No particular reason was the original title to this post.

After writing this post, I now need to change the title to:

Fair Warning! If you are at all an emotional person, you might need a Kleenex. The end of this blog got a little more mushy than I originally intended. I saw this picture again and the thoughts and feelings just started pouring out and I had to tell them.

So, I'm sitting here tonight trying to decide what I should blog about and I've looked back on the previous posts and discovered a few things.

1. That Amy posted some really great pictures of Aunt Sally's yard. I do love the color palette with the bird bath and the flowers. It's absolutely stunning! Also, I love lady bugs. They are the prettiest little bugs. That bright, shiny red shell and the black spots. I don't care so much for the little beetles that look like lady bugs but aren't though. I'm pretty sure those little boogers bite! Anyway, Amy, I was telling you about focusing on something big and then removing the big thing and taking the shot to get a focused lady bug. Here's the shot I took last year, when we first got the big camera. I really love this picture and remember thinking it was a professional grade shot when I took it. Even though it at this point I know it could be even more focused.

Here are a few more shots that were taken shortly after we bought the camera. I loved the color of these clover. I had no idea that clover came in red. I thought they were either white or purple, and the locust shell is just so cool. I can't wrap my head around how they manage to emerge from this shell and it remain intact. If you look close you can see the tiny hairs stuck in the shell.

and 2. That I posted about Hidden Hill Nursery the other day and only posted a few pictures and didn't really go into a lot of detail about the place.

I can't begin to tell you how many acres it is. A land surveyor I'm not. But, it is a rather large property in Utica that is just a truly great spot. As I said before, Bob Hill was a Courier Journal columnist, so basically he's a local celebrity, and he has opened his home, at least the outdoor areas of it, to the public. I could honestly go up to this place every weekend and just relax under the shade trees and listen to this small, man made pond.

It's such a peaceful spot and listening to the water trickle is just so soothing. I could use a little soothing place of my own right now. Of course, the boys are already asleep and Eden is getting ready for bed and will be asleep with in just a few min. of her head hitting the pillow. She hasn't always been so quick to fall asleep, but she has always been a good sleeper. I wish I could say the same for my boys. Almost 4 years without a full nights sleep and some days I wonder if I'll make it to the next. They are a blessing and I love them all. I just wish they would learn to sleep better and stay in their beds.

For Louise, I think that the tree you posted not to long ago, that you want to plant in the back yard once you get clearance, was a pink dogwood. I could be mistaken, but, I am posting a picture of this dogwood because I thought it was so pretty. The petals of the flowers are doubled in the blooms.

I stood under this tree forever with the camera pointed into the sun, trying so hard to get the perfect shot. It never came, but it was a valiant effort! ;o)

The picture above was taken on the grounds of the church that we shot the wedding at. I've started experimenting with reflection shots. Again, I send a shout out to Louise, I was inspired by your April Showers submission to the photo contest.

This little bird is perched on the corner of a large grave stone outside the church, I thought that it was precious.

The story behind this picture is this. When we arrived at the church/cemetery to take some test shots of the area so that we could prepare for the wedding the next day, I got out of my car and was instantly drawn by the beauty of these two brilliant red roses and the stark contrast between their color and the cool gray of the grave stone. We all went into the church, walked the grounds, I took the picture above, several in the church, but continued to be drawn back to this stone. It was just off the access road where the "chapel parking" was marked. The more I walked the grounds, the more I wanted to go back. The name Lenz is not significant to my family that I am aware of. However, once I went back and took this, and a few other pictures of this grave, I finally took note of the inscription on the stone. Mr. and Mr. Lenz were married in 1940 and both of them passed, within just a few months of each other, in 1998. I am emotional looking at this picture and telling you the story behind it. The reason for this emotion is that I truly believe that Michael and I share the love that it requires to be married to one another for 58 years and it is my sincere hope, that should we both make it to our 60's, 70's, or 80's like this couple, that if he goes before me, that I follow shortly, because, I just can't see my life without him and, to me, the fact that this couple died so closely together, says that they shared a deep and profound love that is very rare in these times when divorce is such an easy thing to do. I know that occasionally, Michael makes it in here to read some of my blogs. I hope that he sees this one and knows that he is the love of my life, and I know that we have had our ups and downs and that more are sure to be just around the corner, but I can't see my life without him and really don't care to.

I love you baby!