Happy Palm Sunday (re-post from last year)

Last year I had a wonderful Palm Sunday with Gizzy and I wanted to share it - and relive it - again. It was a beautiful day then and it is a beautiful day now...it's just so different. I am blessed with two other lovely pets, but that does not diminish my grief for the boy with whom I shared 11 wonderful years - we went through so much together - and I suspect my heart will be aching for a good long time for his absence is ever present, where ever I go, what ever I do - there he is in my thoughts and heart - so close and yet so far. Wishing you all a blessed Palm Sunday!
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(posted on 3/17/2011)

Today was a beautiful day. The morning started nice and cool with a lovely breeze and it was such a pleasure to be outside.

It looks like full-blown summer here with most of the spring blossoms gone leaving behind the lush, green foliage. We took our walk in the morning, giving the pictures interesting dimensions.

I never get tired of the serene beauty I find in the mornings at Lake Irma walking with my boy and I hope you don't mind me taking photos of this area over and over, but next month I'll have a car (hopefully) and I can go to Bank's Lake and to the park again for diversity in my photography.

Mother Nature surprised me with some berries. At first I got a shock thinking they were raspberries (which I have never seen growing here before) but alas, they were simply unripe blackberries of which there are millions around here.

Past ye ole fishing hole...

...around the bend past the army of little "gnomes" on the ground (that's what the Swamp Cypress roots remind me of.)

With the sun behind me, I got a nice, friendly shot of this side of the lake.

Past the blueberry bushes (if you click on the photo to make it larger, you will see how many there are on this bush.)

Oh, how I look forward to picking those blueberries when they're ready in June or July!

Standing on the bridge of the boardwalk, I can take a lovely scenic shot of Lake Irma (as always!) The water looks so serene.

Back on the home front, Gizzy walks along the rose bed to smell the roses. I received many compliments on my roses this year. I guess the fertilizing and regular watering has paid off. The red ones have a most delicious honey-like scent and make for a wonderful potpourri.

I have to keep snipping roses off this bush because the clusters get so top heavy that they lay on the ground and I'd rather have them inside the house...poor me, right?

Here he is in the flower bed next to the single pedal pink heirloom roses and in front of the Mammoth sunflowers....look how big they have grown. We'll have some 12' flowers this year and the bees and birds will be happy too...

I enjoy looking at my rose bouquet next to my daughter's photo!

Here's my boy sitting next to my Southern Belle dolly whose outfit I crocheted. He's talking to me. Can you tell?

I planted some more sunflowers (8' ones) earlier and plant the rest tomorrow because it got too hot. I'm starting to run out of space, but they sure will look glorious when they're all blooming.

My challenge for this week is to find someone to drive me to the strawberry field of Southern Grace Farms since it has come to my attention that the strawberries are ready for picking. Only I cheat. I can't pick because of my bad back, so I call ahead and see if they have any ready picked berries (which they usually do.) If I can't find someone to take me, then I will go on or around the 3rd, right after I get my vehicle...just in the nick of time for strawberries and later blueberry season.

Wish me luck and I hope you'll have a wonderful week!