361 The Great Outdoors

The weather has been gorgeous ... you know, when it isn't pouring rain and threatening tornadoes out there... so we have been trying to spend some time outside. Playing in the backyard, trips to the park behind our house, or hanging out on the deck.

My peony was gorgeous ... WAS ... stupid rain and wind has beat her up. And of course, I have been checking out the dandelions. Down on all fours ... well, threes... I have to hold the camera after all.

I even pulled out the ol' Argus for some TtV shotsOH ... and a pic or two of the kids when I can convince them to stay still long enough to click the shutter. Which doesn't happen very often ... especially with Katie!!Yesterday I took the kids out to the park so that Chip could yell at Call of Duty without us distracting him. Mostly the kids ran around, picking honeysuckle and climbing all over the play equipment, but I did manage to get them to stay still for a few milli-seconds. And no, I did NOT ask Katie to pose like this. She decided to turn into a little ham for the four pictures she deigned to let me shoot. Poor girl, still has a mark from the Hula Hoop Incident.Katie has obviously been trying to teach Connor how to "SMILE" ... e have GOT to break him out of this FAST! I don't think I can take two cheeseballs!Ok, that is better ... maybe if I took the macro lens off ... I am happy to report that Winn Dixie is still alive and well... and thankfully living with his actual owners. Katie and Connor still get to play with him out at the park and when he wanders by the house, but I don't have to deal with a dog.And, what do I do while the kids play? I take pictures of weeds and park debris. Pausing to run and help Connor slide down the fireman's pole or do the monkey bars. He tends to forget he can't actually fly if he falls off the platform. I was having fun with the macro, which is a must since most of the park "flowers" are tiny tiny things.And I couldn't leave out the honeysuckle. Katie loves it. I know I did when I was a kid, too .. but now I look at it and think ALL THAT WORK FOR A TINY DROP!!!And when dealing with the outdoors you are also dealing with insects. They love making cameo appearances. From the smallest of little flies...Little ladybugsAnd super freaky caterpillars. This one looks REALLY exotic but it just turns into a plain brown moth. It is called a Rusty Tussock Moth-cat. Katie took it into school today to show off.

I hope everyone else is experiencing some wonderful weather and time outside. Fresh air seems to be re-opening my creativity. I hope ...

359 SOOC Saturday - Peony

355 SOOC Saturday (or Sunday)

My first peony bud! So excited!! I can't wait until she blooms!

SOOC (Straight Out Of Camera) Saturday is hosted by Melody at Slurping Life

227 This Morning in the Garden

I went to check on my peony this morning and found a sad spectacle. Half of its petals were brown. It was droopy. My peony is soon to be no more ... but it still smells like heaven! I was leaning in to take a few shots of it when this rude guy got into the picture. I was just a few inches away, and I stood VERY still so he wouldn't notice me. Like he even cared. He was intent on the flower and I never registered at all. The irises are still blooming. They are so heavy that all the stalks are laying on the ground, but the flowers are growing up. But even the lilies fade daily. I might be the only one to think so, but even this has beauty!! Connor joined me outside, of course. He spent a little while with the flowers (he loves to sniff them, though it usually looks like he is trying to eat them), and then he took a ride in his little red car. At least we have a few years to teach him about keeping his head INSIDE the car at all times.

** he is actually leaning out to "pull weeds"**

We tossed the foam football around. Well, he threw it at me as hard as possible, and I rolled it back to him. He was getting tired of watching us play football with Katie anyway. She never wants to let him have the ball. Summer vacation is going to be fun with the constant WHINING and CRYING! I am sure the kids will be miserable, too.

I hope Connor isn't allergic to the flowers :) Kidding, we turned the AC on a few days ago and he has been snotty ever since. I might need to shift his bed or buy him a ski mask. Doesn't seem to bother him a bit, except when I try to clean the boogies off. I know you are all disappointed that I could not catch him with an actual snot bubble, but you will just have to make due with full stoppage.

222 Carrie, Carrie, Quite Contrary...

how does my garden grow?

Thankfully with very little help from me. I plan on adding to it, but for now these blooms are making me happy.

My peony finally opened!

220 When April Showers Overlap Into May

All my pretty flowers get wet.

And knowing that the summer drought is not that far away, I took advantage of the rain.
My peony will be blooming any day now!! It will be the first time and I am SO excited. It is another one of the offspring of my granddaddy's plants!

The rocks that Connor had sprinkled all over the deck are even prettier.

I think of this one as the two "vanilla" parents who raised a rockstar. Playtime moves inside. I could FINALLY see the floor of Katie's room, and then she HAD to have her tent put up. At least it amused her and Connor and for a little while. Until Connor realized he could pick it up :)

Wherever you are, I hope the sun is shining. If it is not shining outside then I pray it is shining in your heart. Yeah, I went there.