Wordless Wednesday ~ Autumn in Park City

 

Taken with my iPhone, along Guardsman Pass near Deer Valley ski resort. The weird blues come from the windshield tint in my car. :)

For more Wordless Wednesday participants click here!



Follow @Kate_HAGardens

Wordless Wednesdays ~ Gila Wildflowers

For more Wordless Wednesday participants click here!



Follow @Kate_HAGardens

A Toast! Live, Laugh and... Loaf.

My feather boa is late in arriving. As are my rhinestone stiletto heels. This could be problematic.

You see, my darling daughter is getting married in 12 short days. Tick. Tock. And, I wanna look like a million bucks!

She wants me to look like a million bucks, too, which is probably why she nixed the feather boa. (Shock of the world.) And, volunteered to take me shopping.

When she picked me up at the airport she announced that, on wedding day, our hair and make up will be done by some pro. Yikes. Let's hope she's a highly talented pro. 'Cause I need all the help I can get.

My little girl would be a stunner in a trash bag. (Which could have saved a bundle on that wedding gown. Hmmm. Why didn't we think of that sooner?)

As for me? Well, it doesn't matter how I fix my hair. I always look like I've been drinking.

Last night, I tried on the pretty dress she picked out for me ~ it's a lovely, print pattern of bright, autumn colors. As I stared at myself in the mirror, I thought... Oh, man, why didn't we go with basic black?

Because that talk of feather boas is simple silliness. I was born a wallflower. Most comfy blending into the woodwork. 100% satisfied, standing on the sidelines.

It got me thinking about how I raised her right. With significantly more confidence than I'll ever possess. We may not be very much alike.  And, yet we're two peas in that proverbial pod.

The bestest of friends, in addition to being a great Mother/Daughter team.

I feel very blessed to have a child in my life who doesn't make me crazy. (Well, not all that often, anyway.) And, I think she's very blessed to have found a soul mate so early in life.

Three cheers for this happy couple :)

In the mood for a cheap thrill? Go zip-lining at Park City Mountain Resort. [Not for the faint of heart...]



Follow @Kate_HAGardens

The Heavenly Blues

And, the winner is... Morning Glory, Heavenly Blue

 I was so worn out yesterday. It was all I could do to stay awake until the sun went down. Of course, then I was up before dawn, staring at the waning full moon and wondering if that was the culprit for my poor night’s sleep.

I seeded Morning Glories in an old whiskey barrel on the deck.

And, it wasn’t just me. The pets were awake, milling about, as well. I know dogs dream but I guess they also toss and turn. Who knew?

I cuddled into my ratty robe, brewed up a pot of cowgirl coffee, and plopped down on a deck chair, facing the mountains.

Watched the fog lift from the meadow across the way and spoke out loud ~ to myself, I guess ~ sincerely wondering: Where did this summer go? 

Unplanned, but what a great planting spot! I can view these flowers through the kitchen window.

It takes just one cold, stormy night to be reminded of how that seasonal clock never stops ticking. That time is no longer on my side. The leaves are changing and so am I. Shifting gears. Thinking about all the autumn chores. How to prepare the garden for those inevitable snows. Never a happy thought.

Heavenly blooms thru the kitchen window.

And, recapping what, in lots of ways, was a fabulous summer. Though the busiest I can recall, in many years.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

Seems each garden season, one special flower captivates my attention. Sometimes they're exotic beauties I never should have purchased ~ prompting me to devote the better part of the season trying to convince them that they'll enjoy living here. {Hardly ever the case.}

This year, it was the simplest of flowers. An annual Morning Glory called Heavenly Blue. This high in the mountains, the Blues need a jump start so we can revel in their glory before the nights grow too cold.

I started them indoors, from seed. That's the most marvelous thing about a simple packet of seeds. You don't end up with one plant, you typically end up with 20 or 30. So, I shared the wealth, delivering baby blues to flower-loving friends. Including some of my daughter's best buds, who are just getting into gardening.

That was so much fun ~ bouncing pictures back and forth ~ tracking the progress of our Heavenly Blues. I love getting new people into gardening. (Though one of them used push pins to get the vines to climb a wall, so we're still working out a few bugs with respect to gardening technique... :)

When they were vacationing in Vail last month, they spotted this beloved Morning Glory strutting her stuff along a restaurant wall and sent me a pic.

True Confessions? It's gonna break my heart when the nights grow colder and this bright blue beauty says bye-bye. I might just drag her indoors and see if we can be roommates for the winter.

The Skinny: Ipomoea Heavenly Blue Morning Glory, annual flower, not cold hardy ~ Easy as pie to grow by seed. Full sun, drought tolerant, big 5-inch blooms on vines that climb approximately 10 feet.

Did you have a favorite flower this summer? Do tell!


Follow @Kate_HAGardens