Anyone want a "pack" of grapes?

Ah, yes. The first appearance of little packs of green grapes on the vines! I can just feel them right now--picking, washing, refrigerating them to get the cold and juicy and then stuffing them into my mouth as fast as I can and letting the juice drip right down my chin and onto my shirt! That is how they are to be enjoyed--at least that is the way it is here in Grapelandia. Can you relate?

Hey, Artie!

Well, well, well now. The first artichoke of the season pokes his fist-size little head up and looks around the yard. There are a few more on this little plant that did so well last year. This one is the armor-protected little fruit that does so well in the back yard. I am not saying that they are the very best tasting in the land, but the show is awesome and we seem to do allright with this bush. I find it hardest to think that WE are actually growing artichokes. They have their honorable little place on the grill but that will come later on...just you wait Mr. Art E. Choke, you are enjoyable now, but your days are numbered.

The other orchid blooms

Sorry, but I just love the beautiful little orchid trees we planted two years ago. The spring weather has been good to them and they, in turn, have been good to us--bursting forth in a good bloom. How we love to stroll around our plantation and bark out orders to the hired hands who scurry out of our path--so as not to look us directly in the eye. After all, we are the king and queen of the realm and these particular subjects have opened their hearts to us all dressed up in their purpley splendor. How they love us and how we love them.

Number 6!

This was taken at Landon's first birthday party.
It is amazing that he will be three this summer.
Time flies!!

It ain't easy being grey!

Here are the new tires for hiking. They did not make me walk up any faster or down any more sure, but they were comfy and I swear I heard someone on the trail say "get a load of those nice shoes" or was it "gosh, that guy sure is a slow-poke on the trail." No matter. I was in my own groove, skipping up and down that trail like a CLIMB EVERY MOUNTAIN mountain goat puppet. I was thinking that we need to go to Switzerland, as there are not that many places on Camelback Mountain to twirl around and sing. The hike was good. I am down to earth now--tired, sore and my age is showing up all over the place. I do have nice shoes, though.

It ain't easy being green.

However, it sure is fun to have some new, green shoes to go hiking in! Here are a pair of stylish lace-ups that took their maiden voyage up Camelback Mountain this morning. It would be a sad thing to say that she tripped lightly, but on this summit, she never tripped at all. It must be the suction cups on the underside. I daresay we are getting better and better at the going up and the coming down. No falls, no spills, no bumps, no bruises and we took the mountain right down to its knees. We walked all over it-looking for the right trail of course.

For all you cat-lovers.

Check THIS out.

Breakfast with Carl

The next time you order the Grand Slam, you had better check out the pancakes! There are stories of images of some interesting characters that appear as if by a miracle. Mind you, I am not one to go ga-ga over a little pancake, but when I saw this one, I wanted to call EBAY and see if there was a market. I will hold it in a warm towel for a couple of days and let anyone on this blog bid for it--starting at $15,000. If there are no takers, then I will auction it off. If there are still no takers, I will put it in the toaster and re-heat it and down my woes in bottle of "Little Carl Syrup". If you miss out, it is your loss. You snooze, you lose.

Si se puede. I mean Parada Del Sol

Lots of fun at this year's parade!! Here is the rundown:

caramel corn by the yard...

some think the way it was divvied wasn't fair
but eventually it worked out.

wow. great floats this year...hopefully they weren't gaping at the whiskey business float. "There's a whole lotta shakin' goin' on". Her parents were proud.

Best seats in the house.

Mom's football team scored a touchdown. Oh wait...we are at a parade. Liv got plenty of food and love from Grandma.

Lots o' sugar.

Mr. Deeds. He just shows up out of nowhere. Meanwhile, Dad...don't skip a bite for a picture. I don't want to interrupt. Again, proof everyone was enjoying the yard o' caramel corn.

Whaddayoulookinat?

This was a little game of wrestling tag Jacob and Landon had going on. Those pics are for another post. They are pretty funny.

Allison asked Grandma, "Grandma, why don't you do that?" Clearly these Sun City West cheerleaders are enjoying themselves. It's written all over their faces. "Stoic...I repeat stoic, young ladies."

Is that all?

Until next year!

Oh, the pain!

Trumpeters trumpeting.

Let me call you sweetheart!

Here are two sweet kids back in 1973 who met and were engaged in FEBRUARY of that same year. The wedding date was set for June 29 and the rest is history. You can zoom in on engagement ring finger...that means that it was covered up in the clasped hands or it was just too small to zoom in and view. One picture can say a thousand words and this one has some in there somewhere. What comes to my mind (beyond all the gushy stuff, of course) is that if a good wind came up, I could have been flapped to death by that dangerous, pointy collar. There is enough polyester and to spare in this wardrobe. And, for those of you that cannot remember that fabric, it is a category of polymers which contain the ester functional group in their chain. There. Now you know a lot more than you did before!

Hey Look, Landon's Famous...

http://flickr.com/photos/piedpiper1/sets/72157611032675766/show/with/3109778121/

I wonder what ever happened to Allison as Peter Pan... ? I guess she didn't make the cut, hee hee...

First you see him and then you don't.

Every once in while I saw little Tyler come out from behind the eclipse of his father's pants and flash a big old blue at me. He enjoyed a day of airplanes, graham crackers, and fun with the family. He is not much on protocol, but he is sure fun to have around.

The top pilot

A future in store for any pilot that wears a CTR ring and knows how to hold a glider plane. I would trust this one to fly me to the moon and back. Noble Nathan--always stays on course~

Steady now.

The Cameron Carter boys came over for a nice little cookout on Saturday. Jacob has developed quite an affinity for roasted marshmallows. Here he is learning to hold the tasty morsel with fingers to the side so that if you poke too hard, he does not hit the tender palm of his hand I think he roasted and ate more than anyone...and he is quite self-sufficient!

Reaching for a little bit of creativity

I call this one PLASTIC TOUCAN WATERING CAN ON A STICK. Not much by way of photographic creativity, but the colors are all there.

It is impossible.....

To get 20 people looking in the same direction, saying "cheese" at the exact same time and posing thoughtfully for the best photo ever. Kiddies are distracted by one thing or another. Parents are distracted by one kid or another. Grandparents are distracted by one parent or another and yet through the whole ordeal, we get to look at ourselves just as we paused and just as the photo was taken. Here are 19 of my favorite people on the whole planet. They make up a wonderful and loving family and I marvel at their beauty and thank GOD that they are ours.

Someone once asked me how I ever remembered them all and my reply was that I pray for each one, individually, by name both morning and night. I love them all and next time I see them I am going to tweek their cheeks! If any of them admit to feeling special little nudge of goodness, it is likely that it is the result of the prayers of our prayers on behalf of these little ones. How blessed we are!

Why didn't I think of this?

Zoo