Sumi in the sprinklers...

My granddaughter loves to dance.....and on this hot summer day she imagines herself as Tinkerbell, flying through the fine mist of a summer rain.

There is a garden in every childhood, an enchanted place where colors are brighter, the air softer, and the morning more fragrant than ever again. ~Elizabeth Lawrence

(*you MUST click on this picture to get the full effect of the backyard sprinklers)

BUTTERFLIES IN MY GARDEN

I can sit and watch tirelessly when the summer butterflies find their way to my gardens. This one seemed too impatient to stay in one spot for long so I found myself following it all over my yard ... my original reason for being out there, to mow and weed eat, long forgotten.

I will send this picture to my son, to remind him these years of his imprisonment are as fleeting as the lives of these lovely creatures.

We are like butterflies who flutter for a day and think it is forever. ~Carl Sagan

PISMO BEACH, CA AT SUNSET

Stacey took this shot of the Pier at Pismo, catching the lovely lavender and blues of the early setting sun, the dwindling crowds on the beach.

We watched from the pier as the sun set into a glorious golden horizon. The end to a perfect, funfilled day spent with wonderful friends.

A good friend is a connection to life - a tie to the past, a road to the future, the key to sanity in a totally insane world. ~Lois Wyse

GOOD TIMES, GOOD FRIENDS - ... a day on Morro Bay.

We left the 112 degree (F) heat of desert Taft for the cooler coastal weather...little did we know the temps had dropped to the high 60's over there! No complaints from us though, we'd taken jackets and the cool was a welcome respite.





Stacey & Bernie had taken a much deserved "break" from their responsibilities as wives & mothers with busy jobs and schedules, to come from Washington State to visit my son in the federal Camp here (he is serving a 12 1/2 yr sentence for a first time, non-violent marijuana offense) and spend some time with us as well. We had a wonderful several days together, the time flew by much too fast as we went site seeing, shopping, dined on wonderful California cuisine, and chatted endlessly catching up on our lives! As I write this they are exploring parts of southwest LA before returning home this weekend. I will miss their warmth and laughter in our home.

JULY 4TH AT MORRO BAY, CA


Can't think of a better way to pass the holiday than kayaking on Morro Bay. The weather was PERFECT, and the crowds stayed in the streets and at the art fairs so we shared the harbor with precious few others.

Even the harbor seals were feelin the laid back vibe.

DISNEYLAND IN JULY

All the magic was still there. Derek and family came to stay for a few weeks and we decided to take the little ones to the theme park for a few days. Last time we'd been was when we took Derek and his brother Corey when they were about the same age as Dereks little boy and girl are now.

For anyone looking for a really great deal one can find super prices on passes on Ebay. On a whim I checked it out and sure enough, paid half what it would have cost me going through Disney or at their gate. Great customer service from the fellow who sold me the passes as well. His feedback was listed at 100% so I felt safe in purchasing. I highly recommend!