Kevin is 50 today!

Happy Birthday Kevin! Welcome to the 50s club.

Then and now... 

A happy day...

It's a happy day today. Maegan arrives shortly, and is staying through the long weekend.

On Sunday she will be 20 years old. My baby is growing up. She has grown into a beautiful young lady. 

Happy Birthday Maegs. We will just make this your birthday week!

love Mom

Graduation Day!

Today about 1800 students were candidates for graduation at Boise State University.

Michael Byron Ward was one of them. You might be able to make him out in this somewhat blurry photo in the sea of grads. I was one of the proud parents in the stands watching. There was a record crowd of spectator's for this ceremony. There were good speakers, and despite the 1200+ who decided to walk, it went amazingly fast.

After the ceremony, the new grads were herded like cattle to make their debut onto the field for their reception. It is a gorgeous day today, hot and sunny. And a mass of people everywhere. It took us awhile, but Byron and I were finally able to hook up... thank god for cell phones!

Byron, in true-to-himself form, graduated in his blue and orange basketball shorts with his dress shoes. I loved his outfit. When we went out to the graduation party afterwards, he changed into something a little dressier!

Byron's friends were just as excited as he was. Photos were being taken everywhere.

Of course a photo was saved for the proud mama!

So a rite of passage was completed, a sense of accomplishment obtained, a goal met, and a happy young man sets off to happily celebrate with his friends.

Only one queen bee...

We have noticed that every spring a new queen is hatched and half the hive follows her to a new home. It is like a mini-tornado of bees swirling around the backyard. It can be quite intimidating with all those bees buzzing around.

This year the new bee group assembled at the top of our weeping willow clustered in a tight ball, I guess to stay warm. They were up there for three days before they must have identified their new home and moved on.

One thing Kevin noticed is that they raided a lot of the honey from the hive and were transporting it with them.

Meanwhile, the crabapple is blooming and humming loudly as the bees only need to make a short commute to gather their pollen wages.

So only one queen to a hive. All the hard working worker-bees are female. The only males are the drones who do nothing more than impregnate the queen.

Popeye's paradise

I love my new raised bed that Kevin and I put in last fall. I planted it too late in October to harvest anything, but the spinach that came up stayed all winter to burst on the scene for an early harvest this spring. I have been so enjoying going out every day to pick scrumptuous leaves for my sandwiches and salads.

I had to replant the kale, collards, swiss chard, and lettuce. I also planted radishes and snow peas and cilantro... all the cool weather crops in a cool place in the yard. Everything is coming up and promises more yummy harvests throughout the season.

Mmmmm spinach!

Tubbs Hill photography club field trip

The newly formed North Idaho Digital SLR Club had its first field trip today on Tubbs Hill. It is a beautiful part of our community, right on the lake for everyone to enjoy. It was windy today, and warm when the sun poked through the clouds... cold when it hid behind.

For those of you who have wondered where I have been since December, I am happy to report that I have been too busy to blog.... but maybe I will have to get back to finding a way to fit it in!

HAPPY SPRING!

Its beginnning to look a lot like Christmas!

I love Christmas. Not for the presents, but for the joy that the presents bring.

Conor is wearing the Australian hat from Nick and Jude, Chris' parents. The hangy-down things are to keep the flies away... a must for those in Australia. Not quite essential wear here in wintery Idaho... but it looks cool!

Kevin is definitely prepared for a hot, sultry day.

I love ripping the paper. Isn't that the point?

Miss Shelley laughing at the merriment of the moment.

And a little relaxation after all the fun. It is great to have a full house at the holidays. That was my best Christmas present!