Beth - I am so glad when you post pictures, your roses are so outstanding! Really love all the stripes and the others are just wonderful. I've always wondered about Karl Herbst, yours is lovely, Dr. Dick, yes what a name, is really pretty, Laguna, English Perfume, love them all!

What HAVEN'T they been up to? LOL. Xena likes to steal. About three times a day I have to find and return the christmas-tree shaped plant pick that she steals from a mini-rose on the kitchen table. I tried taking it out and putting it away, but in a fit of pique she started to eat the blooms! Back the pick went, back to stealing went Xena, and no more flowers became mutilated. So far this system is working for us. Jasmine is being quite the sucky baby. If my posture even suggests the existance of a lap, she is on it. I leaned against a low box the other day while taking a phone call and she scrambled right up like I was sitting in an armchair or something. Then she proceeded to look perturbed because there really wasn't enough lap there to lay across and she was clutching with all her worth and STILL sliding down my legs. She has perfected the art of "log rolling" - as I turn over at night, she skillfully balances and walks as I turn, then settles onto whatever side ends up at the top when I am done. I suppose I wouldn't mind all the warm snuggly attention. But she drools. Ew! LOL Ruby? What can I say about Ruby. Today I wore make-up because we were going to a local pizza joint to celebrate DD's birthday with family. I had a few moments before it was time to leave so I snuck in a few moments of reading. She trampled over to me across the back of the couch, placed her paw on my head to steady it, and proceeded to sniff all over my face. First she inspected the eye shadow. Then she sniffed each individual eye lash, running her flat nose along the length of each one. She checked out the blush on both cheeks. But the best snurffle was reserved for last! My lipstick. Burts Bees, and it has a bit of mint in it. She sniffed and snotted and sniffed some more. Then she delicately gagged in my face (she does not like the smell of mint at all LOL). No wonder I don't "make myself up" very often!

I'm finishing a restoration of a shelf clock mechanism that was built in 1830. That's just the mechanism, mind you. There's much left to do cosmetically on the case. This old clock keeps good time for a pendulum regulated clock. I could improve it designing a temperature compensated pendulum, however, it is good the way it is and is authentic in form and function. It was my wife's grandfather's clock. We estimate that the clock was 70 yr old when he acquired it. According to a note I found on the back of the clock face, it had been repaired in 1933. That repair included the replacement of a gear. I found a note inscribed on that gear that named both the repairman and the owner. This clock should be good for another 50 years.

Thanks for your compliments. Honestly, that arrangement WAS effortless. I did it outside as I deadheaded. Golden Buddha and partner, clematis ‘Franziska Marie’ are looking too nice not to share today. I just love all the dark to light color progressions Golden Buddha’s blooms go through. Felicia is really blooming well. A little spotty from the rain, but still pretty. Felicia’s blooms have a special sheen to them, impossible to capture with my phone camera. Carding Mill A nice new cane coming up in the middle of Carding Mill. Lisa