A Picture from the Past

 16 years ago to be precise. Myself and my granddaughter who is now 20. Where has the time gone?
 This was taken in Jasper, Alberta if I remember correctly. 

 

Wordless Wednesday

 

 

RAIN

Yesterday we finally got the rain we were hoping for. All day a soft rain fell...the only unfortunate thing is how bent down the Hydrangeas are.  I suppose it's a small price to pay.

 

 Next to this Annabelle I sprinkled some Cosmos seeds in Spring and now they're blooming. I'm not sure why I chose orange  because I already have enough of that colour in my garden. I used to have Cosmos ( pale purple) and they self-seeded every year. Until one year none came up.

Droplets of water on Lady's Mantle

 I took advantage of the coolness today and did some baking. I made a baked rice pudding with raisins,  and cheese biscuits. Forgot to take pictures so here are some from the 'net.  Since the oven was already at 400* I decided to set it to self-clean when I was done baking. I don't clean it more than maybe twice
a year. In between I try to wipe up any spills.

Thanks for visiting today,  GM

Tiger Lilies, Soup, and an Accident

 Another lovely warm day. One of the things we wanted to do was drive out into the country and buy more blueberries. There is such an abundance this year that the price keeps coming down. We bought another 25 pounds ( most will be shared with our children).

My Tiger Lily loves the sunshine and more than half her blooms are now open.

I know soup is considered more a Fall and Winter meal but we enjoy it in all seasons. This time I made Borscht which is a soup of Ukrainian origin and  has dill, tomato, cabbage and beets as  important ingredients. I didn't have any beets but the soup turned out just fine. (That's sour cream on top.)
 

 Middle Son was on his way home from work yesterday when a car full of young people came straight through a stop sign, not even slowing down,  hitting the truck so hard it spun around and ended up facing the opposite direction.  MS has a sore chest ( from his seatbelt) otherwise he fared better than the driver of the other car. We're thankful that nothing more serious occurred.
Here the truck is already on the tow truck.

I'm off to have some of the leftover soup. Thanks for visiting,  GM

Peaches

 

One of the pleasures of summer is the abundance of fruit available. GD Kate and her partner drove up to the Okanagan* and brought back a box of peaches for us. They were just 2 or 3 days until ripe and were so tasty.

 I made a very rustic peach pie and some jam. The pie would not win any prizes for looks but it was so good ( with a bit of ice cream on the side).  There were some left for eating and we enjoyed them. (Now they're all gone).

 I never used to drink plain water. I found it very Blah. Now I keep a handful of fresh mint in the pitcher and it makes all the difference. I have several kinds of mint. Today the one I cut was Chocolate. Not that I find it tastes like chocolate but it is a little different from the others.

 * The Okanagan is a region in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It's known for its wineries and fruit orchards.

Thanks for visiting.

Garage Sale Finds

In Sunday's post I mentioned the garage sale where I found lovely treasures. I forgot  to show the two Royal Albert teacups that were two dollars each!!  I'm always looking for the flower-of-the-month series and I was happy to find the May cup. I already have February (Purple Violets) and July ( Forget-me-nots). The May one is Lily of the Valley.

This teacup has no special name but is very pretty too.

Here they both are in the cupboard where most of my Royal Alberts are displayed. Middle of the third and fourth shelves.

 One last thing I got was this set of pot holders which I didn't even notice at the time  are not identical. Just imagine the precise folding and sewing necessary to make such a set.

 

Once again I hope I haven't gone on and on about my finds. It's a hobby that's fascinating to me but I realize it's not everyone's cup of tea.

Thanks for visiting. I always enjoy your comments, even the anonymous ones *smile*.

Monday

 It was 20C when we left the house at 7, cloudy with a cool breeze. Now, at 2:30, the temperature has risen to 25 but the breeze is keeping it pleasant for working.  Youngest Son came for an hour of serious digging for a new path in the back garden. He began laying down ,I think they're called patio squares that we already had.  It's going to look much better plus as he dug he removed many invasive Lily-of-the-Valley roots. I think they're a lovely flower but they are so very invasive.  I wish I had never planted any.

Our pole beans are doing well. We have sowed them in 3 different spots ( wherever there's sunshine).
These are Scarlet Runners . Hummingbirds like the red blossoms.

Below is also a picture of one of our Clematis. Blogger has chosen where the picture goes.

I'm taking advantage of the coolness and baking  bread. What are you busy doing this July afternoon?

I saw this and thought of those of you who do various crafts ....