Garden Sketch: by the Mailbox

This is a small space that I've prettified with some plants.

I made this sketch with my Tablet PC...how do I have a Tablet PC or even know about them? Because I work for a company that creates and sells Ink enabled (I won't write it here, because it will come up in everyone's email thanks to Google alerts)software to schools. But if you are really, really interested (hey, we're doing really cool stuff for education), Google search "Tablet PC replay education." A post about the company will be the first result. You can take it from there. :)

Anyway, I created this picture in InkArt, part of Microsoft's Experience Pack.

It has all of the flowering perennials and I make mention of the bulbs, tulips and hyacinths, that are planted there. This is the one spot, thus far, at my new how, that is truly mine. I dug up everything and put in what I wanted and took out what I didn't. More sketches to come for sure!

Vacation Pics, Part Two (Grand Canyon)

If you've never been to the Grand Canyon, you're missing out. This was my first chance to see one of the coolest 7 Natural Wonders of the World. It is amazing! It's very difficult to really understand how big it really is.
We drove along the South Rim, stopping at several points to look out over this massive hole in the ground. You can see the different types of rocks in layers, which indicate how old they are.
And of course, there's the reason the Grand Canyon exists: the Colorado River. We didn't actually hike down the canyon or get to the river -- hopefully, though we can on the next trip! You can hike down, ride mules, go rafting and more. An entire vacation could be spent in the Grand Canyon alone.

Fall Clean-up 2008

Fall clean-up will be happening this weekend. I need to get busy like the squirrels.

Moving the compost pile will be first.



Then...
The tomato plants will head to the compost pile.
The sad-looking annuals will head to the compost pile.
The leaves will head to the compost pile.

Oh, and the rest of the bulbs will be planted.

Those are the goals for this weekend. According to the weatherman, Sunday looks like the best day to do it.

Vacation out West , Part One (Sedona)

The view from our suite. We stayed at the Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliff Resort in Phoenix, AZ. One day it reached 100 degrees. Luckily I was just a few paces from the pool. That's where you could find me most of the week.

ROAD TRIP: Here is the Bell Rock near Sedona in the Coconino National Forest. They call this area red rock country...because the rocks, the "dirt", everything is well...red.

Quick side trip to Montezuma's Castle. This homestead actually had nothing to do with Montezuma, but the first folks who found it figured it belonged to him, but it was actually built by the Sinagua tribe about 600 years ago. I watched a squirrel race about 100 feet up the cliff to continue to build his home.


These are just a few highlights from vacation and more will follow soon.

Vacation out West

On vacation this week!

Got to Phoenix on Saturday and spent the day on Sunday at the pool.

We're doing some traveling throughout Arizona now and taking lots of pictures. Future posts will include some. :)