The Sweet Spot

The best corner of the realm for pictures right now, turns out to be smack dab on our patio. Perfect open shade, nice and bright but not enough to induce extreme squinting. 
I doesn't get much better than that. And the most amazing little model comes often enough that I'm actually getting to practice. A lot! 
And how about that splash of perfectly coordinating color? Not even planned, I swear.

Poppy & Rilla

It's hard not to have a good day if you get a visit from little Miss Sunshine in the morning.

  

Rilla @ 6 Mo.

Time flies as if in a dream when you're watching a baby grow. 
There are never enough days to savor it.
We must take in every delicious, remarkable, moment.

{I'm feeling a bit nostalgic with the edits today.}

Father's Day

This post is dedicated to John (hubby) since he loves reading about WWII, collecting stuff from the era, and also seeing planes or other vehicles used in the war. I should also add that he is single minded and passionate about this interest! The Collins Foundation, which has three amazing planes which they travel around the country with, timed their visit to our area perfectly for him to spend the last three days at the airport at which they came in. I went on the last day and took umpteen pictures which I will now condense for him into three collages, one for each beautifully restored vintage plane. Happy Father's Day!

I can also say that he was, and is, a wonderful Dad to our three daughters. He has been a thoughtful, kind, loving, steady husband and Dad for 44 years. I am so thankful for this amazing blessing. We now have 3 great son-in-laws who are traveling the road of fatherhood and doing a good job of figuring it out I might say.

My own wonderful Dad is coming our way for a visit soon. He is part of what I consider my very blessed heritage and I love him so much. We all do and can't wait for his and Mom's visit. He is a WWII vet so I will end this post with a picture of him taken a few years ago. He has lost lots of weight and fits his uniform even better now (though I think he'd rather have the weight back).

Pink, Mommy Kisses, Saying Goodbye

Harley was the first dog of Ben and Shannon's married life and has been a dear friend. He is very old and not well. They'll miss him when he's gone. He will leave a hole in their lives but they still have Macey, their other dog, and now Rilla is rapidly filling their hearts to bursting. 

We needed to take some pictures though so now after all that happy kissing we end on a melancholy note. Saying Goodbye.

 

Roses and Hobbits

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Now that the Sun is back I'll have to admit the two weeks of rain nourished and revived the garden allowing  our next wave of roses to peak. But the Cecile Bruner roses were so abundant on the arches that the wind and rain pulled one arch almost over. Shannon did a fierce pruning job on the worst one and John straitened the arch with pulley and chains. That wasn't too pretty. I should have taken pictures but didn't.

Shannon has also been busy with the new veggie garden raised beds and wonderful twiggy embellishments, supports, and fence. If we get vegetables out of this darling hobbit garden it will only be a bonus! 

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Breath Stopping

This morning I remembered to have my camera handy. I have missed some great shots of the humming birds sipping nectar from close by flowers while I'm sipping coffee on the patio. If I run to retrieve my camera they vanish and don't return until I lose all patience. 
Today I was poised and ready for the little creature! 

Then Rilla paid an early visit (with her mother of course)and, well, I had my camera.  What else could I do? 

Even better than Humming Birds close
are Grand babies with breath stopping eyes.