I decided to enter the garden art class in the repurposed and recycled crafts category for the county fair. The instructions were simple: Take one item (any item), photograph it, then turn it into garden art. My first idea was to make an asterisk out of a tree branch. It worked, but looked too clumsy. Next idea was to create an elephant out of chicken wire. It was turning out well but safety became an issue with all the sharp points. So I abandoned the project for another day. Then came the mini aluminum decorative milk can, pictured above. Too bad I painted the lid shut so I couldn't plant a succulent in it. (I'll work on getting it open later.) Finally, something worked. I painted one of the Mama's dried gourds that I found in the garage. It's one she grew for seeds. If anyone asks me what it's purpose will be in the garden, I'll say "Birdhouse." lol Time for me to clean up and take the entries to the fairgrounds. When I get back, I&#

    At the moment, I'm working on my photo entries for the county fair (due tomorrow). As usual, I let the days go by like three years ago, the last time I participated in the fair. My post from September 28, 2015. ************** Yesterday afternoon, procrastinating me started thinking about my flower arrangement entries for the fair, which are due on Wednesday afternoon. I opened one of the kitchen cupboards and staring boldly at me, obviously begging to be in the fair, was an Eiffel Tower martini glass.  "I'm for the A Touch of Glass dry floral arrangement," it proclaimed.  "Okay," I said. "Let's go." We went to the office where I set the Eiffel Tower martini glass on the drawing board, into which the poor Husband keeps bumping as he goes in and out of the office. Before I knew it, the dried green moss called out from its basket on the floor, "Hey! Hey!" Bammm! A handful of moss planted itself in the glass,

"Enjoy life. There's plenty of time to be dead." ~ Hans Christian Andersen

"Go into the sunlight, Molly." The Husband and I coaxed the furry Girl as she walked beside the side fence. We had been admiring our new front fence, yet again, when we noticed how the late afternoon light lit up our Molly the Cat. Did she oblige us? Of course not. Fortunately, I happened to click the camera just as she wandered off the sun-lit path. "You're welcome," said Molly the Cat. Purrrrrrr.  I'm linking up with the photography meme Wandering Camera hosted by Soma Acharya of Whims and Fancies . Click here to learn more about this month's meme and to check out other participants.

My theme for #23 Round of ABC Wednesday: Signs & Such of San Benito County, California Lifelong learning. Seriously, how can we not expand our skills and general knowledge as we go through life? These days, for example, I'm learning about flower gardening and succulents, and mixing paint colors and repurposing stuff into garden art. Without even trying, I've been learning about the rise of Nazis due to reading several novels that were set in England between WWI and WWII. It's just as well that King Edward VIII quit the throne for Mrs. Simpson. The two were suspected of being Nazi sympathizers. Speaking about books, do you have any Little Free Library stands in your community? They're part of a world-wide effort for people to exchange books for free. Take a book, leave a book. The Husband and I would like to put one in our front yard one of these days. The Little Free Library in the photo stands in front of Vertigo Coffee in San Juan Bautista. L

"How do you get brown?" asked I, standing outdoors at the patio door. "Mix green and blue," responded the Husband, washing dishes about 20 feet away. As I walked back to my temporary work table beneath the Miracle Tree, I realized I would have to first mix blue and yellow to get green. Sigh. Several hours later, when the Husband stopped, I showed him the rock I was painting. "The brown looks like dirt." Accomplishment achieved! Today is Our World Tuesday , where I'm participating. Here's the link . Grazie, OWT administrators.

Missus Lady and Hero Man have been hanging outside in the backyard with me a lot lately. I like it, even when they suddenly go into fits of chatter and laughter as they play with their paints, scissors, hammers, saws, and other stuff. They crack me up, my humans do. Purrrrrrrrrr. There is one quirk of Missus Lady that bugs me. Click, click. Click, click. When I hear that puckering kiss sound, miao, I turn around, miao, nearly all the time. Click! goes the Missus Lady's camera. How many pictures of me does she need? Miaooooo.