summer happenin's

ok. ok. it's been two months since i blogged last. i'm a disgrace to the writing community. but i have excuses. does that count?

first excuse is my garden. lili helped rick and me build the trellis before she moved to washington to help spence and manny with their new baby.

(Reminder - left click on each photo enlarges it so you can see details if you're interested.)

The garden's doing very well - especially considering the fact a huge hail storm tore through here a couple-three weeks ago and leveled my neighbors' corn patches but all of my garden was spared. I thank God every day.

Next project was the pondAll the plantings along the right side and front were done this spring and summer. They don't look like much yet but they're coming along. I also added the pond plants - and some fish.

I put in one 5-inch brown koi/goldfish cross, three 3-inch gold fish and two little 2-inch bristlenosed plecostomus.

Although they don't hold still long enough for me to be sure, I'd say the koi is nearly 10 inches long, the gold fish are between six and seven and there are at least 4 little brown fishes that are about 4 inches long. I doubt I've seen the plecos since they were put in there. Don't know if they even still exist, since I caught a water snake in my pond the day after we added the plecos and I haven't seen any signs of the algae being eaten on the sides of the pond. Where did these little brown guys come from? I haven't a clue. My guess is that the koi is responsible. Anyway, the gold fish get bored and chase them, occasionally. It's entertaining to watch.

I've looked at pictures of different types of koi and I think this one is part Asagi. It has the whitish head but the rest of its body is more a mottled brown than blue and it has absolutely no other color except for a silver streak down its back.

It's a very shy fish and the silver streak is generally the only way I can tell where it's hiding. I was just reading about koi and about training them to feed from your hand. THAT would be interesting to try. But I'll probably never have the time.

There've been three real highlights this summer - two happening the same week.

First, Mike and Tracy dropped in and spent a day with us. I invited Rich and Lori over for supper (Steve and Jen couldn't make it) and my three boys got together for some competition on the trampoline. It was fun to watch them - and so relaxing as we ate supper out on the patio that evening. Mike and Tracy have moved to Texas, now, and are running a little neighborhood cafe.

The second highlight was Rick's and my vacation. We flew to Spokane to get acquainted with our newest grandbaby, Sage. She was born June 1 and since Lili is playing nanny, we were able to visit her, too. I caught Rick and the girls sleeping one day. Sagie is a very fair-skinned baby, delicate and fine-boned. And generally very happy.Part of that, I suspect, is because her aunt, Lili, spends most of every day cuddling Missy Sage.

I'll post more photos of our vacation at another date.

The third highlight of our summer was last Saturday. We met with Steve's family to witness the baptism of Steve's oldest boy, Tyler. Just after the baptism, his youngest son, Isaac, was blessed. Isaac is only 6 weeks older than Sage but look at the difference in size, build and coloring!

Sagie is blue-eyed, fair and petite; Isaac is dark complected, dark-eyed and a CHUNK! I babysat him the night before we left on vacation and couldn't get over the difference between his solid heft and her dainty airiness. It'll be fun to see those two kids together when they get a little older.

I took photos of Steve with his entire family and Tyler, alone, after everything was over. Here you go.

During the baptismal service, Jordan sang a duet with her father, Steve. She has a lovely alto voice and sings very well for a 9-year-old. And isn't Tyler handsome in his first suit? (You can't tell I'm a proud grandma, can you?) Steve and Jen have done very well with parenting their little family. I know it hasn't been easy with Steve's work schedule but my hat goes off to them for the efforts they make and the successes they've seen with their kids.

Well, that's about enough for now. I have company coming , a house to clean, and more scraping and sanding to do on the eaves of the house so I can paint before bad weather hits this fall - so I'd better get busy.

Chat with you later,

Ciao.