Lollies and Lovely Things

First of all, Bill has lollies for me! These are yummy treats that Anne (one of our Australian friends) buys for Bill when he stays with them. I can't find anything like them here, so I am so happy that in a little over a week . . . I can eat some. If Bill doesn't finish them off on the plane ride home, that is!

I thought I'd take you on a little garden tour. Even though I am just a tiny bit disappointed in some of my plantings, I still have many glorious sights around our little spot of earth.

We can't forget the greens! This shrub is the most delicious shade, isn't it?

Look at my neighbor's pretty cone flowers!

And between us, we have one sunflower bloom so far!

Another sweet shade of green!

She's a bit tattered and torn, but this day lily always appears in the front garden

Reve's lambie ears! Birdie likes these!

My little backyard buddies

The love doves! Did you know they mate for life - great idea!

These sweet marigolds are keeping the aphids off my squash!

Another generous lily

And what's a garden without a washing line?

Oh hang on! I have to stop and smooch Miz Bug!

And now on to some Skagit Valley sights - I'd like to dish up a grand bowl of strawberry shortcake for you because you are so nice!

Picture perfect, huh? Yes, Wilbur and Charlotte DO live here.

You need another look at the Cascade mountains

The Skagit River again - it really IS this color!

Come on! Let's go to lunch!

Please don't get tired of my Guemus Island hideaway

This is my uncle Don. He's been building this lovely boat for quite some time. He served as a Lutheran pastor before retiring and guess what? He married us!

And let's go kayaking!

Jack Island!

So, today I bombard you with photos of places and people I love. I DID enjoy reading Hind's Feet on High Places for a while today. More about that later. I found a really cool toy at the toy store and I am going to make a little video soon so you can see it. You'll LOVE it! I also went to the library and got lots of nice, fat books. Here's a list: God and Gold: Britain, America, and the Making of the Modern World, The Ghost in the Little House: A Life of Rose Wilder Lane, Anne Morrow Lindbergh by Susan Hertog, Jung, A Biography by Deirdre Bair, The Rural Life by Verlyn Klinkenborg, and When We Were Very Young by A. A. Milne. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the Guernsey book and I read that at night. I couldn't find as many WW II books as I thought I would. Our library rarely has the books I'm looking for on the shelves even though it is all sleek and fancy. I guess it is a good thing that people are reading though. Oh! I forgot to grab my camera on my walk today, but we're going again next week so I will have some amazing photos then. I leave you with this poem:

Vespers
by A. A. Milne

Little Boy kneels at the foot of the bed,

Droops on the little hands little gold head.
Hush! Hush! Whisper who dares!
Christopher Robin is saying his prayers.

God Bless Mummy. I know that's right.
Wasn't it fun in the bath tonight?
The cold's so cold, and the hot's so hot.
Oh! God bless Daddy - I quite forgot.

If I open my fingers a little bit more,
I can see Nanny's dressing-gown on the the door.
It's a beautiful blue, but it hasn't a hood.
Oh! God bless Nanny and make her good.

Mine has a hood, and I lie in bed,
And pull the hood right over my head,
And I shut my eyes, and I curl up small,
And nobody knows that I'm there at all.

Oh! Thank you, God, for a lovely day.
And what was the other I had to say?
I said, "Bless Daddy, so what can it be?
Oh! Now I remember, God bless Me.

Little Boy kneels at the foot of the bed,
Droops on the little hands little gold head.
Hush! Hush! Whisper who dares!
Christopher Robin is saying his prayers.

xopp