It's Almost Time - Again!! (Planning for the 7th Annual Christmas Ornament Workshop!)

We will not be celebrating Thanksgiving at our house this year.  So, I've made a mess on the dining room table in preparation for the December ornament workshops!  See below.




The photo at left shows the ornaments created each year, beginning with the wire and bead stars (2007), the fabric ribbon angels holding tiny wire stars (2008), little leave books that open "in the round" (2009), felt stars with faces (2010), cross stitch (2011), and the woven stars (2012).

Hopefully the photos are "in order" above.  At any rate, this year's ornament is going to be another little booklet.  The workshops will be during the second week of December.  I'm now getting supplies "in order" and the invitations mailed.  :-)

Here's a preview of my first attempt at our little booklets... and some of the mess on the table!  :-)

Little Heart Ornament - closed

 Little Heart Ornament - open

I plan to keep you "posted!"
In the meantime, let's get ready for Thanksgiving!!
:-)  SG

Sunday Afternoon Rainbow!!

We were "on the road."  In the north, the sky was somewhat clouded above the horizon and both ends of a rainbow appeared.  From time to time, one end was dazzlingly brighter than the other.  Anyway, here are a couple of photos.

You can see all R-O-Y-G-B-I-V... plus a couple more!!

A thrilling sight, to say the least!!

Happy Day!
SG

What an Unusual Fall!

It is true that we have been in Autumn for awhie, and this year the trees have been holding onto their leaves very tightly.

It is also true that we are now one week into November, and the trees are just now letting go of their leaves!  Yesterday's breezy morning brought the leaves TUMBLING through the air!! 

This is why I'm considering it an unusual Fall.... not just an unusual Autumn, but an unusual  Fall-of-the-leaves!  :-)

I did a bit of raking the other day... but you would never know.

Just look at the trees that are still holding their leaves!

 

There are always a few oak trees that hold their leaves until Spring...

but they're only a few of the trees you see.

This tree will soon be dropping its leaves.  There are still trees "out there" with green leaves.

Not so many in my "Way Back," but they're all over town...

It's very late in the season to only just begin raking leaves...

BUT if you troubled to bring a rake to my house, I'd join you in raking and hauling them to the ravine back there!!  Be-leaf me...  I'm serious!!  :-)

SG

Happy Autumn!

Doing slightly more trimming this year than usual.  Here's a little "Welcome Sampler!"  :-)

Have a Wonderful Day!
SG

A Fungus Among-Us! (15 1/2" in diameter!!)

Found at our beautiful Jefferson County Park - located SW of Fairfield.  So.... What is it??


Amazed-ly yours,
SG

Bringing the "Outside In"

And loving it!  :-)
(There's a "threat" of rain outdoors!  I hope we receive a good 1") 
Have a great night.
SG

So Thankful for 1/2" of Rain!!

I cannot water everything, all the time!  However, about once-a-week I make the rounds, over a two-day period, of watering everything I can for 45-minutes to 1 hour.

Nothing.  I repeat, Nothing.  Nothing compares to rain water.  The very composition of rainfall is so much different from that of tap water.  And nothing does a plant as much good as rainfall.

Even in drought conditions... and even if it totals only 1/2." 

We are truly grateful.


Real clouds - what's left after the rain.  :-)

Sad viburnum... evidence of extremely dry conditions.  And, no.  I cannot water everything!

 It did love today's rainfall.  A drop on a leaf.  It may be too late for these berries, but hopefully not for the bush!

 This is one Happy Heuchera! 

Tomorrow this Rhododendron will look Much Happier!  (And I even watered it 3 days ago.)

SG

Reading the Sky

Just reading the sky....
Do you see the line across the cloud?

Is the photo above telling me that, like the sign below, there's not going to be rain??

,

Well, it must be.  I took this photo August 30 as I re-entered Iowa.  It was 99 degrees and we'd had only 1/2" of rain since some time before June 30.  We still haven't had rain... and today is September 9th.  Last week our weather was a bit cooler.  Very nice.  But it's returned to the upper 90's today...

I know it will rain... but when??

Your Hot, Dry Buddy,
SG

Ligularia

Jim Groble shared ligularia seeds with me about 3 or even 4 years ago.  After babying several plants through two years (and now a third) of drought, they have finally begun to bloom!!  ;-)

 

This is a smaller plant, but these flowers show better.  I was gone for a week... drought conditions here again.

 

 

 

Happy!

SG

ABC Wednesday - A is for . . .

Allegiance

 

 

 

Adherence

 

Governor General of Canada - A Swearing-In Ceremony

The Governor General presided over the 28th swearing-in ceremony at Rideau Hall, during which the Right Honourable Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada, presented his new federal Ministry.y

 

 

Ardor

.

 

Abidingness

 

 

Canada Day Celebrations - July 1st (above photo taken from Living in Canada - click link)

 

(Photos below are Fireworks we enjoyed viewing at Sioux Lookout, Ontario - July 1, 2013)

 

Awesome!

 

A great time was had by both "Mr. and Mrs. Shady!"

This post and photos taken by Shady Gardener are property of http://yardisgreen.blogspot.com

 

 

Visit other ABC Wednesday posts by clicking link.

 

 

ABC Wednesday - Y - Yoo-Hoo!

ABC Wednesday - Click on logo

to view other posts dealing with

the letter "Y."

 

[Your] Help Wanted.

Spotted:  One rather large, green, 6-legged critter, wearing a flowered visor and brandishing a net, nearly as large as herself.  It appears to be seeking a meal; caution - please do not provide a hand-out.

Last seen perched above a flower bed in the downtown area.  Looking to identify and classify.  

Subject appears to be female and presumably harmless.  Earlier reports mentioned a male companion (her husband)?  However, he has since mysteriously disappeared.

Should you happen upon this creature, please call local authorities, and/or Shady Gardener.

 

Yipes!

 

 

Looks like she's already finding lunch!

Have a great day!

SG

 

 

(Making sculptures using bicycle parts is this year's Art Association fund-raiser!)

 





ABC Wednesday - W stands for Water!

W stands for Whale . . .

Whales lives in Water . . .

Water begins with  

 !!!
      

Speaking of Whales, do you remember "Simple Simon?"   
Here's one stanza...

Simple Simon went a fishing

for to catch a WHALE!

But the only water he could find

was in his mother's pail.

Now that we've found ourselves discussing pails, and water, and fishing, and whales . . . consider the new little "pail" I've acquired in my backyard...

 Meet Lucy and Ethel (below)
Lucy and Ethel are Shubunkin Goldfish.  Click on the link for information.

The photo below shows a closeup of the "bog area," which contains miniature cattails . . .

 

and Ricky and Fred!  

What do you think?
Which pond do you favor?

I'll meet you out back with the fishing poles!  :-)

SG

This post and photos belong to http://yardisgreen.blogspot.com

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