Highlights from New Jersey

Yep! New Jersey!
We did a little trip to the eastern part of the US of A.
Starting with an 80th birthday party in New Jersey and some visiting and a wee bit of sight-seeing.

The birthday boy with the birthday cake (a masterpiece!)

This is part of the 9/11 memorial overlooking NYC.

Our dear friend, E, in his butcher shop.

We visited him at work and we had dinner at his house one evening

And we visited again during the day to play with his beautiful 3 year old twins,

A boy and a girl, who are very much fun!

I want to ask first before I post any fotos of the twins.

 NYC at night from the scenic view point and memorial.

Wish I could figure out how to get the date offthe fotos...

Rats!

But now you know what days we were there!

Sunny September Sunday

Sitting on the grass in the afternoon sun, the height of September sun:

it is warm temperature-wise but somehow it just doesn't pack the

heat of August sun.

There is a slight breeze and a redtail hawk is riding a thermal and calling out,

 perhaps with joy or with a message to something unknown to me,

here on the ground cleaning garlic.

....scapes in my hand....

I am peeling the dirty skins off the bulbs and brushing the dirt

 from the root hairs,

...scapes in and out of their covers....

puncturing the tight covers of the scapes

 and freeing the bulbils from their womb-like package;

the paper released from both actions flying about me in the breeze.

.....scapes in the pan....

It is a good way to idle away an hour on a sunny September Sunday.

Arrival of Autumn

Elderberry:Sambucus Nigra Canadensis

Fireweed: Epilobium Angustifolium-Willowherb

Mountain Aster: Aster Occidentalis

The leaves and plants are beginning to change colors, a good sign that autumn is on its way, easing us out of summer. I saw all these colors and more on my walks over the weekend. The currant is bright red now, but I just couldn't capture the magic.

Hope Idaho

A group of us from work had dinner together at the Floating Restaurant in Hope, Idaho
Here are some scenes of the gorgeous sky.
We had to beg to sit outside, but the nice server relented and we got to soak in the magesty
among the boats.

Around the Yard

I got a new camera with a macro lense, I am playing with it and learning!

Great Fun!

Aren't these great Dr. Suess-y flowers!

Bees love them, I love them.

Snowberries, wonder why they call them that?

AKA: grouse berries & Symphoricarpos albus & wax berry.

Technically there is another berry called "grouse berry" but locals

often call these grouse berries.

"Shroomy Year

This year there has been an abundance of fantastic mushrooms

ever since it got warm enough for them to pop up.

I almost don't want to walk through the lawn for fear that I will crush one.

There are bright orange ones, (they didn't fotograph well) and puff balls

 and all of these beauties and a number of others in all shapes and sizes.

Fall Blooms

Hops over the front porch

Clematis

another clematis

A view of all 3 in a row.

random weird art projects

This is an 8X10 collage, multi-medium.

I don't really know how it all came about, but some

random scraps and mod-podge evolved into this,

which in turn evolved into a wedding card for J.

While digging about for scraps and frames I found this one

and decided to create another "one" and gave it to another

friend, A.

This is the piece of glass that came out of the "J" frame and I needed to

practice the idea I have for a larger project, sharpie on glass,

lace like, I am hoping. Stayed tunes, I like the results so I may develop it further.

Doesn't photograph that well, but here is the jist of it.

Wedding

All dressed up and hooping in a barnyard!

Not the best foto, but it gives a feel of those gorgeous mountains

that served as a backdrop to the wonderful and memorable occassion.

The mother of the bride taking fotos from the upstairs

overlooking the revellers.

Flowers for the Wedding

Bucket of sunflowers and asparagus fronds.

zinnias

Arranging coolers of flowers for transport from Belt to Bozeman for the wedding.

Belt in all it's glory on a summer morning.

Dinner in Belt, Montana

Farm fresh eggs

garden fresh summer squash and zuchinni

and bacon

Ok, and cream...Yum!

Summer Squash carbonarra in Belt Montana made by our gracious hosts.