Fargo discovers the cow pasture and what it contains...yum!

the Lizard

Saturday morning I noticed our cat Wilhelmina looking down at the ground, so the curious person that I am, I went to investigate...

Down on the ground I saw this thing wiggling and it appeared to be a lizard. We have several around the cabin and I usual see one sunbathing on the front stone steps, well on further inspection this tail was detached from its owner...

now I am told that a lizard can lose their tail to escape from predators like my vicious kitty..

and so it may seem this was the case..so where was the lizard?

Garland found him close by... evidently this was a recent occurrence since the tail was still moving minus it's body.. if you look closely you can see these pointed parts coming from where it used to be attached to the body...YUK...

One tail, still fresh....
One lizard minus a fresh tail....
Garland put the lizard in the tree for safe keeping....see the back end, all red and minus that tail...GROSS....

Sadly, yesterday when I walked down to the garage I found same lizard in the grass..EXPIRED.

And Wilhelmina was no where around the crime scene...

Penne Pasta with Spinach

I get tired of preparing the same dinners every week, and so I look for new and healthier alternatives...

after church today, I stopped at my sister Carol's house to kill some time before going for a much needed manicure. Carol was downloading some new recipes herself and she had one from a magazine using whole wheat penne pasta, white beans and spinach... sounded good and quick to me, so on my way home I stopped at Wally World (YUK)..we do not have a nice Whole Foods or Harris Teeter..therefore Food Lion or Walmart have to do in a pinch.. Picked up regular penne pasta as Garland is not a big fan of WW. Spinach, white beans, fresh garlic, Jergens Healthy Glow self tan & firming lotion and headed to the cabin. The recipe does not call for self tanning products but my legs do!

It is a very easy recipe and takes no time to prepare... 2 very important conditions when cooking.. Don't get me wrong, I like a challenge with recipes, but not tonight...

So you can see that here are most of what is required to prepare this dish...The shiraz is for the chef.. I also marinated some boneless chicken breasts in olive oil and cooked in my George Forman..

Garland needs his MEAT....

And here is the finished product, above is Garland's plate.

And here is my plate, with picked beets added...love the beets...

I did not have enough spinach, only 1/2 of what the recipe called for, and it would have been better with more spinach, also some grated parm cheese was sprinkled on for taste. I also used 1 clove of garlic instead of 2 and I think I will go with 2 next time. I plan to make this meal again..maybe when we go camping. I know Jessica, my daughter in law would like this recipe, as she is a vegetarian and son Sean will enjoy it as well..

Bon Appetite!

Country Singer Alien

If I were a country singing alien, I would probably look like this.

Remembering Memorial Day

Back in the 60's we lived in Glen Head, NY

and every Memorial Day

there was the community parade

that passed right in front of our home.

Here I am with my twin Diane,

twins Toni & Laurie Rudolph,

and Paul Fulton.

I do not recognize the other boy.

And we were very

PATRIOTIC!

LOVE the PEPPER

Since I have been posting on how cute new puppy Fargo is, I thought it only fair to post Pepper's puppy pics. Pepper is such a beautiful and unusual looking border collie. I picked her from her litter mates for the black patch on the left side of her face. The pictures do not capture how adorable she was as a new pup.

The right eye is almost all blue and her left eye is just partial blue.


She loves to play with any type of ball, football, soccer, basketball, tennis...
she has actually become obsessed with balls!!
That seems to be a border collie problem.
But Garland has been working with her to become a SAR dog.
Border collies like to have jobs.



Do I have to wear this stupid scarf?
My first halloween party!

My first snow..See I love sports in any weather!


This is my first Christmas card picture. I think red shows off my coat very well!

Me and my Dad.

LOVE the FARGO

Fargo is changing daily...he is just so darn cute...

Why can't they stay puppies for a few more months.....

minus the chewing and peeing on everything!

Planting a river birch

I have been trying to post this blog for over a week now....

Garland gave me a river birch tree for Mother's Day to replace a cherry tree that dies last summer during our drought & heat wave..

I love the bark on the river birch..so much texture & interest.. the leaves are nothing to comment on, and the fall color is blah too...but the bark makes up for all that.

This is the dead tree we are replacing.

It sits at the end of the flower garden at the back of the yard.

We have 2 other river birch trees planted. Here you can see that really wonderful bark..

I have seen curtain rods made with mature branches in some of my log/cottage home magazines.

Maybe I will be able to do something like that in our home in a few years.


Garland cutting the dead tree down...

Wilhelmina finds refuge under the branches...

until we cart them to the brush pile to burn later...

the branches NOT the cat!

Garland digging the new hole for the birch tree... He is such a great husband!

And the tree is planted.. I had that bird feeder that i built many years ago...I put it on the dead tree stump for now, not sure if I like it there...needs painting and some repairs.

No that's not a SKUNK!

Is that a skunk approaching Wilhelmina?

No, it's just Fargo..but he does look like a skunk in this shot.

Wilhelmina has not decided if she wants to be friends with Fargo yet...

A few years ago on Mother's Day, Sean & Jessica gave me iris bulbs for my flower garden, well since then they have multiplied and they bloom every spring.

The moles have not discovered them thankfully.

I know they would make great cut flowers for inside, but I hate to steal them from the garden, they are so vibrant.

Thank you Jessica & Sean!

Some more Fargo

I like to keep the camera close by for any photo opportunity..

this evening I was outside with the pets.

Garland was cutting the grass,

Fargo is not sure of the noise and ran up on the porch..

this is what I captured...check out the slanted grin...

I think he is going to be a hand full!!!