“In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: It Goes On.”
Robert Frost

Thursday, June 26, 2014

Pitter Patter

Pitter-patter-pitter-patter.... is it rain, or something else?

Summer is here! I'm so excited that we're having some sunny days!
We've been getting lots and lots of rain! I'm not sure if you are aware that much of Minnesota has been getting flooded.  Last week we received about 4 inches of rain over night.  Our little lake was the highest I've ever seen and was up over it's high water mark and into our mowed grass.  I'm glad the rain stopped when it did!

After a flooding incident in the 1960's they put a pumping station in and now control the level of the lake by pumping the water down stream into other lakes and then into the creek. We were glad to see the lake go back down after a couple of days.

Other than that the rain has been great for my garden. The flowers and  weeds are growing taller than ever! Even as I write this, a storm is moving in and we should get more rain. Let's hope not too much.


More Peonies....








Blue Delphiniums and Yellow Sundrops



We also had a Strawberry Moon last week and I went out to snap a photo.  It doesn't show near the detail in the moon as I had hoped, but that's the best I could get with my point and shoot camera.



Last week after all the rain, I was backing out of my garage and wondering what some walkers were gawking and pointing at in my driveway.  As I slowly backed out, I saw to the left of my driveway a huge snapping turtle digging a nest for her eggs!  I didn't take a picture because she raised her head and was giving me the evil eye! I did not want to disturb her anymore than I already had by opening the garage door and driving a huge metal beast out just when she was doing something that should really be private!!

I have marked my calendar though and in about three months we should be hearing the pitter-patter of little baby Snappers!!


via

The common adult Snapping Turtle weighs from 9 to 35 pounds and may live around 30 years. They can be aggressive on land, so I chose not to mess with the big mama! I've heard that in the water they are not interested in people and will swim away and hide on the bottom. They are prehistoric looking creatures and quite interesting.  We have observed the two snappers romantically involved in the lake!

Below is a baby snapper.  I've found them in the yard, or I should say, Guy has found snappers and other turtles in the yard before. They are usually about two inches in diameter. I carry them down to the lake and they jump right in and swim off.


http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BplvXKaEb5U/Tdk4Am2JSgI/AAAAAAAABCE/vJMkDv73X80/s1600/turtlesnapbabe3.jpg
source: Baby Snapping Turtle

Independence Day is  soon approaching as are my house-guests! I probably won't be back here to my blog until after the 4th of July, but I will try and get around and visit some of your long neglected blogs! It appears my blog list is working again and your blogs will be much easier for me to keep track of.

Have a wonderful weekend! 
~~ Diane ~~


Monday, June 16, 2014

I Spy In the Sky a Puppy Dog Up High

Get ready for a long post! I am not going to be posting as often this summer, so I am trying to cram everything in until the next time I get back here! Grab yourself a beverage and settle in. 

Last week I was looking at the clouds and enjoying my new zero gravity chair that I picked up at Costco.  I'd been wanting one since last year but never found one with the right features for the right price.  I snapped a couple of pictures with my smartphone while seated in the chair just to remember what it was like and oh it was lovely. Here was my view from a semi-reclined position. Awwwwwww.....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz, oooops! 



I saw swallows flying overhead and there was a nice breeze.  The temperature was about 76 degrees and gorgeous, a top ten day in Minnesota.  I was just lying there doing nothing except looking up at the beautiful sky and watching the clouds form into the fleeting shape of a dog and then into ... well just a cloud again. It was to fast to get a photo of, I was a bit mesmerized by it and didn't even think about grabbing my phone again and just enjoyed the moment.  The cottonwood fluff was floating around and Guy would occasionally jump into the air to grab some. It was just about the most relaxed hour I'd had in a week!


Back to the cool chair, first off it so comfortable I almost dozed off! Next, it has this neat fold out table with a drink holder (on the other side of the chair)!   It doesn't really get any better than that! But it does! The chair also has a sliding pillow on a track, that way it can be adjusted for comfort for both my hubby and me.  I think we may be fighting over the chair.... may have to go back for another one. 




Since I last posted we have had crazy weather here, one day pouring rain and fall like temperatures and the next hello summer! This week we are definatley heading for the sultry feel of summer with high humidity and maybe even some 90 degree temps.  My garden is finally starting to look like summer too! My peonies just started to bloom the other day and then of course we had crazy wind that beat them up!  My roses also took a thrashing and rose petals were strewn across the lawn.  My poor little beauties!  We have more severe weather forecast for tonight and I must get out and cut some of these and bring them in before they are gone for the season.














Another thing I am loving right now is my mosquito repellent thing, it is the OFF clip-on and it is the coolest gadget. It has a refillable orderless repellent that lasts about two weeks. It fits into the device and has a little fan inside.  It emits this scent to mosquitoes and they do not even come near!  I love this for when you don't want to spray yourself with smelly mosquito repellents.  This product really only works well if you are seated and not moving around much. Perfect if you are just lounging around, reading a book or cat sitting. It works perfectly if you want to dine outside, just clip one under the table, and no one will know! The citronella candles can be a bit over powering and frankly don't work as well as this product. 

                                     Dot in the strawberries!



 Guy putting his best foot.. er paw... forward!


Changes and more changes! Both neighbors on either side of us sold their houses this spring.  We have a new set of neighbors on one side already and they took three weeks to mow their lawn and now they have a new puppy that barks at night and every time they leave. Oy Vey! I'm hoping things settle down over there! So far the house on the other side is empty.  I am keeping my fingers crossed for nice quiet neighbors! 
I hope you are all enjoying some nice 
summer weather wherever you are! 
I'll be visiting your blogs soon! 

~~ Diane ~~



*I am not being reimbursed or rewarded for my reviews on these products and these are just my personal opinions.

Monday, June 2, 2014

Hello June



Spring lasted about five minutes and now here we are in summer!
It seems like we just got rid of the snow and the calendar indicates that our warm weather up here in the northern states will last just a mere four months more!  We went out for dinner the other night at a local eatery on Lake Minnetonka, and sat in the sun where we were roasted for the entire meal.  How can it already get this hot!? 

I had to remind our dinner party that we should enjoy it, because we had just endured one of the coldest winters in the past 30 years!!

But still, really 87 degrees already, that is kind of unheard of for this time of year.  I chugged down over two glasses of iced-tea just to keep from melting!  Our server was terrific and kept apologizing for the heat, (all the seating in the shade was taken), but dang-it, we were going to sit outside even if we got heat-stroke!

As I said our server was great and he made sure we had plenty of ice water and even replaced my first ice tea because all the ice melted in about 4 minutes!  We had a nice meal, even though we ate pretty quickly and did not linger, it was really hot! We drove around the lake and stopped in a couple of spots to take in the lovely views and the plentiful sailboats on the lake that were in some sort of regatta. I would have loved to get a photo, but we never got into the right spot to capture one. It was a lovely sight though and proof that the lazy days of summer are soon upon us.










I happily said goodbye to my house-guests and find that as an introvert having other people around for over a week starts to wear me down. It's nice to see visitors, but I also love my solitude!

I have to rest up though, because I will have more visitor's coming at the end of the month! So I need to enjoy the flowers, bees, wildlife and birds while I have some quiet time on my own. I need to refresh and renew my spirit and just soak up as much of this early summer as I can to last me through the cold months of winter.

I found a lovely little quote that I'd like to share with you today, it makes me wonder if maybe the flowers do sing and we just can't hear them!


"What a pity flowers can utter no sound! A singing rose, a whispering violet, a murmuring honeysuckle, --oh, what a rare and exquisite miracle would these be!"
Henry Ward Beecher (1813-1887)








 Oh, and one more thing --- 

Dear June,
Please be Wonderful!

 June Calling Card...
 Happy June!

 ~~Diane~~