After having work down on our front and back landscaping here for the last two months- those rocks look pretty cool! What a great MD idea. I asked DH if we could NOT go out to do something and just stay home instead and enjoy our gardens at home instead. We have lots of roses and other plants too in pots we can plant up that weekend. He made me a MD tea party (cooked all the food and set it up himself) one year and we'll do that again as we all enjoyed it so much. we're a tea party family! Here are some pics of our recent landscaping projects on my Picture Trail. The gazebo in our front yard was our Valentine's Day Wedding anniversary gift to each other. I think the new front yard and back patio are our Mother's Day and Father's Day gifts -for a few years! careytearose Here is a link that might be useful: check out the Landscaping Projects 2007 album

Thank you all once again for kind thoughts and encouragement. saintpfla ~ Dabbling in photography is fun that is for sure. I've taken a few night shots too with old camera and look forward to trying it with this one. The macro with this camera is 150 cm (W) (0.4 in.Â1.6 ft. (W)). I was right down on the flowers. There is a lot to read in these manuals, I just plod along and practice. It's a learning experience and a fun one at that. treefrog ~ I've also tried to capture the color of the blue sage with old camera and never could. There are a couple of roses I had the same trouble with, so I hope they come out truer with this new camera as the blue sage did. Evelyn ~ You are so right about picture taking being addicting, almost as addicting as some flowers are. : -) Ambersky ~ I looked up what you thought the purple unknown might be and I'm not sure. Someone else told me something else and that didn't quite look right either. I'll try to get out tomorrow to take a picture of leaves and flowers so you all can see the whole thing. You could be right though. Nancy ~ It is a long time isn't it? I think of you everytime I'm around the two roses you gave me, Smith's Parrish, and I think the name of the other one is Old Blush, which is in the main garden and doing terrific. Thank you again for giving them to me. It was nice meeting you also and having a little visit at 2Jay's. I've worked at my job yesterday and again today, so haven't been out to take more pictures. I'm off tomorrow so maybe I can get out to shoot some more then. Thanks again for encouraging me to get out and take more pictures. I always enjoy seeing everyone's beautiful gardens and flowers. I get inspired to get out and work in my tropical/cottage gardens. FlowerLady

I like Goober. It gets an interesting little textured effect on the leaves. I like the name too. I believe it likes more sun. I have two. One planted in morning sun only while the other gets more sun. The one in more sun has grown better. I picked up Popo this year too. I like the name and I love my minis.

I used to have quite a few Leghorns and they can really fly, had to clip the wings often. I did not pick out any of those but did get a White Austro. It is a cross between a Black Australorpe and a white Leghorn. they are the ones that lay white eggs, the rest of my flock should lay brown or green or blue. The different farm stores around are selling chicks now and you have to buy at least 5 or 6 at a time. It depends on the store. My flock includes a Buff Orpington, a Rhode Island Red, a Lacy Wyndotte, a Black Australorpe, and a Black Amerucana. Plus the White Austro which will be white with black splotches. When grown they will be allowed to roam free part of the time at least. There is a small pen beneath and to the side of the chicken house they will be in till old enough to roam. We live in the country and have 7 acres. Sue