Raspberry Beginnings

They’re starting.  Those dry-looking sticks standing bleak and bare during the winter are starting to come to life again.  It’s one of those events I never tire of.  They’ve been thinned, watered, weeded, ‘ironed’ (chelated iron applied because, while there is plenty of the stuff in our Utah soil, the canes cannot use it.  It’s a chemical thing, and Science Rules, therefore, we apply).  We never had to work this hard for glorious raspberries in British Columbia, did we Mom?  Yet, it is a pleasure, this working and hoping for another bumper crop of the beautiful and delicious gems.

  
And all through the hours I was dreaming of doing this – making some homemade raspberry ice cream.  Diet? What diet?  Diet move aside, there are raspberries and cream to be savored here.

In-A-Bag Ice Cream
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 Cup half and half (We used whole milk)
1 tsp. vanilla
Mix together and place in a pint zip lock bag.  Place little bag in a quart size zip lock bag along with 1/2 cup rock salt (table salt will do) and about 5 cups ice. Shake and roll (gently) for 5-10 min.  Rinse the little bag before you open it and eat.  Now you can also add whatever strikes your fancy, or leave it in its pure, delicious vanilla form.  Our flavor of the day – Last years ruby-red treasures still lingering in our freezer.  Come on over!  We’ll make another batch just for you.
 


Happy raspberry canes, happy twins, happy me.

Devon Is Movin’ On

Here are a few more images of the Handsome Devon.  Senior Sessions  have got to be my favorite shoots.  Sometime I’ll have to do an essay blog about it.  But, really, a pictures is worth a thousand words, so enjoy these images (instead of a lengthy essay) of this wonderful young man/cowboy/basketball player/horseman/brother/. . . .



Some of the relatives crossed my view too.
 
 

Senior Guy(s)

Man!  These Senior guys are great in front of a camera.  Here’s a tiny slice of yesterday’s photo shoot with them. 

Wranglers, a mustang, and a hat.  Love Devon’s western gear.
    

Had to have a few more images of the Josh before  the big G-Day.


   
And a little JRR Tolkien

Golly Molly!

Golly Molly!  Could anything be prettier or sweeter or more beautiful than this Senior gal?  Ah don thin so.


Fresh as a . . . daffodil.

Bees ‘N Cake

Here are two images of dozens which have happened around here in the last couple of days.

Anna, Bronwyn and I fashioned this beauty to help celebrate Jasen and Lorna’s wedding.

Not many Princess-gals beg to come along on a honey bee pick-up with their bee-lovin’ mother and aunt.  But Bronwyn is aspiring to be Queen Bee herself and she is fearless of 3 pounds of Italian buzzies.  We had a marvelous drive through mining towns and hilly terrain to get them.  Fun.

Flower Girls

A wedding in Derek’s family brought him and Katie and girls down our way today.  While it was going on, Erin, Morgan, Shannon Cheri, and Lolly-Laurin stayed with us!  They made a little crepe paper and chenille sticks do some wonderful things.  Such creative girls.
 

K–K–K - Katie