POSTCARDS FROM VEGAS

While Las Vegas is not a vacation destination we would normally choose, Mike had to go on business and I tagged along because I had reached the absolute end of my tolerance for MUD. It was sunny and warm, and in four days I did not see a single snow flurry or bit of slush. Lovely! Excellent meals, some Cirque de Soleil, a Faberge exhibit at the Bellagio, and miles of walking with my camera. My Fitbit is proud and sending me encouraging messages. Thirty thousand blister inducing steps in one day! A personal best to ease the guilt of those excellent meals.
We arrived home in the wee hours this morning, caught some sleep and woke to snow, which turned to rain and now more MUD. I am grateful for the getaway and the first day of spring. 
It took some doing, but I managed to find some wildlife that looked like this, in Vegas...

Tropical gardens at the Flamingo.

Rather than this...

The Wynn.

Bellagio

Wynn.

Caesar's Palace. The Forum Shoppes.

Pansy parasols at the Wynn.

Bellagio

Happy first day of spring, blog friends! Wish you were there! XO

P.S. Hey, you people with selfie sticks, be careful. You're gonna put somebody's eye out!

ROAD TRIP: FLOWERS AND BUTTERFLIES

Took a quick road trip up to PA to see our girl this weekend, stopping for a stroll through Hershey Gardens. Want to see some butterflies and flowers?

The Butterfly House has a larvae hutch!

Did not know Cannas came in orange. I've only seen red.

After all the travelling we've done lately, we needed Sunday to catch up on chores and finally try out the new kayaks. Also, needed to do a little dog spoiling. Nigel and Scout find entertaining a house sitter exhausting work.

One's boat shoes should always match one's boat, dontcha think?

Exhausted.

Have a great week blog friends! XO.

SPRING WEEKEND

Spring weekends can be so crazy busy. With a big backlog of things we've been wanting to do once it warmed up and things we should do, now that it HAS warmed up, we were very busy little bees.
We mowed, trimmed, mulched, potted, kayaked, dog walked, weeded, painted fencing, and so on... Stole a few moments with my camera when I could. 

Hope you made time for a little fun this weekend .Spring makes me sore.  I'm taking some ibuprofen and going to bed! XO.

HAPPY EASTER

Happy Easter everyone! Wishing you eggs to hunt, treats to eat, and friends and family in abundance. XO

In my front yard, yesterday.

SATURDAY MORNING

Let's take a little walk around the yard and see what's blooming before it gets too hot. Ha! It was too hot at 7am. At least there is a breeze, like a hot wet slap when you open the door. On the bright side...flowers. Trying to keep my cup half full.

Beetles are turning the leaves to lace.

Try to stay cool! You can always ask someone to spray you with the hose...

XO

LONDON IN BLOOM

It was mostly cool and rainy while we were in London last week. The local's described this May's weather as "rubbish!"  We were not deterred from seeing as much as we could on foot, however. Armed with raincoats and umbrellas, we walked for miles in this very walk-able city.
While it may not have felt much like spring, it sure looked it. Blooms were abundant from parks to window-boxes. Here's a sampling of what we saw...

The Princess Diana Garden at Kensington Palace

Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Garden Walk

In Notting Hill.

Victoria and Albert Museum

Some of these pictures were taken in parks and public spaces, others I shot while hanging over garden gates. I learned that I don't mind walking in the rain when there is so much to see and I'm seeing it in the excellent company of my Mr. C. Word of caution: the fact that the British drive on the left makes crossing at street corners a little tricky. Not a problem if you obey the pedestrian signals. My otherwise excellent companion does not. Let's just say there were near misses and leave it at that.
Hope you're walking in good company and stopping to smell the flowers.