Planting procrastinator...

I finally got around to planting a few items yesterday  :-)
This little guy will grow up to produce pear tomatoes - Yum!!
I also planted cherry tomatoes and a rose bush...
We'll have to see how it does in a pot.

Memorial Day

Hung today in loving memory 

of my Grandfather, Ralph Albert Richel,

and in gratitude for all the 

service men and woman,

past and present...

In My Yard...

Old-Fashioned Snowball Bush

It is in full bloom right now and

absolutely stunning!

I think this section resembles a

bridal bouquet :-)

Discovery Science Center is getting a new home... Who knew?

Past location of the
Discovery Science Center
East Prospect Road

The New Digs...
Just North of Old Town
Talk about an upgrade!

The Discovery Science Center
has always had great programs for the kids,
but, currently, my main point of interest is:
How the Heck did I not notice this
huge building was under construction???
It's one block north of the Bike Co-Op
(I've been by there several times in the past few weeks.)
Guess I won't be listing "observative"
as a skill on my resume...

Long's Peak

Long's Peak from I-25

No water shortage this summer...

There's still a lot of snow in them thar hills!

Keep in mind, this does not give us permission 

to be excessive - be water wise :-)

Nutella!!

If I could fit in the Nutella jar, this would be me!

I've recently become totally addicted to this stuff...

That one looks like a...

Do you remember the last time you

laid on the grass and watched the clouds go by?

Did you see a dolphin, a castle or just a beautiful view?

It's almost summer...  take 10 and give it a try!

You'll like it :-)

Sunday Races at the Oval

Annual Sunday Bike Races at the CSU Oval.
I think there are 4 or 5 weeks left of the event...
Doug's racing in the "citizen" category,
wearing solid blue about 3/4 way from the left.

The crowd enjoys the races and the weather.
We took Daisy and a picnic :-)

Confluence Park

The first day of dryer, warmer weather made

for a lively time down at Confluence Park.

It felt great - even the geese agree :-)

National Armed Forces Day

National Armed Forces Day was established

in 1949 by Louis Johnson, the US Secretary of Defense,

to recognize and honor the men and women

in uniform who serve our country in times of war and peace.

This event stemmed from the unification of the 

separate branches under the new Department of Defense.

Thank you to our military forces 

and those who support them - their families. 

It's National Bike To Work Day!

Let's just pretend that this was taken this morning :-)

It may LOOK better out there,

but the 40% chance of thunderstorms this afternoon

has me a bit concerned...

If you are going for it - wear your rain gear!!

Seattle?, CO

Minus Puget Sound,

FoCo is getting a taste of Seattle.

I'm a bigger fan of their coffee...

I took this through the windshield because it

was raining too hard to get out with my camera...

Colorado Scenery

Colorado is an amazingly beautiful state!

On Sunday, we were stuck in very slow-moving traffic 

eastbound on I-25 through the Glenwood Canyon.

This is just a sample of the views we were treated to.

The Powers That Be forced us to 

"stop and smell the roses."

I'm so glad!!

Congrats Miss JJ!

Rituals comfort us,

connect us,

remind us...

My niece, JJ, just graduated from high school.

She is a smart, beautiful young lady

with a good heart and bright future.

We are all very proud of her!

Bonus:  

Cake is served at all my favorite rituals:  

birthdays, graduations, weddings :-)

Wrong Donkey

The tail is supposed to go here...

Somebody missed...

What the Rain Brought

Wednesday's and Thursday's weather was rainy and cold,

but it brought out a beautiful array of greens!

This is right off the walk/bike path near my house...

Aren't I lucky?!?!  :-)

Here Comes the Sun

After two full days of rain,

the clouds started to clear near sundown.

This photo was taken last night from the 

back side of the FC Bike Co-Op

facing NW Fort Collins.  

Mountain Lion

We have had a large male mountain lion

wandering around the Fort for the past two days.

Two of the grade schools are on lockdown and

folks in the NW part of town are getting reverse 911 calls.

Of course, you've got the idiot lookie-loos out

helping(??) the local authorities track it down...

If you see a kitty cat that looks like the pic above,

do not try to pet it - you are an hors de-vours.

I hope he is found safely and returned to a habitat 

more to his liking very soon!

Angels Bowling

When I was young, one of the kids at the bus stop

told me that thunder was the sound of angels bowling

and lightening happened when they made a strike.

I remember thinking:

Does my guardian angel really have time to bowl?

I get into a lot of trouble...

Same still holds true and what are they

thinking bowling at 11:30 pm??

Must have been some game because 

I jumped straight out of bed at the first strike...

Daisy and I spent the next 1/2 hour hiding under the covers :-(

Spaced Out

Shot of earth from Apollo 10

(I love Google!)

On May 10, 1968, Apollo 10 sent the

first live color TV transmissions back to earth.

It showed the docking process and the interior of

the command and service module, CSM, Charlie Brown.

Even astronauts love Peanuts!

Cool, huh?!?!

Adult Truths #12

Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray?

I don't want to have to restart my collection...again.

So the complete Star Wars Saga is coming out in Blu-ray Disk

in September 2011...  Of course...

I already have the entire saga in DVD, 

not to mention:

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy

Harry Potter (all except the last one)

Titanic, Troy, Etc.

What if my next TV won't play DVD's?

My checkbook is running scared!

Mother's Day 2011

God could not be everywhere and therefore he made mothers.  

~Jewish Proverb

A mother is a person who, seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie.  ~Tenneva Jordan

All mothers are working mothers.  ~Author Unknown

Insanity is hereditary; you get it from your children.  ~Sam Levenson

There is only one pretty child in the world, and every mother has it.  

~Chinese Proverb

Panhellenic Brunch

Fort Collins Area Alumnae Panhellenic

Scholarship Brunch 2011

This is a fun brunch to attend!

It's great to see ladies I haven't chatted with in a year

plus it is an excellent chance to socialize with

alumnae from other sororities

The proceeds from the brunch raffle go toward

awarding scholarships to outstanding collegians

and alumnae that have gone back to school.

Thanks to the Gamma Phi Betas for hosting this year!

Military Spouse's Day

Military Spouses Day was created by President Ronald Reagan in 1984.

 Secretary of Defense, Casper Weinberger, 

established it as the Friday before Mother’s Day.

It is a day to recognize and honor the force behind our forces - 

the spouses of our soldiers.

I want to personally thank my amazing sister-in-law, Jillian,

for her sacrifices, hard work and dedication to her family

and her country over the past 20+ years.  

She has my upmost respect and admiration!

Feliz Cinco de Mayo!

Tiempo para una fiesta! 

Vamos a romper las margaritas, patatas fritas y salsa!

It's been a while since I studied Spanish...

I think I said:

Time for a fiesta!

Let's break out the margaritas, chips and salsa!

Bye, Bye Gray!!

Except for the challenge of parking my bus in Old Town,

this is my current favorite salon.  

Actually, my favorite salon is wherever Kelli is :-)

I spend a lot of time here (instead of at the gym) 

because keeping the gray at bay is a top priority - lol!

Step It Up, Girl!

This is where I go to the gym.

After this morning's step class,

it is abundantly clear that I need to spend more time here...

**gasp**cough**wheeze**

Pelicans in the Fort

Pelicans in Fort Collins are a pretty rare sight!

This is a fairly large flock that has been hanging

out on Parkwood Lake the last couple of days.

So cool!!  

Happy May Day!

Consider this my May Basket to you :-)

May Day is closely associated 

Beltane, a Celtic/Pagan holiday, 

which honors new life in all it's forms. 

I like the idea of celebrating with

bon fires and dancing around the May Pole!