Welcome Mat

We bought a new welcome mat yesterday. A little "funkier" than what I would normally choose, but like I told my husband, I felt like this mat reflected what's inside our house better than the others I considered. And I love it! So bright and cheery and picks up the colors of the front door and the flowers. No regrets.

Cosmos

I've fallen hard for Cosmos! These are the cheeriest flowers and they just don't stop blooming! I love the color combination we bought, too...white and shades of pink from pale to magenta! We planted some Cosmos seeds—a beautiful orange variety that some complete strangers gave us after we admired them in their yard last year! We think they're coming up, but no blooms yet here at the end of May. Time will tell... 

In honor of all those who gave their lives. Our deepest thanks.

Checkmate

 Recent rains (and a judicious trim) have the checkerboard patio looking great. The sedum we planted in the row near the house is slowly filling in too. Next year, though, we'll know better than letting the autumn leaves lie on the patio and lawn all winter. The grass there really suffered and has taken a while to recover.

Rain, rain, and more rain

 May 24 and it has rained and rained and rained some more. We've never seen the creek so full or the back yard so soggy! Not complaining. It's wonderful to have all the moisture, but we'd be happy to send some of it to California and other climes that need it worse than we do.

A Kansas Thunderstorm

There is no sweeter music than a Kansas thunderstorm...as long as it's not accompanied by hail or tornadoes, of course! We had one of those gentle rain/low-rumbling distant thunder storms today, May 9, and I captured it on this video:

Only yesterday I was out on the deck working. Makes a lovely office when there's no rain.

A big pile of dirt

May 8, and we're still working on the front entry, trying to get all the rocks out of the dirt, and dig the bed down to a reasonable depth so water can drain and the mulch won't float away. It seems to be one of those things that has to get worse before it can get better. But we're getting there. If we hold the camera in the right place, you'd never even know the spot wasn't finished.

 The goal is to get this flower cart parked in the entry garden on the mulch so it won't have to be moved when we mow.

 Look how wonderfully the Japanese Magnolia has adapted to its new home! We are so thrilled about that, and can see that it will be a great spot for it—creating a screen that will hide the utilities on the side of the house...and our view of the neighbors' trash can.

 The front porch pots are doing well and provide a colorful welcome to visitors.