TOAD-A-LY Cool...

These pictures are from a few weeks ago, I think. I am very behind on time, days, etc. But I remember it was a nice day, hot... but nice outside.

Overgrown azaleas above ..neglected and ignored by the yard-lady, moi.

 Bushes running wild here. Can't trim the camellias though until they bloom. That means late November-December here.

 Further evidence of neglect. I would fire the yard-lady but she doesn't get paid anyway.

 Slacker getting her hedger in gear. 92 degrees. Maxine is loose somewhere.

Where is Maxine ? She always gets nosy and goes sniffing next door.

 Getting scolded...look at her hang her head.

 Holding her tight as some passer-bys with dogs are walking in front. I trimmed these azaleas , and a few of the small boxwoods in front.

 Better.

Also better.

Trimmed up these little guys too.

While I do this, Maxine is getting loved -up by my little boy. You can see though, she is still on patrol during the love-up session.

We finish up front and head to the back garden. Back there we got a surprise waiting...from the bottom of a bush. Here he is  :

I was back there trimming my pittosporums and my hollies, and out hops this little fella. I whispered/screamed ( all at once ), Come here, quick !

My little boy looks over at me unfazed.

I whispered/screamed with hand motions, frantically trying to get him to see this little fella before he hops away.

Why such excitement is that I haven't seen a frog in my backyard the whole year. Not one, but I am sure Maxine has..and scared them in hiding.

My little boy comes over, hops up on my bench...and goes ...

" That's not a frog that's a TOAD. ", very matter-a-factly. I look back down,, and see he is right. Toads are the tan/gray color...frogs green.

Smart boy.

Then I see our little surprise is trying to hide, so I get on my hands and knees with my camera and try to get some pictures. 

Too fuzzy, he hears me creeping and hops.

Much better..then he starts going again...me after him,...crawling around my crape myrtle in hot pursuit.

Where is the little guy ?

I do not see him but discover the crab apple tree I dug up before I planted this crape myrtle is rearing it's little crab apple self again. My son was delighted and took the crab apples to use as weapons in his fort.

I got some great photos up close, but they are 4.25 MB's so too large to download here. Best pictures I had.

Darn.

My son and Maxine got bored with the toad hunt and went back to loving up sessions.

I made a heart with some of my heart stones in Sarah's garden, and then filled it in with sand from Edisto Beach and shells from there. I do these types of things out of a need to demonstrate my love....she loved the beach.

Sort of tucked in her garden. I am never totally pleased as it is still not good enough for her.

I then went up front and was chasing some butterflies around my giant lantana bush to get some shots. 

Gigantic lantana, butterfly and hummingbird central station.

So while my neighbors across the street are doing yardwork, they look across and see me moving and jumping all around my big bush , chasing butterflies.
Don't care, I love butterflies.

I think everyone should always do what they want , concerning chasing butterflies, starting a new career, becoming what they always wanted to be. Never mind what the neighbors think, your friend's opinion, your extended family's voices...just go for it.
Of course we should always consider our immediate families opinion.
But after that, follow your heart.
The worse that can happen is you fail, but no, the very worse thing is you can grow old and say ' I almost did such and such. "...but didn't.
Back to butterflies.

See, just like this butterfly...take a leap. Spread your wings, fly...soar.

Be who you really are. Do what you really want to do...life is short and quick. Butterflies still remind me of Sarah.

Last picture after all that " go get 'em ' speech. See way over to the left, that is the only picture I could get of one of my fun little hummingbirds. He has his head deep in my trumpet vine, very busy.
So I took you on a short trip around from cutting my bushes, to finding a toad, to looking at beautiful monarch butterflies, to a hummingbird.
It was my little boy's idea to title this ' Toadly Cool,"  that is what he said when we talked about our toad later.
I know you gardeners that live in the country, who see toads daily... think I am funny about the toad...but I appreciate all the little creatures God puts around our world.



I also wanted to take a moment to thank one of my followers who sent me a care basket many weeks ago, in helping me with my grief over Sarah. His name is Mark Triplett and he and his wife, Linda, send out care baskets in the memory of their son Adam Triplett , who died at age 23 in a plane accident. 

It was full of grief books, a Cd, chocolate star candy, coffee, resources, and information about their ministry

http://www.lnf.org/

LNF Ministries, stands for Love Never fails. 

They include a small glass star in memory of their son, from an Eskimo legend about stars being " openings in heaven ." I know that I and my husband are members of a club no one wants to be in, that everyone hates going through the threshold...parents of children who died club.
I told my husband , showed him the very kind gift basket, and told him I do not know if I can ever help any other parent who loses a child , as I am so not remotely healed myself. Too much pain , anger, sadness  inside me to be worth a flip to anyone.


But maybe one day.


I hope your day is full of butterflies, and toads.


Gina