Why I Blog.............

Pondside brought up an interesting discussion the other day.  If you're interested in joining this thoughtful discussion take a peek at her blog and feel free to join in.  

My blog is "my place".  It's the place where I can create peace out of havoc, joy out of pain.   Sometimes I've shared some of the pain but I feel that, knowing that everyone has their own battles, I don't want to burden others with it.  So I choose to create a soft place, a place where things are good.
I want my blog to be a place of joy or at least peace where you feel comfortable to come without hearing my latest woes.  I want it to be a place where I can come for respite and creation. 

Thank you for coming, thank you for reading my blog.  If you're an old friend thank you for being there, if you're a new one -  welcome.              Diane

Welcome Guests

After battling mosquitoes, ants and other insects trying to get my gardens in shape I ran across three little ladybugs.  How welcome and how nice to see them.  I felt like offering them tea and crumpets but I think they'd probably prefer what they came for - aphids. 
                                                                                                  Diane

Sugar Bowl

It's so hard to pick a favorite wildflower.  I just gave up, I love them all and I kinow you do too. This is a little one I taught myself this year.  I've always thought of them as the Pasque Flower or, more commonly, the Crocus.  They seem to be similar - they're both blue, they're both hairy.  But the Crocus grows more like a lopsided tulip and has other characteristics that aren't like these at all. 

Although I think of beautiful things and try to find the beauty to share on here I'm so distracted by the fires in our west.  As I write this the AirForce Academy in Colorado Springs is threatened.  It almost unbelievable.  We need a downpour so bad.  I continue to pray for all those people who're affected by this, both losing their homes, the firefighters and all the others involved.                Diane

Smoke fills the western skies giving the sun a strange and beautiful color.  Fires flare up daily all around us - Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, and the terrible raging ones to the south and west  - the forests are dry as a bone.  Today the temperature was 105 degrees and a hot, dry wind was blowing, drying everything out.  It's supposed to be a little cooler tomorrow - I'll take it!  Diane

Flowers to some.....weeds to others

It just matters if it's pretty to you I guess.  These are along my neighbors fence and they are beautiful.  They spread like wildfire and become a real pain.  These, however, are at the other end of the block so I can enjoy them.  Hope you're having a peaceful and restful weekend. 

My heart goes out to the people who are so threatened by the wildfires. Between the heat that we're all having, the heat from the fires, the smoke and their homes completely destroyed or threatened they have so much to deal with right now.  My prayers are with them.              Diane

A Wild Bouquet for You...........

Thank you so much for reading my blog and commenting.  I'm truly grateful for those of you who take time out of your day to write me a line.  I've created a wildflower bouquet for you..........I just wish you could smell it!!

Reading across:  A mountain meadow, larkspur, lupine and sticky geraniums, false forget-me- nots or stickseed, arrowleaf balsam root, mosses and ferns, wild geranium, sugar bowl, prairie smoke, queen annes's lace and mountain bluebelles, a patch of wildflowers, lupine.                Diane

Indian Paint Brush

Whenever I see a patch of these sweet flowers it makes me wonder about the person who also loved them enough to set the wheels in motion to make this Wyoming's state flower.  Did he also happen upon some of these shy little flowers and fall so in love with them?  Apparently so. 

They're found in other painterly colors ranging from a soft scarlet to almost white. 

These I found yesterday in the mountains and the flowers with them are wild roses. 

Diane

Bighorns

 It never fails to terrify me.  This curve as we travel up Red Grade road to the mountains.  The road's built on the side of the mountain - we climb higher and higher at a rapid rate and this curve makes a 90 degree turn and it seems like you're going out over the edge.  It's been improved somewhat, it used to be loose gravel, but it doesn't help my heart - it's still terrifying. 

 Another shot from inside (I'm trying to distract myself at this point!)

 Once we get on top it's worth it.  We meander around the lower elevations of the Cloud Peak Wilderness area. 

 Only occasionally do we then have a glimpse here and there of where we have been less than an hour ago.  

The wildflowers were beautiful.  It was a good day.  It was worth the terror.              Diane

Lap Dog

It's so nice to have a little friend who's never far away from me.  He loves to take a nap with me, take the two of us for a walk, go for rides -  he's just my little sidekick.   Here he's sitting on my lap in the cottage.  Diane

June and Roses

June just means roses to me.


These little wild rose buds are about to burst open and my
gardens will be blooming with these simple
beautiful little roses.

My favorite..........surely an old rose, I've
scattered it all through my flower beds.

The Apothecary Rose, one of the oldest
varieties of roses which can be dated back to
the medieval days.

June and roses.....they just go together.

Diane

Looking for the blessings....

 Sometimes everywhere you look you see pain and suffering, animal abuse, child abuse, mismanagement of many of those above us, selfishness......I don't need to go on and on, you know - you see it, too.

It's then that I have to shake myself, look up, look around, see the good that's here.  Look at the brilliant green of the leaves, walk along the creek and feel the coolness from water which has just

melted from alpine snowfields and listen to the birdsong.  It's then that I have to be amazed at how soon the robins realize I've  set the sprinkler.  It's then that I'm reminded of my amazing daughters and their lives.  It's then that I drink in the colors of the pencils and markers and boxes of inspiration in my studio or gaze in awe at the never ending beauty of the Bighorns. 

And it's then that I really truly appreciate every sweet word from my friends and people I meet, whether in person or on the net. 
And John 16:33 - These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace.  In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world ..... means something very personal.
                                                                                                                        Diane

Here's a gift for you........

I will survive !!!!

Wish we didn't but we all have those days when.......well, you know!!!  Here's a gift for you if you want to print out and save.  From me to you!                          Diane

Happy Birthday Bean!!!!

 Happy Birthday to you.  You make my life a joy and an exquisite happiness.  Hope it's the happiest birthday you ever had and that you have as much joy as you give others. 

Above collage - Her and her husband Gregg, Rascal absolutely adores her, hugs from Leonard and I,
Bean and I at Homer Spit with her dogs, tee hee...this one is the reflection in a fly-specked mirror in Alaska, her and I in Alaska, left hand corner - our favorite picture, and a memory she left for me on my chalk board when she left

Of all pictures this one to me signifies the passion and love she has for all living creatures.  Wearing grungies she gives her time and heart to work in an animal shelter in Alaska.  Since it's a kill shelter if an animal doesn't find a home in a certain amount of time it is euthanized.  This has to be one of the hardest things to do and each time she goes in her heart is broken in a thousand pieces.  She's taken animals home to foster, driven hundreds of miles to deliver some to shelters that will be able to find a forever home for them, arranged flight for others to find a home and adopted several herself.     She gives them all the love and care she can while they're on the earth and that's something that most of them have never had.                                               I love you Bean, Mom

Thank You

Thank you so much for your dear birthday wishes and kind comments.  I appreciate each and every one. 
                                                                                                  Diane

It's A Birthday Party.........

that's me standing behind the cake looking scared, the little girl in front who is all smiles is my little sister (she loved my birthday).  I think I was 4 or 5.Come join my birthday party!

Instead of just a few there will be a lot

of candles on the cake - 70!,

and instead of Grandma and Grandpa's front lawn we

will all crowd into the little pink cottage in my own

back yard. 

There will be flowers, cake, music and laughter.

So please come, it's tomorrow.

Diane

Flowers, Flowers, Flowers.............

My birthday is coming up and I've been celebrating for two months.  My daughter, Catherine, came down to see me the other day and brought me this sweet little bouquet of daisies and lilies-of-the-valley.  Isn't it just so perfect?

And then we went to the garden center where we picked this out together.  It's an amazing color of yellow and pink, Ruth was thinking that it might be Pink Lemonade.  It must be.  That's the exact color of it.


I'm spoiled rotten!
Diane



End of the Road

I bought these Tevas 3 years ago and have worn them

almost continually, except when I wore the other pair which I bought

at the same time.  I've worn them summers and winters, clipping on YakTrax to keep from falling on the ice.

I have several pairs of shoes which look nice and are good for

my feet. This style has been discontinued and I

don't think there's another pair left on earth.  I keep putting these old rags on when I want sheer comfort.

After I washed them for the last time they developed

a rough patch inside which makes them impossible to wear.

So this is the end of the road, dear shoes.  However,

I still have the sister pair...........

Diane