photographs

random photographs from this summer... 

Because my hubby and I were attending our niece's wedding in July in San Diego, we decided to visit Death Valley on the way--yep--in the middle of Summer! Here we are having fun with shadows on the western edge of the park looking out to the Panamint Mountains. 

The wedding was so wonderful!  The ceremony and the reception were held outside.  Banners and lights were strung in several courtyard areas.  

The day after the wedding, the bride and groom escorted 13 of us into Baja California, Mexico for wine tastings.  First up--tacos and paletas.  Then we had all the energy necessary to visit 4 wineries!  At one of them, there was a grape tasting garden.  I wish I remembered what variety these are.

back home again to a waiting kitty!

and a mini garden harvest

My 9 year old twin goddaughters came over to play for an evening.  We had lots of fun!  Oliver (kitty) enjoyed man little girl-handling, we made fun food, and played flashlight tag.  This ice cream lady was inspired by Samantha Lee's amazing food art.  ("Lola" was made of 2 kinds of ice cream, strawberry lips and cheeks, chocolate sauce eyebrows, hair of oreo-type cookie surrounded by chocolate sauce.  A tree was made of cantaloupe branches and pieces of fruit for leaves and blossoms.) 

2 trips to Asheville, NC to visit my daughter and SIL.  We always work on a house project.  Sometimes we explore the town or the mountains.  We always have awesome food --and wine.  (My daughter's a wine rep!)  Recently, we were working on converting a carport into a greenhouse.  Alas, we didn't finish.

Yesterday, I was playing around with my iPhone taking photos of my flowers.  The asters have just begun to bloom.  It must be Fall.  See the beetle?

Alphabe-Thursday, hosted by Ms Jenny, is so much fun!  This week our letter is  "P."  Come visit others' submissions HERE and join in the fun!  


 
photos by me  © 2014   all rights reserved     

exploring

"Laughter is an instant vacation!"   ~ Milton Berle

And with that quip, I will attempt to answer the most pressing questions for our etsy bloggers' carnival:  

What is the best vacation you've ever had?

answer:  the one I'm on right now, or the one I just had, or the one I'm about to take.

Of all the places in the world, where would you like to go and why?

answer:  Oh now, don't get me started!  I want to go everywhere!  Why?  I have an explorer's heart.

Let's start at the beginning.  Once, a long (long, long) time ago, I was a small child.  My parents packed up the car and took my brother and me to the sea.  Oh the sea!  to roll in the sand and play in the waves!  pure joy!  I will always love the sea.


Then I grew up and moved West (west of where I grew up, that is) to Indiana.  While on a business trip to Arizona, my husband and I went to the Grand Canyon and points farther west.  The Canyon was glorious in the  April Spring!  Snow was falling from the sky onto our winter coats and then melting part way down the canyon.  It was magical and I was hooked.  A few years later, and every summer thereafter, we packed up the car and took our kids out West.  We camped under the stars, ate sandwiches while standing knee deep in a river, hiked through verdant forests, and EXPLORED!  Oh how I love exploring!  And it's wonderful blessing to share new experiences with my husband and children.

Where will the path take me?  What's around the next bend?   What discoveries will be made?  What delights will be seen?

This is for the etsy bloggers' carnival which will be published by Handmade By Sandi on Monday, March 1.

1st photo--Idaho

2nd photo--Montana
LINKS:
hot fun in the summertime! --memories and photos of childhood at the beach
Summertime...back in the day --memories and photos of childhood summer vacations
photos © 2009

hot fun in the summertime!

When I was young, my family would pack up the car and drive to the beach for 2 weeks. We'd drive past small towns and cows grazing in the fields. Would we EVER arrive?
I spent most of my time in the water. I'd lie on my raft and catch the waves. Oh the thrill of riding a big one in! Of course building sand castles or rolling in the sand was fun, too.


Diving under the waves or just floating in the cool salt water are great ways to spend time. See my silly Dad doing a handstand?!




After a long day at the beach, we'd walk back to our cottage past beautiful blue hydrangea bushes. My Dad would hose the sand off me and my brother before we were allowed inside.
Sometimes in the evenings we'd walk the boardwalk and eat ice cream cones.What wonderful family memories these are!

See my post Summertime....back in the day....

This is for the etsy bloggers street team carnival hosted by Rose Works Jewelry. Be sure to check out her blog after July 31 when she will publish all the etsy bloggers' submissions.

Addendum: We went to Cape Cod, Massachusetts; Cape May, New Jersey; Cockey's Farm; and Mildred's and Earl's Farm, the latter 2 on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, USA. In the Summertime post linked above, there are photos from the farms.
photos © 2009

Summertime....back in the day....

When I was a small child summertimes were glorious. Sun-drenched warm days were spent idly playing with toys, exploring the backyard with my brother, playing with neighborhood kids, riding in the car over the"bumpy way" to eat ice cream with my cousins. Long days melted into cool summer nights alight with fireflies and soft breezes.
My mother and father would pack up the car for a 2 week vacation, first at a farm on the bay, then the beach. There I spent many happy hours rolling in the sand and floating in the water wearing a "ring." I loved the salt water, riding the waves, playing in the sand, just being outdoors.


2 water babies: I am 3 ½ and my brother is 1 ½ in the photos below. In the other 2 photos, I'm 6 ½.














This is for the etsy bloggers street team carnival.
photos © 2009