My son Abe, an avid Arizona gardener...

My son Abe moved his family to Arizona a couple of years ago. They considered many southern choices such as North Carolina, Texas, and several others. Abe's main purpose was for the brilliant sunshine and deep blue evening skies and gardening.

Abe grew up to be a tinkerer and that has followed him into adult life. He successfully is the CEO of his own company with his office in his house. (Once in a while he does have to come out and ask the girls to hold down the noise when he is on the phone!)

In the early mornings as well as noon and after five he is the caretaker of his home, his wife, and his children.

I am spending a week in Arizona as a house guest, a Nannie, a mom, and an admirer of his work.

Abe believes in 'walking the earth' with his bare feet every day. It reminds me of one of my favorite bloggers, http://iwalkthisearth.blogspot.com/,  by Cirrus Woods.

I met Cirrus a couple of years ago as he walked across America. 

Here are a few photos I took last night from my son's garden.

As always, enjoy, and thank you!

Dessert in the garden, carrots from the patch. Look who gets the smallest carrot?

Bougainvillea

Morning hibiscus

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day

Here is the link to this week's column. I loved writing this Mother's Day column and hope you enjoy it as well!

Click here for this week's Mother's Day column!

My sister Jessie is in the blue, my brother Scott is the baby, and I am in the pink dress.

Indiana countryside...

No trip to Shipshewanna is complete without a photo with a horse!

We stopped at a farmhouse to buy fresh eggs for $1.25. This tree was in the front yard!

The lilacs were everywhere...in town, in the country. 

Spring countryside at dusk in Indiana

We waited a long while for spring to come to Indiana this year, but it has not disappointed us in any way. I think it is one of the loveliest springs I can remember.

Virginia's family is visiting this month from Argentina. I told Virginia that it would be the perfect time to visit, and they are enjoying it immensely. They have meandered across northern Indiana including Pokagon and Trine. They have stayed at lake cottages, and prairie homes. Last night we went to Shipshewanna for the late afternoon and evening. We took the road less traveled coming home on 100E. It was a beautiful drive through Amish country. There were no cars, just bicycles and buggies. We stopped a few times for photos as I could not resist.

So here are a few photos from the day!

As always, enjoy and thanks for reading. 

Lou Ann

P.S. Makes you want to visit Indiana, doesn't it?

Goin' fishin' with my Daddy!

Matthew, Aaron, and Jonah are showing off just a part of their catch yesterday!

Indiana lakes in the spring are the perfect place to find little boys playing hookie with their dad! Aaron picked the boys up from school and took the boat out to their secret fishing hole!

In Steuben County, Indiana we have 101 lakes. In the winter we ice skate, ice fish, and ponder over thickness of the ice in winter. When the apple trees blossom and the crab apple trees cover the streets in bloom, it is time to take the boat out and bring in supper.

My three sons have been fishermen since they were about three years old. Their dad took them fishing and now the tradition continues. Lucky for the rest of us who are invited to their house for a fish fry or to be given a bucket of blue gills! Aaron fillets all his fish and Karen is the cook!

Lou Ann

My Indiana/Ocracoke fence!

My Indiana/Ocracoke fence!

I love this photo as it reminds me of the fences on Ocracoke! This is my delightful "White Picket Garden" fence after power washing!

For more stories on this first week in May, here is the link to my column!

As always, thank you for reading. Maybe you have a fence of your own you would like to share?

Please click here for the link to this week's column!

Lou Ann

Camelot

Those of us in the north are finally experiencing spring. It seems as if overnight the flowers and trees have budded and blooms are appearing each moment.

Yesterday was the perfect day...light breeze, sunshine, gorgeous sky and the unfolding of spring. It was also my last day at Trine. What an exciting year this has been working with the kids and the faculty at my local university. The students were playing music, sunbathing, and just being normal college kids at the end of the school year. One fraternity had taken all the couches out of their house and placed them in the front yard for the day.  After my last final we went outside to sit in the courtyard just as the Dominoe's pizza van pulled up. Yes, it was pizza day to celebrate!

Coming home I worked out in the yard helping my friend Lee power wash the fence, put in a new raised bed, and doing some other chores that had been neglected. All the neighbors were outside telling stories, cleaning up after winter and well, you know, catching up. Kids were everywhere with shovels for worm digging (my garden is the best for worms!), and playing every game imaginable.

At sunset I built a campfire to welcome May Day and everyone sat around roasting marshmallows not wanting this day to end.

Here are a couple of photos from my neighbor's trees.

Happy Spring!

This is a weeping cherry tree.

This is, of course, a forsythia bush.

Happy May Day!

Happy May Day! Today is the cross-quarter day between spring and summer. It is also known as May Day Beltane in Ireland.

Traditionally it is the day May Poles are set up for dancing, children leave treats on the doorsteps of neighbors, and the embers from bonfires mingle with the stars.

It is a fascinating day of celebration that we often miss. There is still time...dance in the street, build a campfire, offer a gift to a new neighbor.

The masks were gifts from my friend Kathy. They adorn my dining room table on the first week of May.

The wind blows out the gates of day.

The wind blows over the lonely of heart

And the lonely of heart is withered away,

While fairies dance in a place apart,

Shaking their milk-white feet in a ring.

Tossing their milk-white arms in the air.

W.B. Yeats