Titles

When you've posted online as much as I have, the ability to dream up titles is pretty important. Not long after Bruce gave me my first digital camera, Matthew gave me the gift of flickr for my birthday. Oh my, how I was in love with seeing all the gorgeous photos from the world over. As time went by, I learned to make up titles for my photos, some 1,500 or so, as well as this blog, of which you are reading post #996. Whew, that's a bunch of titles! Which all means I have loads of practice naming images, a great help when titling the photographs I sell. I won't lie, I kind of like it when folks compliment me on my titles

All of that to say that this article on the slow death of Flickr is sad. Very sad. I can remember my excitement when posting, seeing my children's adventures and travels on flickr, and meeting folks from around the world online. In fact, most of the contacts I have aside from family and friends are all from flickr, including Lenny whose set of gorgeous birds from England is nothing short of remarkable. See, you just can't get that from facebook ,which is why I hope, hope, hope, something can be done to stop the bleeding. I'd be there in a heartbeat if only it worked a little faster. The internet world is like a gold rush--here today, gone tomorrow.

Since last we met, we got a new awning to replace the one we made. Actually, they took the old one down about four weeks ago and truthfully, I was getting a wee bit anxious for the replacement. Wouldn't you know it, when they brought it Friday morning before our departure, the awning had white trim attached to the bottom, which was not what I ordered. White looks good, we did it ourselves, but that is precisely one of the reasons for replacing ours. Mildew shows up horribly on white. Apparently they came back later on Friday so that when we returned home Sunday night, there it was.

Actually, it is not quite what I had hoped for fabric-wise, but I chose from their selection of Sunbrella, a highly weather resistant fabric. I'll get used to it. Maybe by the time it needs replacing in the future, there will be just the perfect fabric!

Sadly another neighbor has died. There was a message to call Regina on the answering machine when we got home Sunday night. Calling her back, she told me the newsm which was not entirely shocking to me. Yes, I was shocked that what appeared to be a healthy man was dead, but Friday morning while moving the cars around I saw some emergency vehicles just down the street with none of the workers appearing to be in a hurry. I assumed it was the mother, or father, of our remodeling contractor who was having some sort of trouble because of their age. Not so. Jerry was 69 which seems pretty young to me. Plus, I saw him nearly every day driving his Element down the street. To make it more personal, it was his nectarine tree I've photographed and posted on this very blog. For some reason the photos are not showing up on that post so I'll post the tree again for reference.

Furthermore, his daughter married the son of the gynecologist who delivered my first born son. So there's that.

Baxter has been slightly puny since our return so you can imagine how I remedied that situation. Of course, a trip to Cypress Grove Park. Today I took my Olympus Pen with the 55-200 Panasonic lens which I've not used very much. Ouch!! I looked it up on Amazon and it now costs $150 less than I paid. Anyway, practice was in order. Puniness aside, Baxter had a little hey-day there, running as if he felt just fine and dandy. Not long after starting our walk, I saw a white limo come down the main drive. This was 9:30 in the morning I might add. And really, what a limo it was. The front tag says "Above and Beyond" which seems appropriate to me.

Why yes, it is a Rolls Royce. As we walked the pathways, here is what we saw soon thereafter:

What you don't see is the videographer, violinist, and photographer surrounding the wedding couple. There appeared to be not one guest in sight. Perhaps they are a British couple having a destination wedding? I wish them a long and happy life together, whomever they are!

The roses are blooming like mad--some real stunners, although this one looks small compared to some I've seen in California. I mean, there, the roses are not only gorgeous, but huge as well. This one will have to do for now:

Speaking of California, my poor Bruce sent me a photo last evening via email and if I knew how to get it to this blog I would. Actually it's kind of gross looking. Have I piqued your interest yet? No worries, here's what it is all about. Saturday evening, as we zipped up the tent, Bruce knelt down in front of one of the corners to better close the tent. OH MY GOSH! In a matter of seconds, his leg was covered with fire ants!!! Two days later and the bites look horrible. He repeatedly said that, although it was painful for him, it would have been a huge nightmare if it had been me. He is right as usual.

Yesterday morning we walked down our street to the lake. Lots of these kinds of shells on the beach,

as well as bird tracks galore. I brought home one of our neighbor Gail's white hibiscus blooms, played around, and here you go:

What's new on the squirrel front you ask? I'm trying a new tactic that Karen Tewilliger told me about during the party at Steve and Barb's house. She's a real animal lover with so many you just wouldn't believe. Professing my distate for squirrels, she disagreed saying she rescues them! Her idea of a deterrent was to smear Vaseline on the pole and in our case the little bowl which was supposed to work as a baffler. It did not, as we all know, only to well. I went to the Dollar Store, got what they had, in this case Cocoa Butter Petroleum Jelly, and smeared away. Today I saw not one on the Nuttery which may be a good sign. This afternoon, while working in the yard, I heard what I thought was a woodpecker. Shading my eyes and peering up into the oak tree, I saw no evidence of a woodpecker. Hmmm.......

It wasn't till a bit later when I heard it again that I discovered a damn squirrel gnawing away on the kayak. Really, it is pathetic. I'm trying a watered down bleach spray for that, but obviously, I have not re-sprayed it often enough. What's a girl to do? Smear the kayak with petroleum jelly perhaps?

After last week's busyness, this week has started slowly. I miss Bruce, and I'm slightly concerned for Baxter. I suppose I'm experiencing a little let down which is only natural. There will be no shows until the fall and at this point I'm trying to determine how I feel about continuing the Winter Garden market. Bruce's work schedule soon will be very demanding with potentially the entire work week spent in California. Do I want to be gone both days that he is home? Probably not. Decisions, decisions.

Another thing that has me slightly unsettled is that when I'm out selling, people tend to buy the same things over and over. I want them to like some new stuff. Have I used up the little bit of talent I had? I feel like a singer who has to sing their original hits despite the fact that they've been making music for decades. When I looked over last years sales at Mayfaire, the same prints are selling this year. This job, while it seems pretty easy, is harder than you would think. But then again, it's not rocket science, now is it?

I Love Lakeland

I've said it. Sort of out loud no less. It's a cute little town, the home of Publix, the nation's best grocery store, and the people are nice. Very, very nice. Plus, they seem to like me too.

When we arrived on Friday afternoon, only minutes before the 4:00 deadline for check in, I was both happy and sad. Happy that the drive through check in was super easy, plus they gave us both an ice cold bottle of water AND a major goodie bag; sad that when we got to space #33, there was not a tree in sight.  Not only were there no trees to shade my tent, but I also had a large square indention smack dab in the back third of my space as well. As in, a trip hazard marked with ORANGE paint. What were they thinking?? Some sort of utility thing. While I was whining, Bruce was dreaming up a way to mitigate the situation. A quick call to his superintendent on the Olive Garden he's building in Lakeland, and the problem was solved. Steve cut a nice piece of plywood which we picked up after setting up. Whew!

After dinner at Longhorn, we went straight to our hotel, pretty much in the same huge parking lot. This time Bruce used up all his Hilton points for the stay so our show take would seem all the better. Because we weren't done setting up, we were up bright and early Saturday morning. Before we left I had to take a few shots of the sky with my phone.

No red sky so I was feeling very optimistic about the weather. The clouds were very interesting with this one looking, oh so close, to a heart with the moon in the middle.

Well, not really in the middle, but close. I kept thinking of the hearts you used to draw when you were young with the Cupid's arrow through them. Is it just me?

The plywood was in place, the canvases all hung, and show time arrived. While we were playing bridge on Thursday, our friend Debbie brought out some bridge notes written in the most perfect print I've seen in ages. I asked her if she would consider coming by the house on her way home to write out all my price tags and consent she did. Oh my goodness they look so much better than mine. It's not that I can't print or anything, but my writing is not nearly as perfect as hers. She re-did each and every one for me and I can't wait to tell her how great they looked hung on the walls.

You can't really see them very well, but trust me on this, they are nice. So, the day began and right from the start things went well. I was super busy all day long much to my amazement. The weather cooperated; despite my lack of tree shade, I was comfortable enough. Of course, some of that is because Bruce made a little shade shelter with an umbrella and one of the walls behind the tent. Not that I spent much time there thankfully, but it was there had I needed it. Plus the battery operated fan he insisted we bring. Two years ago it was so darn sweltering that he ran out and bought the fan just so we could survive the weekend! I sold lots of little stuff, some middle stuff and some big stuff. When the day was all said and done and the amount totaled, Bruce was thinking that if we did $300-500 on Sunday we would be happy.

Because we were staying in town we attended the artist dinner at Hollis Gardens. They are so generous with food and beverages. Plus they decorate!

During our meal we chatted with our booth neighbors; both of the artists proved to be very interesting indeed. Everyone went to bed on Saturday night happy campers. Bruce, ever the romantic, surprised me with a rose in a bud vase, a card, and a bottle of wine in our hotel room. An ORANGE vase no less!

Sunday, the skies looked great again and off we went to see what the day would bring. I brought my Mother's Day rose to grace the table.

Actually, Bruce spent much of the time in the hotel room working. Surprised? I didn't think you would be. Guess what? Sunday rocked as well. After adding it all up on our drive home I thought I'd sold one amount, only to count my cash and Square transactions and discover it was at least $100 more. Which meant that I sold $1,000 more than last year!!! Now you see why I love Lakeland.

Actually, that is only part of it. The folks there treat the artists so well, from the goodie bag on arrival, to  water whenever you need it. They have an artist hospitality center where they served cups of grape tomatoes, grapes, cheese, peanuts and more both days. Plus, they brought little breakfast bags to your tent! In polka dot bags!!

The load in is super easy, the parking the same. Really, everything about the show is the best of any I've done. Did I mention it cost less than some? It does. Despite what folks call it, "The Bake at the Lake", I have no complaints. Especially after the plywood fix.

Because the show closes at 4 we were able to pack up and arrive home around 6:30. Naturally the bird feeders were mostly empty, but this time, what I was really worried about were my flowers. Bruce, he worries about Baxter, I worry about my garden. Baxter was well taken care of by Mr. Bill, the flowers not so much. I cringed when I saw my flower boxes looking PARCHED. Today it seems as if they may have recovered, however, it may be too soon to tell. Let's hope so.

Matt called from San Paulo, Brazil to wish me a Happy Mother's Day on Facetime.  Crazy, right? Bill and Dave arrived with Baxter soon thereafter, and Jonathan called a bit later. All in all, it was a Mother's Day to remember. My boys, my photography and my dear husband. What more could I ask for?

Getting it Done

For weeks now we've had several nuisances around these parts, one of which I've written about before, as in the sprinkler system. For those readers who've been experiencing unusually large amounts of rain, having a faulty sprinkler system does not seem so bad. Trust me on this, it is. Last month's utility bill reflected as much--$100 for water. Ouch! Today we are finally having some folks come out and get us back in shape.

Additionally, I've had an air leak in the pool filter lines which not only made for constant bubbling at the jets, but the pool vacuum crawled along at a turtle's pace. A turtle's pace you ask? Well, why not? Last evening Bruce called out, saying I had a visitor in the yard and here he is!

A pretty good sized one that apparently crawled away from one of the two lakes in either direction from our home. I took others, but I thought I'd show you this one because, not only do you see how big the turtle is, but you also get to see the declining supertinias. Painful is what I have to say about their state. I am trying to come to some conclusion on whether or not I should transplant them before they all die on me. What to do, what to do? While I was out surveying my garden I discovered yet another creature! More? Yes.

I should have made that a plural in the previous paragraph because there were gobs of these Oleander Caterpillars. According to the link, they will defoliate the plant in no time, thus, if we didn't want some bare stalks, something had to be done pronto. Fortunately, Mr. Bruce arrived, picking them off with some tweezers and placing them in a drink bottle in the freezer. The freezer? That's what they said to do! Matthew is experiencing some of his own garden invasion from unknown sources. His exact words--"gardening is stressful." I couldn't agree more. See above regarding baby petunias!

But so worthwhile when things are going well, which for the most part they do. I am in love with the color of this new shade of vincas.

While still on the topic of gardening, last week I made a visit to Appenbury's which I believe I mentioned. There were some gigantic, and I mean gigantic, sunflowers in the ground, waving their faces in the breeze.

Stupendous, right? The sky is a never ending source of interest, going from this gorgeous shade of blue, to this:

Enthralled might be a good word for when I see the sunbeams through the clouds. Although the sky looks menacing in this photograph, the rainfall produced was minimal. One of these days we will have some rain, and on the flip side, one of these days sunshine will once again visit London. Faith is what that kind of thinking is called...

While picking up Bill from the car place, I asked him if he'd like to head out to Lukas Nursery since we were half-way there? He agreed readily because he's a plant guy himself, going crazy planting Asiatic jasmine all around his new palm. Anyway, we roamed around, marveling at all of the beautiful specimens. As we turned a corner we heard a noise, wondering what the heck it was. Chickens my friends. Four were in a large coop with two of them being so crazy looking I couldn't get over it.

The head was covered with feathers somewhat like an afro. I was darn lucky to finally get this shot
through the bars.

Perhaps a reader knows the type? Talk about top heavy! As I recall, the black bodied chicken of this type also had a white topper. Love this kind of random sighting...

So, where was I before I got off topic? Oh yes, the air leak. The pool guy came yesterday morning and it was not anything that had occurred to me. The filter needed a thorough cleaning, as did the salt generator. Both required taking apart, a task I'm ill suited for. $125 and we are on our way.

While he was cleaning, I was signing, a task I'm also ill suited for. Frequently when folks ask how things went and I give them a number of prints sold, I'm not sure that it's so easy to visualize. Well, let's enlighten right now.

This stack of new prints totals 95, two shy of my Melbourne sales. It would be half again as tall if not for the fact that 45 of them are currently without mats, although, if things go right, they will have them later today. They are all signed, two stickers each and a thank you on the back. On my way to bridge, in just a bit, I'll drop them back off for the mats. You're probably thinking to yourself, why can't she put the mats in? Answer: different ratios. So there. A good many of these are slated for filling up the twirly thing in my office which currently stands empty. Then again, maybe it will be a good weekend which at this point is anyone's guess. Typically it's hot as the dickens during Mayfaire; the forecast is only for the high 80's with a 20% chance of rain. Not bad at all. I am assigned booth #33 which if memory serves me right, and that's always taking a chance, it is close to where I was last year.

Yesterday brought some good news. My sister Nancy, who lives in Memphis, had been looking online for jobs earlier this year. Lots of looking. One day she decided it might be a good idea to check with her local Marshalls, walk in and ask if they were hiring. And they were. Now it is several months later and she has been chosen to be a "Manager in Training" starting today! We couldn't be more proud or happy for her. While talking I mentioned to her that although working in retail is hard, that's probably where she always should have been working because if anyone knows how to shop it is Nancy. You may recall that she also loves to organize and it was this skill that caught management's eye. I guess this means she won't be coming here this year for my annual clean up. Woohoo!

Chickens, it seems, are all the rage now which is probably why they had them at Lukas. Our city council just passed an ordinance allowing 25 homeowners to have chickens in their back yard. Just this morning, after reading the linked article, Bruce came into the bedroom while I was still lolly-gagging in bed, saying, perhaps we might want to have chickens. Perhaps we might. This installment of Camera Crazy describes my friends the Whiteds adventures in chicken farming. Rachel has a chicken initiative going in Winter Park hoping their city council will get with the program.  A local television clip with Rachel found it's way onto CNN!

The hour is late, as in, if I want to have time to get ready for bridge, so that's it for today.

Have a good one!
Gail

A Party Weekend

It is a darn good thing we had loads of fun at the two parties we attended this weekend because if I would have had to rely on the market for my fun, I would have been sorely disappointed. Hot. Remind me not to do the downtown market the morning after Cinco de Mayo. Was everyone sleeping in? I think so.

When last we met I was heading to the kitchen for a little baking. As is clearly evident from the photo below, I'm a bit out of practice judging from the various colors of the chocolate chip cookies.

The macaroons, on the other hand, turned out quite nicely although different than they have in the past. For some reason I had trouble getting my egg white to form peaks which has never proven to be problematic before. Oddly enough, while beating said egg white I wondered about a stand mixer. Should I, or shouldn't I? So, what's so odd about that you ask? While talking to Matthew yesterday morning he showed me his brand new Kitchen Aid mixer, which, I was happy to learn, is made in the good old United States of America. Don't you think Kitchen Aid is a brilliant brand name? Matt has been on a wild baking kick, making everything from pizza dough to funnel cake. And, that, my friends, is in addition to his terrace garden which is coming along quite nicely. Now, if only it would quit raining in London and he'd be set. Aside from the shower at the Melbourne Art Festival (wouldn't you know it?), there has been zip in the rain gauge. Send some our way.

As evidence of the gloomy skies, here are some photos taken while Matthew visits the Olympic Park for an early water polo tournament. According to him, the place is spectacular. I can hardly wait for the Olympics myself. Note to self--must have some hand work to keep me sitting still for all the competitions!

The party at Steve and Barb's condo was full of fun, food, and laughter

as all good parties should be! Following the market on Saturday we drove to Jane and Michaels to celebrate college graduations, as in two, Aron and Adrienne. When Jane and Michael married they both had children from their previous marriages--Jane's son is Carter, and Michael had Aron and Adrienne. They are pretty much the poster children for a blended marriage with everyone getting along beautifully. The whole clan was there to celebrate Aron's graduation from UCF and Adrienne from FSU. Although they are different ages, Aron, as is often the case with boys, took a bit more time to get through his studies.

Ultimately the party was for them, but babies have a way of stealing the show don't they? Carter and his wife Lauren flew down from Columbus, Ohio to join the celebration. For the life of me I can't remember the babies name, but I can remember how darling she is!

Trying to figure out what sunglasses are for it seems. Her sweet little hair and smooth skin are enough to make you want to squeeze her to pieces! Here's how she probably looks in Ohio where the sun does not shine quite so brilliantly:

Those darling little toes! After dark the "super moon" rose over the lake:

It was a lovely evening with cool breezes blowing off the lake. Terrific Mexican food, but you probably already guessed that's what they served.

As I mentioned, Sunday was hot and slow. I nearly finished my book, State of Wonder by Ann Patchett, which, despite some pretty glowing reviews, was only okay. I was kept in a state of wonder about those reviews while reading it! One person that came by was Robin Pedero, a highly recognized artist in our area. She sells on Etsy and I discussed it a bit with her trying to find out how in the heck to get people to notice you. During our talk I learned that she was on the site for six months before her first sale which made me feel not so bad about the lack of activity I've had since my first sale. Perhaps it will be six months before the next??? Let's hope not.

You may be getting the impression that I've spent a lot of money lately on plants and up to a point that is true. The Lukas Nursery trip was expensive, but after that, I've gotten loads of my plants from the discount area at Lowes. What I've discovered is that although the plants seem a bit bedraggled, once they are free of their pots they perk up very nicely. For instance, I bought 8 plants with no blooms for $1 each--original price--$4.

Both the purple petunias and the yellow came without any flowers whatsoever and look at them now!!! The baskets came from Big Lots at a considerable discount as well. Once a bargain shopper, always a bargain shopper!! I am so loving these baskets.

For those of you who've not seen the sunroom, my window washing feat may not have seen like much. I'm here to rectify your opinion showing you one corner of the room:

The door alone is enough to make one cringe when faced with cleaning it both inside and out!!

Bill is having some car work done and needs his Momma to come pick him up, so off I go to help one of my darling "boys."

I Can See Clearly Now

I don't know about you but I'm notorious for putting off tasks that I don't like. Surely it's not because I don't have time to do them because with a schedule like mine--who wouldn't have time? The truth of the matter is, that sometimes, I'm just plain lazy when it comes to housekeeping.

For whatever reason I woke up this morning thinking TODAY is the day to clean those sunroom windows. And so I did, and really, it wasn't so bad after all. Perhaps you're like me when facing a task such as mine, you think someone else might have a better idea on how to do things than you do. Of course, I turn to the internet, as I bet, on occasion, you do as well. I knew I was going to use a long handled brush with some sort of mixture, but what kind, I left up to Google. Ammonia, alcohol and a drop or two of dish soap. I remember once asking the folks at Publix how they got their bakery cases so spotless and they told me the secret was alcohol. Drying effect and all. What I didn't need was a video to show me how to mix it up. Apparently some people might . Check out this video on how to blend taco seasoning spices! Can you imagine? I mean really. A person who is going to be making their own taco seasoning surely wouldn't need a video would they?

After completing the sunroom, including the door, I tackled the side and front glass doors as well and am I glad I did! I can hardly hold back a minute longer before showing you the CUTEST bird picture I've ever taken!!!

One of our baby cardinals showing off how grown up he is. Or maybe it's a girl? I can't tell just yet, probably more out of ignorance than anything. I suppose that little crest must say something wouldn't you think? A few days ago I bought that little bird house on a stand he is perched upon, placing it on the ground right below the Nuttery. For the moment the squirrels have dumped all the food once again, so prior to me taking this photo baby was eating off the ground. I took this through the clear door so now you know how why I am so happy. After little guy finished his shaking I then saw his SIBLING coming to join him!

They scooted away before I could get anything more. The cuteness is almost more than a person can stand!

Now that we've got that out of the way, what really happened is that while standing at the kitchen sink preparing my lunch I looked out the window and what should I see but....

Yep, a long as heck, black racer snake who, shortly after this was taken, slithered into the bushes on the right which house above bird house! Plus you can see all the seed. Boo hiss. I may have to get nasty with the squirrels. I know my friend Karen used to spray some bothersome raccoons with ammonia which sent them running; maybe that would do the trick?

While eating my lunch at the kitchen table I spied some activity through the side door. My goodness there were two blue jays digging through my new purple supertinias which are not faring nearly as well as I'd hoped. Is it any wonder I get anything done around this place. It's non-stop action!

I'm thinking this is a male and female. What you don't see so well in this case (bushes in the way), is the one furthest from you has a stick in it's mouth which he carried away. Baby blue jays next?  While visiting Appenbury's, a local garden center, I learned that although the supertinias are great bloomers, they are not quite as easy to grow as I was lead to believe. Apparently, watering them is tricky--too much and they don't like it, same goes for not enough. Hard to find a happy medium which I'm learning fairly quickly.

Yesterday at bridge Jean asked me what the heck is Instagram? Let me show you I said, pulling out my purple-clad iPhone. I took Debbie's photo first, while she was dealing the cards as you can plainly see:

You'll remember that Debbie has just re-joined us after nearly a year's hiatus while undergoing breast cancer treatment. She is such a joy to be around; her attitude as I've mentioned before is remarkable. Well, that shows in the picture doesn't it? I'm not sure I could go out in public with my hair just beginning to grow and wear GIGANTIC hoop earrings to boot!

Jean was up next and in fact I did post her photo to Instagram because she kinda liked it. Instagram to facebook= simple. Here's the unedited version of Miss Jean who is over 70 and recovering from open heart surgery only two months ago!

Another thing we have in common, aside from loving orange, is, she too, is a former x-ray tech! I have so enjoyed not only learning to play bridge, albeit slowly, but meeting all the wonderful ladies. I'm one lucky gal.

So too is the person who recently sold a version of "The Scream" for $120 million. I couldn't agree more with this commentary from the NYTimes though. It's kinda like the current salaries paid to CEOs of large companies--really? Is anything, or anyone, worth these astronomical sums? Of course not.

You may very well be wondering how it is that I came across the taco seasoning video and I won't keep you in suspense one minute longer. I agreed to take dessert tonight for a little impromptu party over at Barb and Steve's house. A trifle seemed like a good idea, however, after searching for a recipe, I discovered I don't have one ingredient or another, so Toll House cookies will have to do. In fact, I need to head into the kitchen right about now.

Before I do I wanted to thank my friend Karen Howard for her kind comment yesterday. Sometimes, even after posting 991 times, I feel as I did when I was writing post #1. Is anyone reading what I write? Do I really have anything worthy of anyone else's attention? Is it all just an exercise in futility? And then along came Karen....

Be Solid

While driving home from the pool store yesterday I heard an interview on the radio about commencement addresses that struck a chord with me. The author of the book, an offshoot of his famous commencent address to Dartmouth graduates, lists ten things you won't typically hear upon graduation. Number ten on the list is "don't try to be great." Instead, he suggests that you be solid at what you do. Makes me think things like dependable, conscientious, that sort of thing. Doing the very best that you can, accepting your limitations, and generally things will work out for you. In my little business I think that means that, over time, singles don't seem nearly as glamourous as home runs, but they all have a part in the game. My take away? Building my business $10 at a time is a good thing.

Enough philosophizing right? Let's have some fun here!

Baxter, as most of my regular readers know, is not much of a walker. Sure, he'll go if you practically tug him along EXCEPT for when I take him to Cypress Grove Park. There, he is an Olympian, running like there is no tomorrow. Because I'd mostly ignored him last week,  I decided he deserved a little treat as in riding in the new car, AND, a trip to the park. He seemed to very much like having a seat to perch on, which leads me to believe he likes the new car as much as I do. Anyway, as is always the case, the minute I pulled up he got very excited. Wait just a minute little guy! This vehicle may have a seat for you to sit on, but you can't be jumping down to the ground with your little legs.

The roses, bare on our last visit, were tremendous. Practicing a little soft focus here:

Soft focus, by the way, is all over Etsy. As is processing in general. When I began five years ago, Bill suggested I would need to learn how to edit because I'd be competing against those who do. Stubborn probably, but I resisted. To date it's served me well, (see above), but I'm not so sure I can keep up with the Etsy crowd. Time will tell.

As we wandered into the areas with wide open fields I noticed what I thought was a horse trailer pulling up under a shady area in one of the parking lots. Walking closer, indeed it sure was a horse trailer.  Two women got out of the truck portion, opened the back of the trailer and here is either Judy or Dixie with part of their cargo:

I'll be thinking of the sisters when I complain about being old for what I'm doing. The ladies who own High Horse Carriage Rides are just under and over 70 years old! The carriage came out and then the horse, or perhaps it was the other way around. Anyway, they were preparing for the wedding of a British couple who were to be taken from the park to the church down the road, and then back again to the on site house for the reception. Although they told me what kind of horse they used, I promptly forgot, but their handy website reminded me that Neiman is an American Draft Cross, if that means anything to you.

As we drew close I wondered how Baxter would react to being around such a big animal because large dogs just make him bark as if he were their size. He stood by my side, quiet as a mouse. The women explained to me how they were horsewomen for most of their lives, then, as they were getting older, hatched the idea for carriage rides and the business took off like gang busters. For the event they change into top hats and the like, right inside the trailer which is equipped with a bathroom and bed. You might notice how long the mane is because that's the way they like it.

Admittedly, they told me, that it is somewhat hard to keep untangled! It was a very fun little random sighting I'll tell you that much.

Backing up a few days to the weekend, one of the nice things about staying there was sitting outside watching the world come to life including the sun rise.

If you can believe it, and I know that you can, those darn squirrels are back to gnawing away on Bruce's kayak!!! This morning, and I have no clue if it will help, I sprayed the outside with a bleach mixture, hoping the smell will be enough to drive those pesky rodents away. Wishful thinking probably.

I happened into the local Dollar Store for some rocks on Tuesday afternoon and found this silly little thing that is making me laugh every time I walk by it in the sunroom.

And why is it in the sunroom you ask? Solar powered hula girl!! She dances when she gets hot. I should have probably bought about ten of them and done a photo shoot with them all lined up dancing. Whimsy, my friends, adds much to our serious lives, don't you agree?

Are you sick of birds yet? Because if you are, this won't interest you in the slightest! I am not sick of birds so you'll just have to put up with me. For weeks now I've been seeing this bird on one or the other of the feeders:

Studying the book I could NOT identify said bird. In fact, a few posts ago I called it my mystery bird, thinking it was some kind of sparrow. Well no wonder! I was looking under the wrong type. Finally in my frustration I sent the photo off to someone knowledgable on the subject and she informed me that it is a female red winged blackbird. Amazing that it has not one bit of black right? And red for that matter!

The funny thing is that several weeks ago, when Bruce came across the listing in the Audubon book, he said that they had made a mistake in labeling. Apparently not, which of course we knew, but just couldn't believe. Birds are indeed fascinating! Below the bird you can see my window box, mounted on the fence, is starting to come along. If my flowers need sun they are sure getting their fair share lately because there have been very few clouds. I finally caved, turning on the air conditioner the other day when the heat was getting to me. It pains me to be shut up inside not being able to hear my birdies but I don't much care for having a heat stroke either.

Don't try to be great--be solid!

May Day

Throughout much of the world, today is celebrated as May Day, however, around these parts, it is better known as Jonathan's birthday. I can still recall when I first thought I was pregnant with what would be my fourth child and frankly I was not thrilled. Bruce and I were 28 years old with a 6 year old and 3 year old twins, pretty much more than we could handle. And then along came Jonathan and what a blessing he's been, particularly as he's gotten older. I suppose he shared many characteristics with other "babies" in a large family during his younger days. Now, on the other hand, I so appreciate his wit and wisdom, great for such a young man.

In October of 1996 we moved into our present home when Jonathan was only 12.  All of us were thrilled to have our very own swimming pool, particularly Jonathan who was the first one to test it out during his first birthday here. Typically the water doesn't warm up enough for Floridians to swim until later in the month, but Jonathan was determined, and did a cannonball on his birthday into the cool water while his grandparents watched from the sidelines. That seems like a long time ago and in reality, I guess it was.

A lot has changed since those years, with one thing staying the same. We normally do NOT go into the pool until late May. Yesterday that changed as I unexpectedly found myself in the water up to my waist while fully clothed!! How, you ask? Well, if you thought it had something to do with photography, you would be right. Cleaning the pool in the early morning,  I discovered a toad swimming and floating which I scooped out with my cleaning net. He just sat there on the deck, probably trying to recover from the shock. I took one photograph, then thought perhaps if I stepped onto the pool steps I could get a better angle. Next thing I know, I'm sliding off the step into the deeper water, scraping my elbow along the way. I did, however, get a really great shot:

Wasn't long after this and off he went into the bushes. He looks sort of sad doesn't he? Photography is more dangerous than you thought right?

So, I suspect what you're dying to know is, what happened at the show. Fine, that's how it went. Not fantastic, but fine. Interestingly enough, my neighbor artist was a young man who lives in Satellite Beach, however, that's not where he always lived. Amazingly, he went to Boone High School graduating two years after the twins. Not so amazing is that he knew them slightly, after all, they were somewhat notorious for reasons, both good and bad.

It was Ryan Walters first show despite painting for years. He is equally passionate about English literature which he teaches in Satellite Beach. His lovely wife Erin, also from Orlando, graduating from Colonial High School, some miles away. She also has a passing knowledge of the twins, and works in finance as they do. In September they will be adding a new member to their family.

They were as sweet as can be. Anyway, his paintings take way long to create, and dry, thus they are expensive. As we've all learned by now, most of the crowd at an art show is simply there to wander, not to buy. Ryan learned this on Saturday, sitting, sitting, sitting. Sunday morning he said how tired he was from Saturday which should tell you a lot. If he was tired, imagine how this old lady feels after a show! During lulls in my sales, we discussed the whole art festival thing and how the judging is so biased towards those who have won in the past, always overlooking any newcomers on the scene. He asked me if all the judges were as arrogant, and for the most part, I had to say yes, indeed they are. Frustrated, he and Erin visited until FINALLY,  in the afternoon, one of the patrons purchased a piece. And then another one sold and another. They left happy campers after all.

Painters typically look down on photographers, and that's okay, however, there is quite a bit of work to what I do that they don't see. And then there is the personal injury factor which I've had my fair share of. The scab,from slipping on some wet concrete,  finally came off of a scrape on my shin that happened weeks ago. Heat, bug bites, and falls. I've endured them all!

Speaking of heat, I thought I'd die on Saturday during the afternoon. All that kept running through my head was how am I going to survive Mayfaire in two weeks??? I will, but you already knew that. We also had the misfortune to have rain on Sunday. Talking to Matthew yesterday afternoon, I learned that it's been raining cats and dogs in London, whereas, we've had almost none. Until Sunday that is. In the above photo you might notice my boxes stacked against the wall, drying out. Oh well, it's all part of the outdoor experience isn't it?

What was terrific, and I mean terrific about the weekend was our stay at Crane Creek Inn. Arriving around 4:30 Friday afternoon, we were thrilled when we saw it in person.

After loading the vehicle with the art show stuff, Bruce tied the kayak to the roof which proved to be a bit challenging because of the vehicle height, but he got it done. So, that was the first thing he did, with Andy's help upon our arrival--take it down and carry it down to the creek, or what really looks like a river to me. The weather was gorgeous and the scenery matched.

I told you it looked like a river! Everywhere you looked was perfect, including this view of the hammock and covered hot tub which I'm happy to say we took advantage of on Saturday night!

How about the porch in front of our room? Nice, huh?

The room was perfect, the bed fantastic! Although we didn't take advantage of it, the heated pool was wonderful as well.

I can't say enough how happy I was that we were able to stay there because it was only about a two block walk to my space. Bruce fished on Saturday after helping me finish the display.

As you can imagine, he's checking to see that everything is hanging level. Friday night we worked until after dark; staying so darn close, we were able to walk right over in the morning and finish things up. Hurray!

Arriving home Sunday night around 8, Bill returned Baxter who was happy to see us. Asking Baxter if he'd enjoyed his weekend getaway, I'm pretty sure I heard him say yes. The flowers were fine, the feeders empty, and the house in good shape. The best part of the weekend, aside from the CCI, was that Mr. Bruce did not work (paying work that is) one single second, which hasn't been the case in so long that I can't even remember! After unloading, a quick supper and we were pretty much wiped out, particularly because Bruce had to leave for California in the morning.

Another show in the books as they say.