Laundry day

This is how Logan amuses himself while I'm doing laundry. :-)

It's Fall!

...the mums are blooming. These plants got huge! I've never seen a mum so big.

Apple Picking!

Monarch photo session

I had a Monarch emerge from its chrysalis this morning and before it was all dried out and ready to fly, I carefully carried it back to my flower garden and had it perch on my sedum for a little photo shoot. It cooperated very well and I got some fun shots. Note: the second one wasn't supposed to be blurry, but somehow it's neat anyway. Enjoy!

Feeding the ducks!

Last day for tomatoes!

I think I'm finally done with tomatoes...thank goodness! Now I have to cook with everything I've canned. :-) I think next year I won't plant so many tomatoes...I just can't stand to throw perfectly good (free) food away.

Aren't these beautiful?

Pop...pop...pop...isn't that a beautiful sound? :-)

My little guys today...

Naptime...took a while, but we got there.

My silhouette idea didn't work so well here, but I love Logan's pose.

We went for a walk by the lake after supper. Logan did a great job of pulling big brother! They took turns.

We got really close to this heron, but as I stopped to take a picture, he took off. Luckily my camera was set to the right setting as I quickly snapped this one.

KS Wildflowers!

It's true...

...You really should wear gloves when you're cutting up jalapenos. It doesn't burn at the time...but it does later. :-)

Did you know this about tomatoes?

Did you know that tomatoes picked off dead vines are not to be canned? They have considerably less acid in them which is necessary to successfully can them. I found this out here. It is a very helpful website about canning tomatoes. Guess what I'm doing today? :-)

And I'm not saying that I wouldn't ever can tomatoes off dead vines. I'm just saying you're not supposed to. Ha! :-)

**********************************************************************************

Here's your tomato pictures, Mom. :-)

...and salsa! Yummy!

Butterfly farm update

My Monarchs are coming out of their chrysalises!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This was this morning at 8:51 am.

...and at 10:47 am.

This little guy decided to lay down on the job...he attached himself to the lid of this can that I have in the cage for ananchor when it's windy.

I still have 5 little caterpillars chewing away. This little guy looked so cute peeking around the corner of a leaf. I have to go drive around the countryside looking for milkweed for these hungry little critters.

So at final count I have:

2 new butterflies

10 chrysalises

3 caterpillars "J-hooking"

5 caterpillars still eating

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

We celebrated a day early because we were leaving town the next afternoon. My German Chocolate Cake turned out really yummy - according to Corey's delight as he took each bite. :-)

The cake!!! Let's just say the frosting helped it stay together. :-)

The boys always have to help blow!

One of Corey's presents...which matches our safari theme in our bedroom perfectly!