Interesting, Amazing, Beautiful

These are photos I took of a really interesting house up here in 2007.  It's on a dirt road, sort of wedged into the side of the mountain.

The owner built it and did all the decorative work himself.

Including the leading in the windows.

But, for me, it's the metal work that really stands out.

Just amazing!

Linking with: Through My Lens

Retirement

This is Chester (front) and Coco Rose.  They were my sister's cats, and I brought them up here last March when it became apparent that cancer would take her.  I was afraid they'd have a hard time fitting in, but my cats seemed to recognize that Coco and Chester had suffered a terrible loss.  There were no fights, just nose bumps and love.  They seem to like it here, and show no desire to go outside (not that I would let them), even though they had the run of my sister's acres for 16 years (they had their 17th birthdays up here in May).  I think of this as their "retirement" home...maybe Chester and Coco view it that way also.

Linking with Saturday's Critters

Bees and Blooms

On the banks of a little creek near here there are raspberry bushes flowering.  (These photos were taken  eight days ago).

There were bees all over the bushes.

I haven't seen this many bees up here in a long time.

It was a joyful sight to see, both the bees and the blooms.
Linking with:  Through My Lens

Five S's

Two very young gray squirrels eating peanuts on the feeders attached to the huge old Ponderosa pine.  They're such a delight.  We have five (5!) squirrels visiting our feeders now.  Thankfully, the squirrels seem to be making a comeback from the terrible plague of 2008 that nearly wiped them out.

Mrs. Primrose (on the left), Mrs. Rose's daughter, brought two of her babies to our porch to eat.  This is their first visit; all three were pretty nervous even though Mrs. Rose was just a few feet away from them.  I only took one photo and left, not wanting to scare the babies.  Also, given what they were "facing" me with, I thought discretion might be the better part of valor!  Hopefully I can get better photos when they visit again, although I'm not sure when that might be since DH is out there sanding the porch preparatory to painting it.  

Linking with Saturday's Critters

On the Sunny Side

I spotted these flowers while on a little walk yesterday.

My mother used to grow these in her garden.

She called them Mexican primroses (Oenothera speciosa); they're also known as evening primrose or pink primrose.

They'll grow in nearly any kind of soil, and are cold hardy in zones 5 through 9.  The only thing they're really fussy about is sun - they need at least 8 hours of full sun.

Linking with :     Through My Lens