Kissing Lorikeets. Awww.

As we came upon the Giraffes, this guy was, well, trying to do the splits.

And then he asks “does my butt look big in this enclosure?”

A gorgeous Harris Hawk (I think he’s got Red Tail envy.)

Mr. and Mrs. Red Tailed Hawk – don’t they make a stunning pair?

The storms that passed through lastnight were remnants of what hit Kansas. Still, they packed a punch and brought my girls to huddled piles of blankets. I watched out the window as the winds took control, saw the clouds as they swirled to form tornadoes that touched down in farms miles away. I stood in awe, humming this song as I watched, thinking that as terrifying as it is, it is equally beautiful and wondrous to watch.

I held my camera to the window, pointed it at the top of the tree in our front yard, and snapped in burst mode (they’re about 2 seconds long each). I opened them up this morning and was in awe all over again. The whole series is about 10 seconds worth of our tree blowing – it clearly shows the power of the storm. The movement is captivating to me – slightly blurry, but crisp where they need to be.

The hail came after the wind – quarter sized, but it didn’t do much damage that we could see.

I stayed with the girls as another storm moved in and counted “one-one-thousand, two-one-thousand” with each flash of lightening, and fell asleep when the storm was about twelve-one-thousands away.

If I were tiny, I could climb on his back and ask him to fly me around the backyard. He just looks like he’s got a nice comfy little seat there for someone to ride on. In fact, I could probably bring a friend. Who wants to be tiny with me?

It looks like a comfortable spot, doesn’t it? Please say you’ll go.

Over the years, my loving husband has sent flowers on several occasions (not all of them requiring forgiveness, either, in case you’re wondering). This has left me, fortunately, with many, many vases in storage.

Did I ever tell you about how long it’s taken me to grow Peonies? Yes? Well if you don’t know the story, you can read it here. Now I’m so excited to have them, I cut them as soon as they’re ready and keep bouquets all over my house. This year, I have more Peonies than I have vases. It must be because I cut every one of them last year, I’m guessing, and all that flower power went back down into the roots of the plants.

I have three bouquets in my house, and cut two and gave them to a couple of special neighbors (and by special I mean polite). That’s five bouquets so far, and I’ll be cutting another bunch today.

If you want to relocate, there are a couple of homes for sale down the street.

These Queen of the Night tulips are more purple than I expected (I expected them to be really dark) but tulips are tulips, and I still love them.
Allium is such an interesting flower. Big tall stalks with a purple ball on the top.
Do I like purple? Why yes, yes I do.

BABY BROCCOLI!!!
I’m so easily amused. I’ve never seen baby broccoli before. You?

I love me some crazy grass. This is called “Big Twister”.
It makes me want to twirl my long hair around my fingers.

My sister sent me flowers on my birthday. They came in a square vase.
I’ve been wondering how to put that vase to good use.
I loaded it with roses from my Knockout Rose bushes and set it on a white table.

If you love roses, get a few Knockout Rose bushes.
There are only three bushes here, and dozens of roses in bloom at a time.

I was bored and had my camera in my lap. These are my Levi’s denim shorts.
Who, me? Pose? Lemme swallow, first…. ::gulp:: Okay, shoot!
(male cowbird.)

Hey Fred! They’re fresh out of suet — c’mon over here!
(female downy woodpecker.)

Hi! I’m Chip! Chip! Chip! Chip!!! CHIP CHIP CHIP CHIP!
(chipping sparrow.)

I am infatuated with my new Batik Irises. This is a Tiger Honey.

Ooooh so comfortabuhhllllsssss. Dusty Bunny says “Yessss”.

Extreme close up of Mini Rex comfortabuhllness. Stretch those kickers!

mmmm. Strawberries.

A gigantic German Bearded Iris that I cut and brought inside to enjoy.

My Knockout Rose bushes are in bloom – don’t forget to stop and smell the roses!

 

Ta-da! It’s been 17 days since I planted my garden, and I have progress! I was goo-gooing and gaa-gaaing over this baby green pepper yesterday. Here’s what it looks like now:

I got my hoe on yesterday, prettifying the “aisles” and adding cucumbers and another couple of musk melon plants, because I think my other two are pretty hopeless. The beets, bush beans and spinach have all germinated and are going crazy. I’ll have to thin them out, but first I have to figure out when and how to thin them out. I’m such a garden virgin.

* * * * * More non-garden dirt * * * * *Still scratching things off my to-do list, getting my girls graduated from 6th and 1st grades, gardening, Wii Fit’ting – and doing a bunch of extra stuff that my hubby usually does but can’t now that he’s one-armed.

The girls have been on summer vacation since Wednesday afternoon, and they were, in usual form, bored after being home for 10 minutes. Catybug went to her friends, Chickeymonkey invited her friend over, and since then it’s been crazy with slumber parties and sleepovers and playing rain in the driveway with the garden hose – and then, just when you think things have calmed down for 5 minutes, they argue over the Wii.

Ahh yes. School’s out.

I have to brag though, Chickeymonkey finished 1st grade with a straight A average, and Catybug nearly an A+ average. Her GPA was 98.6 for the year – but her test scores (The ISAT) were at 99%, she tested at a 10th grade 5th month level, which is the highest you can go. (Beaming? Why yes, we are!) We are very pleased with the education they’re receiving and glad to make the sacrifices to get them a good one.

* * * * * Art & Design related dirt * * * * *I’ve also been working like a mad woman over the past week, and though I wasn’t able to hit the studio as I would have liked, and I still haven’t gotten the progress pics of Jam and Rex for you, I have managed to design and launch a few neat blog designs. The next couple of weeks will be hugely busy as I try to get current again with everything – finishing design projects and paintings both.

I know you’re anxious to have a look at those designs, so here you go:

• VividNUrban – this is an urban magazine style blog, the main page is all custom code to pull in all of the categories he wants to highlight, linking to each post and also the full category. You also have the option to read it as a “blog” in the main menu. It’s a sweet design, and nearly caused my brain to burst.
• Fanboy@50 – Lew deals with anime and comics – he’ll probably be opening a shop on his blog as well.
• Kissythecutie – Though Kissy is still formatting her content, you can at least view the design and the beginning of her career in the blogosphere. I’m looking forward to seeing where she takes things with her blog!

And that was my week in a nutshell – I’m looking forward to lounging around today and recuperating so I can start it all again tomorrow morning.

How was your week?

Translation:

OH MY GOODNESS an American Kestrel is EATING A ROBIN IN MY BACKYARD!!!

My irises have almost unfurled, and there’s already a very strong smell of grapes coming from them. I would, if I could, create and patent an iris scented nose insert. This would be especially good if you have smelly neighbors, or just spend a lot of time around smelly people. Simply put the iris scented nose inserts up into each nostril and voila! You smell grapes, and all the world is right again.

I have a lot of irises this year. I even planted one that is supposed to look like a Baboon’s butt Bottom. I know it sounds a little demented, but I’m kinda excited to see that one, kwim? People are strange. Myself included.

My gerber/gerbera daisies are lover-ly. I have several in a planter that my hubby made for me, it’s my daisy planter box. People actually slow down when they drive past my house to look at the pretty flowers. I always flip them my green thumb when they do that, I’m such a show off.

This is how my planter looks this year:

They’re really sissy flowers, and require a lot of attention and babying – but they’re worth it. Now for the good stuff. I mean the REALLY good stuff. The stuff that’s going to prove that my thumb probably isn’t as green as I’d like to think!

This is my vegetable garden. Hubby dug it up, it’s 12′ x 12′. He reeeealy wanted a veggie garden this year so I’m going to do my best. I’ve planted broccoli, cauliflower, beets, bush beans, green peppers and two half rows of spinach. We also have (off to the side against the fence) roma tomatoes and cucumber. Now, I have to tell you, I kill food. I kill it dead, and fast.

It’s been one week and one day since I planted stuff and things are still standing up and green.

(Pausing for applause.)

I am hoping, if all goes well, to be eaten alive by garden bugs and sweat like a farmer woman pulling weeds by mid summer. Why on earth is this something that a girl would aspire to, anyway? All this just for a fresh head of broccoli? Maybe what I really aspire to is to be clubbed over the head and dragged away by my really long hair by a cave man. Or a military man. (There, honey, now you qualify.)

Any gardeny advice for a newbie? Please? Tips, tricks or sprays that I should use? Special gloves? Bandanas? Ponytail holders? Knee pads? Grub identification manuals? Anything?

Okay, well, you think about it and I’ll get back to work over here. I’ve got blog designing to do. And paintings to ship, and jeez – a whole bunch of stuff on my to-do list! (Crack that whip!)