House Wren

Good Morning! Just a few minutes ago, I noticed this house wren looking for bugs on our deck. He stayed and stayed until I thought I might be able to get my camera and snap a few pictures before he leaves and here are the results. Most were blurry but these turned out, especially after I cropped them.
After 4 days of heat and wind, it felt great to get a good rain last night. It looks like we got around 1 1/2 inches, maybe more. My poor plants were desperate for it.
I have some other things to post but Dan is working from home and I have received fair warning to get off the computer! I think it will be a good day for cleaning house. Have a good day whatever you are doing!

Open House

This picture has nothing to do with Open House, but I like it, so I'm using it. If you know me, you know why I like it.

We had Open House tonight and I had 23/24 attend! How often does that happen?? And to be fair, the missing family met with me earlier this week so it's really 100%. We had orientation on Monday and I came home so happy because my first impressions were so positive. Tonight just reinforced those feelings. Tonight I feel like this could actually be my best year ever! Isn't that a great feeling to have before school begins? There's a lot of positive energy running through our school this year and I can't explain it but it feels good. Maybe it's because we all made AYP last year! Yeah, for WCA! I hope that all the educators in my family have a fantastic year.

This and That-

The Halloran Family is moving back to Minnesota and we are SO HAPPY!!!!! Congratulations on your new job, Mike!!
Here's another picture from Royce and Lynn's fishing trip last weekend. Lynn's big fish was a Lake Trout, thanks Paul Clusiau, for that information! The rest aren't bad either.

My window box is growing out of control!

My cousin Karen Larson sewed this pretty quilt for her daughter's Christmas tree skirt. She did the quilting at Kris's last week. I'd love to see another picture from Jenna of the finished project with the tree. I think the colors are fun!!

Look at what Lynn Caught!!!

Here's Lynn posing in front of their boat that they use on Lake Superior. She caught this on Saturday and they are saving it to mount if they can find a decent taxidermist. ;)

I don't remember what kind of fish it is though. Does anyone else? I know their freezer must be getting full of smoked salmon, but I don't think this is salmon. Royce brought some up over Flekkefest and it was awesome! Gracie loves it too! Nice job, Lynn!!!

August Finds

I made my first purchase at a pawn shop. It was up in Hibbing. I didn't know if you could deal or not and the owner said that was protocol so he asked for 5 and I countered with 4 and he took it. This basket is old and super functional. I would have paid $5 for it too. Hmmm, a whole new world.
This 5 inch metal tray was found at a Hibbing rummage sale for 50 cents. I have never seen anything like this and I just love it.
The cardinal thermometer came from a sale down the road. It was an estate sale where nothing was marked, you just made an offer on your total items. It worked for me. This will go down at the cabin once it is calibrated correctly.
This is the THIRD globe I have purchased this summer, one from Hibbing, one down the road and another at Flekkefest. $1.50 is what I paid for the most expensive and the least at 50 cents glows when you plug it in. Two went to my classroom and I use some at home too. Globes are popular at Pottery Barn this fall season. They are asking $38 for their reproductions. These are much nicer.

Here's the other one.

Worth the wait!

THIS is what I've been waiting all summer for....garden tomato & basil sandwiches!! A plate for Dan and a plate for me. So good.
Emily brought me this cute little hostess basket full of her garden produce a month ago and now it's holding herbs on the counter. All of my garden tomatoes are from Jan, thank you!! I sent some home with the Deegans and we ate a bunch on Saturday too. I still have a couple left.
Here's what the other side of my counter looked like! Just keeping it real.

The Deegans & Alec

Christopher and his friend Alec (on the left). They both graduated this year and have exciting plans: Chris-pre-vet at the U of M and Alec-spending time working on a sheep/goat farm in Argentina before he begins college in 2011. Very nice young men!!!
And here are two other nice young men, one of whom really didn't care to have his picture taken. Can you tell?! Sorry Sean! :) Dan is used to it.
Charice and I have been friends since our freshman year at UMM. I am so happy that fate put her right next door to me at Indy Hall!! Charice is starting a new adventure as the executive director of an early childhood program in downtown Mpls. She is so passionate about her new path and they are very fortunate to have her. Charlotte almost came up but has never been much of a nature girl so decided to pass again. She is getting ready to start her sophomore year majoring in Elem Ed. Oh yes, Sean has a new job too-lots of changes in their family. We love hanging out with the Deegans!!

Up North

Last week I headed up to Shari's for a few days. On the way, I snapped this photo on Big Sandy Lake just north of MacGregor. It's such a picturesque lake with the islands and there is a lot of Mn history associated with this lake. You can read about it if you stop at the handy rest stop.
Here's a close-up of one of the islands. Wouldn't it be fun to go out there and explore. It looks like someone lives out there so we may be arrested for trespassing.

We did some biking on their handy bike path, visited both Shari and Paul's 4th grade classrooms, spent a fun day shopping in Hibbing, a gorgeous & chilly back to school shopping day for the girls and Paul in Duluth and then lunch in Canal Park. Paul and Shari taught me how to make perfect grill pizza one evening as well. Before I came home on Friday, we ventured out that morning to go to the city wide rummage sales in Hibbing but didn't have nearly as much luck as last year. Still fun! Thanks again for a fun week, Shari & family!

Curls

We needed to use a curling iron to get curls in Carly's hair. She loved them and they looked nice even as they relaxed during the day. Her hair is naturally straight-for now anyway...
Aren't these curls pretty?! Ellen's hair used to be super straight (with the exception of one little corkscrew curl) until she was in about 4th grade. Then it became curlier until all of her hair matched the one corkscrew curl she always had. I've heard of people going from curly to straight but not the opposite. Anyway, to tame down the curls, she uses rollers at night, takes them out in the morning and simply flattens out her bangs a bit. This method will allow her to sleep in at least 30 mn longer in the morning, or was it an hour Shari? Make sure that Ellen knows I only published this photo and not the roller shots. She was such a good sport!

Clusiau Family Garden

Carly posed with the new raised garden in their back yard. They have one more on the side of their house and both are doing great! They can't imagine not having one anymore. You don't need a lot of space to bring in a lot of produce. Very fun!!
Look at all those cherry tomatoes in there. Shari and I ate a bunch before I took this picture too!

Fall Decor?!?!

I was inspired to do a little bit of fall decorating today. It wasn't just the weather (although it did play a part), it was a window display I saw recently. So now, I will be a bit ahead of the game in this corner of my house-for awhile anyway. The rug is from Target, almost everything else is from rummage sales or thrift stores. The jean jacket is from J Crew and it was free-from Shirley's sister! I did purchase the bird picture from HomeGoods. Shari, that plaid tote is from Hibbing rummage sales last summer!

Miscellaneous Pictures

I took this picture last Thursday night. I thought the clouds looked so beautiful and I'm pleased that this picture turned out this well. This certainly has been an interesting summer weatherwise and we've had some good photo op's. A few nights ago, I made Dan get up at night to look at this huge white cumulonimbus passing by, it was just glowing and gorgeous. I knew I couldn't take a decent night picture of it so you'll just have to take my word for it.
My window box has become rather bizarre looking. I actually have some flowers(impatiens) tucked in there but the coleus squeezed it out. The ivy is taking on a mind of its own as well. Kris, this is the ivy that you shared with me earlier this summer. I plan to transplant some to take in over the winter.
Here's a photo of my best looking annual grass. It's a plant that you get a lot of mileage out of because in the fall and winter it looks great too. I'll post another shot of this pot in December and you will see what I mean.
My favorite hostas are blooming right now. These are the ones that I stole when they were building the new house 2 doors down 5 years ago. Actually I rescued them as they pulled the trailer house away and I knew there were nice hostas there so I dug some up and later when it became obvious that they didn't care about them I took the rest. They have nice white fragrant blooms, almost like a lily. They were driving all over them so it really was a rescue.
I made buttermilk/blueberry scones last week and they actually turned out quite well. I threw some in the freezer to save for the Deegans next weekend.

Birds & Blooms

Thank you for all the nice comments on my hummingbird photo's. I took Ann's advice and submitted the last photo to their website. I had to join first and it was free. Of course, in July they had a hummingbird contest so I entered late. It's more of a challenge than a contest so it probably doesn't matter. This month, the challenge is orange so I may enter my oriole photo. It's a nice website that I've never visited before. Check it out your self at Birds & Blooms. You only have to join if you are going to enter photo's.

Here's another photo that I didn't show you earlier. If you click on this photo you will get a nice view of her iridescent colors. Oh, and the males are still around-maybe I'll catch one in a photo too.

Hummingbird close-ups

The hummingbirds love the feeder that Sam found for my birthday. Shelly make sure he sees these pictures! Yesterday I noticed they weren't afraid of me so I stood up on a chair about 2 feet away and snapped away. After I loaded the pictures, I cropped them too. Notice the wings in the top photo?
I like how this picture caught her wings without the blur. Their wing feathers are so delicate and not very many of them either.

You can see here that hummingbirds do have feet!

This photo is a neat shot of her back and wings too.

Sometimes my flash startles them or other hummers attacking from above. I think we are seeing her tail in this picture. Lots of fighting going on. I didn't see any males yesterday. It seems early for them to migrate already, they usually leave a few weeks before the females.

I think the last shot is my favorite.

Sunset July 31

You should click on these to see them in full size.

They might be my best sunset pictures yet.

Halloran Family

Berkness Family

Jackson Friends Weekend

Will they all fit next year?!

I'm a week delayed in my posting. 2 weekends ago we had a super weekend with the Berkness and Halloran families. The Hallorans are busy seeing family and friends while they are back in Mn from CA for a few weeks. All the girls have a blast together and it was a year ago since they saw each other last. The adults had a great time being together again too! We had beautiful weather on Friday evening and Saturday plus an amazing sunset which we took full advantage of in our photo's. Will post more of those in a later post. It's a rule that we have to have rain for at least one day every weekend and that came on Sunday. At least it wasn't a tornado warning again.

Tim catches some Zzzzs. Does that picture say summer vacation to you?!!

Morgan, Emily & Jackson cookin' in the tiny kitchen. Emily calls Jackson her white shadow as she is always just steps away from her. She's a great dog.
Danette and Emily played bean bag toss against their husbands. Jackson was on the girls team. Good form, Danette! I think they beat the guys too. :)

Mike, Danette, Emily & Tim-relaxing.

Morgan, Anna & (Caroline I think.)

Eleanor & Caroline

Alanna & Elizabeth

"Where's Emily?!"

They're such great posers!