Rocks
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I have received requests from more than one loyal reader to cease and desist with the photos of blooming plants.  Of course these readers reside in frozen parts of earth. Why do they do that? To humor them, I focused on something entirely different today while Butterfly and I moseyed along.

a red rock???

We finally have gotten some sorely needed rain in the past month or so and it seems even the rocks are blooming.

We were drawn to the bright red color around the rock.  Let’s have a closer look.

All of the rocks seemed to be bursting with life.

muddin'

Hellan and Lucky have never seen a puddle they didn’t love.

I can't hear you ...

Barney pretends not to notice when I call him to join us.

I love the peachy colors in these rocks.

Bison Rock

Several winters ago Butterfly spied this giant rock formation and said, “I see a bison!”  I thought for a moment that she meant a live one, since there is a resident herd on a nearby ranch.  I should have known it was just her usual imagination run amuck – she is always seeing things in rocks and clouds.

It’s quite a ways off the road we walk and can really only be seen in the winter, when all the leaves are off the trees.

You have to put Butterfly in front of it to appreciate its size.

 I tried to get all the dogs to “Sit!  Stay!” for this shot and that didn’t work worth a hoot.  Barney, in fact, went into his crazy running, barking mode.  I should have video-taped it for you because it’s a hilarious sight to behold.  We had dogs going every which way, running circles around the bison rock, poor Butterfly spinning in circles trying to catch them as they flew by.

 I finally said, “That’s it, you’re all getting leashed!”  When I handed Butterfly 5 tangled leashes and said, “Don’t dare let go of these unless a deer runs by, otherwise you’ll be a flying Butterfly!” she laughed and said, “This is as bad as one of my jigsaw puzzles!”

Woodland finery

I’m really sorry, but you know you couldn’t resist these sweet little buttercups either.  It doesn’t really count if they’re wildflowers, does it?

Buckeye

The buckeye is the first tree to leaf out each spring – before spring, actually.  It’s also the first tree to go “toes up” in summer, usually in August.  Electric Horseman still asks me every summer, “Why is that tree dying?”  Now I just punch him in the arm in lieu of any other response.

Butterfly took one look at this rock and said simply, “Blisters.”

Rancho Am Broko

On the way back down the hill, there is one spot from where you can see our house.  The only other place from where you can see it is a plane.  That little clearing in about the center of the photo is Rancho Am Broko.

Now I must apologize in advance to my frozen readers.  I couldn’t help myself.  You can avert your eyes now if you must.

eye candy

A yellow forsythia against the blue sky and a fluffy white cloud - could you not take the picture?

Here is an example of Butterfly’s planting techniques and the trouble she has caused me – it’s like a jungle around here.  This photo shows the war of the forsythia and the bridal wreath.

“Butterfly,” I often ask her, “why do you plant trees and bushes 12 inches apart?”

“I do not!” she exclaims indignantly, “those were at least 3 feet apart, and besides, they were only 6 inches high when I planted them!”

Now I ask you, how can a lifelong gardener not know that those little baby plants are going to grow up to be big bushes and trees?  Why is it always such a surprise to her?  Sigh.

tired bridal wreath

This bridal wreath is past its prime and a bit rain-bedraggled, but for some reason I still like this picture.  I like the bit of brown around the edges of the flowers. 

Ok, I’m done for now with the flower pictures, and for that matter, with the rock pictures.  One of these days I’ll show you some of Queenabelle’s vacation pictures, if I ever manage to sort through the hundreds and hundreds of photos we took!