4th of July 2008

What a week it has been! This is usually my busiest time of the year and this year was no exception. We had a wonderful day all around for the 4th of July. The weather was perfect! Family started arriving in the afternoon and we all gathered in my yard for a barbecue.
In the hustle to get everything going we forgot to get the potatoes on the fire, so they were a little late getting prepared.
After dinner everyone got busy with relaxing, visiting and shooting off fireworks.
The kids also got busy with having fun and keeping cool in the pool.
We had enough food to cover two long tables.
We also celebrated KP1's birthday, though it's really a few days off. This year, for reasons unknown, she decided she wanted a Hawaiian birthday. So her mom and aunt made her a Hawaii birthday cake.

While the birthday girl opened presents, the boys went back to doing what boys do best, blow things up.
My son had friends from his previous job come out and help us celebrate. They brought with them a couple of large containers of fireworks to add to our display. Everyone had a GRAND time.
Here is my first attempt at shooting fireworks with my new camera...
Bob and Bec, tell me what you think happened...
...these first three seem to be what I would say are "in focus"....

...but this next one appears blurred to me (click on them to see what I'm talking about).
...all the ones following are not as crisp as the first three.
I was right underneath ALL of them, really close. I hadn't moved for any of them and they were all being shot from the same location. I didn't intentionally change any settings.
Do you think that maybe I or someone else might have turned the focus ring on the lens? Would this have caused these to be out of focus like this?
Or do you suspect some other problem? They're still pretty, even if they're out of focus. I hope everyone had a VERY HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY! as we did.

Dirty Work

Over the last week or so I've been busy rototilling and area for a garden. It needed some work because I haven't had a garden in many years. I'm just glad I had an actual rototiller to use as that the last little garden I had I turned by hand. I think I was more active then and all my parts worked better than they do now. Yesterday I took three of my grandkids with me to our local hardware store and purchase some plants and seeds. Below are the flowers that KP1 transferred to the pots for me.
After showing her what to do I pretty much let her do the arraignment all on her own.
K-Monster and I drove posts to make the fence with pallets for my cucumbers to climb, and BW (who is now to be known as B-rad, which is what he said they call him at school) laid out the paths between the beds. K-Monster, KP1 and I then laid down newspaper and boards to walk on in the paths.

KP1 had a pumpkin plant from a school project that we planted on the backside of the pallet.
I prefer to plant in beds, I have no luck with rows, I loose them. I bought six tomato plants. There wasn't much of a choice. Two of them are yellow tomatoes, I know nothing about these. The others are two different varieties of Roma. I've planted zucchini, cucumber, carrots, okra, lettuce, spinach, cabbage, watermelon, cantaloupe and onion. Some of these are probably in too late, but, oh well, I'm giving them a go anyway. I just realized that I haven't gotten any bell pepper plants.
The Mulberry trees are loaded this year and the birds are really liking it.
More storms moving in tonight.
I still have to get the pool set up, but I did get the area cleared, I'll see about doing this in the next few days.

I AM the Princess

That's what the button says that I made for my 'Princess' granddaughter. When she was around 5 years old she had informed everyone in the family that her new name was Princess and that was what everyone was to call her. I've been trying to think of blognames for each of the children since Kmonster is the only one that already has one. I think I will hereafter refer to the aforementioned Princess as KP1 for Kansas Princess #1. This way her little sister can be KP2 if she likes.
KP1 came to visit again today and as you see, I got the dress up things out of the closet. I also got more beads for her to make herself a necklace. Then after supper I got out the children's books on tape and she stretched out the mattress in the 'playroom' and listened to stories till she fell to sleep. Goodnight Sweet Princess!