Morning Walk

I enjoy morning walks, especially in my neighborhood.. which is a great place to live!  We have been here 20+ years.. so it is home.. we are rooted here.  As I was walking yesterday, I took some pictures. I tried desperately to snap some shots of the crazy squirrels and their antics, but they would never let me get close enough.  I also tried to capture some pictures of the lovely birds that fill our trees with their songs, but again.. they skittered away. There was this one fat robin that I tried to stealthily chase down.. didn't work!  Evidently, I don't have what it takes to be a stalker.

But I did get shots of flowers and such... one of my favorite subjects!

A number of our neighbors have knock-out roses in this vibrant red-pink color.

These neighbors always have lovely blooms in their yard!

Our neighborhood was built in the early 1970s, so we have nice big lush trees for shade 

and to house those crazy squirrels and melodic birds.

So the sun was soo bright that this picture didn't come out like I wanted.. BUT you can see the size of this majestic pine and also the gorgeous blue sky we enjoyed here yesterday.

I love oleander!

Horrible photo.. I know.. I am determined to take another and post soon. But I wanted you to see the vibrant color of this clematis.  Isn't it gorgeous!?

Yes, that is a bush... look at the depth of variation of the greens. I love the greens of nature!

The cross in this yard is cute, but I took this shot because of those ropes. They have foot loops at the bottom. I have no doubt you will often find children swinging and giggling here.  Fun!

A reminder to STOP today and enjoy the beauty the Lord has placed all around you. 

There is nothing like Spring in the South!

Pride of Mobile

Our house has a long row of azaleas along the east side... right outside the window over the kitchen sink and the bay window in the breakfast room.  I love looking out on them all year round, but especially in spring when they are blooming.  Ours are a dark pinkish-red color.. more red than pink.. called President Clay. (Here is a photo of a President Clay.. not ours.. Pres Clay Azalea )

These azaleas were planted long before we moved into this house (21 years ago this summer!) and they are lovely, but I would really love some true pink azaleas.  I love the soft pink ones like a George Tabor or a brighter pink like a Judge Solomon... add some white azaleas in with those and WOW you have a gorgeous display in spring.

My mother's house has pink azaleas.. Pride of Mobile.. a southern classic.  Again, these were there long before she moved up here with my dad in 1995. She has one plant that is huge!  Because my brothers and I are spaced out (19 year span) my mother's grandchildren range from 40 down to 19.  There is a bit of a gap between the first 8 and the last 3.  My 2 and my youngest nephew were always called "the little kids" and each year we had an Easter Egg hunt at my parents home here and there was always a photo taken of "the little kids" in front of the big azalea.. which was almost always in full bloom at Easter.

Well blooms came early this year and will surely be gone by Easter.. and "the little kids" are now young adults... so no egg hunts or photos for a while... but that big ole azalea still explodes with color every spring.

Flea Market

We often pass a place about 20 minutes from us where there are some warehouses and a big sign that says FLEA MARKET... and we always say "One day we need to stop there."  So we did.  What a treasure trove. Lots of the things you expect at flea markets.. and lots of other stuff.. like there were boxes and boxes of various kinds of work gloves... masks.. haz-mat suits (I kid you not!).. rubber boots.. and there is a separate "Room" (more like an airplane hanger with construction type salvage.. molding, bead board, lumber, numbers, metal pieces, doors, windows.. it was / is great!

While there we found a bed for my mother. She has a gorgeous old bed that her great-grandparents purchased in the late 30s / early 40s for their younger daughter.. my great-aunt.  Last fall my husband and I made mother a quilt to fit that bed for her 80th birthday.  Sadly, she took a fall in November and will no longer be able to sleep in it as it is high and requires her to lift and such too much. She has to have something low to the ground.  And we found it.... but we did not buy it that day.  We told her about it first and got her ok.

The following weekend we went back to get it (they are only open on Saturday and Sunday).  It was still there.  While waiting for someone to help us haul it out of the building (it was, of course, in the farthest back corner buried under tons of other goodies), I noticed some old Pyrex bowls.  I love old Pyrex and fire king and such.  One set was just solids (I have a set like those that belonged to my grandmother), but they were all scratched up and just not that pretty. Then I saw one big bowl... green... white flowers.. I have seen it called Crazy Daisy or Spring Blossom... not sure when it was manufactured.. I am guessing 70s.. it has that 70s look.  If I found an entire set it would probably run around $40.  I just found the 1 bowl, so it would probably go for $10 or less.

There was no price on it.. so I asked.. what did I pay.. nothing! Nada!  LOVE IT!  I love "FREE"... the lady tossed it in since we were buying the bed. Made my day.. I am rather easy to please! LOL!

I brought it home.. washed it up.. and have been using it ever since.. Yes, I USE my vintage Pyrex.  That is what it was made for.. to be used.  It is a great bowl... has a happy look.. makes me smile when I use it..