Visiting Alabama – part 1

Both last summer and this year, we’ve been able to visit JP in Alabama.  A 10 hour drive that we have divided into 1 1/2 days but the hugs and fun times once there are wonderful!  Seeing him in person, chatting over meals, watching TV together, hiking, seeing his church, meeting friends and co-workers, his grocery, his world.  Fantastic!

Of course, photos of JP are difficult to capture!  Photos of his work or work site, not allowed!  So while I can’t highlight the big-deal fun we had, I can show you other things we did.

He is great at finding trails to explore!

I’m good at finding swings!!  🙂

The men going across the covered bridge.

How far can we lean out before mom freaks out?

Cullman County museum and another swing!

Roof of museum, the whole home, was lovely!  I wanted to get the 2 flags in the photo but no breeze that day.  Only like 102′ F!!

In case my friend or any family know this city.   This is in the museum.  The bedroom below is there as well for the man that came from Germany and bought the property for the county.  And a lovely old crazy patch quilt.

The same town had a wonderful antique store that was overflowing with antique pieces to add to your home.  Knobs, faucets, doors, fireplaces, wood planks… so much!!  So much $$ !!

 

The Crepe Myrtle trees were in bloom again on this visit.  I love them!!  And since I’m never sure there will be photos of me on a trip, I took a selfie.  The hot & humid melted look!

A visit to a Veteran’s War Museum.

The one & only store that sells what comes out of the bags lost and never claimed at the airports all over the country!  Nice quality but you had to hunt for affordable things.  I looked at the purses, but turned elsewhere at the $200 price tags!  I got 3 tunic/tops for a total of $24 so those were good deals!

Cooling off with the best popsicle ever!!  JP had been here with a church group so wanted to take us here.  So yummy!  Too bad I didn’t have a few more!  I think it was called Steel City Pops.  If you find one, stop in!

The food places he picked out to share with us were wonderful!!  Great BBQ places and southern food stops.  So much fun!

Read Full Post »

June Flowers

June 2018
As the month went on, here are my flowers.

Double clematis — a sweet friend that moved cross-country gave me this cone-shaped trellis with branches and birds.  I bought a double clematis last year for it.  This is the first year for blooms!  The stems on the clematis are so fine; less than a pencil lead.  I’m glad it survived the winter.

 

My striped iris are at the front porch. The leaves are striped.  I need to divide these after blooming.

White poppies at the front of the house.  Love them when they bloom.  They are ugly the rest of the summer.  Advice?

 

My old familiar clematis in dark purple.  I see this out my kitchen window.  Last summer it got in an accident with the weed whip! 😦  I’m thankful it came back!!

 

I have cheap trellis!!

Last year MIL gave us a double hollyhock plant.  I keep this one and one other that grows between the basement windows but pull the others.  Oh my word… weeds!

This one gets tall enough to peek in the kitchen window.  Takes me a few days to get used to it when I catch it in my peripheral vision!

Last year’s after-Easter sale on lilies!  I planted them and am THRILLED they came forth with blooms!!  (over my birthday, too!) I think they multiplied over the winter.  Yummy!! I put more out this year in another area.

 

Read Full Post »