A great start to summer...

Summer seems to be in full swing here.  I didn't even realize that I haven't stopped in here for two whole weeks until yesterday.  Wow!

There's a boat load of things that have been keeping us busy.  Like meeting up with friends, picnics in the park, bike riding, etc.  Really anything that has to do with being outside.  It just seems like we are taking full advantage of justdoing things this year.  All honesty, we have to take advantage of the outdoors before the cruel heat sets in and won't let go.  I whine about it.  I don't like it and I'm sure it doesn't like me.  So I try to get up early each day to throw the windows open to enjoy the cool morning air and to keep from turning the A/C on early in the day.  I whine about the power bill also.

But there has been some pretty interesting things going on around here, at least for us.  Little things that we make sure to check out each and every day.Things that put a smile on our faces.  Even the addition of the newest grandson to the family.  Such a sweetie pie.

One other addition has been the cute Robin that has made a nest on one of the beams of the front porch area.  We are proud that she decided to grace us with her most important life event.  A nice shady area to rest herself while tending to her nest.  And safe from bigger birds that have been known to destroy a Robin's nest in our yard before.  She's one smart Mom.  And the best viewing point is from one of the girls window upstairs.  She's always the first thing in the morning to be checked on.

We have been watching for a few days now and wondered if there were any eggs in the nest.  So when we noticed she flew off for just a short bit we took advantage of the moment and grabbed the ladder to take a peek.  The girls and I squealed when I announced that there were four perfectly gorgeous blue eggs in the nest.  A very happy moment indeed.  Everyone had their turn at looking but not touching the nest as quickly as possible so that Mommy Robin could get back to the nest and continue sitting.  What a wonderful thing.  Is there a better color than Robin's Egg Blue?  

Nope.

Gardening has been a wonderful thing this year.  Our little greenhouse gave us such a great start this year.  I just love it.  Some size greenhouse should be a given for everyone who loves to grow their own veggies and flowers.  I can't do without one now.

The girls and I put in two more garden beds after seeing this wonderful idea with cinder blocks.  Quick and easy, especially when our wonderful local hardware store delivered them to us with free delivery.  Love those guys! So after a quick hour the girls and I had two more beds with dirt added and all our lovely plants tucked inside them.  I don't know why this idea didn't come my way before.  I won't make another wood garden box again.  Cinder blocks all the way for this little garden patch of mine.

I so need acreage big time to put in the amount of plants I would really want.  

The first crop of Rhubarb was picked.  Oh how everyone was excited.  Ideas of what to make with it are flying around like mad around here. Rhubarb bars were made in the early morning hours yesterday because I can't stand having the oven on during the hot afternoons.  (whining again).  Rest assured that it was all gone before lunch.  I think it was eaten for breakfast by everyone.

 I'll go ahead and admit that I'm a Rhubarb hoarder.  I'm not much of a sharing person when it comes to this prize crop of mine.  I don't even talk about having it in my garden.  I cherish it, seriously.  I get just enough out of my plants so that I can make a few jars of jam and have a few bags frozen so that we can have this treat throughout the year.  I am stingy and I make no apologies for it.  My crew told me that I remind them of Gollum in "Lord of the Rings" because of how I guard it.  

I do what I must do.

We have been on the ladybug watch around here for the past few weeks now.  I will be honest and say that I never knew what a ladybug larvae looked like before this year.  Seriously!  Where have I been?  We saw all these black things all over the place and I will admit a few were taken out so to say before the girls got curious about what they were.  A bit of investigating and we were mortified as to what we had done.  They are now a protected species in our yard now.  Everyone is told to leave them alone or else. The girls have become ladybug guard dogs as of late.

Then there has been quite a few of our wonderful summer time treats showing up around our place in the mornings.  I'll never tire of seeing the balloons each year.  Seriously, how could one not want to see them flying over your house?

This particular one buzzed us Sunday morning.  We heard something that sounded like the burners going off feverishly outside.  One look out the window and we realized the balloon was practically on us.  I don't think I've moved that fast since the Air Force.  I didn't think I had it in me still.  The basket went right in between our house and the neighbors just brushing the tree top.  Awesome!!!  I'm sure we were quite the sight for the pilot in the basket, looking below and seeing us having just gotten out of bed and all at 6:30 in the morning.  What an awesome start to the day.

So bring it on summer!  We are so ready for you and all the fun things that come with you.

~*~