A Few of My Friday Favorites!

This is a favorite of mine for many reasons...

I love Poppies and my spring garden has many...

~

the painting glows with my favorite colors...

and it once belong to my sister Joyce, who left

it behind for me, after moving from a lower level

apartment we have. She was a divorced mother

of 2 young girls, moving on to a better life with

her present husband, it reminds me of her.

.

~

.

This is just one of several small boxes with

hidden items and mementos...

for grandchildren to discover and enjoy...

~

This one opens to reveal miniature furniture inside!



.
~
.
This treasured box was a gift to me...
over 20 years ago, from my daughter Annette!
I love the beautiful serene scene on top.




It's also a music box that plays Fur Elise.

Box Turtles Galore!

Monday started off sunny and bright...

with the Hibiscus blooming...

the Goldfinch and Downy Woodpecker

at the "full" bird feeders...

~

~

and the Doves sitting on the birdbath.

~

Then I noticed a few mushrooms in the...

shady moss area...

that's all it took and I started searching then...

and found this one...

on the south side of the house...

~

Standing out...

was this white delicate one...

in the grass of the front yard.

This large dark brown one stood out...

over on the hillside...

and this flaky looking one was on the north side...

as well...

and then

I found this one...on my way to the backyard.

In the back...closer to the woods...

this bright yellow one stood out...as well as...

Mr. Yellow Box Turtle...taking in the sun...






just a bit later...a second one was in view...

and as I walked on...I found a third.

Knowing

you

might

not

believe

me...

~

I

gathered

them

for

proof!

By this time I was on a hunt...

so I went into the woods...

where under this large Maple...

I found box turtle number 4...

Later...

after spotting this white bowing mushroom...

there by a log was turtle number 5...

and a little while later.....Mr. number 6!

The last three were too far a part to roundup...

but,

here's the top of their different patterned shells!

fourth one...

fifth one...

sixth one...

I have Box Turtles galore I guess!

~

After returning home...

~
it was still sunny and bright...

But...

that didn't last long...

~

storm clouds swirled in...

...and it quickly changed to this.

After a tremendous amount of rain and...

and terrible thunder and lightning...

~

the skies cleared...

and it was back to sunny and bright!

But then...

the day was made even brighter...

by a surprise visit from...

Granddaughter Katie!

Katie is my youngest son Steve's oldest child...

Andrew and Dylan's older sister.

~

In the next post I'll show you "what" I found...

after the storm!

Here's a "very short video" of the rain!

Abundance

Our abundance of rain has led to jewels in the grass...

~photos enlarge~

and a haze in the air more than a few mornings...

~

~

it's brought the Naked Lady Lilies...

down to their knees...

and this Sassafras leaf...down from the trees...

to find a place...by this one of many mushrooms...

which the rain has brought forth in abundance.

~

This dark suede looking one Alivia and I found

in the yard!

This golden orange one I found deeper in the woods.

A family of notched brown ones by an old large

grape vine near the house.

Here's a frilly white one in a shady area of the yard.






These creamy elephant like ear ones were found...
back in the woods.





Here's a small young brown one with an even tinier
companion.






This one is past it's prime, but still has a beauty...
of it's own.

Again, these two were found in the yard...

but this family deep in the woods.

Here's a dark one with grated chocolate on top...

and this one could almost pass for a fancy cookie...

it...

was residing in the back yard...

Between the yard and the woods...

I find an abundance of mushrooms of all kind...

some cute dainty ones...

some "really" strange ones...

and some pita bread ones!

Now it's time for me to go fix lunch!

Bye for now!