JBigg: Life in Kentucky: June 2016

June Blooms - a gardener's delight

On June 1, my flower beds had a new look, The spring blooms were gone and now a host of other plants and flowers were showing new life.

The stella d'oro lilies in my front beds close to the road were opening to show their beautiful blooms. Others blooms were waiting to open.

Other light yellow lilies are blooming by my back deck.

Another daylily that opened.

June plantings: new hostas were planted on June 1st and 2nd. The one on the left is a Christmas Hosta and the right is Paul's Glory. We'll see how much they grow over the summer.

Two hydrangeas were planted at the beginning of June. This one is "Blue Heaven." I am so excited to grow hydrangeas, I had none in my yard until now. I remember my grandmother having them along one side of her house when I was growing up. I loved those huge mophead blooms.

Two pots of Shasta Daisies were planted on June 5th.

I planted elephant ear bulbs in May and now they are up. The shot below was on June 2. They seem to grow very fast.

I have enjoyed watching the leaves unroll as they open.

The magnolia tree by my driveway started blooming in May and still has blooms in June. They will be gone soon.

On June 4, it rained most of the day so I didn't get out until early evening and much to my surprise, I had orange daylilies blooming.

Pink daylilies have now opened and are such pretty shades of pink.

My roses are starting to bloom again. I was a bit worried about them after their first blooms in May, they seemed to stop blooming but now they are looking good again and I'm seeing more buds each day.

Linking to:

A Garden Party @ Share Your Cup on Monday, June

Blue Monday @ Backyard Neighbors

Amaze Me Monday @ Dwellings

Met Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch

Show and Share @ Coastal Charm

Celebrate Your Story @ Sweet Sensations

Inspire Me Tuesday @ A Stroll Thru Life on Tuesday

The Scoop @ Stone Gable Blog

You're Gonna Love It Tuesday @ Kathe With an E

Tweak It Tuesday @ Cozy Little House

Swing Into Spring@ DIY by Design

Outdoor Wednesday @ A Southern Daydreamer

Wow Us Wednesdays @ Savvy Southern Style on Tuesday evening

Simple & Sweet Fridays @ Rooted in Thyme on Wednesday

Share Your Style Link Party @ The Essence of Home on Thursday evening

Tablescape Thursday @ Between Naps on the Porch

Favorite Things Thursday @ Katherine's Corner

Home and Garden Thursday @ A Delightsome Life

Home Sweet Home @ The Charm of Home on Thursday

Thoughts of Home on Thursday @ Poofing the Pillows

Share Your Cup Thursday @ Have A Cup of Mrs. Olson

Inspiration Thursday @ In The New House

The Creative Circle @ Domestic Charm

Photo Friday @ Pierced Wonderings

Feathered Nest Friday @ The French Country Cottage

Foodie Friday & Everything Else @ Rattlebridge Farm

The Bouquet of Talent Party @ Life on Lakeshore Drive - Saturday

DIY Sunday Showcase @ The Interior Frugalista - Saturday

Sundays at Home @ Love of Home

Inspiration Monday @ Our Southern Home

Sunny Simple Sunday @ Sunny Simple Life

Hooray for the Red, White and Blue

It's time to celebrate our independence by going to parades, watching fireworks, and enjoying time with friends and families.

When we were vacationing in North Dakota with our family over the holidays, we spent the 4th hiking and that evening we were in Custer City, North Dakota enjoying the fireworks.

Now, here in Murray, KY, we will go to the local parade on the 4th where my grandson will walk with the cub scouts. The rest of us will cheer him on!

Hooray for the red, white, and blue.

After the parade, we'll return home for lunch with the family. The peninsula in the kitchen is set for the occasion with our patriotic red, white, and blue stack of dishes and decor.

For lunch, we'll have cheeseburgers with heirloom tomatoes, and hot dogs from the grill. The sides will include roasted corn salad and balsamic tortellini pasta salad.

We may retreat to the deck where pots are filled with red, white and blue flowers.

On the deck, we can enjoy a summer favorite, a plate full of red delicious watermelon.

Thanks for joining me for Hooray for the Red, White, and Blue - Judy.

Linking to:

OMHG Wonderful Wednesday on Monday

All About Home @ Follow the Yellow Brick Home and Common Ground on Monday at 6 pm

Through My Lens on Monday

Inspire Me Tuesday @ A Stroll Thru Life

Tuesdays With A Twist @ God's Growing Garden

Tuesday Turn About @ My Wee Abode at 6 pm

Wonderful Wednesday @ Ducks in a Row on Tuesday evening

My Corner of the World @ Photographing New Zealand on Wednesday

Share Your Style @ French Ethereal on Wednesday at 6 pm

Thankful Thursday @ It's a Small Town Life

Tablescape Thursday @ Between Naps on the Porch

Funtastic Link Party @ Two Chicks and A Mom on Thursday 9pm

Little Things Thursday @ Random-osity

Thursday Favorite Things @ Katherine's Corner

Grace at Home @ The Charm of Home on Thursday

Fabulous Link Party @ Peacock Ridge Farm, Living Large in a Small House, South House Designs, & Vintage Home Designs on Friday

Friendship Friday Blog Hop @ Create With Joy

FLORAL FRIDAY FOTOS on Thursday

Floral Bliss on Friday

A Morning Cup of Joe @ The Cottage Market on Friday

Farm House Friday @ County Road 407

Friday With Friends @ My Hubbard Home

Saturday Sparks @ Pieced Pastimes on Friday

Pink Saturday @ How Sweet the Sound on Friday

Garden Affair @ Jaipur Garden

Mosaic Monday @ Letting Go of the Bay Leaf on Sunday

Love Your Creativity Link Party @ Life and Linda on Sunday at 2pm

Sundays on Silverado @ The House on Silverado

Inspire Me Monday @ Create With Joy on Sunday

Busy Monday @ A Pinch of Joy on Sundays at 5pm

Stars and Stripes Forever - Celebrating Freedom

At our house, we are all about celebrating freedom. Keeping our country free. We believe in the Star and Stripes Forever.

For this special holiday, I have created a patriotic tablescape to celebrate our freedom.

I'm using American flag placemats from Kohl's with a navy and white paisley tablecloth.

My stack of dishes includes red plates, navy blue salad plates, and a red bowl. I love the patriotic napkins (Pottery Barn) folded in half and placed in the bowl.

The red goblets were a gift from my Dad years ago.

Flatware is Laurie Gates by Hampton - Sizzle Ivory.

The centerpiece for the table is a red bowl filled with vining red geraniums.

Antique mercury glass pillar holders from Pottery Barn were added to each end of the geraniums. Then red flameless pillar candles topped each pillar.

In some of my other posts, you have seen how my husband loves to grill. So, of course, he has been busy getting the pork butts ready for our celebration. Ya gotta love a "man who cooks."

One of the desserts we are having are individual mixed berry tarts I made with fresh fruit. I did have whipped topping to add for those who wanted it. I found the dessert on Pinterest here.

The heart shaped flag plate is by Peggy Karr Glass.

I hope you enjoy this special day with your family and friends.

Thanks for stopping in as we celebrate freedom - Judy.

Linking to:

OMHG Wonderful Wednesday on Monday

All About Home @ Follow the Yellow Brick Home and Common Ground on Monday at 6 pm

Through My Lens on Monday

Inspire Me Tuesday @ A Stroll Thru Life

Beautifully Made Link Party @ Across the Blvd. on Tuesday

Tuesdays With A Twist @ God's Growing Garden

Tuesday Turn About @ My Wee Abode at 6 pm

Wonderful Wednesday @ Ducks in a Row on Tuesday evening

My Corner of the World @ Photographing New Zealand on Wednesday

Share Your Style @ French Ethereal on Wednesday at 6 pm

Thankful Thursday @ It's a Small Town Life

Tablescape Thursday @ Between Naps on the Porch

Funtastic Link Party @ Two Chicks and A Mom on Thursday 9pm

Little Things Thursday @ Random-osity

Thursday Favorite Things @ Katherine's Corner

Grace at Home @ The Charm of Home on Thursday

Fabulous Link Party @ Peacock Ridge Farm, Living Large in a Small House, South House Designs, & Vintage Home Designs on Friday

Friendship Friday Blog Hop @ Create With Joy

FLORAL FRIDAY FOTOS on Thursday

Floral Bliss on Friday

A Morning Cup of Joe @ The Cottage Market on Friday

Farm House Friday @ County Road 407

Friday With Friends @ My Hubbard Home

Saturday Sparks @ Pieced Pastimes on Friday

Pink Saturday @ How Sweet the Sound on Friday

Garden Affair @ Jaipur Garden

Mosaic Monday @ Letting Go of the Bay Leaf on Sunday

Love Your Creativity Link Party @ Life and Linda on Sunday at 2pm

Sundays on Silverado @ The House on Silverado

Inspire Me Monday @ Create With Joy on Sunday

Busy Monday @ A Pinch of Joy on Sundays at 5pm

Barns, Blooms, and Birds - Wk 5

Continuing my series . . .

I'm still sharing pictures of barns around the Murray, KY, area. This barn has lots of rust plus those small windows high on the front and sides.

This picture was taken in the fall and you see the doors are closed so there must be tobacco inside.

We photographed this barn again just a couple of weeks ago. This time, we used the barn as a background for pictures of our grandsons.

As we near July 4, I thought you might enjoy a patriotic showing of bloom colors in an urn.

Birds at my feeders on Sunday included:

A blue jay who keeps dropping in for black oil sunflower seeds.

A tufted titmouse who likes to grab a black oil sunflower seed and quickly fly to a branch so he can crack it and enjoy the taste.

We had a terrible storm on Saturday evening. The three birch trees next to our deck didn't handle the storm too well. Each tree has 3-5 trunks and at least 1-2 trunks in each tree were bent way over after the storm and couldn't straighten back up. Today my husband and I had to trim the branches way back hoping the trunks would stand straighter. After losing a lot of branches from our trimming, the trunks are standing better.

I was worried about the birds during the storm but today I put out new food in the feeders and my yard birds soon returned.

The Northern Cardinal visited right away.

Thanks for stopping by for another day of Life In Kentucky - Judy.

Linking to:

Amaze Me Monday @ Dwellings

Met Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch

Mosaic Monday @ Lavender Cottage last Monday of the month

Nature Notes @ Rambling Woods on Monday

Our World @ Our World Tuesday Meme

Inspire Me Tuesday @ A Stroll Thru Life on Tuesday

The Scoop @ StoneGable Blog

You're Gonna Love It Tuesday @ Kathe With an E

Wednesday Around the World @ Photographing New Zealand

Outdoor Wednesday @ A Southern Daydreamer

Wild Bird Wednesday @ Paying Ready Attention Gallery

Nature Notes @ Rambling Woods

Wow Us Wednesday @ Savvy Southern

ABC Wednesday

Home and Garden Thursday @ A Delightsome Life

Simple & Sweet Fridays @ Rooted in Thyme

Share Your Cup Thursday @ Have A Cup of Mrs. Olson

Foodie Friday & Everything Else @ Rattlebridge Farm on Thursday evening

Photo Friday @ Pierced Wonderings

Skywatch Friday @ Skyley

Saturday's Critters @ Viewing Nature with Eileen on Saturday

Camera Critters on Saturday

I'd Rather Be Birdin' on Saturday at noon

Tom's Barn Collective @ The Backroad Traveler on Sunday

Seasons @ St. Germain's Blog on Sunday

Skywatch Friday Wyoming

Between Cody, WY and Yellowstone

Linking to

Skywatch Friday @ Skyley
Straight Out of the Camera Sunday

Barns, blooms and birds - Wk 4

Still continuing my series on barns, blooms and birds for Week 4.

This red tobacco barn is also around the Murray, KY, area and less than a mile down the road from me.

Did you notice how small the windows on this barn are? It's certainly not like a hay barn you see in other places.

I imagine the small openings have a part in drying the tobacco. The small windows certainly make the barn look massive.

This tobacco barn also has good fences surrounding it.

I am so happy to say that my roses are budding and blooming again. This week is even better than last week. I had been worried about them but they are putting on a show this week.

The shasta daisies are always so showy in the yard and super easy to care for.

I'm seeing more tomatoes and blooms on the vines. My tomatoes are in pots this year.

This cute little Downy woodpecker will eat black oil sunflower seeds when my suet feeders are empty. He will eat at the feeders with me sitting just a few feet away. I had friends of mine sitting on the deck the other day and he still came over and wasn't bothered by us at all.

My husband just returned from a walleye fishing trip into Canada. He has a few images I wanted to share with you. Although they aren't close up shots like my yard birds (he only had a small camera with him), I'll show you a few of these Bald Eagles he captured.