Home again...

Cool, windy and overcast skies greeted us when we arrived home yesterday..2701 kms. = 1677 miles...it was lovely to see all of my treasures again..the unpacking will start today...These mini daffodils were a bright cheery greeting in our garden...slowly spring is getting here..

705 miles today..

The miles and the hours whizzed by, I drove for a short while today so Jim could take it easy and look around..What amazing scenery thru Idaho, up route 55 then to 95....staying overnight here in Moscow, Idaho..the grass grows all the way to the top of the hills with miles and miles with out any trees, cows grazing, reminded me often of Switzerland. Tomorrow will be a shorter day..only 355 miles....then home in BC!

A good traveling day!

Yesterday we drove 1031 kms = 640 miles..just below Provo, Utah..Jim drove most of the way as my allergies have been brutal in the last few days..lack of sleep..so I napped in the car, only drove 50 miles..Jim was a trooper to let me rest...Here are some of the sights we saw along the way..I keep a journey for all of our trips, a bit of doodling helps track of the miles, passes the time as well as settles a few bets we might have later on about our travels.

Heading out..

Goodbye desert, hello long and winding road...BC here we come.

❤Just one more...

I just had to make the "Miss Maggie" that came in the kit..I am so pleased with how she came together...with a bit of trim on her beautiful Liberty fabric dress and a lace collar, she now awaits boots and bloomers.
The crafting supplies have been packed away, the final preparations for leaving early tomorrow are all done...another adventure begins.

Last hike

Today will be our last day hiking here in the desert ( until we return in the fall) I will take a few more photos as we admire for the last time this amazing landscape..While out the other day, I noticed that the Staghorn cacti were starting to bloom...they are a pale shade of yellow, in contrast, the hedgehog cacti are such a brilliant shade of pink..so far we will have hiked 247.5 since Nov. 5.



Just to show you the lovely light filtering into our back garden. This mesquite tree had lost all its leaves during the hard January frost, but has come back so beautifully. It will provide shade all hot summer long to the plants in the garden..for that I am very thankful.

Our two little ones..

Alexander lives in Australia and Claire in Vancouver...thank goodness for Skype and Facetime...It seems we are able to watch them grown up, even if we live so far away from them...I love this grandparents sign..I wish I knew where I saw this sign...

Just be happy

Add some happiness and joy into your life, color a picture, make a banner, wear a colorful tee shirt..do something that makes you happy and puts some color into your life, even for a few moments❤

Thrifting..

We are down to the last week in our winter home...about a month ago I went to one of my favorite thrift stores..Lutheran Ladies Thrift Shop and I was beyond excited to see in their auction section, tourquiose pyrex! They had several bowls, as well as this refrigeration set..it was a bidding process and after 8 days of no bidding, the last bidder gets the prize! That would be me! I have packed them up, ready to join some of the pieces that I brought down with me for their return trip back to Kelowna....along with the pyrex gifts my sweet friend Cindy gifted and left for me, I think some re-arranging of cupboards will happen as soon as we get home..oh happy day❤

It is getting very warm.

The weather's forecast for today is 85f = 29c...it is starting to get really warm..I love how the sun filters it's light thru the trees in the early morning...all the birds that take refuge in the garden, drinking from the fountain, gathering bugs off the shrubs.
However, it is time to start thinking of heading home to Kelowna and cooler days.
Heading out Sunday....enjoying these warm sunny skies and a few more hikes..but early in the morning...I hope the weather is sunny wherever you live!

Easter Joy

Sharing the joy of Easter...knowing that each day is a blessing.❤

Happy Easter...

Just having a few eggs, some thread, spools of velvet, a basket, a bunny, a bowl full of posies and you are all set for Easter! Such joy in arranging little things together❤

And then there were three...

I just can't seem to stop making these..they are multiplying like bunnies do!
The last one I made, Rose, is made from the sleeve of a felted sweater. Her dress is the back of a linen shirt..and bloomers made out of a glove with a crocheted edge..
Happy Easter to you..I am thinking that I might cut out the pattern from the kit today!

New Loot❤

Found these wonderful spools of thread at the thrift store last week..$2.00 a bag for 5 or 6 spools.....what a bargain..a couple of kittens jumped into my basket, had to take them home..sweet aren't they?

Have a sunny day..

I hope where ever you live, the sun is shining..here are a few sunny pictures that I hope will add some joy to your day.








My lovely Lady Banks rose..in all her happy, sunny beauty!

The picnic At Fountain Hills

We spend a couple of hours on Sunday having a quiet and peaceful picnic at Fountain Hill, about 1 hour north of up us here in San Tan Valley..chairs were brought out of the SUV, a well packed picnic lunch, iced water, a book, a hat, sunglasses, couple of balls of yarns, crochet hook and issue 24 of the wonderful craft magazine, Mollie Makes..bliss❤ I hope your day was happy as well.








The Fountain
Fountain Hills has the world's fourth tallest fountain. The eponymous fountain was built in 1970, by Robert P. McCulloch, the year before the reconstruction of the London Bridge in Lake Havasu City, another of McCulloch's projects. The fountain sprays water for about 15 minutes every hour between 9am and 9pm. The plume rises from a concrete water-lily sculpture in the center of a large man-made lake. The fountain, driven by three 600 horsepower (450 kW) turbine pumps, sprays water at a rate of 7,000 US gallons (26,000 l; 5,800 imp gal) gallons per minute through an 18-inch (460 mm) nozzle. With all three pumps under ideal conditions, the fountain reaches 560 feet (170 m) in height, though in normal operation only two of the pumps are used, with a fountain height of around 300 feet (91 m) feet. When built, it was the world's tallest fountain and held that record for over a decade.

Just a tasty little treat...

I got the urge to bake some scones after coming home from our picnic and walk this afternoon. The kind that melt in your mouth, are warm and full of buttery goodness kind of scones....unfortunately, had to use store bought strawberry jam..am out of, totally out of my Cindy's hand picked, homemade raspberry jam..perhaps she left me some at our home in Kelowna when she was there last week..dare I be so lucky? Do you love scones as well?

Flowers blooming in the "hood"

Just a few of the beautiful Cacti that are starting to bloom in the neighborhood...more to flower as the weather gets warmer..what an amazing year it has been for the wildflowers as well..happy sweet Sunday to you all.

Yesterday's treasures...

Just a few more pieces of Pyrex were found yesterday, several at the thrift store for a couple of dollars..I saw several pink pieces but they where priced very high..to me, it is the hunt and finding even a small piece for the right price that is the thrill of it all...I did find a new antique mall, it has been there for many years, but unknown to me..it nearly made me swoon! ( photos later)

Thrifting today...

I did find some treasures..need to style them and will post them tomorrow..my poor sister checked to see what I had posted twice today, nothing, she was so concerned she even phoned to make sure I wasn't sick! Sweet thoughtful Caroline...here are a few things I saw!