Retirement Ramblings-A Daily Snapshot: 2017

Monday, June 19, 2017

Love/ Hate Relationship...

Monday, June 19, 2017: Love traveling, but hate packing!!

Sunday, June 18, 2017

Sparkling Clean!

Sunday, June 18, 2017: Looking like a big silver caterpillar at the side of the garage, the travel trailer has been cleaned and tarped until our next camping trip in July.

Clematis Bells

Saturday, June 17. 2017: The clematis on the arbor is showing many lavender, bell shaped blooms.

Reading Spot

Friday, June 16, 2017: The picture book annex is ready is my Little Free Library.

Baptisia Blue

Thursday, June 15, 2017: Baptisia is modestly blooming in my garden.

Mississippi River Cruise

Wednesday, June 14, 2017: A birthday cruise on the Mississippi gave this great view of the St. Paul skyline.

Baking Fails!

Tuesday, June 13, 2017: It took several tries but finally Merton got my birthday cake made perfectly!

Monday, June 12, 2017

Who Says Men Can't Multi-Task?

Monday, June 12, 2017: After the big branch clean up in the front and back yards!

Celebration!

Sunday, June 11, 2017: Birthdays for Melanie (31) and for me (66). Also celebrated Father's Day for Merton. A nice lunch then cake and ice cream at Melanie and Brian's in South Minneapolis.

Saturday, June 10, 2017: Still on the Willie Nelson train of thought. This Honeysuckle bloom in my garden reminded me of the movie that Willie and Dyan Cannon starred in called "Honeysuckle Rose!"

Country Legend Night

Friday, June 9, 2017: Charlie Daniels Band and Willie Nelson concert at Treasure Island Casino. A beautiful night for a concert.

A Pastel Garden Palette

Thursday, June 8, 2017: The sun garden is displaying it's best spring pastels. The delicate white peony is in full bloom along with the peach iris.

Thunderbolt

Wednesday, June 7, 2017: My Thunderbolt hosta is the king of the hosta garden this year. The leaves measure 12 inch across, and the plant is abouto 4 feet across. Beautiful leaf stripe.

Window Box Time

Tuesday, June 6, 2017: The two "window boxes" for the porch rail are finally planted. Caladium and sun impatiens this year.

Monday, June 5, 2017

Bit By Bit

Monday, June 5, 2017: Slowly reclaiming the border of plants that line the flagstone path in the front yard.

Never too Late

Sunday, June 4, 2017: My garden seems a little empty, so I am going to try planting some carrots. I tried some years ago and they were very stumpy and misformed, so we will see what happens this time.

Summer Shadows

Saturday, June 3, 2017: The summer sun was shining through my garden window over the kitchen sink this afternoon. When I turned from the window, I was met with these lovely shadows being cast on the pantry door.

Friday, June 2, 2017

Pink Pussy Pins

June 2, 2017: The Thompson women will be showing off their political feelings with these pink pussy pins! Much better than wearing those pink hats all summer!!

Thursday, June 1, 2017

Veggies Are Planted!

Thursday, June 1, 2017: Tomatoes, zucchini, and peppers are planted and fenced. Hope the fence keeps out the vigorous rabbit population, which has been munching on some of my hostas.

Wednesday, May 31, 2017

Let the Gardening Begin...

Wednesday, May 31, 2017: One of my favorite road trips is the first drive to Gerten's in Inver Grove Heights to stock up on plants for our gardens. Best nursery in Minnesota!

John Deere Green!

Tuesday, May 30, 2017: The picture pretty much says it all...the boy has his toy!!

Monday, May 29, 2017

Brrrr...

Monday, May 29, 2017: The high this afternoon got all the way up 58 degrees!! The first below average month in the last 20 months.

Ominous Skies

Sunday, May 28, 2017: An unsettled night as a cold front passes through.

Good to be Home...

Saturday, May 27 2017: Bentley is glad to be on home turf with his "pack" complete once again.

Toy Truck!

Friday, May 26, 2017: On the last leg of the trip, we look like a toy beside the big boys at a truck stop in Wisconsin.

Homeward Bound

Thursday, May 25, 2017: A rainy morning as we turn towards home.

Dusky Lake View

Wednesday, May 24, 2017: One last exploration took us to Strahle Lake as darkness was quickly descending.

Playing With Fire

Tuesday, May 23, 2017: A robust campfire produced some delicious s'mores.

Happy Campers!

Monday, May 22, 2017: A hike to Ogle Lake in Brown County State Park!

Indiana University Revisited

Sunday, May 21, 2017: Showalter Fountain and the IU Auditorium on a beautiful late spring day.

Real Men Do Laundry

Saturday, May 21, 2017: A small accident with the French Press called for emergency action!

The Shapiro Thompson Rendezvous

Friday, May 19, 2017: The official Shapiro Thompson Rendezvous begins!! Our dualing campsites in a nearly deserted campground.

Thursday, May 18, 2017

And we are off..

Thursday, May 18, 2017: Off on our first retirement road trip to rendezvous with David and Kay Shapiro in Brown County State Park near Bloomington, IN. We made it 11 miles to Clearwater before breaking out the gorp!

Ready for the Road

Wednesday, May 17, 2017: Travel trailer is filled with food and the bikes are loaded, ready for a road trip!

Wednesday, May 17, 2017

Thinking Tomatoes!

Tuesday, May 16, 2017: Could not resist picking up these spindly cherry tomato plants at Fleet Farm today. Hope that once they are in the ground, they will fill out and then produce hundreds of supersweet tomatoes by late July.

Monday, May 15, 2017

"The scent of possibility..."

Monday, May 15, 2017: Some of my Mother's Day gifts that I can't wait to get lost in. Each time I receive a new book or check one out from the library, I am reminded of the character Grace in Kate Morton's book The House at Riverton. Grace saves her wages for months to buy a book, her first book to actually own, and she talks of the smell of new books and the "scent of possiblity" that a new book represents.

A happy Mother's Day...

Sunday, May 14, 2017: Ringing handbells in church, lunch with Merton, Melanie and Brian, Facetime with Melissa and Phil, and a walk in Munsinger Garden to enjoy some spring beauty made for a perfect day!