Playdate at the Eco-Museum (part 2)

Nothing says spring better than an fiddlehead fern, just coming out of the ground. (Well....tulips would come a close second for me.)

To me, these fiddleheads look like little people - having a good gab together.

I little bit like these people.

This was our playdate gang a few weeks ago 0 before the weather turned gorgeous. Still chilly but we had fun nonetheless. The four kiddies in the strollers are all kids, back from China within less than 9 months.

You may recognize some long-time bloggers here and for a better look........

....yeah....now you know her. It's Doris (3D) with her little Daphne.

(The others are my bud Helen with her Georgia, and sweet Jennifer with her Hannah Faith and standing, her middle daughter Mara-Grace. And then me and my schnookums - Milana.)

Here are some snaps of some of the wildlife there. I'm linking up with Stephanie
so hop over for lots more snaps.



"look mom....did you see that?"

Have a wonderful week!

Black and White Wednesday

Hullo gorguss !!

Last week we went on a "playdate". We is me and Milana and 3 other Moms with kids who have been trying to get together for some time now. Finally we gathered at the Eco Museum. It was a chilly day but sunny and everything, though still bare, was just starting to sprout that light green promise of what will be a plethora of lushness in another couple of weeks.

I love this time of year.

This is an outdoor place, quite rustic where they house all types of animals who have been stranded or injured and are not able to be released into the wild again. It was Milana's first time seeing all these animals "live"....not on TV or a book.

She quietly took it all in.

So I thought I'd see how some of them turn out in black and white for Lisa's weekly challenge.

Isn't she a beauty?


A beautiful white wolf.


And look who I saw peeking out of the cat hole. (Lynx)


This eagle was in an open area and at first I was amazed that it didn't just fly off but then saw the tether. A large sign read that these eagles cannot be released as they spent so much time with humans that they think they are human and would therefore be in danger. Kind of seems sad but it's for their protection.

She was a beauty though.

And speaking of beauties...........

Here was my little companion on our playdate. I kept it in color because the girl has the most peaches and cream complexion - I just couldn't grey that out.

Sweet cheeks!

I have lots more pictures from our day in the wild and I'll post them later in the week.

Happy Wednesday!

Tiny joys.........

.....are sometimes more appreciated than

the really big fat ones!

(this was baby girl's first popsicle -ok - fruit bar....aren't I good?)

yup....she liked it.

Of course, Dahlia is a pro.

Suppose she's thinkin' "does speed warrant another one?" Umm...no, sorry.

Here's a little Dahlia quote:

The other day Dahlia walked into my 'boudoir' - ok, big old huge dressing room and asked

Dahlia: "Is that what you're wearing?"

Me: "Yup, my black 'uniform', as usual. I know, I know - I need more clothes (meaning color)."

Dahlia (looking around in disbelief): "Uh....,No, you don't !!"

Me (silently): "Shut-up kid"

:)

A few weeks ago Daddy took the girls to the park on a Sunday afternoon so Mommy could start painting the million doors and frames and baseboards and stuff.

I love it!

I mean the fam walking away (not painting the doors part). I keep bangin' into that barn door but it ain't budging.

Black and White Wednesday

Early though it may be - this is what I want to see when I look out my window or step out into my backyard.

Instead, there is still a 20 foot dumpster (full now) sitting in my driveway, jigsaws and 2 by 4s and nails and sawdust, door frames and baseboards lined up, waiting to be painted in my backyard, scattered among the just budding tulips and peonys.

So I could have graced this post with some samplings of the ongoing chaos and mayhem that is our renovation from.....ahem....heaven

but

alas

I opted to encourage myself with some of last years beauties that are just waiting for their moment on center stage this year.

It's Wednesday again folks.



Gardens are all about color and I love a full, lush, bursting garden full of blooms but there is something to be said for the soft grays. Sort of like a tease of what's to come.

(if you look closely, you can see me in the globe, squatting for this shot)

Look at all the detail in this rose. I was messing around in Lightroom and after I increased the exposure,added a bit of reovery, black to 43, hit the greyscale, I added +100 in the greyscale mix blue and increased the clarity to +100.

Now look at it with the clarity lowered to -100.

Cool, eh?

This shot was taken last summer near here. Dahlia is climbing up on this statue - I kind of like the contrast between the torn fense and her silk dress. I'm not sure where she thought she was going.

So, above is just my normal post editing but below I lowered the blue in the grayscale mix to

-100 and look what it does to the sky and water. Doesn't really affect the rest of the picture much.

Really makes that little sailboat pop though.

And finally, one of my all time favorite shots of Dahlia last summer.

My little coquette!

Ahh....so....thanks for that.

I feel better now.

:)

Black and White Wednesday

More antics from my two......

.....kissin' siblings.

I don't even have to say "action" and they're at it.




Maybe it's because the crazier they are, the more mommy laughs.



Oh....I really could eat them up!

Pop over to Lisa's place and check out all the black and white fun here.

And have a happy Wednesday!

Things that make me smile.

We headed out today for brunch with our buddies. A couple of the young'uns were a tad hungry (read grumpy).

See these little cards/notes?

I get somewhere between 1 and 5 of these a day. So, somewhere between

1 and 5 times a day............I smile!

Sometimes they say a lot more than this. And I confess I haven't kept them all (packrat that I am). 'Cause, like, that would make about 365 to 1,825 litte notes every year.

Ummm....that's probably too many to keep.

So, I'll scan my favs and post them every once in awhile so when my Dahlia looks back on this, years from now, she can see just what a sweety she was/is.




This is our 6th Easter with Dahlia home. Each year we spend a few hours at Dahlia's BFF, Angel's house where we make our decorated eggs and this year, some sugar cookies. Dahlia can barely wait to dive into her little creations.

And here's my latest

Dahlia Quote.

Dahlia: "Mom, can I stay up another 10 minutes?"

Mom: "You can stay up another 20 minutes, sweet cakes."

Dahlia (turning her head and half to herself): "Thank you, Lord!"

Something else that makes me smile.

( Just so you know that I'm...ahem....still in charge - I try to vary my responses - just to keep 'em on their toes. Sometimes it's yes, sometimes it's no and sometimes it's right on the mark. But it's never "we'll see" 'cause we'll see really meant no when I was growing up, only you couldn't lodge a complaint because it wasn't really no.....but it was. Get it?)

And Dahlia's latest response to almost everything she hears or sees.

"Now that's not something you see everyday."

:-)

Have a blessed Easter!!