passed right above them. That made me think of which one would I choose to be onboard? No doubt with me, the airplane would win out hands down. My fear of heights would prevent riding in a hot air balloon, no matter what. But it sure is a beautiful sight to watch them.  I am so looking forward to attending the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta this fall.

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One man’s junk is another man’s treasure. I sure saw that first hand today when we visited our favorite shopping hangout that we refer to as the Rooster Store. Strange, I know, unless you can see the big rooster that graces the front of the establishment. The new items they got in this week were retired things we would find in our junk pile. Take a look at those price tags! Wow, it never occurred to me to hang things like this in my garden. It’s all in the eye of the beholder, I guess.

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Truthfully, that is what they call this dish at Gertrude’s in Phoenix. I am not the one who ingested this heart burn sensation. Thank Heaven for Tums. Funny how we choose things to devour that will cause our stomach acids to kick in to overdrive and love every mouthful. One just pays the price later. A very nice ending to a delightful outing at the Desert Botanical Garden.

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I ventured to the Desert Botanical Garden yesterday and spent several hours shooting with a gal that I had had as an instructor in pet photography some years ago. She is not only an awesome photographer, but the sweetest lady ever. She does a lot of volunteer photography for an animal rescue in Phoenix. The need here to help animals is overwhelming. It was a great time sharing stories and discovering all the beauty at the garden. I have had the privilege of seeing Dale Chihuly’s work at the Mayo Clinic and this was another opportunity that I would not miss. He has blown glass sculptures all around the garden and they are simply breathtaking. The exhibit is here until May, so the timing was perfect. As I stood in awe of the beauty I began to wonder how in the world they got those pieces of glass shipped safely here and how they got them in place without breakage. We were there early and I certainly am glad, as people began to arrive in droves as the day went on. We were heading out when I noticed that a sun star might be something possible to get and sure enough, it worked. I played with the exposure in the 2nd shot, so that you can see the extraordinary work of art and the glorious color that this piece is. I had one heck of a time getting photos to upload. Might be an overload problem with the MacBook Pro 17″. I desperately need to sit down and load photos to my external drive. Why is it not a priority to take care of tasks like that?  Not something that is my favorite thing to do. I would much rather be post processing.

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Have you seen this milk in the dairy section of your local grocery? I had not and was amazed. I would imagine that most people believe that the cows who supply the milk they buy from the grocery eat grass. I think it is pretty sad to hear that we have to buy special milk to be assured that our milk comes from cows eating what they should – grass. I researched it and found out that a Wisconsin based dairy cooperative approached  some Ferndale, California dairy farmers,  where grass is readily available year round, to start marketing their milk as grass milk. Is there a market for Grassmilk? Time will tell. According to the man at the grocery store here, there is a big demand in this area. Oh, yes, and notice it says cream on top? That is because it is not homogenized. A whole lot like the milk I drank growing up.

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I feel that not only are these pretty carrots good for the eyes by eating them, but feasting one’s eyes on them tends to make one feel good inside also. We ventured over to one of the local organic grocery stores today for much needed supplies. These bright colored root veggies caught my eye immediately. Many people don’t realize that carrots come in colors other than the usual orange. They can be red, purple, yellow and white also with variations of tone in each color. The first carrots cultivated were not the orange we are used to seeing, but the other colors we find unusual now. Carrots are not only yummy to munch on, but are full of antioxidants and beta-carotene which help to keep one healthy. Considering the threat of the current nasty bug making it’s rounds, you will see lots of carrots residing in my refrigerator and included in the daily menus.

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There has been a pair of Northern Cardinals hanging out for the last few days at our bird feeding sanctuary. They are very shy and so hard to photograph. I have a feeling it is the darned Western Scrub Jays that intimidate them. Maybe given a little more time, they will feel safer here and I can get some really good compositions. Watching the competition for the feed is quite something. There are two squirrels that get in on the action too. I never noticed how much some of the birds act like chickens by scratching in the dirt for seeds. The red dust flies with their efforts. They remind me of little kids fighting over the tastiest pieces of candy. I am including a couple of shots I did capture today. Literally, I think capture is a good term to use for how hard they were to get. These are G11 and I wish I had grabbed my 70-200 or 100-400 for the little guy. I could not get the female at all. She is not brightly colored like the male, but does have that pretty top knot. Tonight is the second meeting of the month for camera club. The program is going to be low light photography. I will give them a call and be part of the meeting via cell phone. I still can’t get Skype to work and I don’t know why.   Funny how cell phone now seems like the old way of communicating.

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What is it about desserts that is so irresistible? When we think about them, our mouths water and our tummies growl. Or at least, mine does. I find myself planning my ordering at a restaurant around what the dessert offerings are. Need to leave room for something sweet and yummy.  I wonder if anyone else does that? I have even done a meal that started with the dessert. I don’t think that is at all bad. Today was my birthday, so we went out to dinner at my favorite restaurant here, Creekside. The food is always fabulous, but the dessert is what I relish there. They have “to die for” Peach Cobbler. I was kind enough to share the ice cream that comes on top with hubby. And I relished every tasty bite of that delicious delicacy.

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