I remember you, June...

Can you believe it's almost August? 

Can you believe I haven't posted anything here since early summer?

Poor neglected blog.

I'm going to slow things down and mosey back in time, via some of my favorite shots from June.

Most are from our morning walks, which start pretty early. We haven't had many 100 degree days, 

but even the 90's are too hot for Max these days.

June is when the Mountain Pinks decorate the roadsides. 

But they aren't the only wildflowers in the Hollow.

We were blessed with rain this summer. 

See the raindrops left on these yucca petals?

 Rain spills down the hills around us, 

creating huge ruts on our dirt roads, 

so Tom and Daniel spent a morning digging and stacking rocks 

to divert the water down to the culvert below. 

Yay!

In June my nephew brought us a treat - my great-niece. 

She is truly a little doll, inside and out.

We didn't notice until I took the photo and zoomed in close that there's a tiny "pearl" in the middle of this star-shaped plant. 

Anyone know what this is called?

Would you believe Belle is 4 years old now? 

She still acts like a puppy, though, and has the energy of two.

It's funny to me that we say everything in Texas is bigger, yet we call this Lake Austin.

Would you believe a friend's sister lives with this view every day?
I felt blessed just getting to visit and see it once!

More from our early morning walks. 

My friend Leslie turned 55 this month. 

When you've been friends with someone for 40 years, 

you better hang on to them, because they really do know too much about you!

I'd hang on to her anyway. She's a sweetheart.

Speaking of hanging on, this little guy kept me company one day when I was working at home.

I ate my first Torchy's Taco in June. 

I'm ready for another one!

Visits to my house are an adventure for my mom...and impossible without my sons to help maneuver her wheelchair up and down our inclined rock path. 

(Don't take your legs and lungs for granted!)

I gave blood for the first time in more than thirty years in June. 

Then wondered why I hadn't done it sooner. 

No big deal!

I'm glad I chose to be part of Keller Williams Realty for many reasons, 

but one of them is their attitude that we're family. 

Our market center plans fun things for us to do together, 

including a happy hour at the Oasis restaurant on Lake Travis, 

where we watched the sun set.

I told him I just had to take his picture. 

He was cool with it.

I spotted this in a new home I was touring. 

I hope I can find one in a store.

(I'd say I'd make one, but I know better.)

A Frankie Photo Album

Our local electricity co-op is sponsoring a photography contest in honor of their 75th anniversary. They are looking for members' favorite photos representing their life in Central Texas.  

So of course I chose a photo of a walk with the puppies, back when Belle really was a puppy and Frankie, our late guinea fowl, thought he was one, too. 

We never tired of seeing that funny little guy tagging along.

The link to my submitted photo is HERE. 

Voting begins on the 26th and I'd really appreciate yours. 

I could win some cash!

It was tough trying to pick one to contribute, but so much fun digging back through old photos of Frankie. 

I came across several favorites and thought I'd share them with you.

Technically and photographically, they aren't great.

But memory-wise, they're priceless.

Oh, how I miss that funny face peering in at me...

Charly resigning himself to having a guinea fowl as a brother.

Breakfast!

Max's turn.

Charly's turn.

Finally, Frankie's turn.

House inspector Frankie

Just one of the guys on a morning walk.

Making sure Tom does a good job.

Okay, that's enough for one post.

Stay turned for "Frankie Memories, Part 2"...

Walking along a dirt road in April

Just about every morning, rain or shine, I take a walk down my dirt road with my puppies. 

Unless it's raining, I have my camera and my eyes are constantly searching for something to shoot...a new flower, an interesting weed, or merely the play of light on a leaf.

When I find it - whatever "it" is - Belle and Max wait patiently while I examine the something from every angle through my lens. 

They are so good.

You can imagine how many photos I have, then, if every morning I take between two and twenty. 

During busy times, I might not even glance twice at the photos, much less edit them or post them on my blog. 

There just aren't enough minutes in the day for that.

But there are (almost) always enough minutes to take a walk on a dirt road before the day gets swept away. 

(By the way, I apologize for being AWOL from your blogs. My son's wedding is fast approaching and I've been focusing on those last to-do's for it. Thanks for popping by to see me anyway - I miss you all!)

(One more thing...my photos are a mess. How do you organize yours?)

Linking (for the last time!) with
Lissa's Walk and Click