So glad it's July 31st.

No more monthly blogging for awhile. Of course, I've said that before, but then I can't stand it and I start again. August is out of the question because I will be taking my trip (OMGoodness....so EXCITED) and being busy at home. Lots planned for August including another trip to the ocean next week. This time all three of us can go, so we should have a really great time. I've been missing my friend Jewel because she's been so busy that we haven't been able to get together much at all. So she, Becky and I will have a whole day to gab our hearts out and take pictures and enjoy the ocean air. Should be fun!

In the meantime here are pictures of a cute little moth that was sitting by the bird cage. I haven't adjusted the color, yet and I haven't identified him, but you can see why I seriously need a DSLR. I'm not sure why I keep talking myself out of it. Next year I will have one. I can't always get the detail with my Fujifilm, although, I do love it. I'm becoming a camera-a-holic. I just want to buy cameras for me and for everyone else, too!

Beach flowers.

Here are some of my macros from our trip to the beach. I love how these flowers will just grow anywhere, especially the dandelions.

Crabby people.

While at the Tokeland marina there was a family that had just bought a bunch of crab from a crabber there. I asked to jump in on the photo session! haha....
So here you go.



The happiest crabby people I've ever seen! LOL.

Thistles

Did I mention that I love thistles? They had these lovely thistles at the ocean.


I was holding it still in the wind so I could actually capture the flower without blur. It was very windy!


I managed to capture this insect. I'm still trying to identify it. I have another picture with one in it on a rhody bloom.


A closer look.



A pair.


A little blurry, but I like it.



And here are the ones in my yard.

Not yet ready to flower.




Just starting to flower.


Fully flowered.

Should I mow the lawn or play ball?

This should post by itself while I'm at the ocean. I have three color settings on my camera.


Normal


Chrome


Black and white.




So there you have it. I think I kind of like the chrome setting because the colors are so much richer. I hope you didn't think my blog had to actually be interesting. I needed something quick!

Caught!

I think I caught God watering my flowers. That's how it looks to me, anyway!

Computer closed...

but only temporarily. I was having trouble getting the uploader to work correctly yesterday. My computer was arguing with me about a couple of different things, but all is well, now so here is my edited repost with ALL the pictures that I intended to show.


This spider was hiding out between the petals. I brightened the picture so he could be seen a little better.


This is the daisy in which he was hiding. Can't see him at all in this picture unless you notice the dark spot on that one upright petal.



I love this picture. I bought three versions of Black-eyed Susan and this is one of them. This is the most common one.



Same variety as the one above, but more open.



Fully opened Black-eyed Susan.




One of the other two varieties of Black-eyed Susan. This one doesn't have a black eye at all, even after it is done opening fully.



I'm not sure which type of daisy this is, but it is in the huge mixed basket I bought.



Just a different angle.



I can't wait to see these when they are fully opened. I've never seen this particular variety of Black-eyed Susan before.



This is the same as above. This variety does have the black eye, but the petals are a different color. I love the way they are curled up at the center before they open.



Zucchini blossom.



Dianthus. This variety is called "Brilliant Star". I love all Dianthus. Carnations are really one of my all time favorites for flowers.

Not a hot tin roof, but...

it is a cat on a roof.


Can I jump on you, please?



Pretty please?


No really. It won't hurt.



But you look like such a nice landing spot.

Tired

I don't really want to write a blog today because I'm tired. Sometimes I stay up all night and I'm getting too old for that. I've done good and not missed any days in July's monthly challenge, though, so I am going to post this.
I would use the prompt that they gave, but most of them are not interesting to me.

Today's prompt was what is your motto?

I have a favorite quote that could serve as a motto.

"I have seen the enemy and they are us." It's from Pogo. I might not have the exact phrase, but that is close enough.

So basically, look at yourself before you judge others. Unless you've walked in a person's shoes, you don't really know what the whole story is.

Do I have to apply that to the crackheads at work?

Chicken.

I said to Keri, "Did you see the chicken on the front porch?"
She came running over muttering about her chicken getting out again.
I said, "No, not one of your live chickens."
I was looking at her flowers and had seen what I thought was a chicken decoration in her flower pot. As I focused in on it with the camera I saw that it wasn't a decoration at all. It turned out to BE the flowers. Very cute, don't you think. I haven't got the hang of my camera yet, though so it's not completely clear, but you get the gist of it.

The door.

I wanted to replace the back door yesterday. I didn't. I set my sights on today, instead. Of course, I had to make a trip to Home Depot. I wanted to know if "door shims" were different than the basic cedar shingle shims I usually use. I have a whole pile of cedar shingles that can be used for shims. They came off my garage roof. They are brown instead of "brand new wood" white, but they are cedar. They are brown because they are used.
A trip to Home Depot is always a treat for me. I could live there. Just make me a bed in the back of the lumber department. I love the smell of lumber. I love hardware, lumber and gadgets. I hope they have a Home Depot in heaven.
This means a trip to home depot is never short. I found the shims right away. They are exactly what I have lying in my patio minus the brown/black color and nails. No need to buy what I already have. I did find some composite ones, though, so I thought I would try them. A pack was only 1.76.
I also needed peat moss. They have this new stuff made from coconuts. It comes compressed in a package the size of an old children's phonograph. You can break off a chunk and put it in your wheelbarrow and water it and it expands and becomes a substance so much like peat moss, that you can hardly tell the difference. I bought both kinds. One kind is a soil amendment, which is what I actually wanted. The other kind is what you put on top of the soil after you are done planting. I'm going to give it a try and see what I think. I picked up a new bag of potting soil while I was there so I can plant the flowers I bought. I wasn't going to buy flowers this year. I have so much to do in my yard already. I'm a sucker for flowers, though, and these were all perennials that were on sale for 3 for 9.99.
Saying all that to say that I never really got the door done today. I got home and had to hunt for the hammer. Then I had to hunt for the screwdriver. Then I had to find the charger and put my battery powered drill on to charge. End of project. I did manage to remove most of the screws holding in the screen door. I also took off the piece of molding that was attached to the inside jamb and removed the door. Now I will have to go and put the door back so I can leave. Becky and I are going on a photo shoot. Maybe I will do the door tomorrow.

Birds

Doesn't this bird look like he's being very nosy? haha...The photographic quality isn't that great, but I love his "expression". He was trying to figure out if me and my camera were a threat. He decided that we weren't and went back to foraging in my gutter garden for goodies.



Foraging in my gutter gardens. I guess I need to clean the gutters. These guys looked a little ruffled, but I like the rust color on the one. It didn't come out very good, so there's another argument for the DLSR that I want and the telephoto lens I want to get when I get one.


This little guy was sitting on the dolly on the sidewalk.

Friday

Hello my Friday! I'm so glad you're here.
That's all I have right now!

Random

I was a bit busy today and couldn't muster up enough interest in my blog to find a subject. I didn't like any of the prompts at either NaBloPoMo or LiveJournal so how about some random pics. I just picked five out of a group. No reason.