HAPPY SUNDAY EVERYONE - A FEW JIGSAW PUZZLES FROM MY IPAD

My favorite time to do these is at the end of the day when I am ready to put my feet up. I will take maybe 20 minutes to half an hour, depending on how tired I am. When the puzzle pieces refuse to show themselves to me, then I know it’s time to put it down.  

I am a very visual person as you have probably guessed, and love the ones with animals and birds and bright, cheery colors. I also enjoy the scenic ones, and flowers of course. 

I have put these puzzles together over the last few months and am sharing my favorites. I am about to clear a space on our dining room table to do a regular 1,000 piece. 

How is your weather where you are? After hearing about the high temperatures in Europe, we are now following suit. It is going to be hot and humid. I will not be going out in it, if I can help it. I do have an eye appointment mid week, just to see how my eyes are doing with my new glasses. Quite well I will be able to tell her.

Thanks for dropping in and I hope your week ahead will be great.

Stay safe, stay cool. 

Don’t forget to hydrate🥵

A BUSY MORNING...

6-16-26: Out relatively late at 10.00 a.m. I wanted to get to the Department of Motor Vehicles to get my license renewed. 

I have been noticing the sunflowers driving out of the neighborhood. Someone had planted a line of them by their letter box. The last time I saw them they weren't blooming. Today there was quite a show, and it was time to take my cell phone out. They made a very pretty sight.

When we got to the DMV, the first thing I noticed was that the parking lot was not overflowing like the times I have been there before. There were many empty spots. I was surprised how quiet it was. When we got inside and signed in, I was still filling out the form they gave me when I was called. We were in and out under 15 minutes. My Real ID license will arrive in the mail. I can't remember how long he said, hopefully under two weeks. In the meantime I was given an official sheet of paper which will act as a temporary one. We noticed a sign at the counter letting us know we could have done all this online, which is probably why it was so quiet, maybe. 

Our next stop was at Wegmans. I had a notice a few days ago to say I was due for my second shingles shot. No appointment is needed, you just walk in and wait your turn, which usually isn't very long. 

I sat myself down next to this very nice couple about our age. They were also waiting in the small sitting area. The man heard me and said, "You must be from Texas?" I looked at him and answered with a big smile, "I'm from England." He said he knew that and assured me he was joking. Ah, a comedian! He, his wife and I had a chuckle. After 50 years you can still tell where I came from originally. I'm always surprised when people acknowledge my accent. I do have a different one compared to how I used to sound. I think I have mentioned before that when I have gone back to the UK, people think I am Canadian.

The man played a guessing game as to where I was from. Not from Wales, he said, not from Scotland, he said. You did say England right? Not from the North, and then the Pharmacist opened the door, and they got up and as they went into her office I told him I grew up near Birmingham, but moved to Devonshire when I was 15. He nodded sagely as he disappeared out of sight. They saw them again a few minutes later. Gregg had joined me. We had another short conversation about the man's time in England. He had been over there working for a while. It was a very nice conversation. 

When we joined the pharmacist she had heard my chat with the couple. After I received the shot, she told me she had vacationed in the UK with an aunt who lived in Reading. This was when she was young and remembered what a great time she had at a rock concert. I should have asked her whom she saw. I told her that when I flew into Heathrow, I would go to Reading to catch the train down to Devon. She was lovely and great at doing her job. I hardly felt a thing.

Gregg told me later he noticed a sign showing an award that Wegmans received, for being the best pharmacy in America. I can believe it. We have never had anything but the best service here and every pharmacist has been very professional and friendly. Most importantly, all the inoculations received have been painless. I was glad to get home, however, and found myself dozing off for a few minutes.

And they are back!

Hello there my little darlings! Got out again did you? 

I had a chuckle. These photos were taken in seconds as they heard Gregg’s voice calling them. He exited via the garage door in the front of the house, had already told me not to open anything, even though I badly wanted to fuss them. Last time they slipped through a crack, and one followed the other before I could blink an eye. After remembering the last time, good sense prevailed. 

Gregg said they were fast as lightning. They wouldn't listen to him and made their way further down the street to the corner house. Soon after, their human turned up and said to Gregg, "They got out again?" He apologized but Gregg told him don't worry, we love them. We do, but at the same time we’re glad they are now safely back in their own garden.

I made a concoction the other day but didn't take a photo of the finished product. There is no link. I got the idea from several similar recipes I've seen over time and put this together from memory. Definitely not a lot to remember and you probably do something similar.

In the blender I added 2 bananas, 1/2 cup Greek yogurt, 2 tablespoons honey and a splash of vanilla. Mixed until blended and poured into a freezer-proof container. It is supposed to take 1 to 2 hours before it is ready, but it took much longer I found. No, it's not ice cream but it satisfied a sweet tooth, and I enjoyed it very much. My dessert makes enough for 4 small portions and I ate it with blueberries on the side. I will be making it again. It will be a fun recipe to play around with, using different ingredients. If you make something similar, please share as I am always looking for good ideas.

It was a great day for weather. The high was 72 degrees F. and I didn't think it was humid. I hope the weather is treating you kindly in your part of the world. 

Have a great day!

MY POOR DROOPY SUNFLOWER…

 but they have put on quite a lovely show this week. I bought Baby’s breath too. Not exactly Fall-like but they appealed. Years ago I found small glass vases, and I put a few sprigs in each. They are all a bit past it, but I like them as they still look cheery on the kitchen table. The petals on the sunflowers have started falling off but later I am going out and will look for more.

I don’t have many Fall decorations, so decided to add Mr. Gnome this year. He was holding a sunflower, and could not resist. I will share more of him and his two companions in later posts. In the meantime I have more sunflowers on the shopping list. 

"Happy Leaf Falling Time Everyone!"

HAPPY SUNDAY EVERYONE! PUBLISHED EARLIER THAN INTENDED AGAIN BUT LEAVING IT HERE.

 

I am sharing a photo I took the last time we were at one of the gardens at the beginning of last month. The original settings were a little bit off, and it came out way too bright. I tried to darken. This is about as good as I could do, but I was happy I caught the bee enjoying itself, and another ever so faintly.

I broke the cardinal rule and took the photo when the sun was at its high point, around noon. It makes such a difference. We don't usually go out until later in the day, just so that we can get better lighting for taking photos. And because it's less heat during the summer months.

I also read that photos of flowers should be taken when it's cloudy? Anyone heard that? I really should learn more about settings but these days I take a lot of photos with my cell phone and don't think about it.

I hope you all have a great Sunday, and thanks for dropping by.

THE SUNFLOWERS ...

Come with me 

into the field of sunflowers.

Their faces are burnished disks,

Their dry spines

Creak like ship masts,

Their green leaves,

So heavy and many

Fill the day with the sticky

Sugars of the sun.

Come with me

To visit the sunflowers,

They are shy

But want to be friends;

They have wonderful stories

Of when they were young -

The important weather,

The wandering crows.

Don't be afraid

To ask them questions!

Their bright faces,

Which follow the sun

Will listen, and all

Those rows of seeds -

Each one a new life!

Hope for a deeper acquaintance.

Each of them, though it stands

In a crowd of many

Like a separate universe.

Is lonely, the long work

Of turning their lives

Into a celebration

Is not easy.  Come

And let us talk with those modest faces,

The simple garment of leaves,

The coarse roots in the earth

So uprightly burning.

The Sunflower by Mary Oliver

BITS AND BOBS

I am sharing a few photos that I have had in my folder and hopefully there are no repeats.  I haven't been to any gardens lately, so I am glad I can share these.  Hopefully there are no repeats.The bridge, the Canada Goose and the reflection of people, was taken at Meadowlark Gardens on our last trip.  I love watching the few geese that take up residence.  I don't think too many are encouraged but it's very nice to see the few.The Golden Ragwort is always very pretty.  I am not sure what the white blooms in the middle are.

I am thankful that we still have a few trees at home.  We hope to replace the ones we had to take down last year.  I saw a hawk sitting on a branch a couple of weeks ago in our neighbor's yard, but nothing since.  I always keep my camera with the zoom lens on the table next to where I am sitting, just in case.  This was the only photo I could get before it flew away seconds later. Unfortunately, its face was obscured. You may remember I stopped filling the bird feeders and the smaller birds have been scarce.  The photos of our feathered friends are before I stopped feeding them during the summer months.  I find myself eager for the autumn as I miss them. 

 The Catbird is always a welcome visitor.  I cropped the one above and here is a closer look.The Mourning Doves were enjoying the rain.  At least I think they were, they didn't seem to want to seek shelter.Enjoying a good preening session too, still raining.This is a female Rose-breasted Grossbeak.  I never did see her mate.  The first time I have ever seen one in our garden was this year. 

Family stayed overnight recently. We enjoyed catching up as it had been a while and it was a fun visit.

I got these last two from Pinterest.

That's about it. Thank you for your visit.  I hope you are staying happy, healthy and I wish you all a great weekend.

A SLOW MORNING...

 I wasn't quite awake yet and hadn't fed the birds.  The Starlings were already waiting and getting a bit restless.

Yes, yes, I know!  It works for the squirrels!  

Where have I heard that before?

(photo of squirrel from pixabay.com.  I added the sunflower on paint shop pro)

GOSIA AND GOOD FENCES

These photos are taken of my neighbor's back yard, and the fences that separate our gardens are just what I needed for Gosia's Good Fences.  

They have a real pretty yard and I love the birdhouses and wind chimes. 

There are signs that the season is changing.  It has been the usual hot and humid summer,  but we have had enough rain this month to keep the grass from going entirely brown.  The rain has sometimes come with heavy thunderstorms.  Yesterday's was  a deluge but no thunder or lightning.

For the first time that I can remember we had mushrooms growing in the back.  I was happy to see them.

"Never lose your sense of wonder!"

~Author Unknown~

 I found a brand new flower also, one that we had not planted.  A small sunflower.  

I am taking part in Good Fences hosted by Gosia.  If you would like to see other fences, or join in with your own, you can go here.  Thank you for hosting Gosia!  

And thank you for looking at today's post.  I wish you all a great weekend.