my morning ritual

I love my life... as soon as I'm done with shipping - or sometimes earlier for a coffee break, I've been going and sitting outside. So glad Bill put the chairs out there - for years we've never used it since it was such a mosquito haven. Now with a few less trees (huge cottonwoods gone), there is more sun and a few less mosquitos - none yet this time of year! So my camera goes along.... sit here reading news on my iPad, drinking coffee and taking pictures. Doesn't get much better than that.

We get lots of blue jays - which creates mixed feelings in me - I like how pretty they are and that they are willing to come around - but they are noisy and fight amongst themselves a lot, chase away other birds. But still when I sat outside today they were the first to come around so I was happy with the pictures I got.

After snapping various pictures of my flowers - partly because I can (love digital cameras!) and partly to document how things are progressing, some goldfinches arrived just as I was going in. I can never resist them either with their bright bright yellow. This is a pair - the brighter one being a male and the other a female.

State of the garden.... so excited to see the Lilies of the Valley coming up - with flowers getting ready to open soon - these always make me think of my mom - I'll have lilacs this year too, the other one that reminds me of her - she used to cut both flowers and have them in the house - smells so good!

the main area I've planted