POTPOURRI

Back to blogging.  I was down for most of the long, hot summer with shingles but feeling much better now so have a few things to share today. 

We lost our border collie dog, Lady, who is my profile picture.  We now have a new border collie named Jack.  He turned 3 on September 1 and now has a special place at our house. He  loves for you to throw him a frisbee or a tennis ball everytime you go outside!  He is full of energy and I haven't caught him down long enough to take a picture of him.  My daughter did get this head shot of him
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I have been doing some stamping again and like this Christmas card I made last week.  When Vicki (VDM)on Splitcoaststampers posted this card I was smitten.  When I commented liking the embossing folder and the sentiment she kindly embossed some cardstock and stamped off some sentiments and sent to me.  Thanks again, Vicki .  Here is Vicki's card:

and here is the card I made using the embossed panel and the sentiment.  The cardstock is white but has a pink cast in the photo.

The bloom in the garden was about half what it usually is due to the drought and heat.  I still have one daylily, named DOUBLE PASSION,  blooming, but the colder weather will soon end all that.

The Knockout roses were the best bloomers in my yard this year and since the rains have really kicked it up a notch.  I have single red, single and double pink and single yellow.  Will try to get  some pictures before the frost gets them. 

Today is World Cardmaking Day to may try to make a card after lunch.

THINGS ON SUNDAY

Clicking on the photos should make them larger.

Thought I had better put up a post before we lose September completely!  We have been having some good rains and cooler weather-love it! 

Some of the trees are beginning to show some color.  The buckeye tree in the backyard was here when me came here in 1979.  It is the first to show changes in leaf color and lose its leaves (not counting black walnuts who lose them all year round it seems.)  I took this photo when the early morning sun was shining on the leaves. In the background is our old milk barn, shop with the double and garage door and holding pen shed is on the left end.

 The Sweet Autumn Clematis' have really done well this fall-just covered with their star-like blooms and have a sweet smell.  These cover two ends of the arbor. 

 The holstein heifers are having their mustard by-product fix-they like it and go to the water tank next.

Below is DH watching the heifers. He had cut a small bush and threw if over the fence and they had to come and investigate.  In the background you can see some eating hay at a round bale feeder.  We keep hay out for them year round.

 Here is a card I made today for the Featured Stamper Challenge over at Splitcoaststampers.  The card I cased used this flower and pitcher image from one of my favorite stamp sets-SU Long Time Friend. 

I did the Blackboard Technique where you stamp the image in white ink on a dark background.  You let the ink dry and then color in with colored pencils.  I added some yellow Stickles to the yellow flowers and cut the image out using Spellbinders Labels One die cut.  I also cut and embossed the green mat with a Labels One die and then adhered it to magenta Bazzill cardstock.  The sentiment says "Thinking of You".

UGLY CRITTERS

I belong to the American Hemerocallis Society (Daylilies) and we have a Daylily Email Robin.  Jane Mahan from NW Arkansas had an interesting post and link to a photo a few days ago.  Seems she was doing a walk-about in her garden and found the soil and some daylilies heaved several inches out of the ground.  On investigation this is what she found ina a nest about 12" below the surface.  Check out their front feet!

I had never seen baby moles that I remember.  Jane has a very nice photo album with photos from clouds to orchids and lots in between especially daylilies.  Check out her album here.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

This is a really cute St. Patrick's Day post-check it out.

Went to a birthday luncheon today for two of my game playing friends.  One was 84 today and the other one will be 70 on the 22nd.  Had a nice lunch and then played games this afternoon-always have a lot of fun so we have to play something that doesn't require too much concentration. Today we played Phase 10 and three of us was on the last phase but I didn't win as someone went out before me, but we are all good losers!

Squirrels lunch and remains.................

My daughter shot these photos on one of her photo shoots-A red squirrel enjoying lunch. The remains of his lunch-looks like he enjoyed the treats!
The remains of his lunch....................

NOT QUITE TWINS

Baby calves are so cute (as are most baby animals), here are two of our calves born this year. I especially like the coloring of the one on the left. He is about a month and a half older than the other baby.