The Back Lot

A long time ago the back lot was part of our yard. What I remember most about the back lot is all the Easter Egg hunts we had for the kids when they were little. All the nieces and nephews, cousins and friends. The lot is quite large so it required a lot of eggs and candy which was necessary since there were a ton of us!
 

The back lot was sold off many years ago and we now have a fence to separate the areas. The garage is looking quite run down, but in the mornings, as the sun is coming up, it shines on the garage making it look quite impressive. I can look out the green room window and watch the morning unfold and remember all the good times that were had back there.

Peek-a-Boo

Peek-a-boo!

Just a little fun with the colors :0)

T'mater Face

My sister-in-law brought some veggies over last night. Amazingly they made a good subject for today's picture! Tomorrow... they will make for a good BLT!

A Beautiful Day

It was an absolutely beautiful day to spend in the park today. The flowers are in full bloom, the butterflies and caterpillars were in the flowers, there was an over abundance of geese and there were even some baby ducks still around. Lots of people were out walking, kids playing, paddle boats out on the lagoon and a small wedding going on in the Pergola. Yes, it was an absolutely beautiful day to spend in the park.

Falling Down!

Where did my day go?? Somehow the day got away from me and this was the only picture that I managed to capture and it was with my phone. I suppose I still have time but I'm tired. However, I do have a story about this pray mantis.
I was out doing yard work this morning and somewhere along the line this little guy got on the garden ornament that I was moving. When I set it down, he jumped off and starting climbing up the side of the house. This is where the camera phone came out. Anyways, I stood and watched him climbing up when he noticed a grasshopper that was on the house too. He took off after it, amazing, missed it and fell off the house into the Hosta's! You should of heard me squeal! :0) Poor little dude, hope he was okay after that.

Ordinary

A beautiful little rose that has a little something extra in it. If you look to the right of the rose, the petals seem to form a face. Not a perfect looking face but still a face. I can see it, but I can always see it. Can you?

KingTut

Grandma is still digging and finding treasures. This little game was Grandpa Oscars. You were suppose to try and keep King Tut in his coffin but for some reason he refuses and keeps popping back out! Mysterious! Only if you know the secret will you be able to get him to stay. Amaze your friends!!!

Pink Sky

 I took several pictures of the pink sky and then I stitched them together to make a panoramic picture. Well for some reason unknown to this girl, it would not upload here. Server rejected! Whatever that means, fine! So now I am just settling for this because now I am irritated and annoyed!

Shut the Box

 A gift from my hubby from his latest Rendezvous last week-end in Galesburg.

"Shut-the-Box originated in France, possibly as early as the 12c. The game involves a wooden box (hence the name Shut-the-Box) characterized by an arena to which dice are thrown and wooden sliders or shutters representing the numbers 1 thru 9. These sliders are closed, or shut, to arrive at the total shown on the dice. Play ends when the either the numbers have all been closed, or when the sum of the dice cannot be achieved by closing any combination of the available numbers. Variations of this ancient game exist for which the numbers up to twelve are represented as well."

Lunch Spot

One of my favorite spots to stop for lunch! Gotta eat in the car though, it's not safe

out there with all these guys around!

I love shadows...

Babies on the Way!

My niece and my nephew's wife are expecting babies in the next couple of months.

Family and friends got together today for the baby shower.

I guess I wasn't the only one with a camera!

My great niece...Yes, the camera is backwards :0)

It was a beautiful day for a baby shower that ended with a beautiful sunset!

Intruders!

Jennifer and I were standing outside, just talking and watching the storm clouds roll in and this little guy did not appreciate it at all! We were intruders and he let us know it! He squawked and squawked and flew around us the whole time we were outside. Now the reason I believe he was a he is because I could definitely hear another bird still in the tree. I am assuming there was a female up in the pine tree, maybe on a nest? Is it too late for that?? Anyways, I don't know what kind of bird he was but he was very small like a humming bird, had a brown body and orange on the top of his head.

What a cute orange hairdo you got there!

There are those storm clouds. Amazing!

On the Road Again

I sure have missed being able to go out and visit my people. Back on the road again and it is so awesome! Lots of blue skies and lots corn. I never knew Illinois had so many corn fields until I started traveling around it. :0) This is the best part of my job, I am a lucky girl!

Hidden Away

Hidden away in downtown Pekin, there is this nice mural that was painted by Pekin High School students. It's tucked away in a little cubbie hole with a couple of trees. You wouldn't notice it if you were driving by and it is also possible that you might not even notice it when you walk by!

I wonder what other hidden treasures are waiting to be discovered in my little town?!

Do Not Disturb

Grandma has been digging through her stacks. This little hotel "Do Not Disturb" sign really caught my eye. I think the guy snoozing here looks like Ronald Reagan. Now please go 'way and let me sleep.

Pray Mantis

Took a little walk and discovered this little guy trying to hide from me. Ha! Not possible, I spied you!!

Look at those spikes on his legs. Imagine if he was giant sized, that would be pretty scary.

Of course, he looks pretty scary this size too!

He's in there, can you spy him???

$100 Bucks!

This is the part on my car that broke tonight, causing all my antifreeze to spew out then causing my car to overheat! Luckily I was able to make it over the bridge before the smoke starting coming from my hood. A phone call to Jim led to a phone call to the tow truck...$75.00. Another call to the parts store for the part...$4.08. A jug of antifreeze and the car running for a good 20 minutes (good-bye gas)...$20.00 or more and it is fixed. Well, now wasn't that fun!!

Apparently I needed some windshield washer fluid too. Discovered the jug that got left outside and this is what happened to it during the hail storm Saturday. Hello little birdie! Not really usable any longer since there are several pieces of plastic floating around inside.

A Feeling

One might say I am feeling small tonight, one might say there is frustration because the door seems to be just out of my reach, one might say there is a feeling of bleakness.
Are those feelings there, possibly, but more likely there is just a feeling that the darn door needs painted!

Oh Hail!

An afternoon shower brings a little hail!

Lots of little hail, at first, then they got a little bigger...

Upside Down!

The world has turned upside down! I hope it will turn it's self around soon.

Summer View

Summer is here and the sunflowers are blooming happily. Standing at the sink, looking out the kitchen window, the sunflowers make doing the dishes "slightly" more enjoyable!

Birds on a Wire

All the birds sitting on a wire absolutely fascinates me. Why do they all sit together like that? Why do they all sit facing the same direction? Why, why, why?

Seems to be an oddball up there...

Drip, Drip, Drip...

Big drop

Little drop

Before & After

Before

 There's a Storm brewin' here! The wind is blowing, the sky is getting darker, and the rumble of thunder is getting closer.

After

A quick 10 minutes later, the clouds have passed, the sky is brightened, no more rumbles and there is a rainbow out there somewhere! (Actually it was over at Jennifer's house, a double rainbow!!)

Soap Films

An experiment with bubbles, these are called soap films. The light shines on the soap films and creates these wonderful colors.

Pictures were taken with a macro lens. The bubble solution is on the bubble wand.

Oooo, what a face!!

I want try my hand at making soap bubbles (those are round instead of flat) but that seems to require a light box and an off the camera flash, of which I have neither. Something to strive towards! :0)

Can You See Me Now

Due to several recent motorcycle accidents a man named Rainman used Facebook to organize an awareness parade called Can You See Me Now.

There were enough motorcycles that the parade lasted over 30 minutes, non-stop.

It was just amazing to see the amount of people that participated today. I hope that this event got enough coverage to make everyone pay more attention to what they are doing.