My mother's funeral!

We lost another friend this week and I was totally amazed at all his accomplishments that were listed in his obituary.. We'd only known him through bridge the last 8+ years and had no idea of his life before that... I'm hoping his funeral will be a celebration of his life as he made a real difference in this world.

My mother is 90 and very strong-minded and in control....no sign of dementia there... She has strong feelings about her own demise and last fall she took my sister and made all the arrangements.. I haven't a clue to what was settled as I was not only not invited.. I was banned... I'm sure the funeral director will whisk her away in the dead of night and she'll be buried before morning without any ceremony whatever. I am forbidden to have anything to do with it as she's sure I'd turn it into a celebration of her life...

She's right of course...I would. She started so poor with so little education and achieved so much by hard work and determination... So I'll probably have a party instead of a funeral and invite all her friends and celebrate her life anyway. Please don't tell her or she'd be absolutely furious with me....

In this photo they were on their way to follow the fruit harvest in the orchards in central Washington. My mother is the girl in the back with the white hat... Notice the wheels...the wooden spokes had to be wrapped with wet rags to keep them from drying out...

The girl has style......

My youngest granddaughter Skylar just turned three.... Here's she's all ready to go to a wedding...check the gloves, ribbon and fancy dress..... and then the feet.

If you didn't find her!

Heard from folks who had trouble finding my friend....This should help!

If you kiss enough toads.....can you find my friend?

My picture taking is pretty much functional...documenting work or events... but every once in a while I get a unplanned spectacular shot and this is one of them. Can you find my hidden friend?

She's about thirty feet from the house escaping the heat and munching on gooseberries. The 200-acre farm next to us has been bought by developers and will soon be houses. I know the first thing the new residents will do is complain about the deer when they built on wheat fields that deer have grazed for 100 years. Wouldn't this make a great jigsaw puzzle?

This is a post from a couple years ago, but since I was talking about the garden going wild it seems a good time to post it again. I love this photo as it says so much about the garden....

Miss Molly being mama!!!

We were holding our breath on how well Miss Molly would adjust to a pesky puppy.. For those who didn't know, Molly is a rescue dog and we're her 3rd home so obviously she has some issues... mainly being hyper and neurotic. First her herding instincts took hold. She constantly followed and watched him but never let him close...


But at the end of a week her mothering instincts came out and she is in full "mother mode" now... Isn't this picture just precious? Now she lets him jump on her and roll all over her. She lets him nibble on her ears, cheeks, nose, toes and even her tail... She plays chase and tussles with him for long periods of time...never losing her patience or getting too rough....

But when she's had enough she get on the couch just out of his reach... He barks, whines, whimpers and leaps at the couch but she just stays there...enough is really enough!!!!