Flowers From The Garden

(my beautiful flower)

you are my flower
you are my sweet soft petal
hand in hand
...in my hand

holding this precious gift
the blossom of your beauty
you are my beautiful flower

you are my flower
you are my sweet soft petal
heart in heart
just one heart
beating to your sweet aroma
the aroma of your splendor
you are my beautiful flower

you are my flower
you are my first blossom
blossoming love
you are my love
you are my first and true
like sunset ocean blue
you are my beautiful flower
i am glad i picked you

Allen Steble

Allen Steble

A New Family Member

We have a new family member and his name is Nyati (a.k.a. Bear). We adopted Nyati from our neighbors. Here's the story...One day as we were playing outside on the driveway, this dog came wondering over to us. Without knowing his disposition, we approached him very carefully to be sure he was friendly and sure enough, he greeted us with a paw shake and lots of licks. With that, we started throwing a ball for him and he would fetch it and bring it back over and over again. We started seeing more of Bear and every time he'd come by, the girls would excitedly run out to play with him. I have to admit, I'd be right behind the girls just as excited to see him.

One day, like usual, we were outside playing with Bear. I told Gabby I had to put Holly down for a nap but to stay outside and I would be right back. While I was inside, Bear's owner walked over to our house wanting to talk to me but, by time I got back outside, she was gone along with the dog. I decided since we never really officially met, just a friendly wave as we're driving by, that we should walk over to their house and introduce ourselves.

As it turns out, Bear comes from a family of 6 with two other smaller dogs and a cat. The four children are grown and they all have jobs leaving no time or no one to play with Bear. So, when Robin (the owner), asked if we would like to keep him I checked with Matt right away and the adoption took place.

Nyati is an Indian name meaning Great Buffalo. The girls like calling him Bear plus it's easier for them to say. For now, we'll call him by both names but eventually we'll just call him Bear.

He loves playing Frisbee!!

Meandering Off The Beaten Path

Recently, we had the opportunity to explore the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch Country through a driving tour of Covered Bridges in Lancaster County.

By accessing the Pennsylvania Dutch Country website, you can choose from five different driving tours, each with specific guided directions and information to fit your interests. The tour(s) allow you to journey through picturesque countryside as well as give you the opportunity to explore the lifestyles of Amish families and their farms.

We chose the Scenic Parks and Preserves Trail Tour because the points of interests included the historic and charming village of Strasburg and the Susquehanna Overlook. I did all of the driving while Matt navigated us through the twists and turns of the back roads. Thank goodness, otherwise I would have been car sick the entire trip.

The history of the covered bridges are stated in the tours itineraries, but unfortunately, most of the them were destroyed or damaged because of flooding and later rebuilt in different locations.

I really enjoyed strolling through Strasburg and eating lunch at the Red Caboose Motel. The girls had a chance to stretch their legs and get in some playground time while Matt and I climbed the spiral staircase of the View Tower. Once at the top, you could see panoramic views of beautiful farms and acres upon acres of green corn stalks.

This is a great inexpensive day trip and a wonderful way to explore the history and beauty of Amish living however, I would recommend starting early because there's a lot to see and a lot of ground to cover.

Fun Monday

Our Fun Monday assignment is given by our lovely Jan and she would like us to write about the following: Lazy Hazy Days of summer are upon us now, tell us what activities you enjoy doing outside and how do you stay cool. Share some photos of both if you wish.

So far on the east coast, we've had consecutive days of dry, below temperature, low humidity weather. It's been awesome but very unusual. By time July rolls around, the air conditioner is kicking and outside activities are unbearable or limited to morning hours because of the humidity. But, this year, we've been blessed with gorgeous weather and the grass, flowers, and lakes and streams are all reaping the benefits.

I love summer time and being outside watching my girls playing in their pool or slipping slide is one activity I enjoy. I even enjoy being splashed once in awhile. The next thing I have to mention is cracking claws (eating crabs) with family and friends. There's nothing more enjoyable then sharing a table full of scavenger eating, spider like, crustaceans on a warm summer evening and of course one or two or three beers to help wash down your meal. Finally, I could go on and on but, on lazy hazy days of summer, taking walks on the edges of Cordorus Lake is another summer activity I love doing. This year the shoreline has been submerged from the abundance of rain but when it exists, it's fun to take off your sandals and dip your feet in the water while looking for rocks to skip on top of the water.

I don't have pictures to share because my computer is sick and needs to go to the computer doctor this week.

Click here for more fun stories of the lazy hazy days of summer.

Enchantment

Last Friday, since Matt had off of work and the weather was so beautiful, we decided to use a gift certificate given to Gabby at her birthday for Elioak Farm in Ellicott City, MD. My sister in-law, along with her son and daughter joined us as well.

Way back when, there was an amusement park geared for smaller children called Enchanted Forest. It was chocked full of magical and fairy tale adventures. When Enchanted Forest decided to close their doors, Elioak Farm bought some of the fairy tale figures and placed them around their farm. Today, you can visit the farm and relive the magic and rebirth of the figures from Enchanted Forest. They also have a petting farm, pony rides, and hay rides. The kids enjoyed every bit and were tuckered out by the end of the day. I was feeling a little tired myself.

Here are some pictures from our visit.