Tasty new recipe!

This may not look like it, but this is a Cantaloupe Pie! We had an extra pie crust and an extra cantaloupe. There are 5 more coming in the garden. It was pretty good--not super solid, but tasty. It is like cantaloupe custard--trust me, it's good!

It would have been even better with a bit of whipped cream, but when you need a sweet fix, this will do.

Brady's B-Day haul!

Here is the Birthday pile for Brady's Birthday. There are 2 more coming in the mail. "What was in those presents?" you may ask. Do you really want to know, this is Brady we're talking about. There are wrestling books, Ralph Wiley books, Christmas music, and a book on really dumb ideas throughout history.
Also, of course, I got most of them for free after all my surveys. Yep, all from me wasting time on the internets! If you have an Amazon wishlist, the same might happen on your birthday!

Not for the faint of heart

This little lady, a cross spider, has created a web in our tomatoes plants outside the front door. Don't worry, it isn't poisonous and only about 1 inch long. I am hoping she takes care of lots and lots of mosquitoes, flies, and other bugs. I will check her out tomorrow night to see if there is any thing in the web.

Cabbage White-Pieris rapae

This male was out in the impromptu butterfly garden. Apparently the Cabbage White was an introduced in the mid 1800's and has hurt cabbage crops. It hasn't gotten our garden because we don't have any cabbage or cabbage relatives. It definitely was a fluttery butterfly and pretty in it's delicate way. Just before it left the garden for good, it was moving its head back and forth--so amazing that it let me be so close.More butterflies as they stop by.

American Painted Lady

In the garden today was this pretty butterfly--an American Painted Lady or Vanessa virginiensis. It was sipping away on the flower & let me snap a bunch of shots. We have a butterfly garden without even trying!

Spring Azure

We did see this one in the spring, I just forgot to post it. This is a Celastrina ladon or a Spring Azure. Very pretty.

Eastern Comma in the garden

Today we saw an Easten Comma butterfly on the compost pile. Technically it is a Polygonia comma, but I am not that technical. It has a grey comma shape on the underside of its wing, hence the name. It just hung out for a while--long enough for me to go inside to get the camera. Thanks butterfly!

Mmmmmmmm!

If my calculations are correct, we are up to 8 pounds of strawberries this season--from our own plants! If you just have some patience, good things happen. We put in about 8 plants in 2007 and now it is a strawberry patch with no definite boundary. I LOVE strawberries!

Latest addition--Raspberries!

This is the latest addition to the yard. We made a raised bed with stone. It was a bit more pricey than cedar, but it is very permanent. The raspberries were half price at Lowe's. We sure do get a lot of good stuff there.
What is there? Three rows of retaining wall on top of pea gravel on top of landscaping fabric. Then a bunch of garden soil and pine wood chips. If the raspberries are anywhere as productive as the strawberries, we will be SET!

A Spider in the Garden

This is a nursery web spider and it was hanging out on our new rock wall today. It was kind enough to wait for me to go get my camera so I could take the picture. It didn't bite anyone and after the photo shoot it went on its merry way.

Feline Message

Message from a Kitty

I don't know which kitty left it's mark, but someone wanted to come in for a visit. This is on the door to our sun room. I know it wasn't Rocky since he never gets out. Some kitty just thought it looked like a good door to try. Bummer that I wasn't there to give out some pets, love, and kitty treats. Maybe next time!

Mother's Day Presents

White flowers

The white flowers on the low growing quince started blooming last week. We've been calling this shrub Graham's plant. It is quieter because it grows lower to the ground. It flowered first. Brady thinks this one has stronger smelling flowers.

Not pink, but peach, colored flowers

The second quince shrub has flowered in the last few days. The flowers are all over the branches, very full, and PEACH colored. I thought this shrub was going to be pink colored. Peach is a variety of pink, yes, but..... The second shrub is Georgia's plant, one with Georgia Peach colored flowers. It flowered later, it was louder in color and height. Lots of subtle meaning here.

It is a pretty day now. The sun is out and the clouds are puffy and white. I am not crying yet about it being Mother's Day. I guess flowers are my present from my kids. Very pretty. Thanks.

Saturday Night Rainbow

This is what we saw tonight outside our house

A thunderstorm came through Concord tonight. During one of the breaks in the storm, Brady looked out the window. He saw this rainbow. I was able to get a couple of shots and this was the best. It was a really beautiful rainbow. You can't see it in this picture, but it was a double rainbow. Maybe we are getting more signs. Maybe not. We've been through a really bad storm. Now we are starting to get back into routines. Maybe things are getting better.

Just a quick Rocky in a Box picture

JUST TOO CUTE! Silly, but CUTE!

Our sunflowers liked our neighbors' yard best!

It is just not fair! After I planted these sunflowers, watered them, propped them up when the wind blew too hard, AND tried to keep the squirrels away, these flowers had the nerve to turn their back on me. I feel like a horrible gardener. Where can I learn to be more compassionate to the plants in my yard so they don't hate me so much.

And don't try tell me they were doing this for the the sunshine. GIVE ME A BREAK! There was sunshine on our side of fence. These flowers are just Anti-Sonya Flowers. I have to be right.

Things I've Found on the Internets

Here is one of the most bizarre things I have seen for a long, long time. Yet, in some strange way, it calls out to me "BUY ME! You know you want me, BABY!" What can I say? I am totally amazed by this guy. Not only is he sitting on a toilet and holding a tape dispenser for you, the toilet bowl holds paperclips. Then, when you pick this guy up, the magnet in his butt gets them for you!

Yes, I must have one of these for my desk! What could be better? An electronic yodeling pickle? A Bacon Strip Adhesive Bandage? I didn't know such stupid stuff could be bought. Thanks to Stupid.com, I do. And I WANT IT ALL!

Now I remember, way back, when I was a young child, Uncle Curt would get a catalog in the mail that was full of these kinds of products. You know, Hot Pepper Gum, A coffin bank with a skeleton who takes in your coins with its bony hand, and whoopee cushions just to name a few. Now, with the internet, there is no end to the stupid things I can find and add to my endless wish list. Then all of these things can take up residence next to our Bobble Head Jesus that is sitting in a box in the attic.

Bert & Ernie are sweet enough to eat!

This was totally worth the $1 I spent at a yard sale. Who wouldn't want to have a Bert & Ernie cake pan? Of course, I didn't buy the expensive cake decorating products. I just made a white frosting and then colored a bit at a time. Thank goodness for Easter Egg dyes!

My hint is that chocolate chips make GREAT eyeballs! Maybe I will make a cake for you if you visit. It actually was just as much fun to make this cake as it was to eat it. Bert and Ernie appeared before my eyes as I colored them in. They did seem to come to life when I stuck the chocolate chips on.

dragonfly on day lily

dragonfly on day lily, originally uploaded by sonya carlson.

I had to buy a camera for work. That means I then had to try the camera out. It is a pretty amazing camera. Here is the coolest photo yet. This dragonfly was hanging out in our garden for quite a while and let me take a bunch of pictures of it.

More to come!

Off the web--Camera Issues!

My cameras aren't talking with either of our computers so no pictures are coming through. That really stinks! I wanted to show off our first strawberry. So far we have gotten about 3 pints from our strawberry patch so far. There have also been some snap peas that we harvested also. The cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots and blueberries are coming along.

We also have some 2 1/2 foot tall sunflowers. This year I planted a bunch of sunflowers so that if one or two or three succomb to squirrels, bugs, or other problems. If they ever flower, our driveway will look very AWESOME!

The summer calendar is filling up with visitors. If you want to see the cute hidden house of Concord this year, you better get your reservations in soon! This month Melinda and Penelope visited for a day. That was a lot of fun. Penelope is a bouncing baby girl.

Next month, Brady's sister is visiting for a few days. My friend Gretchen & her family will be visiting in August. My aunt Celeste is contemplating a visit in October. So, you better let me know when is good for you.

My job is going along fine. There have been a BUNCH of beaches that have been posted for bacteria advisories. Lake Winnisquam has been hit especially hard. If you want to be up to date on which beaches to avoid, check out our website--DAILY!/p>

I will add more pictures if I ever get the cameras and computers to be friends. See you soon! Stay out of the water if it is full of cyanobacteria.

Plate-pre-firing

Last month I went to You're Fired for a Concord Women's Social Group Meetup and painted a sunflower on a wavy plate. It was kind of expensive--$21 for the night--but I did get a really awesome plate out of it.

There will be another one of these get-togethers later this month, wanna come? Let me know.