Flowery and Fruity

Yummy strawberries. LAD painted these rocks last weekend, all by himself, mostly! We put them out for the butterflies to enjoy! YAY, the Peonies are finally here! They smell so SWEET!

Garden bees

There are about three ripe strawberries. Finally! Yum!

Quack cont.

Eye see you.

Quack quack

Ridin the ducks. Splish splash.

Swim, finally!

Cold, but who cares.

What happened?

Cut their hair enough times and they turn into little boys. How did this happen!? I don't like it, not one bit...

Wobbly situation

He loaded up his backpack with toys this morning, shrugged into it, stumbled around a pile of shoes and said "whew, this is a wobbly situation."
I laughed out loud. Where does he come up with this stuff?

The making of a Sock Monster

First, start with a sock. Any old sock will do.

Create a big mouth, for when he "loses his car", eyes and a body...

Spend 15 minutes playing and sorting buttons to find JUST the right two for eyes. We shopped for additional supplies today, and checked out the googlie eyes, but he did not want them, so buttons it was!

Attach eyes with sharp object and thread.

Stuff with fluff. The fun-est part!

Attach ears and nose, and voila...

A SOCK MONSTER is born!

Taking measurements, just because. 13 inches.

This looks like fun. I think I might just have to make my own!

Sock puppet day

For days LAD has been asking to make sock puppets. Not sure where the interest came from, but no matter. He has already, according to him, attended sock puppet school, in South Dakota, of all places. Who knew? Not me!
We googled around, mostly so I had an idea of what he had in mind. Finally today he got to get out all his "materials".
I cut some card board to fit inside, and he took over from there. This one is a sock monster, he says.
That school in SD, pretty good value, I'd say.

Favorite color

Captured these last weekend at Roger's barn (ag air strip). I wonder if they've hatched by now?

Wings to fly

Practice. "Hello, Roger. We'll be there soon. We have to move the airplane to Ames, to have it worked on. See you soon. Bye."

LAD's second (small) plane ride. (His first, he was about 8 months old, from G'ma Airplane).

It was only a matter of time. I don't think he really realized he could "ask" to go for a ride, or he surely would have before now. The opportunity presented itself today, so he got to go.

It's in his blood. Now it's in his head-the idea he can go-. He, of course, loved it. I am not surprised.
But it sure is hard on a Momma's heart to let him stretch those wings to fly.

Pella Tulip Time

Saturday dawned cold, windy and a little rainy. Not a great day for Pella Tulip Time. But my friend Janis and her grandson, Carter, LAD and I braved it anyway.

Many of the tulips were already gone, but there were enough for cheery splashes of color. It was so windy, it was almost miserable. Blankets galore. We needed gloves.

This boy's dream. Oh, if only he could have gotten his cold little hands on those.

Nickel into wishing pool. See it flying thru the air.

Ker-plunk! Splash.

Carter was having NOTHING to do with standing in these big wooden shoes. LAD, as always, hammed it up.

Remember this photo? (scroll down) 3 years ago? Really?!

Good time to leave, sprinkles of rain!

Harry 1994-2010

We had to say good bye to our "old pal Harry" today. It was a sad day indeed.

But he certainly had a happy life, even after a start that probably cost him several lives. He came to us under the frame of a friend's car one day, he had ridden 20 miles, but hung on. His only injury was to his bottom lip, hence the name Harry. (This was when I lived in MO).

The vet said "if he'll eat, then feed him." And he never looked back after that...

These pics of him with Calico (another stray that came home under the spare tire of my truck) are some of my favorite.

Then, a few years later, Harry moved to Iowa. He made himself right at home.

Then along came a little spit-fire named Zoe. Didn't take too long for them to hit it off.

I think he liked laying on his back so much to "take a load off" his big ol' tummy. Eventually he was diagnosed with diabetes and lived with that for 8 years. Insulin shots, twice a day. Wow, did we really do it for that long! At his heaviest, I think he weighed 22 lbs.

Then came along another spit-fire named LAD. Harry was so tolerant. Anything for attention. At one point, I think they both weighed about the same for a while! And Grandpa Airplane, Harry was in heaven when he was around!

Where ever we were, he was there. Always under foot in the kitchen.

I think these photos of LAD with Harry have to be some of my favorite. A sweet kiss and hug.

And these from just the last couple of days. He was down to no weight. It was his time.

Rest in peace, Harry. You surely deserve it.