Safe and Sound

I threw a 50th birthday party for myself

which was odd because I'm only 45.

Psyche!

It was my 50th birthday (witness the beautiful cymbidium orchid gift above) and prepping for the party was a bit foreign to me.  I can throw together some fruit and cheese for a few friends but full scale party supplies?  

Lost!

This is what my cart looked like

 and when I walked away from it for a moment in the store, I had trouble finding it again because I've never before had a cart that looked like that!

So the craziness is over, cake has been eaten, 

guests have gone home,

and I can go back to wandering aimlessly around my yard, enjoying the pretty flowers.

These were on clearance for 47¢ because they weren't blooming.

Look at 'em now!

I finally moved my Buddha Belly to a shadier location and it's coming back to life.

Bromeliad perfection!

One word:  orchids.

And the best surprise of all?

PRODUCE!

Those are baby green beans!

After I thinned some crowded seedlings, 

I had enough veg for a morning frittata.

Great success!

Lilly has discovered the perfect way

 to follow me around the garden.

I was afraid she wouldn't be able to turn around but she contorts that skinny body to great effect.

This method keeps her feet out of the garden soil but her fuzzy hide

 still drags in plenty of mulch and leaves so....

Time for a furcut.

Needless to say, she hates it, but she's a good sport

 and now all the birds will have soft nests this spring.

Driving around with the dogs,

I had to get a photo of how Schotzie likes to ride.

It's not about seeing out the window for her;

she wants to smell the whole wide world.

Let's close with some funny looking chicken feet.

Who knows why this leghorn adopted this posture to sip water dripping from the hose?

I just know, those chicken toes are hilarious!