Oh, Baby!

What a "grand" little boy he is!  And so big already.  He'll be one in less than 2 weeks.

He was so funny - the grass was wet and he wanted nothing to do with it!

What a cutie!

Almost too big to carry now!

What's with the hairstyle, boy?

Time to say "bye" for the long trip back to Florida! :-(
We'll miss you!

June

I've decided I love June. The tomatoes leaves are still green and everything is in the "growing" phase but now large enough to look lush. The summer thunderstorms are more frequent and the cicadas are beginning to be loud.

By July, things start to look ragged, turn brown and are generally worn out! Plus, June's flowers are some beauties - gladioli, roses, hydrangea, daylilies and dahlia. (May's are also great, by the way - peony, roses, azalea, etc.)

Some of these photos you've seen before:

Anticipating a thunderstorm on a June afternoon at a friend's house.  Could you get any more lush than this?

Still ripening...I think someone/thing's harvesting these....hmmm

tomato, peppers and corn

Coming along

Looking healthy

Daylily

a patch of daylilies

The climbing rose on our back stair

I love climbing roses

No brown to mar the perfect greens.

Another climber

Lush, green corn.

Floating down the river.....on a summer afternoon.

I don't know if there's a song by that name but if not, there could be!  Today we floated down the Hiwassee again.  This time, though, we had to contend with 2 thunderstorms along the way.  Fortunately, other than a bit of rain, we didn't have lightning anywhere close.  The closest lightning seemed to be at least 3 miles away.  We paddled to the edge during the rain and stayed there perhaps 15 minutes before things looked bright enough to keep going.

Here are some photos of the trip.

As we started off we saw thunderclouds menacingly down river.

Not too encouraging when we heard thunder in the distance...do we keep going or stop?

The first time on the Hiwassee for A.

Having a wonderful time.

These little windows, when filled with water, form a lens to watch the fish, or the river rocks and grass floating beneath.

Someone's brave!

Now someone else is too!  We came through this little misty section which I KNEW would be just GREAT for photos so quickly snapped a few which you'll see here and below.

Steady on the canoe, girls!

Peace

Due to the weather, we were almost the only ones on the river.  I saw only one other group way ahead of us.

The Hiwassee is my favourite TN river.

The local corn is thriving.

Picnic supper afterwards.

We left the picnic site at around 9pm and got home almost 10pm!  These late summer evenings are so lovely.  This time I carried the camera with me and was glad I did!

Til next time...Adios!

Vacation Bible School, also known as Service Camp

Prayer Safari theme

Because C is now in the older group, they call it Service Camp for them.  Most every day they went out into the community and did something for the local community.

Jambo!

On Monday, they made bookmarks and did other crafts in preparation for that.  On Tuesday, they took water and cookies to the people on the Greenway and local businesses.  On Wednesday half of the group took some of the crafts to a local nursing home to hand out and sang to the people there.  On Thursday that half made more crafts while the other half went to other nursing homes in the area.  On Friday they washed cars and collected donations for the tornado victims. 

Also, throughout the week, everyone collected items to give to the Samaritan Center for area people in need.   Things such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, cleaning supplies, underwear and other personal items.

Welcome!

C and the 3 D's had a wonderful time.  Of course, the younger two did the regular VBS - theme: Prayer Safari.

Mostly Service camp kids in this pic. There were 103! (just ages 10 - 13)

Here are our 4 little munchkins.

Today they had the "grande finale" in the church and guess who forgot their camera?!

Another Music Camp

We hadn't planned on having another music/strings camp the very next week after our last one on June 13....but despite missing crucial deadlines and thus assuming we weren't in....I receive a phone call Monday morning about where C was to show up for class....when I said we weren't coming I next get a call from the director who tells me in no uncertain terms that C was expected and they really needed her in the cello section, etc!  So very obediently, (we negotiated certain parameters of attendance - only afternoons due to previously set engagements in the mornings - and C got a scholarship), we showed up on time at the first class - 2pm!  At first C was annoyed that this was suddenly thrust on her at short notice - especially after we had decided not to attend it, but she gradually warmed up through the week (as I knew she would) - music is a language of love for her! 

Again, we learned so much, including a very informative seminar on practice. I hope we can implement a lot of those ideas!

Her chamber quartet coach was Mrs. Amy Tyson.  Excellent violinist and teacher from Denver, CO.  She said C was funny and I heard her laughing a lot.  (C still can't remember what was so funny or what she said that was so funny - little shnitzel!).

Since she didn't do the auditions for placement, they placed her in a quartet they thought would fit OK, and she worked with that one all week.  The camp went through Thursday with the final concert Thursday night.  Well, that's enough talking.  Here are a few photos from the week.

The director at the sign-in desk!

The first class was on body awareness or something similar - you can tell a lot about C's attitude by the body posture!

The welcome picnic, Monday evening.

Very useful seminar on practice

One night we had a reading of Mendelssohn's Octett. (C was home in bed in the evenings).

We sat in a circle and a few sat in the middle to hear the sound.  Anyone was invited to play along (which is why I was there playing cello).

The youngest ones - in the camp called "Insight"

Older ones in the "At First Sight" camp.  This is on Thursday night at the final concert.

After the orchestra pieces, the stage was set up for the quartets and other configurations.

Cello choir

C's quartet (they had to "reschedule" and move this quartet to near the end as C realized she'd left her music at home!  Talk about a panic.  At least we only live 5 miles away!)

3 happy cellists

Cute, aren't they?

So, it all ended on a happy note, I'm relieved to say!!

Portly and Snout - Our neighborhood PIGs.

Did I mention we had a couple feral (?) pigs in our neighborhood for about 2 months.  A little later one disappeared and not a month later, the other....after a big shotgun bang one day!  Then the neighbor fires up his char-griller/smoker and I'm sure that was the end of him!  I'm actually sad for him - and us!  He was adorable.  Here are some memorial photos....

Oink.  I'm going to name you "Snout" and your friend, "Porky" or maybe it should be "Portly".

So beautiful you are!

Yes, just sweet!

And so trusting and friendly.

I could just hug you!  Bye-bye Snouty! :-(.  I hope our neighbor enjoyed your chops!

Sadness!