Shades of White

Fireworks: In Memory

On the evening of July 4th, my family went to watch the fireworks.

We were following in the footsteps of those people who, many years ago, went to the tops of the hills during the Revolutionary War to watch the outcome of the battles.

We both saw explosions and heard booming thunder.

My family came to celebrate our Independence.

They did not know what the outcome would be, and what they saw was not beautiful.

Let us not forget that this celebration was meant to be a time to tell our children and our grandchildren the cost of our freedom.

Let us be certain that we remember with thankfulness those who fought for our freedom--the soldiers and their families.

Let us also remember those who are fighting for us now--those who stand between us and those who would harm our land and our people.

Let us not willingly hand over all of our freedoms and independence to those who, in a grab for power, are willing to wipe out what has taken years to build.

We were meant to be free.

Anticipation

The blackberry patch

Homewards At Moonset

After our astronomy meeting, the moon was setting in the west. I was the last one to leave--and caught this photo of the car ahead of me heading out. It is easier to see the detail if you click on the photo. Scorpius was high in they sky; Sagittarius, above the horizon. I followed the The Swan and The Eagle, Cygnus and Aquila, all the way home.

Beauty surrounds us.

The Blackberry Patch

The railroad use to go through our property. The old right-of-way is still there, filled with scrub brush, trees, and berries. Most people bulldoze the whole lot, but I protested this when my husband suggested it. It is a great place to walk and cross-country ski--and it is a place for the deer to rest and the birds to nest. Soon these flowers will turn in to berries, and we will be swatting the mosquitoes and filling our pails.

Misty Morn

Stopping by to tell you that my world is buzzing with party plans and house cleaning. We've painted a few rooms and we've organized our home--it is great to have a reason to get everything cleaned up and fresh! Saturday is my son's graduation party. It is bitter sweet to think that the end of 13 years of homeschooling with this child has come.

This photo was taken yesterday at 5:00 in the morning--hazy and lovey. The weather is humid and warm. That's summer in Wisconsin.

Oh! I forgot to tell you Happy Summer Solstice! The sun is setting as far into the north as it is going to go. Now it will start to rise a little further south each day. But the hottest days of the year are yet to come...

Enjoy the journey!

Square Foot Gardening

I'm trying something new this year--Square Foot Gardening. At one time, my garden was the size of a 6-car garage. As my children have gotten older and we are involved in more activities outside the home, I've found it harder and harder to keep the garden looking nice. This year I decided to try the raised bed. I have 3 of these right now, and I may add a few more next year. No hoeing, no tilling--just some quick weeding and watering. We will see, as the summer progresses, how well this system works!