Out in the Garden

For the first time in years, at least to of the garden beds have been "put to bed".  Bella is such a help in the garden.  She meets and greets and maintains a vigilant record of scents in the yard.

I put in some muscari and drumstick alium bulbs. I'm already mentally reworking all the beds in the yard. It was wonderful to be working in the garden again, although I do think I overdid it a bit with the raking.  I love the leaves this year.  I keep being surprised by gorgeous views of gold, orange, red and blue when I pass by windows in the house, not to mention driving down the street.

VA creeper

Green, Blue and Red

Maple close-up

Still life

Especially for Us

On October 7th we met up with about 16,000 others to walk to raise money for breast cancer awareness and to raise money to provide mammograms and care for those who wouldn't be able to afford it.

This was my second year in the survivor photo along several others from our team.

Pink Ribbon Friends

R. Rabbit's Team (well part of us)

Musical Encouragement

Walking with a crowd

The Finish Line

http://www.especiallyforyourace.org/

Autumn Plant Shots

I spent some time in the garden this week with my "girlies" (see Magpieandbella.blogspot.com).  I'm amazed how the roses keep blooming, and at the same time I love the look of the hips.

Fall Asters

Red Red Rose

Red hip

Phlox and stucco

Brucemorchestra!

This September marked the fourth Brucemorchestra concert with "Orchestra Iowa" and my third time to be there.  This year I went with my Mom, Eric and JoAnne.  It was an American extravaganza with Gershwin's American in Paris (with Ballet Quad Cities), Rhapsody in Blue, The Grand Canyon Suite  by Grofe, an acapella rendition of Shenandoah and Copeland's The Promise of Living.  I love being a part of this annual gathering.

Brucemore - the crowd

Eric before

An American in Paris

Eric during

The Promise of Living

Back on Track

Last January I told myself I was going to be more consistent blogging and that I was going to post more often than last year.  Well, if I post once a month to the end of the year I'll cover that last part.

Today I'm just going to share some of the beautiful roses from my garden.  During the last couple weeks they have been having there last hurrah before winter sets in (I hope we have a real winter this year.)

Gertrude Jekyll - you need smellovision for this one!

Gertrude full blown

Pink Bud

Garden Rabbit

looks better in person - Blackberry Lily (love these guys)

Three States in One Day

Saturday, June 30th.  We left Iowa to put Eric on a plane to Germany, drove up to Milwaukee to watch a Brewers' game and then to Madison see friends on Sunday.

parking lot party

We hugged Eric goodbye and then headed north.  We got to Miller Park in time to catch the top of the 2nd inning.  It was interesting to be a game where I didn't have an emotional investment in the outcome.  It was fun to watch the Brewers hit 3 homeruns.  We got to see the sausage race in person.  What more could we want!  Oh, we didn't get to see the roof close.

And they're off!

Final score 10-2

At Miller Park

After the game we drove to Madison and a hotel.  Sunday morning we met our dear friends, Gil and Raylene Walker at the Mandrake Road church of Christ.  They were beginning a study of Isaiah in Sunday school which brought up many good questions.  I think I need to read that book again.  It was wonderful to be in worship with our friends again and singing acapella next to Raylene is a treat.  After church we went out for lunch and worked to catch up on 12 years of news and nostalgia.

At Gil and Raylene's

Relief!

Just a few pictures of Eric on the mound at one of the Washington Sophomore b-ball games this summer.