Sunday, August 31, 2014

August, You've Been A Beautiful Month

August 31, 2014

Good morning.  Oh what a simply gorgeous morning it is here in my little part of the world.  The first thing I did this morning was to open the door and let the breeze come inside.  As I look out my door, I see the leaves on the trees moving as my flag is gently waving a good morning greeting to me.  It feels so good to be me this morning.

I found this beautiful image on the web and thought this was the perfect moment to share it here.


Has anyone noticed how quickly August has flown by, and that today is the last day of this fabulously beautiful month?   Here's hoping that September shares the same gorgeous weather that we've been enjoying in August. 

One of my new catalogues arrived this past week, and in it I found a couple of new items for the doggies in our lives.   These are hooded scarves to keep our fur babies warm when the cold winter snows start to fall.  There is brown for the boys, and pink for the girls.  At just $5.95 each, they are quite a bargain!



Pogo and I really did not do much in the way of excitement yesterday.  A little walk in the yard to stretch our legs, and then mostly just catching up on some of the TV programs that I've been taping.  I did get to put a few shows on a disc to send to daughter Audrey.  I've been watching the "The Skin Game" and I thought she might enjoy watching it too.  It's a competition between some very talented artists who do body painting.  Wow, I have to tell you some of their work is simply awesome!

I did take a photo of the colorful yellow afghan before wrapping it up.  The colors in it are yellow, green, pink and a variegated yarn.   One of these days, I want to do something that is mostly just yellow.  It's such a beautiful happy color.  Now I'm working on the cornmeal/marikesh afghan. 


In between gabbing here, I managed to go outside for a few moments to sprinkle a couple of handfuls of  peanuts for the birds and small critters.  They love them, and at the moment, they've eaten them all up. 

Thank goodness the Market Basket situation has been settled and the stores are open again.  This is where I buy the large bags of peanuts.  I also enjoy shopping at Market Basket.  They have a much better selection of products to choose from, and their prices are so much better.  Joe and I will be back there shopping later this week.

Now it's time to get dressed and maybe do a load of laundry.  So, till tomorrow, Y'all have a magnificent day.

Hugs, Edna B.

Friday, August 29, 2014

Geometric Friday

August 29, 2014

Good morning.  For some reason, this was not a good night for sleeping.  (for me, at least)  So after a while, I decided to get up and play a bit on my laptop.  Earlier in the evening, I had finished the colorful yellow afghan.  Just two more to go. 

Then I settled in to watch my favorite TV program, Project Runway.  Once the program was over, it was time for lights out and nighty night.  Aha.  It was a good plan, but it did not pan out.  So here I sit posting on my blog.  I will definitely be sleeping in a bit late this morning.

A large box was delivered yesterday.  Oh goodie goodie!  A few more holiday presents to put in my gift drawer.  I have at least half of my holiday shopping all done.  Oh my, does that ever feel good!!   Next, I'll start working on my Christmas card.  Once September gets here, time starts slipping away pretty fast.

Other than washing a few dishes and putting away the new gifts, Pogo and I didn't really do much of anything yesterday.  After lunch, we spent a little time out in the yard, watching all the bumblebees on the butterfly bushes.  There was one lone butterfly, but he flew off so I could not get a photo of him.

 
Later this morning, we'll go out to do a couple of errands, and maybe take a side trip through the park.  These past couple of days, Pogo has eaten most all of the meals that I've given him.  I wish there was a special treat that I could give him that he could eat.  Alas, I haven't found one yet.  He does love his turkey treats though (slices of turkey meat), but he will only take that from Joe.  I guess it's a "man" thing.
 
Today is Geometric Friday, so I went looking in my archives for this photo that I had taken one morning on my way home from work.  These are tall grasses and their reflections in a little pond that I used to drive by.
 
 
I do have another fun photo to share with you.  This is another photo that Wanda sent to me.  It's a spider about to dine on this tasty fly.  (oh yuck yuck)  I'm so glad I'm not a spider.  I'd much rather have a hamburger or a steak.
 
 
 
 
Oh my, on the TV, they are showing hair extensions that are hidden when you put them on your head.  It gives you the look of much longer and thicker hair.  Hmmm,  I could use something like this.  My nice long, thick hair has been getting old right along with me, and is now still long, but not so thick anymore.  Actually it seems to be getting rather skimpy.  Maybe I'll have me a peek at this new web page.   www.secretextensions.com   The extensions cost $39.99.
 
Sighhhhhh, it's a nice thought, that hair extension, but I'm realizing that it's not really necessary.  My Pogo likes me just the way I am, skimpy hair and all.  Ah well, I think I'll go to the kitchen now and make myself a cup of chamomile tea.  Maybe that will help me sleep.  We'll see.  The worst that can happen is that I will go to bed really early tonight. 
 
So, till Sunday, Y'all have a magnificent weekend.
 
Hugs, Edna B.

Thursday, August 28, 2014

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KEVIN

August 28, 2014

Good afternoon.  I sort of slept a bit late this morning.  But then, I had an excuse.  Last night I decided to back up my laptop files to the external drive.  This was going to take a while, and eventually I fell asleep.  At some point, I awoke and thought I would check to see if the back up was finished.  It was, and I put the external drive away. 

However, I woke up in the process of all of this.  So, at 3:30 a.m., I was catching up on a bit of blog reading.  After a while though, my eyes were getting tired and it was time to go back to bed.  At 7:30 this morning, I got up to get some breakfast for Pogo and went back to bed.  It only took seconds to fall back to sleep.

Before I get started on today's topic of thought, I want to wish my grandson Kevin a most Happy Birthday.  Today he is seventeen.  Kevin, you're one of the nicest young men I've ever known, and I love you dearly.  I hope your birthday is TERRIFIC!!

Today I have a question for everyone.  Did anyone voting to legalize medical marijuana ever get to read the whole bill?  I doubt this very much or maybe a lot of folks might not have voted to pass the bill.  There was an article in yesterday's newspaper about a man who had been arrested because the police thought that he was selling drugs.  This particular man had, in the past, spent time in jail for drug trafficking.

However, this man and most likely others, will be allowed to go free and not be prosecuted.  There is a piece in the bill that was passed that allows a person who is certified to use medical marijuana to be a "caregiver" for one other person who has a certificate.  In other words, sell the drug to another person.

Why would a person who has a medical certificate to buy this drug need another person (a "caregiver") to get the drug and sell it to him?   Maybe if this person could not walk?  Hmmm.  If this is the case, then how come the above mentioned man was arrested in an area known for drug deals along with his buyer (s) who were all standing on their own feet?  And why exchange money and goods in a public parking lot, and not in one's home?  I mean, it is legal, right?  So why be sneaky?

Did you also realize that you can apply for and get a medical certificate to buy and grow marijuana for just about any reason.  It's not just for cancer and terminally ill patients.  Have anxiety?  Maybe a few little pains somewhere on your body?  Anything at all, and the right doctor is all you need to get this certificate.

Nuff said!!  Today I have some fun photos to share with you.  These were sent to me by my SIL Mac and Wanda, who I consider one of my "girls".  She is one of daughter Audrey's best friends.  Mac does taxidermy and this first photo is one of his recent projects.  Wow!  This bear is just magnificent.  Great job Mac! 


Mac tells me that this bear weighed almost 400 pounds, and that his next bear will be twice that size.  Wow, good luck Mac.  I can't wait to see a photo of the next one.

These next two photos were taken by Wanda.  She has some absolutely gorgeous hibiscus growing in her garden.  Hmmm, I wonder if she has any yellow ones.  Notice, she even got a great shot of the grasshopper who was resting on the petals, maybe checking out what's for lunch(?).  Thanks, Wanda.  These are beautiful.



That's about all the news for today.  Pogo is waiting patiently for his lunch.  So, till tomorrow, Y'all have a splendid day.

Hugs, Edna B.

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Today Is National Dog Day

August 27, 2014

Good morning.  My front door is open and there is a wonderful cool breeze coming into the room.  The daytime temps have warmed up a bit again, but it is still just awesome outdoors.  Lots of sunshine, birdies chirping and squirrels and chipmunks scampering all around looking for food.  See what I mean?  Awesome!

I will have to try a different market this week to see if I can find a big bag of peanuts.  Walmart doesn't seem to have them.  I buy them for the birds and little critters in the yard.  Have you ever watched a chipmunk stuff a peanut in each cheek, one between his  teeth and then still look disdained because he can't figure out how to carry another peanut while he runs back to his nest?  It's worth the price of the bag of peanuts.

Today is National Dog Day.  Thank you Dee Dee for reminding me. And thank you to my friend Connie for sending me these adorable doggie pix (from the web) to share.





 
That Nose Art image should be attached to the rear passenger door on the driver's side of my car.  The window in that door is Pogo's window, and he has done all the "artwork" himself.  Lastly,  it wouldn't be right not to share a photo of Pogo.  After all, today is his day!
 
 
Last night, I worked on the colorful yellow afghan.  I found that I had messed up a bit about three rows back and had to tear out the last three rows to fix it, then crochet the three rows back on.  Of course I kept on crocheting, and now I am down to the last sixteen rows to finish up this afghan. 
 
That keeps me right on schedule.  I had wanted to finish the navy blue afghan and the lavender afghan before the end of August.  I did not finish the lavender one, but at least I will have two afghans finished.  My goal for September will be to finish the lavender afghan and the new cornmeal afghan. 
 
I think it's about time I started going through this year's photographs and decide which ones to use on next year's calendar.  Once I've decided on which photos to use, getting them all sized and ready for print is another whole project. 
 
Now it's time to get dressed and get started on this beautiful new day.  So, till tomorrow, Y'all have a fantabulous day.
 
Hugs, Edna B.

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

It's Already Back To School Time!

August 26, 2014

Good morning.  Gosh, look at the date.  We are running out of August.  Not only that, some of our kids are already back to school.  Goodness, that must be because of so many snow days last winter.  Around here, our kids don't usually start school until after Labor Day. 

Here's a photo of two of my great grandkids starting out for their first day of school.  Lilah is starting the second grade, and Jack is starting the fourth grade.  This photo was taken on their mom's phone.


Yesterday, Pogo and I had good intentions of getting a couple of errands done, but ended up only getting one of them done.  We only made it to Best Buy.   Oh well, there's always today and tomorrow.  Truth be told, I need to stay out of that store for a while.  It's a dangerous place to leave me wandering around by myself.  (Pogo was with me, but he'll agree to anything I want to buy!)

After picking the brain of some adorable young sales technician, I gave in to temptation and bought myself the new Samsung Tab S.  I struggled so hard trying to decide on which size to get, the 8.4 inch or the 10.4 inch.  They both have gorgeous screen color and take decent photos and videos.  Other than price, the major difference was how they felt in my hand if I were to be reading a book on one of them. 

Finally, I decided on the 8.4 inch tablet.  The adorable technician stayed with me while my purchase was being rung up and paid for, and then he synced my new phone to my new tablet.  Now if I'm doing something on my tablet and I get a phone call, I can take the call on my tablet.  My whole phone is on my tablet just by clicking on a little icon.


Sorry about the colors not being so good.  The tablet is actually white just like the phone.   This new technology just amazes me.  And, the young man only had to show me once how to do this!!!  Goodness, will wonders ever cease!  Every time I learn something new I feel so darn smart.  Sad to say, it only lasts for moments because then a menu will pop up asking me to do something and I'm back to being dumb again.  Ahhhhh, well.

Back at home, this has not been a very good growing season for our gardens, but there are still quite a few blooms.  Here's a photo of one of the red "Knockout" roses.


Basically, we now just have red and pink roses, two butterfly bushes and the hydrangea blooming.  The veggie garden has been slowly dying out, and we haven't figured out why.  We'll have to figure out a new way to plant next year's garden.

Well, that's about all the news for this morning.  So, till tomorrow, Y'all have a magnificent day.

Hugs, Edna B.

Monday, August 25, 2014

Have A Safe Trip, Andrea

August 25, 2014

Good morning.  It is simply awesome outside my door.  I hope everyone is having this same fabulous weather that we are enjoying here in New England. 

My friend Andrea is leaving today for a two week vacation in Switzerland.  Wowee!!  I've never been there but I hear it is simply beautiful.  Have a safe trip Andrea, and take lots and lots of photos.

Yesterday was a gorgeous lazy day.  Most of the day, I had my legs up on the footstool part of my lounge chair.  They were getting a bit bloated lately and needed a rest.  So I took advantage and had me a nice little nap and did a bit of crocheting.  As promised, here's a photo of the yellow (and other colors)  afghan that I've been working on.  Just thirty more rows to go.  (It's folded, so it's much wider)


Today is Mandarin Orange Monday and my contribution will be this little orangey yellow bee on his way to taste some blossoms on the butterfly bush.


And here are a couple of close ups of the bee.  The butterfly decided it did not want to share, and had moved on to another branch.



Pogo and I have a couple of errands to do today.  Hopefully sometime today, I will be able to hang some new curtains in our kitchen.  The ones that are hanging now are an off-white color and I have never liked them.  The new ones are white and look much nicer.

Now it's time to rustle up some breakfast and get dressed to start this fabulous new day.  Till tomorrow, Y'all have a truly magnificent day.

Hugs, Edna B.

Sunday, August 24, 2014

I'm Learning To Use The Camera On My New Phone

August 24, 2014 

Good morning.  I had planned to sleep a bit later this morning, but Pogo had other ideas.  He heard someone out in the house and flew to the pantry to bark, hoping that it was Joe.  Alas, it was not Joe and I had to get up and make Pogo come in from the pantry before he woke up the whole house.

I've opened the front door to let in some wonderful fresh air and morning sunshine.  I will definitely be missing this once the cooler weather starts moving in.  I read in the newspaper that the Farmers Almanac is predicting a colder than usual winter for us in the Eastern part of the country.  Gosh, I do hope they are wrong.

Friday evening, Dee Dee and Eddie picked me up and we all went to watch Jasmine's theatre group perform "Bye Bye Birdie".  I must say that this was a most enjoyable evening.  Gosh, if my Michael were here he would have been absolutely thrilled (as we all were) because he just loved Broadway Musicals. 

Jasmine was part of an ensemble that did a lot of singing and dancing, plus she had a little solo in one of the scenes.  She and the rest of the cast were just awesome.  Yesterday they did two more performances, and the last one will be this afternoon.  I can't wait for the next play.

Yesterday, I rented a U-Haul truck (which Joe offered to drive for me) and we headed for grandson Bobby's apartment along with Dee Dee, Eddie and Kevin.  Shortly after we got there another car pulled up with a couple of Bobby's friends.  While I watched over Pogo, everyone managed to get all of Bobby's things packed into the truck and both cars. 

Then we all headed on over to the new apartment where Bobby was moving to.  Once there, everyone pitched in and got all the vehicles unloaded and quite a bit of the stuff moved into the apartment before we all (Dee, Eddie, Kevin, Joe, Pogo and I) headed back to the U-Haul place to return the truck.  A job well done.

During this time, Kevin showed me how to send photos via email from my new phone.  What an age to be at!  I have so much that I can teach my grandchildren, and they have even more that they can teach me. 

The photo that I had sent from my phone to my computer is my first attempt at trying the camera on my new phone.  Of course, the model was my handsome Pogo.  Not bad for my first try.  How could anyone not love this precious little bundle of joy.


I also have another photo to share.  This next one was taken a few days ago from my kitchen window with my DSLR.   I love trying to photograph the birds while they are in flight, and managed to catch this little sparrow at just the right time.


Last night after supper, Pogo and I settled in to watch the "Celebrity Chopped Champion" finale.  While we watched TV, I put a few more rows on the yellow afghan.   The colors in it are so pretty.  There's yellow, green and pink along with a variegated yarn.  I promise to take a photo of it later today.  I have less than forty more rows to go and it will be finished.

Today, I really must do a load of laundry.  After that, I'll just take it easy and enjoy this absolutely gorgeous day.  And that's all my news for this morning.  So, till tomorrow, Y'all have a magnificent day.

Hugs, Edna B.

Friday, August 22, 2014

A Brand New Gadget To Play With

August 22, 2014

Good morning.  Tis a bit gray and damp outside right now, but it is early.  And besides, rain showers have been forecast for today.  We really do need the rain.  I've noticed in my travels that our ponds and water sources are way down.  Not as bad as it has been in the past, but nevertheless down.

Well, I did it!  I've been talking about getting a new cell phone for quite a while now, and the new Galaxy S5 has really caught my eye.  There's also a new Galaxy Tab S (tablet) and it comes in two sizes.  I really like the tablet, but without actually holding the items in my hands, I've no idea of which size would be better for me.

So, Pogo and I took a ride to Best Buy yesterday afternoon to have a look at these new Samsung tablets.  Oh my, are they ever pretty!  The 8.4 inch tablet is just about perfect for my hands.  But, the 10.2 inch tablet is ever so nice with a bigger screen.  My goodness, now I have myself quite the dilemma. 

I talked for quite a while with one of the salespersons, and he mentioned how this tablet would sync quite easily with the new Galaxy S5 phone.  Of course, blabber mouth me explained how I would love to have that phone too one of these days.

The next thing I knew, Pogo and I were seated on a bench and being shown different service plans and prices to go along with this gorgeous new phone.  The nice young man helped me to find just the right plan for my budget.  He also got my phone number changed over to this marvelous new phone, and got all my contacts and photos (most of them) installed in this new beauty. 

Pogo and I left the store rather happy with ourselves.  The first thing I did when I started my car was to try to sync my beautiful new phone with the car radio.  I had been given instructions on how to do this and it all sounded so easy.  Uh huh!  Easy for everyone but me.  So then I called Dee Dee and drove to her house so that she and Eddie could get my phone in sync with the car radio.  What would I do without my kids?

Today is Geometric Friday so I decided to use this photo that I had taken a while ago, and do a bit of editing to change it to art.   The first image is the original photo, and the second is my newer, much edited version.   I used Photoshop and applied several filters, gradients, etc to separate layers and then merged everything.



At the moment, Google is giving me a slight problem while I'm trying to type this post, so I'll take my leave here and hopefully all will be back to normal by Sunday.  So, till then, Y'all have a fantabulous day.

Hugs, Edna B.

p.s.  The link for Geometric Friday is:  http://lorikart.com
Sorry, but Blogger is not letting me link this the regular way.

Thursday, August 21, 2014

Some Great New Shows On The Game Show Network

August 21, 2014

Good morning.  I've heard and read a lot of comments on how the weather is not as warm as it should be, but I personally think that the weather we've been having lately is perfect.  When it's too hot, outdoor activities are not as much fun.  When it is cooler, it's too cool for beach activities.  For me, I love it!!  No complaints here at all.

Has anyone been watching the new program on the Game Show Network?  Skin Games.  It's really quite fascinating.  The artists competing are really good at their craft, and usually when they finish painting on a model you cannot tell that she is nude.  Sometimes, if the model has been painted in front of a background, you cannot see her at all.  Very interesting.

Another fun new show on the Game Show Network is called Idiotest.  This one is great for keeping your mind and brain sharp.  I consider myself fairly intelligent, but I've got a few of their puzzles wrong.  If you haven't watched it yet, give it a try.

Today, I have some photos taken from our kitchen window.  We ran out of the square suet treats, so I lathered up a bread end with peanut butter and Joe put it in the treat holder.  He wasn't even back in the house before we already had customers.



Lurking nearby, hidden in the red maple, was one of the black birds just waiting for a chance to swoop down and get at the peanut butter treat.


Gosh, these blackbirds always have such a sinister look about them.  The only ones that look friendly are the youngsters.  We usually get a crop of them each year and they move on after a while.  For some reason, this year they don't seem to be in a hurry to leave. 

Today's excitement will be a trip to the market to do some food shopping.  Oh my, the excitement of retirement is wearing me out!!!!!  haha.

I think I've figured out a way to get Pogo to eat more doggie food.  He always gets the hungries late at night, between 11 p.m. and 1 a.m.  He likes to leave his supper sitting there for hours until late at night when, for some reason, it must taste better to him.  Oh dear, what did people feed my little guy before he came to live with me?  I'm going to try putting down a small dish of doggie food tonight around  10:30 p.m. and see what happens.

There's really not much news this morning so I'll take my leave here.  Till tomorrow, Y'all have a magnificent day. 

Hugs, Edna B.

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

An Afternoon At The Park

August 20, 2014

Good morning.  And it is indeed a beautiful morning!  If I could have three wishes, I think one of them would be to have this gorgeous weather year round, with some rain sprinkled in here and there of course. 

Well, yesterday Pogo and I went out for a while.  First to the bank, then to the nail salon to have my nails prettied up.  Then we took a ride to the park.  While we were there, Pogo got to meet the cutest little white Maltese puppy.  Needless to say, they had a wonderful time getting to "know" each other.

There was a very interesting pigeon couple there, enjoying the sun. I believe these are rock pigeons.  The "Mr's" colors were just gorgeous.  His mate was much lighter colored and did not stray very far away from him.



On another rock I found this beautiful gull taking in some sunshine.  As pesky as these birds can be, I still have a fond spot for them.  They are so eager to please.  Just give them something to eat and they will give you all the fabulous poses you could ask for.


After our afternoon out, I stopped by a local drug store to pick up some calamine lotion for Joe.  Seems he picked up a good case of poison ivy while cleaning out the front yard last weekend.  Gosh, I feel so bad for him.  Earlier in the day, I had him make up a bowl of salt water to keep dabbing on his rash to help get of the itch and start the healing process.  After that he can dab on the calamine lotion and hopefully he will start to clear up soon. 

After supper last night, I settled into my lounge chair and worked on my yellow crochet project for a while.  I'm going to have to take a photo of it because it is really coming out quite pretty.  As soon as the nights get much cooler, I'll finish working on the lavender afghan.  Right now, I'm enjoying working on the lighter weight afghans.

Well, now it's time to spend a few minutes with my Gazelle.  So, till tomorrow, Y'all have a really awesome day.

Hugs, Edna B.

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Please Dump Dry Items Over Your Heads, Not Water!

August 19, 2014

Good morning.  As I wake up to another beautiful day, I  realize that there is only one more month of Summer left.  How quickly the year is passing by.  I'm hoping that Autumn will be comfortable and linger on for a while so that Winter will seem shorter.

I'm finding that with retirement comes a lot of quiet days.  Mind you, I'm not complaining.  I just don't think I'm accomplishing as much as I should.  But then, maybe it's supposed to be this way.

The highlight of yesterday was when Joe and I washed a few of the windows out in the house.  I supplied the paper towels and window cleaner and watched as Joe did the actual washing.  Well, actually I did do something to help.  I moved all the plants away from the windows and placed them on the kitchen table.  Then I got to put them all back. 

I'm watching (what else?) the Weather Channel, and they are saying that some folks in California are now asking people to stop using water in this foolish water bucket challenge that is going around, and substitute something else for the water.  So far, folks have dumped out 5 million gallons of water across the country.  WHAT A WASTE!

This morning I have some more photos that I took while at the baseball game a few days ago.  There was a large beautiful bird flying off in the distance near the clouds.  Every so often it would fly a bit lower, and I tried to get a photo.  When I got home and looked at my photos, I was in for quite a surprise.  It was a vulture.  This first photo is a close up of the second photo.





Lori Kimball (Mandarin Orange Monday) has started a new meme called Geometric Friday.  This is something new for me but I thought I would give it a try.  I don't do art as much as I do photography, so my first contribution is a photo of palm trees all lined up in rows.


Well that's about it for the news this morning.  In a few hours, Pogo and I will go out to do a couple errands.  Meanwhile, Thomas and Friends is on TV, and that is one of our favorite morning TV programs.  So, till tomorrow, Y'all have a fabulous day.

Hugs, Edna B.

Monday, August 18, 2014

Have A Pool Party For Your Fur Babies And Invite Their Friends

August 18, 2014

Good morning.  Yup, it's gorgeous outside my door again, and I'm just loving it.  There is a light breeze, and our flag is blowing gently against a backdrop of green trees and blue sky.    Folks, it can't get any better than this. 

Pogo and I didn't do much of anything yesterday.  We just sort of laid back and enjoyed this fabulous weather.  Every now and then, I pick him up and hold him by the screen door so that he can watch what is happening outside. 

I need to go shopping to find us a new storm door that has glass (plexi-glass) and screen from top to bottom.  This way my little guy can sit by the door all day and watch the birds and squirrels.  And I'd be able to see out the door when I'm sitting.  Right now, I have to stand up to see out the door because the plexi-glass and screen are only in the top portion of the door.

Remember the two new yarns that I was in a hurry to make something with?  Well, I started an afghan with them and it is coming out really nice.  The two colors are Cornmeal and Marrakesh.  Here's a photo of how it is looking so far.  Isn't this pretty?


I've been watching the Weather Channel, and they're showing a video clip of a "dog days pool party".  There are all kinds of dogs there, some splashing and swimming about in the pool and others running around and playing with assorted toys.  Wow, what a fabulous idea! 

Next, I have a photo of one of the birds that comes to our feeder.  It's a red-winged black bird.  I couldn't get a very good shot through the window, but this one at least shows the bird's beautiful wing colors.  It's a red patch edged with yellow.


Lastly, I have a photo of my handsome Pogo.  This one was taken at the baseball game this past Saturday morning.  I'm going to have to get out my sewing supplies and try to make his harness a bit smaller.  I love walking him when we go different places, but at some point he walks right out of his harness.  Meanwhile, his stroller gets a lot of use.
 
 
That's about all the news for this morning.  Now it's time to spend a few minutes on my "Gazelle".  So, till tomorrow, Y'all have a fantabulous day.
 
Hugs, Edna B.

Sunday, August 17, 2014

PS Friday Challenge, A Tad Bit Late

August 17, 2014

Good morning on this fabulous Sunday morning here in New England.  I really did my best to sleep late, but Mr. Pogo had other ideas.  He has simply wicked hearing, and listens to hear when people are moving about out in the house. 

Mainly, he's listening for Joe's voice or whistle.  Once Joe is up, it's turkey treat time.  So now, of course, Pogo starts barking to let Joe know that he is also up and waiting for his treat.  Once he get's Joe's attention, he barks for me to join them.  For some reason, my little guy needs me to be standing close by while he is enjoying his turkey treat.  So, Mama gets up and trots out to the laundry room.

While doing a bit of blog reading this morning, I realized that I totally forgot to do my image for this week's Photo Shop Friday.  Shame on me.  So, I promptly got busy and made my image.  This is the photo that the Queen Jester gave us to work with.  I just love the orange butterfly weed.


And here is my image using her photo as a wall covering in an iris garden.   Both the Queen and Andrea had butterflies in their images, so I put one in mine too.  The irises are mine, and the little butterfly came from the web.


Yesterday Pogo and I went to an early morning baseball game to watch Kevin play.  Later, after lunch, we went back out to do a couple of errands.  It was an awesome day to be out and about.

Friday, grandson Kevin came over and put most of my new exercise machine together.  Later SIL Eddie came by after work to finish it up.  And yup, I like this one.  I used it that evening, and I'll be using it this afternoon.  Did I mention what it was?  It's a Tony Little Gazelle. 

Some very good news arrived in the mail on Friday.  The report from my recent doctor visit showed that all my numbers had improved.  Cholesterol is way down, and the good stuff is up.  He said to keep up the good work.  Hmmm, I'm not quite sure what it was that I did, but as soon as I figure that out I'll do it some more.

On top of all this good stuff, my box of new yarn arrived, and I couldn't wait to tear into it.  There were a few colors that I wanted to see up close, and now I can't wait to start some new projects with them.  Oh my, these hands will definitely be busy for quite some time.

Well that's about all the news for this morning.  So, till tomorrow, Y'all have a fantabulous day.

Hugs, Edna B.

Friday, August 15, 2014

I Would Love This Weather Year Round

August 15, 2014

Good morning.  We are having another perfect morning, sunny with a cool breeze.  You can definitely tell it is August, and that Fall isn't too far away.  Yesterday's weather was the perfect kind to have year round,  (I'm dreaming, I know)  and today is looking like more of the same. 

It's been fairly quiet around here lately.  Yesterday, Pogo and I went out to do an errand, and later I took Joe food shopping.  The excitement of the day came when the mail lady arrived with a package for me.

I met a lady at the beach last Sunday evening, and I took lots of photos of her dog and sent them to her.  She is an artist, and sent me one of her lighthouse prints.  It is just beautiful.  I love the ocean and the lighthouses.  Now I must shop for a nice frame so that I can hang this.  I have a place on my wall all picked out.

Now I'm waiting for that box of new yarn that is supposed to arrive later today.  Yesterday, I finished up one of the scarfs that I had been knitting and started working on another.  Little by little, I'm cleaning up some of my unfinished projects. 

Today I have a few shots of the beach from Sunday night.  The first photo was taken in "night shot" with a flash, the other two were taken just moments apart.  Once daylight started disappearing, darkness moved in rather quickly.




Well that's about all my news for now.  I need to be getting dressed because my grandson Kevin will be here in a little while.  Today he is going to put my new exercise machine together.  On that happy note, I'll take my leave.  So, till Sunday, Y'all have a wonderful day. 

Hugs, Edna B.

Thursday, August 14, 2014

A Beautiful, Perfect Morning

August 14, 2014

Good morning.  The sun is shining and there's a beautiful cool breeze coming in through the screen door.  Yesterday's rain caused some flooding in places around the state, but not in our area.  Our lawns and gardens got some much needed rain, and the birds enjoyed the puddles.  It's a beautiful, perfect morning.

Yesterday I got an email telling me that my box of new yarn will not be arriving until late Friday.  So, last night I worked on a scarf that I had been knitting.  There's only a few rows left to finish it, so I think I'll do that later today. 

I've been watching the Weather Channel, and they were interviewing someone in Arizona about the monsoon flooding, and why they don't try to capture some of the rain water.  The argument seems to be that it is too expensive and they can only capture a tiny bit of the water. 

I don't understand this.  My idea of a water pipeline was not so that the water could be purified for drinking.  It was so that the excess rain water could be re-routed to dry areas that need the water to help stop drought.  I'm sure our farmlands and woodlands could use the excess water and be thankful for it.

Let's talk about the expense.  Expensive?  Yes.  How many dollars has the drought's devastation cost?  How many homes, lives, woodlands and wildlife has it cost?  It seems to me that our losses outweigh the cost.  And the losses keep on happening day after day, month after month, year after year.  Our government thinks nothing of sending billions of dollars to anywhere around the world that might need or want it.  So how about spending it instead on our own problems? 

Stored up rain water could also be used for washing vehicles, machinery and buildings, etc, instead of using drinking water for these things.  I suppose we could always figure a way to de-salt some of the ocean water to be used for things other than drinking water.  California is getting very low on water.  So now I'll be watching the news to see how they propose to fix their water problem. 

'Nuff said.  Today I have a couple of photos of the lighthouse at Scituate harbor.  These were taken from where we were sitting on the rocks.  As you can see, we were right in front of it.



I also have a photo of all of us that was taken by a nice lady sitting on the rock next to ours.   Here is, left to right, dwarf Helen, her son in law, daughter, granddaughter, Pogo, and moi.


Well that's it for this morning.  I need to get a few things done around the house before it's time to head out to do errands.  So, till tomorrow, Y'all have a fabulous day.

Hugs, Edna B.

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Wasting Water Is Fun???

August 13, 2014

Good morning.  Tis a bit on the damp side this morning, but we need the rain.  The birds are chirping outside my door, so they must be happy about the rain too. 

Well, yesterday I had my regular check up visit with the doctor, and I'm doing just fine.  Unless I get sick, I don't have to go back until February.  Sounds good to me. 

Was anyone lucky enough to see the Meteor showers in the wee hours before dawn?  Sad to say, I was asleep and missed any show that may have been visible.  Ah well, at least I did not miss the super moon.

Has anyone been watching all the different news stations reporting the "bucket" fun that folks all around the  country have been having?  I haven't said much of anything, but this has been bothering me a lot and now I need to get it off my chest.

The reason behind this whole thing was to  raise awareness about ALS.  This part I understand.  It's a very good cause to rally about.  What bothers me is the shameful waste of water.  With fires still burning, and all the lives, homes and nature we have lost due to drought, I think it is absolutely shameful to be dumping out buckets of water (and enjoying it!). 

And the really sad part of this is that every single newscaster and media personality that spoke of this event was really quite happy about it.  Many of them even joined in the fun.  Not one of them mentioned anything about all the unabashed abuse of our very precious commodity - water.  Sorry, but I say "shame on you" to all of them.  Next time, find a more appropriate way to raise awareness about your cause.  Maybe a dash into the cold ocean water? 

Ok, my rant is over.  Now let's get to some more fun photos from Sunday night.  Pogo was not the only dog at the beach that night, and I took photos of the ones that were near us.  I guess this first little dog had a thing for legs.  As you can see, he is licking his chops over this great looking pair of gams.

 
This next gorgeous dog and his family stopped by to visit the folks on the rock next to ours.  Just look at those beautiful eyes!
 
 
And at the rock beside ours was this awesome service dog.  Meet Floyd, so handsome and gentle yet very protective of his mom.  You could tell he adored her by the way he looked at her. 


And of course, I have more photos of the little prince himself.  He wore so many expression on his face that night, and I tried to capture them all.
 


 
Today I'm supposed to be having lunch with an old friend, but she may call to cancel because of the weather.  We were going to be eating out in her very pretty yard, but the rain may change our plans till another day.  That's okay because I have lots of things to do around the house. 

Little by little, I've been working on the lavender afghan, and now there are only 50 (out of 106) more rows to go.  I'm waiting for the box of new yarn to arrive so that I can continue working on the yellow project.  Plus I had ordered another new color that I thought would work up quite nicely.  Got to keep these hands busy.

Now it's time to go see if the mail has come.  One never knows what new bills and surprises may be lurking in the mail box.   So, till tomorrow, Y'all have a fabulous day.

Hugs, Edna B.