Father's Day and June's Frosty Weather

Spring's season is fast approaching its end, and Summer awaits on the horizon. We've had an amazing spring this year - with all the joys that a cool wet spring brings - lots of rain showers, rainbows, cool winds, abundant sunshine, and even a surprise weekend full of frosty temperatures - yes, we had a late frost this past weekend, with temps down in the high 20s! 

Brilliant double rainbow after a spring rainstorm!

A bluebird family has taken up residence in my garden, and I've enjoyed watching Papa and Momma watch so carefully after their little ones. 

The wild roses are in full bloom - growing with abandon this year - oh the joy of smelling these roses! Their fragrance fills the air with its delicate tones. 

I wish I could share their fragrance with you!
And I wish I could bottle it up and save it to enjoy year-round! 

My iris are now in bloom, happily blooming despite the presence of cold winds and rain! 

In another part of my garden, a wren family takes up residence yearly in June - oh how I love to hear the wrens sing and talk to each other - and the scolding they give me when I get too close to their nest! 

I've been busy at work in the garden! Many of the pathways needed attention because of weeds. I've used plastic, heavy black landscape paper and cardboard in the past.

I've come to like cardboard the best, because the soil improves as the cardboard breaks down, while the weeds continue to grow on top of the plastic or landscape paper, which makes it impossible to get rid of them. With all the wood chips from our downed trees, I've been hauling it into the garden to improve the soil and make weed-tending easier. 

After the cardboard has been laid, I then cover it with the chipped tree mulch. 

The peonies began to bloom just as frosty temperatures visited my garden. On June 15 and 16 we had overnight lows around 29.  

Even though everything was covered, my plants still took a "hit" from the frost, and will take a while to recover.  They will recover, but it has definitely set things back. 

You may remember I shared how a momma hen hatched 4 chicks of her own, and adopted 6 more that I put under her.  She raised them and cared for them until they left the coop and entered the big run with the other chickens.  Strangely enough, one day I saw a new hen mothering the chicks! The original momma has returned to laying eggs, and another hen has taken in and adopted the little ones! Nature never ceases to amaze me! 

Captured on our morning walk, our neighbor's horse is enjoying the green grass and abundant sunshine. We have had some glorious Spring days! 

Our kids all came together for Father's Day.  Our daughter got a new T-shirt -  it says "Eating tacos for two".  We enjoyed chicken fajitas together! 

Our kids with their dad! 

All of us together! In October, we will have the newest member of the family join us!
We can't wait! 

Morning walks with Riley - how we love walking with the delight of a new day upon us. 

I wish you could smell these heirloom peonies - they have the most delicate fragrance, with rosy overtones. A dear friend gave me a start from her mother-in-law's garden, and these have been around for over 80 years. I cherish every bloom! 

With summer arriving this week, I can hardly believe we are halfway through the year! I know it feels this way every year, that we wish time would slow down, but it seems to barrel along faster and faster every day.  

It's so important that we choose to live fully in every moment that we have - each second of our life is one that we will never get back again. 

My heart's determination is to make every second count and to soak up all the beauty and wonder of the world the Lord has created for us to enjoy, and I praise Him for His creation which always points my heart back to trusting Him for all things. 

This is my newest video sharing some of the aurora photos that I took back in May paired with instrumental worship music.  I took over 300 pictures on two different occasions!  It was such a magnificent experience to see the aurora on Mother's Day weekend.  I've seen them many times, but never as powerful as they were on that Friday night.  I hope you will enjoy the video!  

Psalm 121 (KJV) 

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, 

from whence cometh my help. 

My help cometh from the Lord, 

which made heaven and earth. 

He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: 

He that keepeth thee will not slumber. 

Behold He that keepeth Israel 

shall neither slumber nor sleep. 

The Lord is thy keeper, 

the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.  

The sun shall not smoke thee by day 

nor the moon by night.  

The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: 

He shall preserve thy soul.  

The Lord shall preserve 

thy going out and thy coming in 

from this time forth 

and even for evermore. 

May your hearts be blessed and encouraged by this video - and in knowing that the God who created this magnificent universe for us to dwell in, has a plan and a purpose for everything that is happening, and we can look to Him for our peace and contentment, in the midst of difficult seasons. 

Much love to all of you, my dear and precious readers!