Ta Ta For Now...

Going on vacation AND my computer has crashed...check back soon. Keep the flowers watered!

Wet Paint...

Here is my latest painting. A big shout out and a huge thank you to Peggy over at www.paddletales.blogspot.com

I usually paint from my own photos, but I was compelled to paint this beautiful snowy egret from one of Peggy's images. You must check out her fantabulous, stunning photos that she takes while kayaking! These photos are worthy of a spread in National Geographic! I see her images and I am INSPIRED!! Thanks, Peggy!

It's Here.......... Summer That Is!

Thank you, Artie over at Color Outside the Lines, for another Share A Garden Sunday!

Happy First Day of Summer! Father's Day too! I love you Dad and Hubby!



Let's take a stroll through my garden............. a slow stroll, as it's going to be a hot one!

Purple cone flowers and "endless summer" hydrangeas are looking good.

Verbena bonariensis towers over all others.

ahh........zebra grass, aptly named.

I found these gorgeous mushrooms growing on an old stump...beautful placement, Mother Nature, thank you for this gift.

purple cone flower backed by a calla leaf.

the tree has embraced this fallen birdhouse...it is nestled in nicely and seems to be part of the tree now.

can't beat fresh tomatoes and basil in summer! mmmm.... get the mozzarella and balsamic ready.

lilies are the show stoppers out front right now.
thanks for strolling with me!
it's going to be a long, hot summer....
please take time to smell the flowers!
pretty please.

Abby's Acres

Abby is a gardener. She lives out in the country on seven pristine acres. ooh la la! Abby plants fabulous window boxes ........I love the casualness of the boots hung on the fence.
Just beautiful! This really works because of her repetition of plants and colors.

love this!

so do the birds!

this is fun.

great use of an old ladder!

love the urn!

love the blue chandy hanging near the blue-legged baby bath tub...ivy all around....can't wait to see what she will plant in this gem! actually, I wouldn't change a thing!

The red star on the barn just pulls you right through the arbor. I can't wait to see what's back there!

be still my heart! What a dream, her very own piece of paradise at the back of the property...a refreshing river ! oh, Abby, your'e a lucky girl! husband Donny too! thanks for the tour!

Oh Dear, Oh Deer

This is not the most flattering photo of these beautiful women, sorry friends, but I want to set the scene here............we are standing at the back of Abby's property........I'm snapping pics of the serenity that surrounds us........I take this picture and seconds later, as if out of nowhere, a new born baby deer appears standing right between Abby and Anna.......oh, maybe 8 feet back! I can't speak, I'm so shocked. Abby sees the expression on my face and turns to see what I'm gawking at. We can't believe it. A close encounter........ Our minds race . We worry about this scared little one. Where is the mother? We know something is wrong here.........The baby looks at us for help........he seems confused and lost........he jumps across to the other side of the creek. We feel helpless. We want to help. We decide to give him some space, hoping, longing for the mother to appear.
but she does not. We fear the mother has been hit by a car or is too afraid to show herself...we move away, back up out of respect...let nature take it's course...by now the little one has clumsily climbed the steep bank on the other side, and he is gone. We try to gather ourselves, our pulse is racing, it happened so fast. A truely unusual sight...it doesn't become clear to us until we see the next photo what may have been going on here...

We see an unusual growth and strange markings on the side of his face.............We surmize, the mother must have rejected the baby due to his abnormalities. Nature can be harsh.

UNEXPECTED

My friends, Anna and Abby and I tried to go on the Garden tour on Sunday........let's just say I had the date wrong! Darn!! So we decided to make our own fun. Now I must point out that the three of us have lived in this fantastic town, Franklin Tennessee, each for a long time. Just when you think you've seen it all, something special reveals itself. While driving through town and chatting away, like girls will do...Abby squeals from the back seat.........."What IS THAT??!! Anna, turn around! I just saw some kind of sculpture or something. We have to check it out!" Anna couldn't turn aroung fast enough, we were all giddy with the anticipation of something good. Really good! Check out what we found!!This glorious sculpture!! I spied the studio on the back of the property with the door open. Yes, we will meet the artist himself.
Meet the delightful Kris Nethercutt.

and his delightful, whimsical sculptures............

made of found and usually free materials........

car parts, mufflers and such.........

better than any old old garden tour, and unexpected. It was a true joy to discover this artist right within our beautiful town. A delight! Kris makes gorgeous custom made curtain rods "to pay the bills", but his true love is making unique-one of a kind sculptures.

that just make you SMILE!!

CATMINT LOVE!!

I can hardly contain myself!! First, I just learned something new...I learned how to "add a button" to my blog which means I am paticipating in Share a Garden Sunday at the above blog!! Yippie!! I'm also excited that today I will be going on a garden tour with a couple of friends. Now I must share with you that I go on every single garden or home tour that I can. I love getting to see other peoples places, just love it. In anticipation of all the wonderfullness and inspiring things that I will see today (take a deep breath Erin). I thought I would share some photos of a garden on the last tour I went on. Hands down the most spectacular private garden I have ever seen! I took many photos of it , but today I am sharing their use of Catmint (I believe it is Walkers Low). It was everywhere! Please enjoy these pictures............they speak for themselves!!

Spectacular! I know!!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

look at him............what's not to love?and love...I do, Ido!
then

and now. Twenty-eight, yep, twenty-eight delicious years!!
I love you Babe!
your Wifey

FEATHERED FRIEND

Here is my most recent painting..............A Great White Heron

inspired by a birthday vacation spent in one of my favorite towns, New Orleans. This is Audubon Park in the Garden District. A beautiful place with the biggest Live Oaks I have ever seen.

did I mention big!

the park is bordered on one side with stately homes...

and on the other, a peaceful lagoon.

past the bridge,

you will find "Bird Island".

the trees are alive with birds...

goofy ones...

manly ones...

and my favorite ....... the the Great White Heron. Just gorgeous............and the inspiration for my painting.