Thank You. This shot screamed for the Black and white transformation. I don't do that usually. It is so easy these days with digital that it feels like cheating. I am an old Black and White photographer and lab printer back in the day so the ease just feels sinful. I guess I need to get over it. The first day of the bloom they are very Yellow and the second it goes more yellow silver. If it is more in the sun it gets hints of pale salmon in the silver. I have it more in the shade now with morning sun. It got new sun scars this year due to my inattention when we soured early to 108 and it was still out in the all day sun area while I was out driving around working. I have had two small ones bloom this year. I fertilized with More Bloom an alaskan product that is no Nitrogen . I use it once a week at 1/4 dilution. I think this large one has bloomed 4 or 5 times this summer.

When the sprinkler guy came out Monday, I had to pull out all of the spinach that had overwintered. It was a whole plastic grocery bag full, which is more than we could eat before it when bad, so this morning I blanched and froze it to use for cooking. The kids hate cooked spinach, but if I use it in a pasta dish I can sneak it past them : ) Yesterday, I moved a couple of mums and hibiscus ROS to an area where I am making a new perennial bed. I know I'm doing it backwards, I should have prepared the area, and then moved the plants, but I wanted to moved them while they were dormant, and I haven't had time to go pick out the stone that is going to edge this area. Where I stood to take the photo are the electric and cable boxes for the neighbors house, so hopefully this will hide that a bit. You can see one of the new apple trees in the background. Once I pull up the rest of the sod and get the area edged with stone, I plan to move some Kniphofia (I wintersowed last year), Lavender (wintersowed this year from Skybird's seeds), and some Alyssum 'Golden Queen' (also wintersowed this year). Happy digging, Bonnie

Wow, I could have sworn I answered this a little while ago but it isn't showing up. Anyway, sorry for the delay, I've been out of town and just saw the requests for info. I will update MyPage but it is a Canon Rebel XT1i. The standard lens is an 18-55 mm, and we added a 55-250 zoom. Both lenses are image stabilized. All of the shots here were with the zoom. Thanks for the compliments!

The only reason I change out each time is because I recoup money by doing so. Every time Apple does a release, a lot of companies start offering buy back programs for the old phones, including Best Buy. By trading in the most recent phone, you get a lot of money back and I've never paid out of pocket for a phone yet. Instead, I pay the 200 upgrade cost with the trade in money and have money left over. Last time I got about 350 for my 5S, I just checked and can get 420 for my 6. We're happy with the carrier, and my husband doesn't want a new phone so I just renew the contract for his phone or mine. Verizon doesn't care. If I wait until next year, I won't make that much money on it at all. But I don't want to buy a phone or installments so this year I am probably going to pass.