WAR!!

Do you think this little creature is cute?

Look closer !

He is NOT cute and he is destroying my yard !
For the past three months he or her and his or her buddies have caused havoc in my yard.
My gardener has set traps, placed repellent in several mole hills and even caught a couple but they just keep coming. They are destroying my yard !! I even have an actual sink hole near my deck due to these little monsters. I am at my wits end with them. The traps have been set over and over again and still the mole hills keep appearing. I have taken the dirt from the mole hills to fill in the sink hole and believe it or not that has been 5 buckets full ! I was just sitting out in my back yard and I can see the dirt in the mole hill moving which means he is there digging and destroying my yard.

Did you know that moles don't dig to find roots but they dig to find grub and worms. I made the mistake of watering my yard earlier in the summer and this is what I get. Mole hills everywhere. I stopped watering and my yard is brown and still they are digging. Even the slightest bit of rain (and we get alot here in Oregon) will bring the worms so which do I fight, worms or moles?

This is WAR!
So far the mole is winning.

Reminds me of the summer a sparrow and I had a fight. She kept trying to build her mud nest on my patio cover and I kept washing down with the hose. I did this one entire afternoon and guess what? She won!

Digital Whisper Challenge

This challenge was to create a tree or trees with falling leaves and fall colors.
I found this photo that I had in my files

And this is what I did with it. It was fun !

Crocket Family Barn

Once owned by the Crocket family, this colorful barn is one of two on the farm located on Lampa Lane, near Arago. It was built in 1938 as a dairy barn, but now stores hay for beef cattle raised by Sandy and Jerry Daily.

Bra's For The Cause

Coos Bay is having a contest to raise money for breast cancer research.
My friend Brenda Salzano of SALZANOS , altered this bra that she found at the Salvation Army.

Just look at the detail and it only took her one afternoon. This is just an example of her work. She also designs fabric from her own art and makes the most unique one of a kind buttons and jewelry.
Great job Brenda!

I FELL IN LOVE IN VEGAS

I am home from Las Vegas. The wedding was beautiful. The bride and groom were so happy. The lady photographer took at least 600 photos of the wedding party. I didn't really get a chance to take many photos since there was so much going on.

There were last minute things to prepare for the reception. The bride, Melissa wrapping her utensils in red napkins and tying them with black ribbon.

Red champagne glasses and plastic plates were all ready for the reception.



There were decorations to hang and food to order.

Last minute cleaning to do. (My daughter in law scrubbing the game room floor at midnight)

The hairdresser came to the house to do the brides hair as well as the bridesmaids and maid of honors hair. All the make up was done at the house also. Of course the photographer was in the way through the entire wedding. So much so that the food was cold by the time the bride and groom were able to eat. This photographer was there until the wedding party was over.

Get this...I took this beautiful red crochet choker with beads and matching earrings for my granddaughter to wear if she didn't have a necklace. I showed it to her and she loved it and had planned on wearing it but suddenly the photographer was there telling her that SHE had a necklace that was costume jewelry that belonged to her Mother and SHE thought that it would look better.

The photographer was a personal friend of a friend of the bride so this made my Granddaughter feel obligated as well as being put on the spot and she looked at me and said "Would you mind Granma?". Of course I told her that it would be fine and to wear which ever necklace she wanted that it was her wedding and her choice. I truely meant this but it really made me angry that this person, not a member of the family could have the nerve to offer another choice over her Grandmothers. I was furious but stayed cool. It was like this the entire day.

This is the photographer holding up the wedding dress while the maid of honor ties the sash in a bow.

She interfered with almost everything that was going on not to mention keeping the bride and groom from the wedding party for over an hour. It was hot, 103 degrees and here they were out in the yard having photos taken. Is this the norm for wedding photos? Ugh! I just had to vent about this! Thanks for listening.

The most incredible thing happened while I was there. I fell totally in love! With this precious baby girl, Ava June.

I had not seen my great granddaughter since she was 6 weeks old. She is 9 months old now and I fell in love with this precious baby girl.

She is the happiest baby and so full of energy. She smiles all the time, has 5 teeth already and took her first steps the day I left to come home.

My Son cried at the wedding and I told him that he was a lucky guy because he gets a rerun of his daughter growing up because Ava June looks just like her Mommy.

I am sorry I don't have any photos of the bride and groom until I get them downloaded from my phone. They are not as good as I am sure the professional photos will be so I promise to show you my beautiful granddaughter and her new husband as soon as I get those photos.

I had a really good visit and I enjoyed all of my family while I was there. I miss them already. It is so hard to live so far away but as my Son tells me all the time...I am the one that moved away. Sigh!