Things that make me happy

Cool summer temperatures.... yes I am loving this unseasonably cool weather.  

Witnessing the birth of a goat this week.  

Baking a cobbler with berries I picked off the vine.

New episodes of Duck Dynasty starting tomorrow!!!!

Late summer flowers, like dahlias and glads.

Tomatoes!  Oh how I love tomatoes from my parents garden.

Speaking of my parents garden I'll add okra, squash, berries, cukes, and everything else that I am the lucky recipient of. 

Motorcycle rides.... Took a 4 hour road trip Sunday on the bike.  The sites and the smells are amazing.  I could ride for hours every weekend!  

Seeing Jordan finish her last final this week and having her proclaim that she ended the semester with all A's.  That's my girl!  And the best part is that I get to have my girl home all next week.  

Watching Fiona Skype with Jordan yesterday.  She wouldn't stop staring at the screen and her ears perked up the whole time.  She misses her girl too.  

Meeting my Mom for lunch tomorrow at The Phoenix.  

Low census hours this week at work allows me to have a relaxed week.  Loving it!  

Clouds!  I am overly obsessed with clouds lately.  I can't stop staring at them.  They make me smile. 

Pomegranate Tea Lattes from Biggby!  Where have you been all my life!

Sitting on my parents back porch with my Dad and sharing our love of hummingbirds.  He's so proud of his hummingbirds.... boy does he have the hummingbirds!

Rain.... Last summer was hot and dry.  This summer cool and wet..... I'll take it.  Listening to rain as I wake up in the morning..... so refreshing.  

A glass of the best apple cider at a restaurant Sunday night.  Made me crave fall.  

Photo shoot with a toad

Maybe someday I will take more photos of people than dogs, toads, bugs, flowers, birds, clouds..... But for now I'm very happy with my subjects.  I love photographing my family but these photo shoots are awesome.  Today it was a toad.  Cutest little guy!  And he was so patient with me.  He let me pose him wherever I wanted and he stayed put.  Thank you little toad... it was a pleasure working with you.  

When our photo shoot was over I kindly put him in a safe place away from where Caleb was mowing the lawn.  I hope he grows up to be a happy toad.  Happy, Happy, Happy.... 

An evening of solitude

I have an evening to myself...... an evening of solitude.  I'm sitting in the living room watching the hummingbird feeder that hangs outside of my living room window.   I have 3 or 4 hummers that are constantly there.  For the longest time I only had one but he's brought friends.  There's a cool breeze blowing in the window and it feels so good to sit here and relax, in complete quiet.  I needed a night like this.   

I'm feeling the August anxieties.  What are the August anxieties?  Well, it begins in the spring when the weather breaks and we are like caged animals.  We can't wait to get out and soak up every minute of what spring and summer has to offer.  But come August we have tried to cram so much into the good weather months that we begin to get burned out.  I'm ready for some down time.....  

I'm ready to stop and smell the flowers......  

And pick some apples from my Dad's orchard.....

That's one of the reasons that I love my photography.  It forces me to stop, to see and appreciate what is right in front of me, that I would have otherwise missed.  

A quiet evening at home was just what I needed......