Looking back several years on my blog in the month of May we have always been traveling. Some of it due to it being the time of year when Rick’s company has training for salespeople in various places/countries and some was just for fun. It’s fun to look back and see what I was doing on a particular day years ago. Do you ever look at the sidebar on the blog under “On This Day …?” Lately our trip to San Miguel, Mexico and Lyon, France have been showing up. Last year this time we were in Panama.

This year however there has been no travel. Rick’s company decided to do the training right here in New Jersey so all the salespeople could see the factory where the cameras are made and since their hotel was just over the river from Manhattan in Weehawken they got to sample the city as well.

It feels strange not to be going somewhere. But, that changes at the end of this month.

We decided that after always taking our Colorado cabin vacation in the fall, this year we would switch it up and go in June instead. So, on the 26th you will find us all packed into our Suburban heading west. Hopefully this way we will get to see some moose and the wildflowers in bloom. Here too! Hopefully we won’t be too early for the flowers but since everything is ahead of schedule there (and here) this year it should work out.

Did I just say we were leaving on the 26th? Ack! Today is the 10th! Must. start. planning. NOW. I just finished up the cabin laundry. I had all the clothes done as soon as we got back last year but I just left all the linens and towels in the spare room. You know how is. You have the best of intentions to do them soon but then you forget. Or at least I do. Out of sight, out of mind.

Last weekend we made this tasty asparagus tart. It was easy: puff pastry, gruyere cheese, asparagus spears. Next time I might try spreading the puff pastry with a little dijon mustard under the cheese like I do with my tomato tart.

We also enjoyed a fire in our little outdoor fire pit after dinner.

And in case you’ve been wondering about Bella’s adorable but quirky little “do” you’ll be glad to know it’s been kept due to popular demand. Somehow it just suits her silly persona. No matter what we do it doesn’t stay down for long!

Looking forward to the weekend we have no set plans as yet. Well, maybe one thing is on our agenda: the Warwick Farmer’s Market has its opening day on Sunday. I’m sure we’ll hop into Mia and take a look at what goods are available. Even if the offerings are sparse at this time of year it’s a lovely drive and always enjoyable.

hi. it’s me; bella. i wented to the groomer’s to get prettied up for company. i want to know what you think of my new hairstyle.

i’m not sure i like it yet. i need your opinions. maybe you should see it from different angles.

what do you think? if you think i should keep my new look tell me quick before mom takes the thinning shears to me head!

somehow i get the feeling that mom was making fun of me ...

hello my adoring readers! it’s me; bella! i know i haven’t posted for a long time but i’ve been pretty good. well … good for me anyway. mommy says i never have a halo over my head but i don’t know what she means by that. who would want something hanging over their head anyhoo? beats me.

we haven’t really had any winter here. i love snow, so it’s been kind of a downer. but, as they say in dogville, when winter give you grass instead of snow — make grass angels!

here’s how you do it.

first pick a nice patch of dried up grass in the yard. make eye contact with the person you want to make laugh (or annoy). you choose.

then you start the roll like this: (are you watching??)

make sure you take full advantage of the situation while still on your back! be sure to wiggle your butt and kick your legs!

finishing up on the other side

and if you’ve done it properly you will end up looking like this:

you might have to try it a time or two to get it right. it does take some practice. if you like getting brushed you will enjoy this activity even more. if you don’t, well, be prepared to stay outside until you don’t have any more grass on you because your mommy will be annoyed with you and not let you in the house.

let me know how you make out!

hi everybody! it’s me: bella! remember when i used to blog alot when i was a puppy? my new year’s resolution is to take over mom’s blog more like i used to. i used to do really bad things but now that i am grown-up i am a really good girl. well … most of the time. mom says i am still her problem child. just look how i came to the door the other day and wanted to come inside. would you let me in? i even added a new freckle to my nose.

mom had to get some hot water in a watering can and pour it over my legs. sheesh. i didn’t like that very much. it was more fun getting in the mud in the first place.

yesterday we went for a long walk. we all got in the truck and drove for a little bit. when we got out i knew exactly where we were. hurrah! jungle habitat! at first i ran and ran. on the trail; off the trail. run, run, run. i stay close to mom and dad though and hailey and alex are more laid-back than i am. here i am with hailey (who is moving in this pic) and big brother alex in front.

i jumped in the water a bunch of times. i like jungle habitat because there is always water. i get wet. i get dirty. and of course, i get things caught in my skirts. mom and dad are forever pulling branches out of my fur. but on this walk i really topped it all. i earned a new name on this walk: bramble butt. take a look.

ouch! there are lots of wild rose bushes at one point in the walk and i think i found them all. i didn’t want to move with those things in my butt, so mom and dad had to pull them out one by one. i don’t know if i learned anything by this prickly situation. probably not.

at the end of the walk there is a really nice water place where we always like to get a drink. of course i have to do more than just get a drink. dad took this really cool picture of me and alex in the stream.

and here i am dashing through the woods … wet. can you see the water flying off me?

i had lots of fun. i slept most of the day after we got back. i can’t wait to go back there again! mom took some other pictures there too but they are just old nature photos. i’m sure she’ll bore you with them soon.

It’s been nearly three years in the making. Waiting. Hoping. Three years ago I planted some heirloom iris plants given to me by Becky. They survived their first New Jersey winter only to be partially dug up by Bella. My, she was a bad little puppy!

They’ve been looking the same for the past two years now. They come up but that’s been about it. This year I noticed the plants were much bigger than they had been with a lot more foliage. I had hope. We had a gardener come in and trim back our flower beds and unfortunately he trod on another iris that I think may have been going to bloom this year too, but not now. Clod. Two of the remaining six iris have buds and this one was the first to pop this morning.

Since they got mixed up when Bella “transplanted” them (you need to follow the link above and read the story) I really don’t know which variety is planted where now. This one is either Silverado or Alabaster Unicorn. Both descriptions of the flower that I found did not help me much since either of them can be white-ish. My guess is Silverado. It’s a beautiful bright white with maybe tinges of blueish purple around the edges. It’s very delicate looking.

I could ask Becky what it is but unfortunately Becky doesn’t read my blog any more. Not only that but she took me off her blog roll. I was sad about that since I have no idea why she stopped reading and commenting. Her sister who used to read and comment stopped too. Maybe I did or said something to offend them? I don’t know. I kept commenting on her blog for a while but she never responded in kind or acknowledged my comments, so I stopped, assuming she did not want me commenting anymore.

Anyway, if Becky is out there and she does happen to see this blog post, Thank You Becky! What a wonderful gift. And please follow the other link above to read both my entry of receiving the gift of heirloom irises and the back story (linked) of Becky’s mother’s love affair with irises. It’s worth reading, trust me.

Now I can’t wait to see what color the other one in bud is! I really wanted Hot Dogs and Mustard to make it…

Stay tuned for more vacation blogging! Coming up next in the vacation series: Reserva Natural Volcán Mombacho; Walking the crater’s rim