Saturday, June 1, 2013

THE COLOR PURPLE

Most of the flowers in my garden are perennials since I'm too much of a tight-wad to pay for a bunch of seeds and bedding plants every year.  I also plant mostly native wild flowers since they have a better chance of surviving our harsh weather conditions.  Two years ago I acquired starts for some little bog iris.  I planted them and cared for them, but all I got were a few skinny green leaves.

This year I was finally rewarded with blossoms.  

Another perennial resident is my crop of delphiniums.  I grew the first ones from seed and planted them on the south side of our house where they get plenty of sun and protection from the wind.

Columbines are the state flower of Colorado.  The ones in my garden try to take over the flower bed every year when they self seed.  I have several varieties but these purple and whites are the original color. they are a favorite of bees and hummingbirds.

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

COUNTLESS SHADES OF GRAY

Photos from my archives:
Coconut on the Beach

Vintage Wagon wheel

The Eye of a Birch Tree

Wall-Machu Picchu

Frozen Zen Garden

Rustic and Rusty

Monday, May 27, 2013

THANKS

Thanks to those who came before me.

Jack (John) Cooper, my father’s dad: good with horses—drove stage coach and freight wagons, worked in sawmills on the coasts of Washington and Oregon, talented at math and a clever card player, car salesman, plus many other talents—truly a jack of all trades.

 Mary Lucinda Hendricks, my father’s mom:  grew up on farms cultivated out of the sagebrush of Idaho in the early 1900’s. She didn’t have a lot of opportunity for schooling but was a quick learner and hard worker.  She was hired as a cook for wealthy families.  Her baking and pie making were legend.

Ralph Collings, my mom’s dad: carpenter, skilled mechanic, farmer, beekeeper, sheared and raised prize winning sheep.

 Nellie Elida Hunt, my mom’s mother:
School teacher, writer, homemaker and mother.  Raised all but two or her eight children through the deepest part of the Great Depression. Lover of gardens and literature.

 Lindell Cooper, my dad:
Horseman, mechanic, dairyman, farmer.  Started married life with a two-room house and 40 acres and retired owning two hundred acres of prime farm land and a dairy. All four of his children went to college.

Blanche Collings, my mother: Nurse, homemaker, gardener, writer, lover of literature and travel.  Tended to the needs of all the animals on their farm, milked cows and raised four kids.


Thanks also to those who have put their lives on the line to defend the freedoms of the world such as:

My Uncle Ward Collings, U.S. Navy—World War II

 Uncle Ralph W. Collings, U.S. Army—World War II served in Australia

 Uncle Joe—John Josiah Cooper, U.S. Army World War II, Philippines.

 Gordon J. Black, my husband and father of our children—and my brother, John L. Cooper, both served in the U.S. Sixth Army out of Fort Lewis, Washington during the Vietnam War.

To all who have come before us to pave the way, to those we love who have gone too soon and to all those who preserve our liberties—on this Memorial Day—THANK YOU.

Who is on your list of people to honor?