THE DUST WILL WAIT

Julie of Another Chance Ranch is hosting today's Fun Monday and challenging us all to post "Your best spy camera photo and story about the photo." You can pop over there to join the fun. Peek with me through one of the knotholes in our fence. This is our neighbors German Shepherd and she does NOT LIKE ME. What's more, she does NOT LIKE THE HUBBY. And you know what else?. She does NOT LIKE THE NEIGHBORS that live behind her or on the other side either. In addition, she scares Bill across the street. I hope you appreciate my bold stealth in sneaking my camera up to the hole for this quick spy shot. I enchant most dogs. It must have something to do with their noses. I'm always getting sniffed and licked and that old jump on the leg problem that I've mentioned in a previous post. But not her. Nope. She growls when I work in the flowerbed or change my bird feeders. If we are on our patio in conversation, she puts her unwanted opinion in by barking very l...

I've neglected my watercolors. I should be painting every day - but I'm lucky to get set up once a week. It is time to pitch all my brushes and get new ones. There is a point at which they no longer hold the "juice" (as I call it) and the smooth texture is unattainable. My "To Do" list includes doing a painting that is reasonably well done of each of my beautiful grandchildren. Jammin' is f.i.n.a.l.l.y complete and "At the Framers!" There is a framing shop in town that employs a wonderfully gifted sculpting artist who does the framing. She shares my taste in frame choices. I could hand per a painting and say "Frame it" and trust her to choose the perfect fit. However, I don't put her under that much pressure. I pick it. Yesterday, while chatting with her, I confessed that there were at least six Jammin' s at home. Some half done, a few complete. Something wrong with each. She laughed. "You know Pamela," she smi...

First, I received a comment from A Blonde Blogger saying that she has nominated me for The Thinking Blogger award. I'm always appreciative of any awards! However, like a kid that wanted someone else's candy, I told her "thank you" and then pouted my lips and said "I'd rather be nominated for the Blogger's choice awards Hottest Mommy Blogger." Hey, it could happen 30 years ago. You know what she did. YUP! She nominated me. Thank you Blonde Blogger! Alright! Enough snickering in the balcony. Shortly after that I received an Email from The Arkansas Songbird to let me know that I was her 1000th commenter . I get a prize!! It is a book and CD set from the Metropolitan Museum of Art which introduces children to classical music through great works of art. Can you picture me with my 7 grandchildren rockin' to that! She blogs at Quarter Notes . Aptly named as she is a vocal instructor at several schools. I'm just bubbling by now. Th...

The White-crowned Sparrow has arrived this week. They are migrating north, so they are only resting, feasting, and entertaining me. Several Cassin's Finch have joined in the fray. I saw a hummingbird on Sunday, probably a Caliope. A pair of Quail, maybe the same ones as last year, have returned to the neighborhood. The sounds of tires in gravel woke me before the birds were ever singing. I climbed out of bed and peered out the windows to see if someone was stealing our car. After much squinting, I finally realized it was my stomach growling. What?? Do I have a gizzard full of gravel grinding my food down there, like my bird friends? Yesterday, I was laughing about Sheryl Crow's announcement that to protect the environment we should all use only 1 square of toilet tissue when we visit the room. It brought to mind A story that my dad told me when I was very small. There was a stingy old fellow that wouldn't purchase such niceties because of the cost. Instead, ...

Robin over at Pensieve is hosting this weeks Fun Monday. She chose "bad hair" as her topic - knowing that "Bloggers are notorious exhibitionists." The truth is I have a bad hair day every day now that I am gray. I see some beautiful silver and slate tresses out there, including those belonging to my sisters. Unfortunately, my hair is salt and pepper and pipe cleaner. As generations choose their new hairstyles, they are guaranteeing that they will look at their old photographs many years down the road and wonder, "What were we thinking?" My generation thought "big hair" and "ratting" was quite the thing. That was before the politically correct term of "teasing" even made it to town. My favorite memory is of a stuck-up carrot-red head named Cheryl. One afternoon she was directly in front of me as I walked across the school campus. Her hair was ratted into one of those extreme styles that made me feel like I was following...

Thursday we went for a walk in the evening. We met a friend riding his antique bike. White bleeding heart. Basket of Gold. Lavender Phlox. White Birch. Dandelion. I love dandelions. As a child I picked them for necklaces or held them under a friends chin to see if she "liked butter." The weather has been unseasonable cool, which has been wonderful for the spring flowers. The tulips and daffodils have been blooming for over a month. Every photograph was taken Thursday within four blocks either direction from our house. There are at least four separate creeks/streams running through our neighborhood. The one with the split rail fence reflecting in the water is in the yard of the house directly behind us. That is where Karmyn performed her Polliwog hunts. This is Yellowhawk, where Amanda and Jennifer met their friends many wet socks, shorts, and T-shirts ago. This beau...

The Blogging Chicks Carnival will be up some time today - click here ! Michele says that the Blog Roll has increased to 700 Chicks. I am anxious to see if some of the new members will be participating