* I REMEMBER *

On this weekend, that everyone looks forward to because we have an extra day off work, school is finally over for the summer and we can relax a bit....

 I remember.....

I remember.....

Grandpa Cook served our country in WWI.

Here is grandpa and grandma Cook and baby Yvonne.

They look so young!

I remember.....

 My father in law Woodrow served in WWII.

I remember.....

My daddy who served in Europe during WWII.

I remember.....

My husband who spent his years of service in the Air Force in SE Asia during the Vietnam Conflict.

I remember......

 Those who did  not come home giving the ultimate sacrifice for the priviledge of freedom.

To all those, who have and will serve, I am forever grateful.

I will always remember....

A Stroll Through the Flowers

Yesterday afternoon we finally had a significant rainfall and I think I could hear the grass and flowers laughing and dancing! I took a stroll around this afternoon to check on things.

This is a wildflower blooming out by the driveway.

I adore this color.

Ok, I adore this color too!

Gardenia, also know as Cape Jasmine perfumes the whole garden and I love it's creamy white blooms against the dark green leaves.

Yarrow along with yellow Lantana out by the mailbox.

Angel Wing Begonia just beginning to bloom in the little conservatory built by hubby.

Shasta Daisy, a pass-along plant given to me

years ago by a co-worker.

 

Double File Viburnum, even after the flowers are gone,

 is still quite colorful.

All my plants seem to have gotten a late start and haven't quite performed up to their usual this year. I am not sure why, but even the lawn has been slow in coming out. Hopefully, God's water, with all the wonderful minerals and trace elements that plants love, will get everything back on schedule.

I seem to be in a rut with the pictures of flowers lately, but I love this time of year so much!  This is the best time to enjoy the garden before the heat and humidity of southern summers takes its toll.

 I will try to expand my wanderings in the future.

Favorite Florida Food

One of the best things about Florida is the abundance of fresh seafood available. As I mentioned earlier, we sampled shrimp every which way and it was all delicious. One night we went to Clark's Fish Camp on the river to eat. The atmosphere was downright rustic to say the least, but the food out of this world.

Seating at the outside bar on the dock while you wait for a table.

Watching the boaters and fishermen coming and going helped to pass the time while we waited. In fact, I was enjoying myself so much, I was in no hurry to get a table. We were seated on the outside patio so we could continue to enjoy the beauty of the river.  I ate Coconut Shrimp and Barbequed Shrimp with good old sweet tea.

Another favorite place was called Barbara Jean's. It was just up the road from where we were staying and we liked it so much we visited twice! This dessert is to die for, Key Lime Tart made at the resturant with fresh ingredients. Others favored the Chocolate Stuff, which was yummy as well. 

Can you tell the Chocolate Stuff was David's favorite?

View of the beautiful marsh in the distance from our table on the patio at Barbara Jean's.

We loved the food so much, we had our picture made in front of the building. If you ever have an opportunity to eat at Barbara Jean's, don't pass it by. Their crab cakes are the best and are shipped all over the country. You can order the Chocolate Stuff on line as well...........I haven't told David that yet~

* ROAD TRIP *

Last week David and I met my sister and brother-in-law in Jacksonville, FL for a visit with my niece Ashley and hubby Jon. It was Shrimp Festival weekend and Ashley was running her first 5K race with Jon. We decided we needed to be there to lend moral support and cheer her across the finish line

(oh, and did I mention there were shrimp?)

The race started and ended at beautiful Fernandina Beach.

Here she comes! Run Ashley, Run!

Thumbs up for a race well run.

 Now time to enjoy the Shrimp Festival, which we did. We started lunch about 9:30 a.m. with Shrimp Pie followed by Lemonade then Shrimp Twisters, on to Shrimp Baskets and Funnel Cakes and well you see where this is headed! There were vendors selling just about everything including antiques.

A few things we saw and enjoyed.

An adorable little house surrounded by flowers and a white picket fence.

Boats at the marina and the pretty buildings in the background.

Mast of a beautiful sailing vessel.

Here we are, enjoying the day. We spent a couple more days exploring this beautiful city and enjoying time with family. As usual, we ran out of time before we ran out of things to see and do!

Thanks Ashley & Jon, you were great hosts and we love you!

~ Mama's Roses ~

Last weekend, David and I took a little trip south to the great state of Florida to visit my sweet niece Ashley and her hubby Jon. (I will share more about that trip later). On our way home, we stopped in Columbus, Ms and spent the night with mama and Bill. My mama, if you don't already know, not only has a green thumb but her whole hand is green! Her yard and flowers are beautiful and I wanted to share a few of my favorites. This is a Rio Somba rose and hers is magnificent!

Here is mama standing beside the rose bush to give you an idea of just how large and beautiful it is. (Isn't she cute in her rose pj's?)

This rose has all the colors of a sunrise or sunset, pinks, yellows, oranges with a touch of red, beautiful.

This rose we call the "Aunt Willie Mae rose" because it came from a cutting in Aunt Willie Mae's yard. It is a large cabbage rose with a fragrance to match. This bloom grew between the posts on the garage. I don't know the name of this one, but it resembles a David Austin.

I know, this is not a rose, but I had to tuck in this sweet Columbine bloom. So pretty and dainty.

We traveled almost 2000 miles that week and saw many beautiful sights, but none prettier than mama's yard. Hope you enjoyed visiting her garden as well. ~ Aunt C