PLUM STREET SAMPLERS

House-Sitting

One of the many reasons my girls love to visit my parents' house is bc they have the most beautiful yard, full of happy gardens, well-fed birds, and one joyous Golden Retriever.

I had the pleasure of house-sitting for my parents recently, and one of my duties included keeping my mother's flowers watered. (Usually she also writes "deadhead all 4 million petunias DAILY!" on my list of chores, but she forgot to write it this time, which made me feel like I'd won the lottery.)

On one early evening last week, I decided to take a stroll through the yard, and I brought my camera along. The sun was getting ready to go down, and there was a slight breeze that caused the windchime that hangs just outside the door to sway...

I walked down the steps of the deck into the most beautiful, sunny yard...

I have no idea what variety of yellow flowers these are, but they were everywhere! No wonder the kids love to frolic when they're here!

Oh, wait a second. I was pulling pictures from my back yard. Oopsies! hehehe?

Here are some from her yard, starting with a windowbox just behind the windchime...

It's fun to look around and spot something unusual...

Some of you have probably met Major, Friday's brother; he's such a sweet boy, full of sunshine and oh-so-high on life...

I love these, even though they're spent. Something about their delicate look is just so charming to me...

An urn, way out back...

This little caterpillar has hung here so long, the bark of the tree grew around its hanger...

Like I said, one never knows what unusual things one will spot...

Was that your doing?

This is another spent flower that looks beautiful to me... They were once daisies, but now they look like little pincushions on a stem...

My favorite flowers...

The only bad thing about getting down on the ground to take these pictures is it gets the attention of Major. If I'm not on my guard, I'll get this boy coming at me like a freight train and I'll end up in a full body cast...

So far, I've made it up off the ground before he reaches me.

Here's a garden pick that is stuck in some rocks that surround a little fountain...

Oh great. There is literally no hiding from this boy.

Getupgetupgetupgetupget UP!!

I breathe a sigh of relief that he was just overjoyed about getting a drink...

The sun was getting lower, and I decided it was time to go back to my yellow gardens at home. It truly was enjoyable walking through my parents' yard - especially since there was no deadheading to do. ;)

But the next time I have to house-sit, I should probably wear a suit of armor... just in case.

 

*Edited to add: After Joann's comment, I must tell you that I truly don't have dandelions in my yard - I was just kidding bc I knew Mom would insist they were mine! But they're not either of ours. (Hi, Joann!) :) The first dandelion photo came from here, and the second one came from here.

This Post Is Not for the Squeamish.

The last time I posted pictures of what some would call "creepy-crawlies" and others would just call "gross," I got a few commenters letting me know that it would have been nice if I had warned them about the post content.

This post is mantis-photo-heavy. Consider yourself warned. ;)

I've had some strange luck with praying mantises lately. (Did you know that other plural forms for mantis are mantes and mantids?)(By golly, this here's a learnin' blog too!) For instance, as I was descending the stairs of our local Lifetime Fitness Center last week, I glanced at something unusual in the window: a 6" bright green praying mantis. I couldn't decide if I was more shocked at the sheer size of it or the fact that it had crawled 2 stories up. When I told Breanna about it, she said that she was there on the same day and when she went out to her car, there, on her sideview mirror, was another one - no doubt wanting to pounce on her protein smoothie.

A day or so later, Breanna and I headed to our new favorite joint, Red Mango, for some frozen yogurt. As we were walking along the landscape-lined sidewalk, I brushed my hand on a floral shrub and quickly yanked my hand away: there, within millimeters of where my hand had just been, were two black eyes staring at me. Attached to the black eyes was the body of another mantis. (That was creepy.)

And then there was yesterday: I noticed that the potted plant on my porch table needed dead-heading, so I set about doing it. I have no idea how this crazy thing missed my pruning fingers, but THANK GOODNESS, it did.

 

I stared at it for a while, and it stared at me. I decided "it" was a "he," so I named him Wilhelm. No matter how many times I circled the table and switched directions, Wilhelm's head turned and his eyes followed me.

 

See the water beads on the top of Wilhelm's head and chin? I had also watered the plant, not realizing he was there.

 

Has anyone out there seen the movie District 9 (great movie!)? Surely their inspiration came from some sort of mantis.

Check out those forearms...

 

I shall never hand-prune again without first donning a pair of garden gloves, just in case. And if I forget to put on the gloves, then I'll at least make sure there's a protein smoothie nearby, so I can offer up some sort of peace offering.

If you've managed to make it this far into the post, but you're starting to feel a little anxious, I'd like to offer a photo that will surely calm your nerves and put a smile back on your face:

 

Mmmmmmmm. In stores now, and it smells much better than insect repellent.

Revived

Oh, the heat! I can't remember when it was so hot for so long here in the heartland. It's usually about this time that I wonder what possessed me to plant any vegetables during the springtime, bc I certainly don't want to have to go out in the heat and water them. Poor veggies. I'm a very bad veggie mom.

The flowers have been languishing as well, but yesterday I was very pleased to see a new neighbor in the gardenhood... the brown-eyed susans my parents brought from their garden last year have made their debut!

And just in time, bc all of the spring annuals are beginning to lose their luster. Here are the few that are hanging on for dear life...

 

 

Friday loves being outside, despite his tired expression (he'd stay out all day if I'd let him)...

 

This little guy is a transplant from Mike's parents' garden. They loved garden gnomes, and since Jimmy was a huge Dallas Cowboys fan, I gifted him with this Dallas gnome one year. But now I'm a little startled when I see him hiding in my landscape, bc he reminds me of that creepy Travelocity dude that shows up in people's suitcases or bathtubs...

 

Now today... today was a welcome change! We woke up to rain, and it was glorious! Not because the rain makes everything look fresh and anew.. no, no, that's not it. Today was glorious bc I finally got to pull on my new pair of rain boots!

I've never owned a pair of rainboots before. But a week ago I realized that I've always wanted to own a pair. This revelation came to me when Breanna and I were shopping at a department store and they were having a huge clearance sale, and these glorious red rain boots were on sale from $40 down to $8. How could I refuse?

(I have also always wanted to own a Scottish Terrier. However, since the Yorkie has come to dwell in my once-quiet home, I no longer have a hankering for a pooch in the terrier family. So I wear my would-be dream dog on my glorious new red rainboots.)

And since I thought Sabrina would look so stinking cute in a pair, I bought these as well!

 

They're so me her!

 

Sabrina was very excited when I told her I bought her a love present, but strangely enough, her countenance dimmed somewhat when I pulled these babies out of the bag. Maybe she got a cramp in her foot or something that kept her from being as giddy as I was.

As I write this blog post, I sit here wearing my glorious new red rainboots, drinking coffee, and listening to the patter of rain outside. In a little while, I may have to go pull on Sabrina's new boots, just to make sure they're broken in for her when she decides to wear them.

Besides, in the spirit of keeping up with the Jones', I'd like to match my new neighbor...

Blooming

I've had fun peeking around and taking pictures of different flowers just opening up...

If you've visited my mom's blog lately, you've seen parts of her lovely garden, and I'm excited for everything to open up bc it's all so beautiful. It's always fun to see what new things she and my dad decide to plant and grow. 

The photo of the bloom below is from my own back yard, but it was in mother's back yard at one time. Last year she decided to thin out some things, and I was happy to take her hand-me-downs. (Wouldn't that be a sweet name for a type of flower?)

 

These daisies were given to me by a neighbor about 15 years ago, who didn't want them in her garden any more...

 

This little fellow was visiting an opening bud... just after I took this photo, he ran underneath a petal.

 

I love these sturdy little plants...

 

 

Oh - and one more thing my mother passed on from her garden to mine...

 

(Teehee)

That's it for the flower photos, but before I go I'd like to show you Brea's new hair cut... it was a really tough decision to get a whopping 10 inches cut off, but I'm glad she went for it. :) Don't worry, sweet girl. It will grow back. 

Just like the dandelions in Meems' yard.

 

Green.

Spring comes a little later around here than in some other places, so although I don't have much blooming around my house yet, I'm quite happy with the fresh spots of green here and there.

The baby sedum...

 

The bee balm and the geranium from Mom's garden that she gave to me last year (although my dad was actually the one to haul it all over)...

 

 

The lemon balm that Sophie and I love to touch, just so our hands can smell lemon-y...

 

Our maple tree with its new spring leaves, which Sophie has learned to climb...

 

And a beautiful new dress for Sabrina, who will be attending her prom this Saturday...

Winter's Wink

We don't often get a snowfall in October, but when it does happen, it puts me in such a good mood! It's not that I especially love the winter, but rather I just love surprises. I never expected to wake up to the bushes bent over and the beautiful fall leaves on top of the snow!

 

This little guy paid a visit to the back yard.. I haven't seen him around before. I love his autumnal mix of colors.

 

 

And speaking of visitors, Sophie had a friend over, and the two sillies had such a fun time outside...

 

What a beautiful day.

And today is another beautiful day, bc my sweet Sabrina turns sweet sixteen! Happy Birthday, Bean!

 

I love you with all my heart.

First Sign

Autumn is almost here, and to escort in the new season, the small wild sunflowers have made their appearance behind the fence in my back yard. What a lovely greeting in the mornings! In some places here in Omaha, they grow by the thousands, and the sea of yellow is a spectacular sight. (And they're almost as pretty as the mammoth ones that are grown by the millions in Kansas - now THAT'S something to behold!) (Kathy Barrick, you would be in heaven!)

Psalm 104:24
"Oh Lord, how manifold are thy works! In wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches."

Showers of Blessings

I put my sprinkler up on my porch a few weeks ago to water the hard-to-reach coleus I'd planted. When it was time to turn off the sprinkler, I saw the sweetest thing.. 

It's never a surprise to see a sprinkler surrounded by robins... my guess is they're smart enough to know that the worms will rise, so they take advantage of it. But this little guy decided to use my front porch for public bathing.

Soon, he was joined by another bathing beauty...

He moved out of his original spot where the water was falling the hardest and let her have a turn.. (or maybe the coleus offered more privacy?)

Peeping Tweet showed up.

But neither of the cardinals minded, which I thought was rather fowl behavior.

(He's looking at me like he didn't appreciate that joke.) 

I politely waited until their showers were finished before I turned off the sprinkler. The coleus have drowned, but at least the birds that visit my feeders are clean. And now that I think about it, maybe I'm the one who is the Peeping Tweet?

Commentations

I'd like to thank all of you for your warm compliments regarding my latest release.. I love it so much when a design is well-received, and your comments mean so much to me! And speaking of comments, I'm going to do my best to start answering people's questions - if and when they are asked - in the bottom of my posts. I always worry that people will think I'm rude for not answering their questions when they leave them in the comments field, but I never know how to go about answering them except by leaving a comment myself! 

Yesterday I was walking around the house looking at all of the over-heated, sun-scorched flowers, and noticed that the marigolds still greeted me with their sunny dispositions. The bees enjoy them too, so I took out my camera (since when do I not have a camera nearby?) and got as close as Mr. Buzzypants would allow. 

He didn't seem to mind too much that a lens was in his personal space, although he did want to do his pollinating in private, so he eventually turned his back to me.

Indoors I have a beautiful little bouquet of flowers my mother and Sophie gave to me. Sophie loves visiting my parents, as she gets to fill bird feeders with Pops and pick flowers with Meemee..  

Don't worry, Mom, I'll give your Mason jar back to you. :)

Summer is almost gone, but I'm okay with that. I look most forward to autumn, bc I look better in sweaters than teeshirts bc who doesn't love all the beautiful color changes? 

***

In response to...

Kim Lewis: I will definitely check out that book! Thank you for the recommendation! Yes, those crown jewels are AMAZING.

LaDonna: I've read many of Philippa Gregory's books (love them!), and I'm looking forward to The White Queen. (Hi Siobhan!)

Tanya: Yes, I've seen The Duchess, and I really enjoyed it.. although it left me so very sad. :(

Missy Ann: I loved this book! I thought it was very well-written, and am now reading her King Henry VIII book. 

Cari: Yes, I do plan on a sampler along these lines.... but you didn't hear that from me. ;)

JoAnn TX: Thank you!! I got a couple of the crowns from my mother, who is threatening to expose a rather unflattering photo of me wearing one of them. And the others I got from Hobby Lobby! I'm always on the lookout though.

A New View

I walked around the back yard a few days ago, trying to look at the flowers and shrubs from a different angle, and found that they made for interesting photographs when one didn't take all the pictures from directly above the blooms. If you have flowers nearby and a camera that lets you get real close, I highly recommend getting down on your knees and looking at them from a bugs' eye point of view. What beautiful creations they are...

These are lilies I've had for about 9 years, planted in my Mother's Day Garden - a gift from Mike and the girls:

Here's a coreopsis that the rabbits mow down every single year... except this year!

Some coleus...

...And a lily that's about 15 years old...it used to be bright orange:

Friday was rolling around in the morning dew, so I took his picture as well.

He was quite happy when some neighborhood boys came up to visit him.

I love marigolds... they're so cheery. In the background, you can see a purple pincushion flower.

Here are some zinnias I planted in the huge whiskey barrel my Dad bought for me.. I'm happy I took the photos when I did, bc almost all of them have drowned, thanks to the poor dirt they were planted in. I bought garden soil, rather than potting soil, and the poor things could never drain properly. I've replanted the ones that may have survived in another spot in the yard, so my fingers are crossed that they'll be happier there. 

(The above photo is one of my favorites!)

I found that even the lowly spirea can be beautiful when viewed from underneath. The pink flowers remind me of lots of dancing fairies, all with their arms in the air.

This last picture is my favorite... you may remember my mentioning some time ago that I bought a bittersweet (male and female plants) and planted them near a purple clematis. I never got any bittersweet, and my clematis has disappeared. In their places, I now have this very odd vine that gives me purple-blue berries on bright red stems in the fall... I have no idea what on earth it is, and although it sounds highly unlikely, I'd venture to say that the bittersweet and clematis have cross-pollinated. Here is what it looks like right now:

If you have any idea what it is, please let me know! I'm terribly curious.

I suppose that's all for now. You can breathe a sigh of relief that my stroll through the yard is over. I do hope, however, that you don't let the season fade away without noticing God's handiwork in the tiniest of places.