Backyard Banana's

This is the first year I've actually gotten banana's off of my banana plant. I bought the plant at
Home Depot a couple of years ago and just planted it for a lark. It's been growing out in the secret garden very slowly.
And then this year it just took off and started sprouting runners and now banana's. I think come
spring I'll go back to Home Depot and buy a few more. Maybe I'll have to rename it my "secret jungle". They are really a lot of fun and don't require much work. I planted mine next to a wall on the north side so it gets some shade and it gets irrigation water plus drip system water twice a week. Now I'll just have to keep the "poachers"(Kenzie and Michael) off of them till they ripen.
Oh by the way It's Raining tonight for the second time in a row. It smells so good and cools it down just a tad. We'll take whatever we can get. Thank You Lord.

Those Dog Gone Doughnuts

Just experimenting with my new camera I got for Mothers Day. It's a Panasonic Lumix -
Danny highly recommended it.
We still are getting tons of artichokes - this plant is about 4 years old. Its taken over the whole vegetable garden.
Bentley and Molly doing a little weeding for me.
Bentley is a great Bee watcher and Bird chaser.
Those "dog gone" doughnuts. Kenzie made all of these this afternoon after church while I slept.
These are the kiss of death melt in your mouth kind. She learned how to make Roxanne's famous doughnut recipe for Young Women a couple weeks ago. Bentley's barking at me in the window. She made chocolate ones, maple pecan ones, and sprinkle kinds. This is the first white flour I've had since I started my South Beach Diet. It was worth it. Good thing I'm scheduled to go bike riding in the morning.

Gardening Girl Friends

This is my friend Dolores' garden. I've known her for about 7 years, and she's my gardening guru, mentor and home depot buddy. She has a fantastic garden and has helped me design my garden and has given me cuttings from her garden.

This is a flower patch in her front yard. She has done all of this by herself and this year she turned 65. She has lived under constant pain in her joints and experiences many seizures and has had a brain tumor removed about 15 years ago. She moved to Arizona from Massachusetts to get away from the cold humidity. She is legally blind and can't drive a car. She depends upon a few friends who take her to the grocery store and doctors etc.

This is her hanging pot called the "DownUnder Pot". She gave me one and yesterday I flipped it over and the dirt didn't fall out. It takes a few weeks for the roots to establish before you can do that.This is her fish pond and she's had cranes swoop down and snatch a few fish. She built this all by herself. She is an amazing person.Every once in awhile a few of her gardening buddies get together and take her out to enjoy each others company. I'm on the left next to me is Dolores, then LuAnn and then Madge. She calls us her "Mormon Friends" or "Angels". She is very spiritual and grew up Catholic. Her spirituality comes from her garden and she is always talking to God there. I have learned so much about life in general from her.

There wasn't too many wildflowers out this year as compared to last year. But the few that were out were very pretty. This is some flowers on the way up to Usary Pass.
Here we are having a silly moment on the playground.

Here is our Facebook pose. We had a great time with Dolores today and will always remember her love and friendship.

Oh...... Rubbish

I've heard my mom use the word "rubbish" to mean trash. Derek's said it in his email's a few times to mean something not good (I think). I just wanted to post this picture to show what rubbish comes out of my garden. There's rose clippings from the 51 rose bushes, a little bit of citrus trees, and ficus trees, apple trees, peach trees and pear trees all thrown onto this big long trailer. The picture really doesn't do it justice. It's ALOT of rubbish. I even had Rick cut a few big branches with the chain saw. It was a funny sight, with his two gimpy legs, he would hold the chain saw while I would hold him up. It got kind of dicey, after a branch hit him in the head. I've missed his help this year. I don't mind cutting up the trimmings but it's the stuffing it in the trash or throwing it on the trailer that I don't like. Rick would always be nice and do that part for me. But I'm finally done, at least the cutting part. I can't feel my arms and hands but that to will pass. Now I can't wait for spring to come with all the citrus tree blossoms to smell. We've been enjoying our orange trees. I have two Valencia's and have been squeezing as fast as I can. Michael and Jon, especially Jon think about the fresh orange juice all day and come over a couple times a day to get a tall glass. I call it "God's Gold" it takes alot of oranges to just make one glass.
I have alot of pink grapefruit just going to waiste if anyone wants some, just come on back and pick it.