Flower within a Flower

I will definitely be saving the seed from this sunflower and planting them next year to determine if this "flower-within-a-flower" is genetic. Such an abnormality could be the result of a bacterium, virus, or fungus, in which case the chances of it appearing in the offspring will be slim. However, if it does appear in the next generation, it is genetic (a freak mutation) and could be of commercial value as a great novelty plant. What did I do with that Burpee phone number?

Home made quilts

My mother has made quilts for the kids. I put them on my bed to get pictures of them. The pictures are not very good and the bed is not the right side but you get the general idea. I wish I had just a small portion of the talent she has. Thanks mom for all your hard work!

Tabitha & Sean's quilt

Adam & Justine's quilt

Alex & Kayla's quilt

Dad

No card to pick out, no phone call to make, no visit to plan, no deciding between the handkerchiefs or the work gloves; there are alot of things you no longer have to do on Father's Day when your dad has passed away. What you will have on Father's Day is alot more time to wonder why you ever found such things to be a chore. Wish you were here, Dad.

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to all those great dads I have the pleasure of knowing. I thank God for you all. My dad and Troy's have gone on to be with the Lord and we miss them dearly. They were a great example of love to us both.

Decoration Day

A little weed pulling, a few squirts of Roundup here and there, a bouquet of flowers, and a new American flag made Debbie's Dad's grave standout this decoration day at the Prairie Bayou Cemetery. The brick pavers and large white gravel with the weed guard fabric beneath that Debbie and I added to the grave shortly after George's burial, make his grave easy to maintain and looking good all year round. The Prarie Bayou Cemetery, like most country cemeteries, relies solely on the donations of family members to maintain and mow the grounds. So, Debbie and I made sure to donate to the Cemetery fund as well. Both of our Dads served this country for over 20 years of their lives and to maintain and decorate their graves is a way to continue to show our respect and gratitude for what they did for us and our country.

Saturday Troy and I went to Brayden's Little Gym class for his final class and open house. I ran off and forgot the camera so I had to use the camera on my iphone. I am still trying to get the hang of it and Brayden did not make this an easy task. These pictures are so blurry, but whether it was trying to capture a moving target or my serious lack of photography skills who can tell? Anyway we had a great time and hopefully the blurry pictures emphasize the energy this young man has. He was all over the room. He had a blast.

He bounced..
He jumped..

He balanced..

He climbed..

He balanced some more..

Finishing off by awarding hisself a medal and turning his back on me and the metal before I could snap the picture.

Afterwards we went out for brunch at a local restaurant and he was still wanting to climb.

The pictures may be blurry but the memory will be all too clear in our hearts and our minds for all time.

My Photo Book May 09 2011

Click here to view this photo book larger

Serpents

Cottonmouth

Cottonmouth

Broad-banded and Yellow-bellied water snakes in an epic battle over territory

Just a few of the snakes we ran into while on field trips with my class to different state parks around the state.

Future Entomologist

We found a nest of tent caterpillars and I just had to show Brayden these little guys. After a few minutes of studying them and seeing that they didn't hurt me, he was ready to enjoy the feel of a caterpillar crawling up his arm.

Future Herpetologist

Brayden took to tadpole collecting like a duck to water. We had a blast collecting these tadpoles and putting them in the aquarium I have set up on my back porch. Now Brayden can keep up with how much they have grown each visit he makes.

Texas Field Trip

Another Seaweed Collection Trip to Texas. Yes, I got soaked on more than one occasion, but the water was not really cold

I love live oaks. I wish we had them around here.

Debbie standing in front of a 44' tall, 1,000 year old live oak measuring 35' in circumference with a crown spread of 89'. Simple called "The Tree" located on Goose Island just outside of Corpus Christi. Naturally, I had to pick up a few acorns from this tree that fallen to the ground.

I got lots of pics of this Inca Dove among the blue bonnets which were in full bloom all over Texas.

While hunting for my seaweed look what I nearly stepped on. . . a Portuguese man of war (YIKES!). Beautiful, but painful.

Blue Bonnets

Garvin Woodland Gardens