This week in June

And so it begins... Monday, packing

birdhouse gourds well on their way - this particular vine has at least a dozen

I was actually ahead of the pumpkin & watermelon vines this year & prepared an area with weed-blocking fabric & straw

A newly transplanted row of cannas in the garden looking better for their move

purple coneflower in the garden

Mom & Dad came for their monthly visit to Athens - here on Carrie's front porch swing - they stayed Monday night with us & Tuesday night at Carrie's

looking a little sleepy - after literally weeks of writing - Joe walked in Wednesday afternoon with a copy of his thesis, although not quite finished with revisions & formatting, the writing is over

Thursday volunteering at Locally Grown - in our *new* location at the old farmer's market building on Broad Street - it was wonderful to have all this space! - everyone seemed to enjoy looking over the produce that at the other location was hidden from view

Maria & Anne - regular volunteers at Locally Grown

Summer Solstice

One of my favorite days of the year! Typically AT thru-hiker (at least some of them) will hike naked today!... been there, done that :)

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We've got a perfect westward view off the back porch - perfect for sunset watching - I'll toast the day with a cold beer & at sunset light a fire in the backyard

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I encourage you to have a little naked time today - or at least get outside & enjoy the longest day of the year!

Friday Already

And I want to wish a belated Happy Birthday to my sister Beth - she turned 26 on Tuesday - Happy Birthday Darling Merry Weather!

Beth in costum for the Christmas play - last Dec07

me and Biffers - two old farm hands out in the garden - notice our sexy work attire :) - I brought home a flat of zinnias as a birthday gift (while in Wildwood last week) & we got 64 planted in a row in GrandDaddy's garden

Father's Day & Sarah's Graduation

I'm back home after a full week visiting in Wildwood - it's nice to be home & even nicer that the house was spotless when I came in (thank you Joe) - today Joe & Levi celebrated their 2nd father's day - Levi treated us with 3 hours worth of naps & we topped the day out with ribeyes on the grill

Levi & his Pops grilling steaks on the backporch

Happy Father's Day, to my own - one of my most favorite pics of Marshall - in his garden

Sarah, my youngest sister, graduated Friday night!! - I'm so proud of you!! - Phlebotomy - she's certainly braver than I am - as in the last few years I've taken to passing out around needles

Sarah & our surrogate Uncle Dale

proud grandparents - Grandma Lorene Huckins and GrandDaddy Joe Neely

Chattanooga's Riverbend Festival

All of humanity showed up for ZZ Top's performance at Riverbend tonight - Riverbend is Chattanooga's week long summer party on the banks of the Tennessee River - it has become a really huge event - it will culminate this Saturday night with a big fireworks show - the great thing about the fireworks being set off from Chattanooga (in the valley) is that there will be spectacular views from all the surrounding mountains - there will be just as many folks gathered on mountain tops as there will be downtown

I went with an old HS friend tonight to the show - and could have just sat for hours 'people watching' - there were literally thousands and thousands of people - the mass of human bodies was overwhelming sometimes, as the crowd made its way through the maze of music stages & food vendors - exhilarating, hot, amusing, sexy, sad, shocking, admiring, wondering...

the band opens up

Kelly & Kevin - with a little breathing room, after getting the hookup to go in the VIP section

one of the bridges over the Tennessee River - the festival is right here on the river front - which brings a great deal of boat traffic coming the the party as well

okay, so this pic is a little random & I haven't gotten a chance to work it into another blog post - just in the last week Levi has discovered the sound/ear connection - specifically, that he can stick his fingers in his ears - I first saw him do this on the drive up on Monday - I wonder if he's telling me something about my selection of music?

It's already Thursday

in the early AM - one thirty here & alls quiet in Wildwood - my child is asleep & I have my last cold Happy Ending (thank you Carrie) to sip on in the heat of the night - those of you who may not know it: AC does not exist here

Marshall, Levi, Greta

Levi: dirty & wet from head to toe - he found Marshall's minnow bucket & proceeded to dunk the kitten in it - both the cat & Levi were wet & covered with fur by the end

Eddie, my dear friend

said child & kitten

Susan & Eddie

Deanna turns 30, happy birthday my friend

A New Job

We'll it's official - Joe got the call yesterday & was offered the job in Savannah - he'll be working for the state of Georgia as a wildlife biologist! - and for us that means a move - and soon apparently - they asked if he could start the first of July! - I'm in Wildwood now & will be until Sunday - it will be a different feel driving home this time - to a home I will soon be packing - a garden to part with - a new home to find - I think for now we'll be keeping the house in Watkinsville as a rental & will probably start out renting in Savannah ourselves - just to get a feel for where we might like to buy

Congrats Joe!

Kennesaw visit

Carrie, Levi, & I made a trip over to Grandma's today - she lives in Kennesaw, Ga which is about a 90 minute drive from Athens - Aunt Bette & Uncle Roger have been down this week visiting from Minnesota - they were in Wildwood on Monday visiting with the Neely's, then spent the rest of the week in Kennesaw with Grandma - their next stop is Michigan to visit with some of Roger's family.

Levi & I are getting ready for a long roadtrip ourselves - we'll be making the drive up to Wildwood on Monday for a week long visit - I hope to catch up with some old HS friends, visit with the fam, & do a little planting in Granddaddy's garden - also!, my youngest sister, Sarah, graduates college next Friday!

Aunt Bette, Grandma, & Mom

Carrie, Levi, me, Aunt Bette, & Mom

Levi's first encounter with a toy car

Grandma got 'Yard of the Month' in her neighborhood

Weekend Trip

We spent the weekend in Jennings, Florida - at Joe's folks - his youngest sister, Katy, graduated HS on Friday! She was the class valedictorian (not to mention the homecoming queen this year too) - rock on Katy!

Joe, Katy, & Liza

Spanish moss & a great fishin' pond

Watermelon!

Mr. DeVane's corn - the Burnam's next door neighbor