Many Things

Note to self: it is cheaper to clean the carpets yourself, but much easier to call Stanley Steemer. 

Jackson has gone to his new home. He will be very happy there. He will get to have a view of the lake from his backyard, and travel across the country all summer in a magnificent travel trailer. He has a dog buddy named Grady to play with, and two people to love him. He will have many dog friends. We'll miss him. Everyone except Dusty, who was glad to see him go because she is queen and did not want a king. She also gets all her toys back now. 

The cookies Adventurer Two made after she accepted the fact that Jackson really was leaving.

Jackson and Grady, and his new owner's leg.

Magic Bean update:

The Magic Bean towers over the occasional ladybug. 

Does anyone remember the Borg Vines we have growing in our backyard? They were all trimmed Friday. All of them. All in one day. This is a first and we have lived here quite a while. We thinks they have been tamed at last! 

Today I joined the group of crazy people who hang out with Sara at the park on Saturday mornings. I will pay tomorrow, especially after the yardwork of yesterday. But maybe someday I will be in good shape. 

By The Way...

Apparently magic beans need water. Some seem to have died while we were away, and the remaining Magic Bean is seeming stunted.

More things-some of which make me smile most of the time.

Lady Banks rose

Lady banks rose bush. We love this thing when it blooms. This is what greeted us when we arrived home from our trip. The kids call it The Turtle. We call it the maintenance challenge. How do you prune this thing, exactly? It does not technically grow in our yard, by the way.

This boy is guarding his lizard in the bucket (no lizards were harmed in the making of this blog post, thankfully) and pondering the wonders of the video game world of Mario.

This is just about the biggest dog I have ever seen. I am definitely a small dog person.

Venom, Young Adventurer, and the Dog Whisperer.

Things that make me smile

Cute nephew babies

The view from/of mom and dad's front yard

The view from other mom and dad's back yard

The view from mom and dad's back yard

Being entertained by the Blue Angels on an otherwise dull car ride.

Mislabeled

I received  these last night in exchange for an empty egg carton (the modern equivalent of a dry milk cow). They were billed as pumpkin seedlings, but after close examination by a team of experts, they are now believed to be Magic Beans. What else would suddenly spring up by the hundreds under a citrus tree in the desert? I shall plant them this morning and eagerly await the Beanstalk. I need to find the goose that lays the golden eggs. She's been missing for a while now.

Danjo the Magnificent contributes to the family portfolio

And you thought just the kids were artistic! Ha!

Worth Sharing

Foster dog got to go on an outing to the soccer games today. He got to bark at the cat on a leash and the giant dog-that-devours-small-dogs-in-a-single-gulp, and the mastiff puppy and all the other dogs. Really though, I just like this photo, and I took it with my phone. Motorola ZN5.

Merri, we did good on his hair. 

Psalm 133

How good, how delightful it is

 to live as brothers all together!

It is like a fine oil on the head, 

running down the beard,

running down Aaron's beard,

onto the collar of his robes.

It is like the dew of Hermon

falling on the heights of Zion;

for there Yahweh bestows his blessing,

everlasting life.

Winners all

Today Venom took honorable mention at the science fair. Go venom! We all enjoyed the many yummy batches of ice cream it took to complete this project.

This past weekend the violin duo of Venom and Adventurer Two (who desires a new call name) took a superior at the festival for their duet performance of "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring." They got blue ribbons and are pleased as punch! It made the 45 mile trip to get there by 8am worth it.

A Poem for Young Adventurer

In honor of Mercy:

The Manatee

by Ogden Nash

The Manatee is harmless

And conspicuously charmless.

Luckily the manatee

Is quite devoid of vanity.