Irises, Roses and Family

Cable Car Iris

Our IRISES in the yard have been FABULOUS this spring... AND the good news is that many of them are re-bloomers --so we'll have them blooming again in the Fall.   In this blog post (click HERE),  I showed you several of our Irises... SO today I'll show you some more of our 19 different varieties... Above is always a favorite every year.  Its name is CABLE CAR.   I love the 'rust' color of this one.   We took several photos after a rain--since we enjoy seeing the 'drops' on the flowers.  Be sure and enlarge the photos in order to see them larger.

Electric Shock Iris

Cantina Iris

Wish you could see this one in person.. It has SEVERAL colors --and changes when the sun is on it... Such a beauty!!!!

Floor Show Iris

Here is another multi-colored beauty.   Do you like this one?

English Charm Iris

This is another pretty Iris.... The raindrops were really clinging to this one!

Halloween Halo Iris

If you like Pastels,  you will love this Iris...  The bright orange beards would remind one of Halloween I suppose...




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Southern Belle Rose

Here's two more of the gorgeous Roses beginning to bloom in our yard.  The one above is named SOUTHERN BELLE....  George brought one of these into the house ---and you should smell it... WOW!!!!

Summer of Love Rose

Finally,  this beauty is named SUMMER OF LOVE. I love all of the different colors in this rose...

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Dave, Bonnie, Betsy and George

We visited my cousin,  Bonnie, and her hubby, Dave,  at a Camping and Hang-Gliding area on the top of the mountain near Dunlap, Tennessee on Monday.  Bonnie and Dave have a new (GORGEOUS)  motor home ---and are enjoying traveling these days.  We had a wonderful visit with them.  Isn't that a great view of the Sequatchie Valley?

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BLUEBIRD UPDATE:  I have done tons of research and talked to LOTS of people about my Bluebird Tragedy.  (See Monday's blog for details.)  Click HERE to see a great website if you are interested.   Apparently, my culprit must have been a SNAKE..  Once the Bluebirds nest again,  we will keep the pole greased--which will keep a snake off of the nestbox (I hope)... I also need a new type of baffle (made with stove pipe)... NOW--if Daddy Blue can find a new mate,  maybe they'll try again.  We have cleaned out the nestbox for them... Thanks SO SO much for your thoughts, suggestions and prayers. This has been hard for me!!!

 I need to apologize AGAIN for not getting to your blog posts much this week.  Besides our trip on Monday and doing research on Bluebirds,   I have been working in the yard (power-washing the deck and cleaning the deck furniture).... Fun fun!!!

ONE MORE THING:  Any of you who use Google+ as your profile,  be sure and put your blog URL on there somewhere.  Otherwise,  people cannot find your blog to comment.  Thanks!!!

Hope you are having a 'fan-tabulous day'  enjoying life.....  Get outside and enjoy yourself!!!!

Hugs,
Betsy

More from the Smokies, an Update, and some Sad News

If you missed Friday's blog post,  click HERE  first to see Part I of our trip to the Smokies on April 23.   Today I'll share with you more pictures.  Above is a picture of us at our mountain cabin (I wish).... Click on all pictures to see them larger.

Here's another picture of the gorgeous Smoky Mountains.   I cannot tell you how fabulous it is to be here and see these mountains!!!  It is truly AWESOME...

As I mentioned in the previous blog post,   we enjoy seeing all of the fences in the Smokies...   It was quite cold on the day we were there,  so I had to take a few minutes to rest on that fallen tree--and warm my hands in my coat pockets... BEHIND me,  don't you love that rock fence/wall?????

Here's another rock fence/wall.  This picture shows the fence/wall from fairly close-up.    Isn't this just great?  (Sorry---don't mean to sound SO excited although I AM.... ha)

This is a typical picture of George ---trying to get the best photos he can!!!  Luckily,  he didn't get his feet wet!!!!

I love this picture...  Can you figure out what it is????  It's moss growing up the trees..  Neat, huh?

Here is one more picture showing SNOW on the tops of the mountains that day, in the distance... As I mentioned in the last blog post,  it was 37 degrees when we first got to Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail.   But,  by the time we got here (Foothills Parkway) in the afternoon,  the sun had come out --and it was a 'little' warmer (in the 50's)...

Finally,  just when you thought you had seen ALL of 'our' pictures,  I'll show you one more.... We walked and walked up and down this creek ---and just had the best time...   It's no wonder we took so many pictures together!!!!!   We were both smiling from beginning to end of this fabulous place!!!!  It was truly a marvelous day.

I promise that I will share a bunch of George's photos from this day soon .  That new filter is fabulous ---and his pictures came out GREAT....  (George posted 3 on one of his blogs today---so click HERE to see some.  Be sure to enlarge them)

Have a tremendous Monday!!!!  I cannot believe that tomorrow is MAY 1st.... What happened to April??????

UPDATE:  Pertaining to my question about Legacy Accounts,  apparently Blogger did send out that email to any of us who might have had a  old account.  I do NOT remember having an account before 2007  (did not have a blog on Blogger then),  so I will not fill out the information.  IF there was an old account,  it will just 'die'..... Thanks for all of your help in getting this straightened out.

SAD NEWS:  This is something that made me cry ALOT yesterday... Poor George didn't know what to do for me.   Mama Bluebird and all of the babies are GONE... There is nothing in the nest --not even any feathers or signs of distress.  What alerted me was the action of Daddy Bluebird yesterday morning.  He was very upset about something --and kept on squawking and flying around like something was wrong.  He'd go to the nestbox and look inside --but wouldn't go inside.  I told George at the time that something must be wrong since we did not see Mama Bluebird all morning.  Finally,  late this afternoon we checked the nest... NOTHING there.    I'm not sure what happened.  But whatever it was,  Daddy Bluebird must not have known about it..  He stayed around the area flying around VERY agitated ALL DAY LONG...  I could tell that he was grieving... (And some people say that birds don't have feelings... HA---they do have feelings,  and my heart is broken for him.)

The nestbox is not big enough for large birds or critters to get inside.  We NEVER see snakes --although I'll bet there are snakes around here.  However,  we have a baffle on that nestbox pole --and I thought that would deter snakes....  Wouldn't you think there'd be some signs of distress in the nestbox?

George thinks that there was some distress --and that Mama and the babies (not old enough to fledge) did FLEDGE ---and something may have gotten them outside of the nextbox...   Anyone have any other ideas????

 I will always have my memories of both Mama and Daddy Blue --going in and out of the nestbox feeding those babies... They have been doing that all week ---until yesterday.  I had been so excited for them --and they were being such wonderful parents.

This is the 2nd year in a row we have had a problem with our nesting Bluebirds.  I am beginning to wonder if the new nestbox we bought two years ago is HAUNTED....  I am devastated --as you can imagine (those of you who love birds like I do).   I just want to take Daddy Blue in my arms and hug him...  Poor thing!

Hugs,
Betsy