A special birthday and of course...pumpkins.

This tree is in our back yard and marks the corner of our property.

I love this tree.

It is so big and I think it is neat that it is "owned" by no one.  

It sits on three different pieces of property.

I will apologize now for the pumpkin intensive post...again.

But..this is sort of an obsession for me. 

I will be sad when I have to cut the vine.

I LOVE hanging out with my pumpkin...we have lots of chats about weather

and other things going on in life.  Pumpkins are very understanding and have deep knowledge of 

life and great insight into issues surrounding us.  :)

They also keep me from being sad about Smudge's issues.

She has been doing okay lately and I will be taking her in to the vet this week for 

even more blood tests.  We are doing a more thorough test on her thyroid function. 

Keep your fingers and toes crossed that we may find some answers to her problems. 

Sparky the pumpkin has really been doing well.

We are up to approx. 430 lb. 

That was the last measurement that I took on the 18th.

I missed measuring her on the 19th....so I am sure she is probably over 450 by now.

Smudge is still not cooperating when I try to take her picture.

I get this.....

Or this...most of the time.

This is my neighbor's golf course. 

We love playing golf here and I got another hole in one the other day!!!

Yay!!

That is Elk Knob State Park in the background. 

Love that place too!

I think that Smudge has been talking to Zippy!

Now this is a bit better..

I have been seeing a lot of mushrooms lately.

The wild thing is that many of them have been heart shaped.

This beautiful guy stopped in to snack on a culled pumpkin that I threw 

into the mule pasture.  LOVE the red coat they have right now.  Not to mention the 

beautiful velvet antlers.  

This is a really pretty antique bottle that we have and I took a picture of it for 

a photo challenge shot.  

I was in the yard the other day checking on...of course...one of my pumpkins and Scatter

cat climbed the arbor that I made to get a birds-eye-view of the situation...

Or maybe it was just to get a bird...

Ha ha ha..

Another view.

All right!!

Much better posing! 

Zippy and I took a walk up to the neighbor's meadow.

I could stay here all day.

The Queen Anne's Lace was incredible.  

Once again...

Elk Knob State Park.

Zippy.

So....this is the kind of respect that I get....

At least it is a fun loving and more interesting pose.

Grrrr...

I see...back to the norm.

Sparky is really plumping up here. 

Love these Salpiglosses.

Such beautiful pattern and color!

Okay....so you threw me a bone...Ha ha ha..

Nice to see your smiling face, Smudge.

Mr. Cool.

(I had a cookie in my hand)

Smudge....

Hey......

hand over that cookie!

Another Salpiglosses.

This sign says...."Stop here on Red".  

So glad they pointed that out.

I usually stop on the other side of the light.  Ha ha ha.....

I forgot my cookies.

This is what happens when you forget your cookies.

Aug. the 18th was a very very special day....

It was Zippy's Birthday!!!!!

He was 9 years old on the 18th. 

He got a bright new Kong ball for his birthday.

Pretty much the only toy he can actually play with...

He is Zippy the Destroyer of Toys....

Plus....some more cookies.

Love you Mr. Zippster.

I just can't stop taking pictures of these flowers.

The COLOR!!!

Hey....Let me in!!!!

Just look at that cute face.

Oh...wait....that is not so cute.

Ha ha ha..

Resting her ear and lip on the deck railing.

Zippy off playing with his new ball...

He rolls it down the hill and then chases it.

Hilarious.

This is the beginnings of Chuck the Oak Hill Iron dog's hanging concrete head. 

Just the scratch coat of concrete on top of the armature.

I will apply the sculpting coat next! 

Stay tuned.