Diamond Dogs

When we moved here 32 years ago, the back yard was a total mess.  we cleared out a section in the back and opened up more than half the space.  We spent the next 15 years landscaping, building a Japanese Rock Garden and a beautiful deck.  And more recently Carrie and I built a back patio of slate stones.

In the furthest back part there has always been these trillium that appear and bloom in the spring.  they are a weed found all over Louisiana and Mississippi.  It looks like something one would cultivate doesn't it.

I really need to make a piece featuring the lowly trillium. 

I have some big plans for the grandbaby soon.   I am working on setting him up in some classes we can take together.  Fun, more on that later.  I have to go to the Zoo this week, so I can grab him and get him in the wagon and wheel him through to the back.  I used to work at the zoo.  part of my job was to help prepare the food for the various animals and birds.  Amazingly, a lot of them got raw onions for dinner.

And in quilting news, I was able to get Diamond Dogs on the frame and quilt a meandering pattern all over it.  I have to say, the quilting actually
improved the look of the quilt.  I really like it.

It is very flat, which is a good thing.
 
I got it trimmed up tonight.  I was able to cut and apply the binding, but still need to sew it down.
I am still working on the binding for the Triangles quilt.  One more side!








I am linking up to Freemotion by the River so hop on over there and see what the others are working on.  Maybe add your own linky!












I spent some time this morning
with Trinity who did some dry needling on my back and hip.  I feel a lot better but the places she worked on are sore.  I am hoping I can continue the dry needling for eternity.

You Mean You Are Not Leaving?

I got up this morning with plans.  Big plans.  But........

At 8:30 I asked him where he was going and what time he was leaving.  He informed me that today was a holiday!  Whereupon I created a list of things for him to do!  LOL

So we went to run errands.   I needed a new cutting mat from JoAnn's and he needed some blue jean shorts for the cruise.  We were heading to Red Robin for lunch but go sidetracked when I saw one of favorite restaurants had opened up a new place!  Bistro Byronz's had the most fantastic cheese covered chips you can imagine!

At home I needed my metal benches touched up and the 75 caladium bulbs planted.  Here you see my snake free caladium bed.  I had sandals on so Frank had to certify the snake free part before I put my hands in there!

And since some of you are still having snow, I wanted to flaunt my back yard awakening from our very mild winter.



 Chloe and McGee spent the afternoon looking for lizards and skinks.  If you look closely at Chloe's face you can see my metal star.

In the background you can see what is left of my driveway, big chunks of cement Frank wanted to keep.  Hmm.





At the end of the patio is a mess of Wandering Jew.  It is almost iridescent in color.  Usually the winter is too cold for it to stay but it always comes back in the spring.  This year it never died down!

The lorapetalum is blooming!  It smells very sweet.  The new leaves are purple.  We always look for colors that will catch the eye in places. 

The fish looks like he has a top hat on!  That is actually what we use to cover the outside faucets during freezes.  McGee takes them off and shreds them if it is left on the faucet.  So it serves as a hat for the fish!




This is the back part of the yard.  It is actually the kitty graveyard.  There are three little statues there, one for each kitty.  The two you can see here are Whitney Dallas (can't name a kitty Whitney Houston when she comes from Dallas, can you?) and Chips the Mean Cat.

And we have wild strawberries all over the yard.





I need to do some cleaning up in the Japanese Rock Pool.    If you look at the rocks, the one standing up is the loon and the round fat one is the turtle.  In a Japanese Rock Pool you always need a turtle and a loon.




The lizard and the ladybug.  Sounds like  story in there.  I was "encouraging" Frank to take the photo, the stupid bug was biting me.  That ladybug was no lady!





And here are McGee and DiNozzo grazing.  DiNozzo ended up at the vet yesterday.  He was tossing all his cookies all day long.

He is better today but I noticed he was not as active as McGee or Chloe today, preferring to lay near me and watch.

It was a  beautiful day.....we got a lot done........and Frank didn't piss me off too badly!