31st of July

Amazing - the month flew by. I know a lot of teachers start back to school tomorrow morning. Athens still has a couple weeks before the summer lull is busted & the students flood back into town.

Here are a few shots around the garden. We had a great rain Sunday night.

The sunflowers opened last week.

Tuberoses - my late grandmother grew fields full of these. They smell heavenly (a great cut flower in the house) & remind me of childhood visits with her... early morning rides in the car - buckets full of these in the back floorboard - on the way to the wholesale florist in Chattanooga.

Our only yellow glad.

The red march

My afternoon... these (plus half again as many up in the garden) awaiting their transformation into pizza sauce. For garden-fresh pies in the dead of winter.

Happy Birthday Joe!

Happy Bithday Joe, we love you!

Joe's 32nd Birthday

Tomorrow is Joe's Birthday - give him a shout out if you get a chance!

It's Thursday

This beach trip has gotten my week all flipped around. At about noon I realized it was Thursday & that I'd need to get everything ready so I could leave for Locally Grown. I've started working there each Thursday, Joe comes home a little early from school & I head over to Gosford Wine (an ingenious pick-up spot) & help put orders together.

Levi finally made contact with his feet while in St. Augustine - they're hard to catch, but occasionally he can reach right out & nab one. Last night was the first time to see them in his mouth!

The garden was looking a bit weary when we arrived home yesterday evening - doesn't look like we had much rain during our absence. Though, the romas have decided "it's time" & were loaded with happy red fruit. Joe's beans are starting to mmmmmake... mmmmm.... stir fried beans with a little sesame oil & garlic!

Beach Get-Away

We took off to St. Augustine last Friday to join the Burnam's at the beach. This was Levi's first time (outside the womb) to visit the ocean. Nice relaxing time had by all - we're back in Watkinsville today sunkissed & trying to figure out what day it is. Here's a few of the some 200+ pics we snapped while away...

Testing the water

Under the beach umbrella

Lounging during a warm & cloudy day

Joe's pretty good on the surf board - my first time seeing him in action. I tried it out a few times too - it's fun!

Ocean-watching from the balcony

Gettin' a free ride - two beach bums

Katy with a small hammer-head shark the boys brought back from fishing

Quiet time together on the beach

Family


Don & Levi inside at the condo

5 months already

Levi is 5 months old today. What's new in the last few days??

LOTS of rain! We've gotten at least one good shower each of the last four days. The garden is giving a sigh of relief.

Levi's starting to notice his feet & reach for 'em. He's also becoming interested in what's on the table during meal time - we're still exclusively breastfeeding & probably will keep that up for several more weeks - the goal was 6 months.

A weekend past

Silliness with Aunt Carrie

excuse me..., you are interrupting my bedtime story

blue eyes in pajamas with his Cookie

Bedtime story

Caught'ya, more silliness with Daddy

Granddaddy Marshall telling tall-tales

quiet, watching the sunset from Carrie's front porch

Molly & Levi

That thermometer goes where???

River Walk

One of our weekly walks with Carrie...

Queen Anne's Lace = Daucus carota

a native to the Old World, wild progenitor of the carrot, & one of my favorite wild flowers

Carrie & Levi on the banks of the Middle Oconee River, which according to a recently read newspaper article is at its lowest since such record keeping began

Oakleaf hydrangea = Hydrangea quercifolia

soothing water

Purple coneflower = Echinacea purpurea

I always say... next year I'm going to plant a ton of these... simple, beautiful

river watching

another coneflower...

native to North American & according to Floridata, part of the original prairie community of the southeast

Twice as Nice

Tooth #2 made its appearance yesterday, just four days after the first... this time the discovery was made by Granddaddy Marshall while having his thumb chomped!

My folks are in town for the weekend, and our close family friend, Dale, came over for the day. We all gathered at Carrie & Greg's place in Winterville tonight for supper & socializing.

Happy 4th of July... a day late!

'Uncle' Max & Levi - after a hard day fishin' - down in Hancock county on the 4th

I love this picture! Joe snapped it this afternoon. Levi's working on keeping his balance while sitting up... he's not quite there yet - he'll get tickled & fall right over.

The guys hung out together this afternoon while I put my first volunteer shift in for Locally Grown - an online farmer's market based out of Athens. Check out their link if you get a chance. I really had a great time - the afternoon flew by.

Gottcha!

So, I thought maybe I'd shake it up a bit & change the look of things around here... just to keep you on your toes. I've also added a little something to the sidebar you might like to browse around through, places of interest if you've a few spare minutes on your hands - I'm sure we'll be adding more to that list as sites come to mind.

The house has been full of activity as of late... visiting and keeping the casa clean (nothing like houseguests to make you keep the place squeaky). The MacNeils visited the weekend before last, Beth Burnam departed today, and the Neely's roll in on Friday. And from what I hear, Beth Neely will be spending all of next week in Athens.

July!

Homegrown lullabies

What may be our first & last canna bloom. I'm only watering the ones up near the house & they're standing a healthy 4 feet. The cannas up in the corner bed are struggling... most aren't over a foot tall.

Mr. Snaggletooth

No pictures yet but the little man cut his first tooth today, his bottom front right. It's just peeking out from his gums. Joe discovered it while having his arm gnawed on! :) We've had a nice weekend visit with Beth Burnam. Tonight we are all enjoying the BEAUTIFUL sound of rain here in Watkinsville... our first in weeks.