Catching Up- Again

Some photos to catch up from the last time I posted.

 Swan Island Dahlia Festival in Canby, Oregon. 

 I was thrilled to be there.

 Pretty Kitty napping in the morning sunshine.

 Grapes in the Wine Country of Oregon. 

 I want to move there...at least when it isn't raining.

 This lucky dog has quite the life running free in such a beautiful place.

 Butterfly in Millcreek Canyon 

 Dahlias for my Mamacita. 

 I miss her already.

 I got permission to cut these roses for Mamacita from the Murray Park Rose Garden.  She would have loved  them.

 My Dahlia Arrangement brought home ribbons!

 These were all our entries into the Dahlia Show. 

 We won two BIG ribbons along with some others. 

 We played dress up to go to a "Bollywood Party".

And again for Octoberfest.  

 I think blonds do have more fun!

First Dahlia Bouquet

My First Dahlia Bouquet of the Season

Up Close and Personal

Lucky for me a little bee thought he'd check out the new blooms.

I tried 3 different lenses, several different settings from every possible angle of the same bouquet.
 I like them all or maybe I just love the flowers.

The name of this Dahlia is Bristol Fleck.  I love how it has some pedals that just want to be noticed.

Click on the photos for a closer look

Glacier National Park

Glacier National Park was our destination for this year's exploration.  We stayed at The Big Bear Inn.  It was appealing because it served a Continental Breakfast and Dinner!  Plus, and a big plus was that it had availability on short notice.

This was a beautiful lake near Polebridge, Montana.

Big Horned Sheep looking kind of shabby after shedding their winter coats.  At least most of it.

Avalanche Lake

Mountain Goats were used to people.  This guy thought he had showed up for a photo shoot and was ready to pose. 

Road to the Sun was more of a Road to Rain for us but beautiful all the same.

My first step into Canada to see The Prince of Wales Hotel.

A peak of the lake at Rocky Point

We saw this bear and her cubs crossing the road in front of us.  I was so excited I forgot to take a photo until they were well on their way back into the trees.  I was also so excited we got to see Bears but not on the trail!

The test of true friendship is to spend basically 5 days in a car.  We passed.

Ruby's 12th Birthday

2010

Her Cake: Homemade Pumpkin Oat bran Biscuits frosted with Peanut Butter...She loved it and we loved watching her eat the peanut butter.  Everybody wins!

1998

Happy 12th Birthday to Ruby!

Roses

Who doesn't love roses?  I know I do.  For me the June "flush" is a sure sign of summer in Utah and I look forward to it each year.

In March we pruned these beauties in the park rose garden back to the point I thought we had killed them.

It turned out they liked the harsh treatment

and rewarded us with quite a show.

I decided it was time for my own rose garden so I did my homework, visited nurseries from Salt Lake to Ogden to find the varieties on my list.  The 12 roses I found are waiting to be planted because the bed I hired two very nice men to prepare is now a pond.  I had no idea this sunny spot once covered in grass was actually catching all the run off from the neighbor's yard.  We are trying to figure out a drain plan.  Wish me luck.  

Fleeting Flowers

The forecast was for wind and rain.  Just the ingredients to obliterate all the beautiful blooms on the dozens of trees in the park I work in.   I neglected my real job of pulling weeds to photograph the trees before the blooms were gone.

The light was just right for a moment.

My lucky day.....newly hatched goslings in the morning light with their protective parent.
After this shot, I put my camera away and went back to pulling weeds out of the iris patch with a smile on my face.

Thanksgiving Point

An afternoon at Thanksgiving Point is always a welcome treat.  Throw in a nice day, some beautiful tulip displays and a serendipitous owlet sighting and you could call it a dessert buffet!

 

 A Mother Owl and two Owlets in their not so cozy nest in the rocks high above the waterfall.

(Click on this photo for a closer look)

I think I need an Italian Fountain in my back yard...

...and some pink tulips.

But then I guess I do, this lovely place is only 20 minutes from my door and in a way; right in my own back yard.  Chances are it may be in your back yard too.  Let me know if you are going and I will tell you where to find the owls;-)


(We missed you Kate!)

Getting Caught UP

Could I have been too busy this past winter to blog? Well," that's my story and I'm sticking to it" as they say. Here are a few tidbits to catch you up with my incredibly exciting life:-)

I saw a card at the store with a pug with lips.

It read "PUGS AND KISSES FOR YOUR BIRTHDAY" so I plagiarized it and made one for my niece from a photo of her very own pug, Zoey.

I am shameless, but couldn't resist.

I started knitting a lace scarf for my Mom's birthday and managed to finish it only three weeks late. It was haaard.

We celebrated Rusty's 3rd Gotcha Day.

He still wakes up in the mornings wagging his tail with a smile on his face.....really.
We went to Sonoma, California for a wedding celebration that lasted three days.

That trumps our wedding.....it lasted 3 hours and we served punch and cookies.....really.
Between wedding festivities we got out to enjoy some scenery that caught my eye and of course my camera was ready.
For our 37th wedding anniversary we planted a Weeping White Spruce that Ruby has decided makes a terrific hiding place. Guess what, Ruby; we can still see you.
And, the tulips I received as a birthday gift a few years ago made their appearance to announce spring.

Too bad the forecast is for more snow tomorrow.

Gotta love Utah springs.

St. Patrick's Day

My friend Kate inspired me to come out of hibernation and post some photos of Ireland as a nod to St. Patrick's Day. We visited a few years back and fell in love with the place. It is too wet and cloudy to want to live there but it was lovely to visit.

Click on the photos if you want them bigger. I've yet to figure out how to post them that way:(

The definition of "Rolling Hills".

Gardens to envy.......

along with the views. I wondered if these cows enjoyed theirs.

This little lady was important to the people of Dublin.

I just can't remember why.

I do remember our guide called her "The Tart with a Cart".

I came home with this Irish saying stuck in my head:

If you're lucky enough to be Irish

You're LUCKY enough!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!