My Flower Garden - Picture taken in 2007....Blink and you'd swear it was 2008.

Word of the Day

Inspectigate - To investigate closely with the intensity of an inspection.

We're back! OK...we weren't really gone all that long. The wedding was...a wedding. The only people HTP and I knew were the bride, the bride's parents, and about six other relatives. HTP's side of the family. It was nice to see the relatives, the bride, and the bride's parents and meet the groom and the groom's family. They accounted for about 1/20th of the people that were in attendance...maybe less. Anyway, it was a nice ceremony. I remember the bride as a two year old toddler when HTP and I were first married at a gathering at HTP's folks' place. The bride's parents are actually HTP's Aunt and Uncle...Uncle B isn't all that much older than HTP. Uncle B and HTP could pass as siblings rather than Uncle B to Nephew HTP. We also got to see HTP's cousin (with the same name as #1 Son) who we haven't seen in years...actually...I don't think I ever met him. You could sure see a family resemblance. He looked a lot like bit younger version of HTP. We got to visit with two more of HTP's Aunts...other than the Mother of the Bride...and another Uncle...other than the Father of the Bride...and another of HTP's cousins who we hadn't seen since we'd been to California with the kids visiting Sea World. A really long time ago! Anyway, even though HTP and I didn't know the majority of the guests at the wedding, it was nice visiting with the people we did know. Worth a trip to The Big City.

However, it was really nice to get home. Gypsy was thrilled to see me. You'd think my folks had been torturing her or keeping her in solitary confinement. I know better. They spoil her rotten. On the other hand, it was heart-warming to see her enthusiastic welcome. We were concerned because a rather nasty line of thunderstorms had not only blown through The Big City but had marched across the state and over The Lake area. It really looked bad on radar. Thankfully, we only added another .56 inches of rain to the rain gauge. No damage. It took a while to bilge the boat and some of the plants in my garden look a bit beaten down but no damage.

My tame raspberries are starting to ripen. I mentioned that I thought I saw one ripe berry before I left...yesterday. I have to keep reminding myself that we weren't gone all that long...just long enough to attend the wedding, the reception, an overnight, and then watch a movie (Hellboy II.....I liked it but.....). But in just that amount of time, I've got peas and beans forming, I've got raspberries ripening, and I'd better get out and pick the Juneberries before the birds get them all....oh...and I need to stir the Strawberry Wine again. Only and overnight and I had to water those dang zucchini in the Earthboxes again. However, I do have a zucchini forming....4 inches long.

Tomorrow? I need HTP to make some Sugarfree Strawberry Jam labels. I've got 18 jars of jam sitting on my countertop taking up space. I can't store them away until they've got labels.

Murphyism of the Day

Primary Political Corollary

A good slogan beats a good solution.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

A person reveals his character by nothing so clearly as the joke he resents.

Georg Christoph Lichtenberg (1742 - 1799)