Postcard from Oregon

My lovely friend Desiree surprised me with these colorful shots the other day!  Above you see a "volunteer" Sunflower.  Desiree says she suspects the little neighborhood squirrel gardeners have been busy and planted this sunflower right in the middle of her bean bushes!

That makes me laugh.

I'll bet they thought the bean bushes could use a little color!

Behind the Sunflower you can catch a glimpse of her other flowers: Calendula, Bellflower, Larkspur, Baby Blue Eyes, and Bachelor Buttons.

Here (below) we have a beautiful shot of the Willamette River Park.  Desiree writes, "I found a quiet little park on the Willamette River just above Oregon City, at the end of the Oregon trail".

These navigable waters were used to haul goods to market, and to irrigate the agricultural fields in the surrounding valleys.  Just north of this spot you can find the route that Lewis and Clark took along the Columbia River to the Pacific Ocean.

It's an area of rich history.

Desiree writes, "This is the part of America I love; our natural landscapes are gorgeous!"

Yes, they are.

Putting in the Bash

The Fedora before the "Bash"

My brother collects fedoras.  He really loves hats and wears them every day.  He recently purchased a hat from a vendor in Australia.

It's a real Aussie special!

He put his own special mark - or "Bash" - into the top to get it just right:

After the "Bash"

That hat is stylin', don't you think?

My brother, Jay

Don't you just love a sharp-dressed man?

Mamma Duck and Her Little Ducklings

Ducking down on La Quarta

A friend of mine sent me the above photo.  She was just driving down the street and caught this Mamma Duck with her little ducklings wandering across La Quarta.  La Quarta is a major street in Whittier, California and it runs right through a quiet residential neighborhood.

There are no ponds that I know of in this area.  It makes you wonder where the little mother nested.

It's a nice neighborhood, though.  You chose well, little mother Duck.

My friend wrote, "This made my day".  Seeing the photo made mine too.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Hey, What's Up?

Luna "being bad"

What do you do with bad cat children?  They are too adorable to chastise - well, most of the time, anyway!

Luna (above) belongs to a couple of good friends up in Utah.  She is not supposed to be up on the kitchen counter.  However, cats generally don't agree that the kitchen is off limits.

So, there ya go. She's cocking her head to one side asking, "Really?  Why don't I belong on the kitchen counter? This is where all the yummy stuff happens!"

Her brother, Chief, expresses his individuality by patrolling the flower garden.  He is always on the look-out for tasty bugs and other cool stuff.

He also makes sure his humans are safe at all times.  He is shown snuggling with his human daddy, Don, in this photo (below):

Chief snuggling with his human

Like all cats, Luna and Chief are both a little bit magical.  You can't always see it, unless you are in the right light.

Well, what have we here?

See?  Luna's magic just shines forth sometimes!

Oh Hi.

What would we do without our feline companions?  Life would certainly be dull!

Ebony and Ivory, aka Luna and Chief!

Have a good day!

4th of July Pot Luck

My coworkers Sabrina and Carmen

Our office always has fun with holidays.  This 4th of July was no exception.  We had a pot luck on Thursday the 2nd (Friday was a Holiday) and there were so many good things to eat brought in by our co-workers!

Someone had even baked a red, white and blue cake for the occasion!

It was all delicious!

There was so much good stuff to eat - from hot dogs and buns and chili and chicken to all kinds of salads and side dishes.

Everything was really yummmmmmmy too!

Some people bought stuff, some people actually cooked.  It was all good.

I know we don't look particularly festive in these candid photos, but there was lots of lively conversation.  We all had a good time.

Putting the Corporate Conference Room to good use

If there was silence, it was because we were all too busy chowing down!

Sorry about the "product placement".  That was an accident!

I really enjoy my co-workers.  They're a great bunch of people.

I hope all of you out there - well at least my American readers - had a terrific 4th of July holiday.  I know I sure did!

Iguana Wish You A Happy Monday

Meet Iggy the Iguana.  He belongs to some friends of mine.  Iggy is probably three feet long or more (I have yet to measure him), and I have to admit he scares me just a teeny tiny little bit. (Sorry all you Iguana lovers!)

Iggy is a really nice guy, though.  He always cocks his head and acknowledges me when I see him and is attentive as I talk to him.  Yes, I may be afraid of him, but I always say, "Hi", when I see him and call him by name. I'm trying to develop a good relationship with him so he won't feel inclined to eat me.

Just kidding.

Iguanas are herbivorous lizards which are indigenous to Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.  That means they only eat leafy greens and vegetables such as turnip greens, collard greens, butternut squash, acorn squash, and root veggies such as parsnips.  They also enjoy all kinds of fruits, such as mangoes.  In Panama, the resident iguanas love to eat the local wild plums.

California cousin Iggy loves to hang in the sunshine.  He's a laid back dude with a pleasant disposition.  His humans say he is a great pet.  They tell me he seems to have bonded best with his male human and likes to sit on the couch with him and watch TV!

Would you have a huge lizard like Iggy for a pet?

As much as I admire Iggy for being a fine creature, I can't imagine snuggling up with him.  I think I'll stick to the furry pets, like my cat, Jack!

Happy Birthday, America!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AMERICA!

I'm taking a little holiday from blogging for a few days.  See you again on Monday, the 6th.  Have a terrific 4th of July Holiday!