The last softball game of the Summer

Larry and Cassie have been on a Church league softball team this Summer. Larry took these pictures (and 45 others) of the playoff game. Our team was cut with this game. The Score was 0-0 into the last inning and was decided at 2-3. It was both teams at their best.
The team is in red. Cassie decided she was in a torquoise-y type day.
My daughter the athelete. How does this happen?
Yep, she bats too.
Here she is being too cool on 1st base.

Monarch Butterfly

This weekend I have been painting on the front of the house surrounded by all kinds of creatures. Bees, butterflies and yesterday I saw a humming bird. I am out of paint and the hardware store is closed for the day so there was time to catch one of the butterflies.

He let me get just sooo close and then he relocated. This explains the different locations in the yard. There are also day lilies blooming. The preference this weekend is the purple coneflower.

Cicada

Somehow this cicada found it's way to the porch. I think the finger belongs to Matthew. The photography belongs to Cassie. There is also a video of it emerging from it's cocoon. It is July 17, 2007. Does it seem a little on the late side to you too?

The third photo is what it looked like 2 hours later. It is still there. I guess it is confused.


Kristie took pics of her flowers. These flowers squeezed out the monarda she spoke of as invasive. There are hollyhocks in the back that I missed weeding out of what never turned into this year's tomato patch. In front of those are the rabbit repelling marigolds that the rabbits frolic in. The tall greens are from a single obedience plant that was a 'gift' in a nursery order I made. The flowers are spikes of lilac... in a few weeks. The weedy looking stuff is actually garden herbs.
Below is a combination of colors that can only work in nature, wild day lilies and purple coneflower. I have seen bees collecting from these flowers. These flowers have overgrown my service walk. Look closely and you can see a Japanese Lantern in the very front of the pic. It is green. Soon it will be the same orange as the lilies. It is a toss up as to which is more invasive. This is what I wanted.... flowers so hardy they can survive a husband with a lawn mower.

Sophie's graduation party

Two cousins, Larry and Tim facing the camera. Uncle Lawrence and Howard on the other side of the picnic table. It was HOT!!
A closer view of Larry and Tim.

This is Joyce and a friend talking with me. Howard and Tim are working with the tent. I am not sure who the rest of the people are.
This is James sitting with a friend.

The day was hot. The ladies spent most of it out of the sun.

Robin came with her Sarah and Lucas. Sarah has been invited to play varsity basketball in the fall.

Diane came down with Howard from the UP where they make their home. Their youngest enlisted after he finished school. He is 6 months older than my first child. Howard served and now both their sons have seen Iraq.

Sophia, remember the graduate, will be attending UW Waukesha in the fall. Still no picture of her.

There is a correction. The child on the fence checking out the lake is NOT Keegan. It is Kaleigh.

Southern Thoms day three part III

These are the pics that show a quick view of what the children did while out today. This is Keegan checking out Lake Michigan from the bluff above the beach.
Here are Kaliegh and Lucy checking out the lake from the shore.
Here are tired children using the path to return to the car.
One of my favorite things to do is watch the planes take off and land. This was after the beach visit.

Southern Thoms day three part II

This is a large lake with an undertow. I was hesitant to let them go in above their navels. Above is Keegan checking out the lake. He is quite comfortable in the water. Below, Cassie and Kaleigh joined him. First just wading, then with their t-shirts on and soon after in full swim gear.


There is a small tidal pool on the beach that the children were investigating. Lucy got a small cut on her foot. She kept her shoes on after that, but still played a few minutes in the water with the bigger guys.