Kissed By An Alpaca....almost

Mid July our garden club made a trip to an alpaca farm and gardens in Hillsboro south of Portland

Crossing the double level Fremont Bridge

Honk your horn and don't breathe!!

The gardens didn't exist, but the alpaca did!!

The owner of the herd said that alpacas are pack animals and are stressed unless they are in a group of three or more.

My pack!

PNW Alpaca guy...

"You all come back now...ya hear!!

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Time for the homemade weed killer once again!!

I've heard the name of this weed but I don't remember it and can't find it online. It is the scourge of our neighborhood.   

The temperature had been too hot to get out and do them in...

I've found several bird feathers around my yard.  Some bird had an encounter which probably did not end well for it...

I have an admission to make about this particular weed.  At this point I am ready to confess...The first spring I experienced out here...12 years ago...I was pleased to see that a colorful ground cover was already growing in the small rocks along side my house. About the same time I left for a 2 week trip.  When I returned the ground cover was in full bloom all over the side of my house.  There was also an article...along with a picture... in our monthly news letter encouraging residents to spray or dig up the obnoxious weed growing all over the park.  It was my "ground cover".  In those days I didn't know of DYI weed killer and I didn't want to use commercial spray, so I spent a long time digging up the sticky, milky stuff.  Today as I yearly get out the DYI weed killer I wonder if the growth wouldn't be so wide spread if I hadn't encouraged it many years ago!  THE END   

It is all over the park, but it was here before I was...

A random yard in the park...

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 Very busy, interesting cloud formations!!

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What to do on a hot, home alone somewhat boring day??  Homemade chicken noodle soup...always cures what ails me.  Something about immersing in miscellaneous ingredients to create a pot of soup is healing and cooling to soul, mind, spirit and body.  Even on a very hot day...as long there is air conditioning!!

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ATTENTION!  Your wait is over!  Read chapter 15, One Year Married...Gram G's story.  Check out the tab at the top of the post.  Sorry, more pictures are still packed away somewhere.

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My brother-in-law, Frank, passed on five days ago.  He was 92.  

His wife, my sister, Rosie, died 3 years ago.  They had no children.  Since her passing he has been lost without her.  They are together again...having a wonderful reunion!!

Frank and I two years ago.  He was taller than me in yesteryears...

REFLECTIONS

I am astounded how quickly this summer is passing!  My mind is already jumping to autumn.  There is that feeling in the air.  Yesterday I saw a tree with its leaves starting to turn color. Most grass areas are tan with fall wild flowers.  There is a certain quietness in the atmosphere.

I've had several "home alone" days this summer.  It is difficult for me to focus and accomplish much.  I am revved up right now because I have two sets of Indianapolis company coming in September and October!  I like to mentally prepare an itinerary of fun places to go and favorite food to cook...and to clean up my house a bit.  Yay!!  

This has been a good 3 GeoGram weeks in the life of Gram G.

  

"As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease."  (Genesis 8:22)