I can't believe it's already been one year since I last posted about Canada Day! Another year gone by feeling happy and proud to live in this beautiful country. To my fellow Canadians, HAPPY CANADA DAY!

And to all of my American buddies, I know your 4th. of July celebrations are coming up this weekend too, so everyone on the continent have fun and stay safe!

Today the sun is shining and the weather is lovely so far..... just under 70F which is PERFECT for taking the cameras out for a photo shoot somewhere. Which is hopefully what sister Pammie and I will be doing. If we do, more on that in a later post.


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Also, over at Stardom Awaits! this month's photo contest theme is "Pets / Wildlife" and the voting is now open. Head on over and place your ONE vote, and help us determine who will get a cream pie in the face as winner! Voting will be open until mid month or so, and then the winner(s) will be announced. Thank you for participating!

As is usually the case, I'm including here a few shots that did NOT make the cut for the contest, mostly because we can only enter so many!


1. Misty



2. Stagecoach



3. Magpie



4. Cluck! Cluck!



5. Pretty Horse



6. Let Us In!!



7. Lady Bugs




Enjoy your week and any celebrations, and take good care of each other!

PEACE!
Love Jude

Although it was unexpected, I really shouldn't be too surprised. I work at the Alberta Motor Association (CAA, or AAA in the U.S.) and we have, among other departments, a Travel Department. One of the young ladies in our Travel Department was sent home Monday after getting a call from her doctor's office that her test results from "not feeling good" tested positive for the H1N1 Virus, or Swine Flu.

So, we have all been exposed to it. And one of our other CAA offices here has a person who also tested positive for the same thing. All of our centers on Tuesday morning had huge deliveries of Viral Wipes and hand sanitizers and we're all constantly wiping down counters and keyboards. Our janitorial services are doing special deep cleaning daily.

The thing is, there are several people where I work who have been complaining of sore throats and the like for a week or more. What do we do? Do we all go to our doctors at the first sneeze and demand tests for H1N1? I had a luncheon date with a girlfriend yesterday but I cancelled it because she has young children. I have another luncheon date next week with another girlfriend but she has a toddler so I'm afraid to keep the date. When do I know if I'm safe? And AM I safe even if I don't have any symptoms? I understand that for the most part people who are getting this are having fairly mild flu symptoms and then it goes away. But still, I don't want to expose anything to children. At this point none of us are "scared", but it's a nuisance.

What a pain in my big pink arse!

Sunday is the first official day of Summer, and although I detest the heat and the bugs (especially *gasp*WASPS*gasp*) I do like the greenery and the flowers that are abundant everywhere. Especially in our gardens.

You may wonder why I've never shown you my "entire" back yard in all of my flower and garden posts. The reason is that about 4 years ago hubby tore out the very back of the yard (right up to the alley), installed a chain link gate, began a huge project of bricking in a parking pad for a one-ton flatbed work truck (nowhere to park it except where we park our other 2 vehicles ~ his and sister Pammie's), AND he started storing all of his crap back there. I've hated it! Our back yard used to look so nice.

Well this week he FINALLY started to work on bricking that parking pad again! Here's the proof of the ugliness:




You can see my fading lilacs on the left, and in the very back all the junk.



Hubby planted a few annuals to help fill in the areas that the perennials haven't taken up, and although it will be a few weeks yet before the gardens look fuller, it's still looking pretty good out there.

From a recent post you already know how much I adore lilacs, and that this year was the first year 2 of my 3 young lilac bushes flowered! The Wedgewood Blue lilac had flowers for a couple of weeks but now they are faded to an almost "pinkish-white" and are dying off.








However, out front my Dwarf Korean Lilac is sporting pretty little pink flowers and they smell gorgeous.




Out front, every year the "Snow In Summer" boasts their profusion of tiny white flowers everywhere we've planted them, and right now they are just beginning to fill out.



And along with the pink lilac bush, in this area of the garden the Iris is flowering beautifully and standing tall in purple. Beside that, the lilies are budding but not yet opened.




Hubby has laid out some edging material to help keep the water in the flower beds, and the weeds and grass out. It's a long process keeping a yard looking nice, and he works very hard at it. Me, I do the inside work and let him do the outside work (which he loves) as I don't "do" bugs and heat very well.

Speaking of temperatures, they are lower now and very comfortable in the low 70's. We still need rain VERY badly so I hope we get more than just the sprinkling tease we've had recently. Besides, free watering for my lawns and gardens saves me so much money on my utility bill! Hubby has a few rain barrels around and that helps some, but he's going to get a couple more yet.



Soon enough, this first day of Summer will turn into the first day of Autumn, which I will be more than ready for as it's my favourite season, and I always take my vacation then! However for now, I'm enjoying the lilacs and other summer blooms.

I hope you are all having a great weekend, and enjoying the first official days of Summer. Take good care of each other!

PEACE!
Love Jude