Things are going to seed around here!

Day lily studies

Sunny day too good to pass up - go sit in the sand at Mutiny Bay and watch the boats and others enjoying the water.

This is something I hadn't seen before. It looks like a big surfboard, but you stand on it and paddle around. Looked kinda fun - you could sit or lay down on it, too, and probably do some mild surfing, provided there were waves . . .

Aahhhhh, nice and cool.

As I was crossing our lawn, I spotted this little turtle trucking along. I couldn't figure out where in the world it had come from, but it turns out my neice Barbara had brought her pet turtle to Grandma's house next door, where they let it go. So it came up for a quick visit.

Then it was on it's way!

Today is our anniversary: 34 years of marriage, but 38 years together. How did that happen?? It has all gone so swiftly. It's hard to remember the slim young things we were so long ago: equally hard to imagine not having each other. This year of difficulties has certainly changed our perspectives, but we know we will get through anything as long as we are together!

David's mother Barb and his aunt Vicky picked these beautiful flowers from her garden this morning, just for us!

I always feel bad for you (well, maybe not that bad) on the days when I don't take a photo, so, although I didn't get around to picking up my camera today (I did get a lot of housework done!), I have a photo from a couple of days ago at the Greenbank farm that I really liked. Ididn't notice the ant until I looked at the photos at home. It is a type of vetch, Vicia villosa, or woolly vetch, which is sometimes grown as a nitrogen-fixer and turned into the soil. Here, it competes in waves of color with the tall grasses.

Almost a full moon - just a couple of days left, but I couldn't wait to try for a shot. The sky still has a little bit of light left, as the moon rises later and later in the day. Last week the crescent moon was rising in the middle of the day.

No rain for a while: this is sap on a tree stump recently cut. I love that it's crystal clear, but I didn't dare touch it - I'd be sticky for days!

Most of the time I think lawns are a bit over-rated, but this is the time of year I surely love laying in the freshly cut grass and contemplating the sky overhead. The warm earth beneath me, the sweet scent of the grass, the blue blue sky above.

I stopped by the Greenbank Farm on my way home from Coupeville to look at the daisies! They are growing in masses!

From another point of view, I shot looking up from underneath the flowers. Love the contrast with the blue, blue sky.

The Farm field is also abloom with vetch, the purple flowers. Meadwo, trees, sky, clouds. Summer!!

It feels like summer might almost be here! Finally! The grasses are going to seed, and it's warm enough to lay in the lawn as the sun goes down.

And, tiny spiders weave their orbs between the taller grasses.

It was so humid and cool today, the dew was almost like a heavy misty rain. The Lady's Mantle collects raindrops and holds them on the pointy parts of the leaves.

And the lavender is in bloom!

David installed our new faucet and sink today! It's very sleek and functional - the faucet has a removable spray nozzle - nice! Cody gave it to us for Christmas over a year ago, so I'm really excited to finally be able to use it.

Cory's been working on his Supra, and after finally getting all the parts, he put it back together yesterday and today. And it started! But, it didn't run smoothly, so he is now troubleshooting, trying to figure out what isn't quite right!

He had to replace the head gasket, which entailed removing just about everything on the top of the motor . . .

Bad spark plug!!

A pair of Red-tail Hawks caught my attention by screeching. They were soaring high, chasing the eagles, who were gone by the time I went to fetch my camera.

Another ferry ride into the sunset. These kids had the best time running around the car deck, and I loved the silhouettes.

Also loved the reflections in this super shiny Karmann Ghia.

This is the view through the hospital window where we spent the day in the chemo infusion ward - I had to shoot between the slats of the blinds, so it's a bit fuzzy top and bottom. These are the watchtowers of the Montlake Drawbridge, over the canal between Lake Union and Lake Washington. The sun popped out between the clouds. In the distance is Bellevue, then the foothills of the Cascade Mountains. These old towers are just fantastic!

MONDAY, JULY 12, 2010

 You'll have to click on this photo to see the full-size version - I was tickled by all the flagpoles on the beach. This is from the ferry on the way to hospital.

Today was one of the lowest tides of the year. Mark suggested a walk on the beach to a rocky area, where we found lots of colorful slimy things . . . like the scum-on-a-rock above.

Suze, Barb and Jonathan watched a huge container ship steam past.

On the water side of most of the rocks were sea anemones, reaching for the water.

Another colony of anemones were pink and white striped, looking like candy!

Barb stands beyond a bright orange shell remnant.

Suze and I went to Choochokum, the street fair in Langley. Lots of great art, and we ran into lots of friends. AND, the weather was great - sunny and warm, but not as hot as yesterday!

Since it was sunny AND laundry day, I put out all the bedding to dry in the sun, and laid out the pillows and down comforters to get some fresh air, too! Can't wait to cuddle into those sweet-smelling sheets tonight!

Caveman is sharing his bonsai azalea now that it is in full bloom. Absolutely lovely, and amazing that such a tiny plant can produce so much bloom! And, another day over 90! supposed to get cooler tomorrow . . .

I have cheated a little here; I took these photos a couple of days ago, but didn't use them. Since I didn't get any shots today, and I dearly love the Ocean Spray bushes, so here you go.

The reason I didn't shoot today: it got over 90 degrees, and I absolutely wilted. Add to that, it was David's first day of radiation treatment, and we had to go into Seattle during the hottest time of day! Good thing the hospital is air conditioned, but we were stuck in the afternoon commute traffic for an hour - whew!

WEDNESDAY, JULY 7, 2010

We went from 60's and cloudy to 85 degrees! Phew! Grasses have gone to seed, sun setting in the background.

Wow - first warm sunny day in a long time! Flowers in my garden: Cranesbill Geranium and volunteer Foxglove.

MONDAY, JULY 5, 2010

Time for a girl's day! I met up with Suze across the ferry, and while I was waiting, I tossed my apple core to the crow, who then had a great time with it! We went to the outlet mall for some overdue shopping - socks and underwear! Also found a cute summer top, and Suze got new jeans and tops, too.

Then we went to see the third movie in the Twilight series: Eclipse. Ahhhhhhhh.....team Edward.