Catching up

Hello friends, Several things have been going on the last few weeks.... I hope you can make sense of the pictures and text. I couldn't seem to get blogger to cooperate. Last Friday evening we had a big storm roll thru and drench us. There was water everywhere after that. Kaylee was with me, so after dinner she and I went wading in the puddles... it was her first time puddling... Kaylee and my feet in a large puddle.

The last weekend of April we spent the weekend in a pretty mountain top cabin near Townsend, TN. We had a family hike on Saturday. She drove thru Cades Cove and hiked Abram's Falls trail. The weather was perfect, the company great, and the trail a bit rough, but everyone made it out, and enjoyed the scenery. We came across a bear cub eating some leaves, who totally ignored us. He was adorable and only a few feet off the trail. We all stayed alert and looking for it's mother... luckily she didn't return while we were so close.

This is the view from the back deck.

The week before that I was in Virginia for work. It was a very good trip. We got a tour of the Norfolk port. There was so much going on there, its a wonder things run as smoothly as they do. I was fascinated with the huge cranes and equipment. Went to Virginia Beach on Thursday afternoon. It was chilly and very windy but I had to take off my shoes and walk in the sand. I've never been to a real beach before. The sand was warm beneath my feet, and I rolled up my pants and waded in the ocean. It was cool. We only stayed a couple hours and then had to head back toward Richmond and our hotel.

Saturday my daughter Rachel came over and helped me unload gravel, and she, Mark and I laid the stone we have been collecting for the floor of the cornzebo. I thought we had more than enough, but we barely had enough. I need to level several stones, cut some small pieces for the larger gaps, and then finish packing the cracks with gravel. While it's not the pretty circular patio I dreamed of, the only expense I have in it is gravel. The cornzebo is starting to look like a comfy spot. Older roses have covered the one side, and are getting ready to bloom. I have moved 3 roses to the cornzebo, and bought 10 bagged roses from Walmart and Big Lots. They were each under $5.00. They aren't the fancy english roses, but they'll be perfect for me.

This is the so called super moon peaking over my arbor. I couldn't tell a difference.

This is my and Kaylee's version of a bottle tree. It brings color to the flower bed when flowers aren't blooming. I know it's tacky, redneck and odd but Kaylee and I like it.

The weather is warm here and storms have been rumbling thru the last hour or so.... my newly planted roses can use a good drink to get them off to a good start. And who doesn't love to hear it rain??? Myra