guess where I was...again?

I just learned after six years of blogging...

that there is an unspoken rule that you never blog about the same place twice.

Well...since the rule has been broken time and again over here...

let me break it again!

I was at Minter Gardens...

 ...again!

By now you know there are a few things I never tire of.

Friends and flowers! 

And so I returned to Minter Gardens on Monday...

to meet a new/old friend.

 Guess who?

Pamela...

a blogging friend from New Brunswick...

who happens to be in my corner of the world visiting family.

She hardly seemed a stranger to me!

We had a wonderful afternoon...

strolling the gardens and chatting about...

this, that and everything. 

Like old friends do. 

 And playing with our cameras...

of course.

Pam's blog is called 

'Playing With My Camera'...

where she shares her life on the east coast...

in techni-colour! 

Check it out...

you won't be disappointed.

I'm so glad it worked out for us to meet up that way!

 

As we left the gardens...

and passed through the gift shop...

this sign caught my eye.

I like that!

So true.

On this Wednesday I am thankful for flowers and friends.

In particular...
I am most thankful for my best friend...
who is celebrating his 42nd wedding anniversary today.

With me,
of course!

farewell to the tulips of 2013...

We don't need to drive far to see tulip fields...

as the Tulips of the Valley are just across the river from our place.

  

Heidi called on Friday...

to see if I might want to join them on a trek to the tulip fields sometime soon.

We realized we better go right away...

or we would miss them this year...

since this was the last weekend the fields were open.

Off we went.

Heidi, Maggie, Lucy and Grammy.

And when we arrived...

Maggie couldn't believe her good fortune.

Her good friend and neighbour was arriving at the very same time.



 Tiptoeing through tulip fields with friends makes it all the more fun!

Lucy thought so too.

Though some of the fields had already been mowed...

 ...we still found lots of colour.

Popping pinks...

...and bright reds.

Lucy really wanted to do a little picking!

For the record ~ 2013!

Maggie and her friend skipped around the entire field.

They picked up the pace a little when they noticed a real-life princess standing in the flowers.



Tulips make a great backdrop for wedding photos...

don't you think?

 She made it!

 (Lucy that is)

Farewell to the tulips of 2013...

at least those on Seabird Island.

I will continue to enjoy the tulips in my garden for another week or so.

It's been a busy weekend.

I'll be back to tell you about it...soon.

flowers for frieda...

I'm planting tulips today.

Normally one plants bulbs a little earlier in fall...

but the ground isn't frozen yet...

so I'm sure they will be fine.

I'm planting with a purpose this year!

Last year I told you about a wonderful woman in my life...

whose name is Frieda.

You can read about her right here...

pears, and prayers and one who cares. 

Frieda has had a difficult journey over the past while...
 with a husband who was very ill.

He passed away last week...

and we attended his memorial service on Wednesday.

Saying farewell  is always easier for those left behind...

when they know without a doubt they will see their loved one again.

That is the kind of celebration of life we attended.

Frieda was at peace.

The day after the funeral she received test results

that indicated she has inoperable stomach cancer...

and may not have long for this world.

She said that when she planted her tulip bulbs this fall...

God had told her this would be the last time that she would be planting her bulbs.

She is hoping to see them bloom come spring.

We are praying she does.

Frieda has prayed for us through the years...

and often reminds us of that.

Now we are praying for Frieda...

that God will pour out His blessings on her in the days she left.

And we are planting tulip bulbs in her honour.

Her favorite colour of tulips?

Red and white.

I have two bags of red bulbs...

and one of white.

Some of our friends  are also planting tulip bulbs this week.

Heidi and Broni (my daughter and DIL) are planting tulips for Frieda.

There's nothing like a mass planting of tulips to brighten a day.

Come spring...

our blooms will surely brighten up this corner of the world. 

And we will think of Frieda who has brightened the day for us...

many times.

summer's last hurrah...

We are back...

safe at home...

once again.  

We had a great time...

sailing to Alaska and back.

I'll share some of the adventure with you soon.  

 Of course!  

But it may be awhile until I sort through all the photos. 

Today I'll leave you with a few images of the 'end of summer' blooms  around My Front Porch.

For the most part, my baskets and planters were filled with foliage this year...rather than flowers.  They were easy to maintain and looked amazing all summer.  Coleus and potato vine...my garden picks for 2012.

And now...I must go see what you have all been up to while I was away!

a little sunshine...

At the front door...

...and gracing my kitchen table

...are sweet reminders of good times spent with good friends over the weekend.

 

A friendship is but a flower
That God lends to us for a while
To help us along our way
And give us a reason for a smile

~norman hale

 

I'm still smiling!

hedged about with hydrangeas...

Finally.

The hydrangeas are in their glory!

Everything is a little late here this year...

so I have been waiting.

They make the best cut arrangements...

and will keep on 'keeping  on' right into the fall.

My favorite?

The limelight hydrangea.

It is not blooming as yet.

Soon!

Flowers can brighten any day.

tip-toeing through tulips...

 Tip-toeing through the tulips.

We wish! 

That was the plan...

to visit the 'tulips of the valley' today...

their opening day for 2012.  

However, I think we'll wait until next week...

since it sounds like the fields are not quite in their glory just yet. 

So I'll show you a few photos from 'yesteryear'...

ones that I think would make great note card pictures.

Vee is hosting a note card party today...
over at A Haven for Vee.
I'm joining in the fun this month.

Maggie and Lucy (along with their mommy) are coming over today...

and staying for a sleepover while daddy is out of town.  

Though we won't be tip-toeing through tulip fields as we had planned...

we will find some other fun things to do.  

Maybe in the kitchen. :)

ode to orchids...

'Love beauty, it is the shadow of God on the universe' 

~Gabriela Mistral

Grouped together bold and bright,

Exotic orchids - a real delight,

beautiful, elegant, full of charm,

please the eye, troubled spirits calm.

nature generous with bounteous gifts,

constantly my soul uplifts.

~author unknown

Since April is supposedly poetry month...
and since the orchids are in full bloom at our local greenhouse...
I thought an ode to the lovely orchid might be appropriate!

My sister was visiting from Manitoba last week...
so we stopped by to admire the many varieties of orchids.
Though the greenhouses are not really open to the public...

the owner is always most hospitable to 'me and my camera'!

It smells like an exotic tropical jungle.
 I'll be back again...I know!

May your day be happy and uplifting!

a thing of beauty....

Come and visit me sometime.  My flowers would like to meet you.

Minter Gardens has been calling me for some time.

It is August and I still had not visited even once.

Yesterday was the day...

and with a season ticket in hand...

I'll be going again.

The greatest gift of the garden is the restoration of the five senses.

~Hanna Rion

"A thing of beauty is a joy forever."...John Keats

A garden is a friend you can visit anytime.

Gardening is a mirror of the heart.

Cultivate the garden within.



How lovely is the silence of growing things.



One who plants a garden, plants happiness!

We have a project in our community...

where we are encouraged to 'plant a row' to feed the hungry of our community.

I like that idea!

Take time to smell the roses.

We did!

(l-r myself, Kathy, Dot)

One of my sisters flew home yesterday morning...

and one went to work.

The rest of us went to the garden!

It was a peaceful and relaxing way to end the weekend.

Today we toured the garden.

Tomorrow...

a greenhouse!