Birds, a Surprise, DAR Ladies & Flowers

Hello friends!  I'm glad you stopped by.  Our bird feeder has been busy lately which makes me so happy.  My daughter-in-law Kristi is a real outdoors girl and has taken to enjoying the different birds.  She snapped this photo and we tried to find it in our bird books.. I actually found it, but sent the image to my "birder" friend Shirley and she confirmed that it is a Lazuli Bunting!  She said it's very scarce to see one here.  Isn't it pretty?

She also got another neat shot of a Goldfinch.  I love the pine needles and the tree branch with all the lichen in this shot.  Pretty!!

Dayle brought in the mail the other day and there was an envelope from my blog friend Kathy from Running With Rocket blog - what could this be?  I admired the lace bag and cute tape on it.. 

When we were visiting with Kathy after she dug some Irises for us - in her lovely home where the walls were adorned with many wonderful art images of airplanes.. and I saw this print on the wall of some jets flying over Vista House and the gorge.. and I ooohed and ahhhed over it.  WELL.. she found a small print she'd had matted of the painting and sent it to us!  Isn't that generous and sweet of her?  I love it!  Thanks, Kathy!

On Saturday I got dressed up and donned my pins and headed to the Oregon State Society Daughters of the American Revolution State Conference - it was held in Wilsonville, just south of Portland, OR.  Every other year the President General attends - which is a big deal.  In this photo our Regent-Elect of Portland Chapter, Diane (far left) is giving our chapter report - the President General, Lynn Fornay Young is the lovely lady on the dais with the big ribbon across her chest.  She is the leader of the entire DAR - the entire USA plus chapters located in many other countries, called Units Overseas.  Click HERE to learn more about DAR.  Encompassing an entire city block, DAR Headquarters is one of the worlds's largest buildings of it's kind owned and maintained exclusively by women. :-)  Please click HERE and scroll down and watch the amazing video about our Memorial Continental Hall.

During the luncheon and dinner meetings we heard reports from all the chapters in Oregon, plus saw awards given to children and adults and my favorite part - hearing our President General tell her inspirational report.

There is my sister Roberta in the center in the aqua jacket.

They have a professional photographer taking group photos during the afternoon - I asked a fellow DAR friend to use my camera to sneak in a photo of us and this is the best one.  This is the Portland Chapter plus our Associate Members - front and center is our President General and our State Regent, Cynthia Parnell.

The Associate Members stepped aside while we got a shot of the members of our chapter.  We have 85 members, but these are the group who were there at the time of the photo.  :-)  

I'm not fond of seeing myself in photos, but this is my special chapter friend Susan F. who actually lives in Rome, Italy, and flew all the way to Oregon to attend our State Conference.  I've attended two Continental Congress (the huge national conference) held in WA DC each year - and was happy to get to know Susan there. 

I was the editor of a cookbook for the online DAR group called the "DARlings - and Susan did all the chapter illustrations for the book!  I drew the cover illustration.

I saw the PG nearby and asked if I could have a photo with her and she kindly agreed.  :-)  She's so sweet!

Yesterday I rested up from the busy day - it was a sunny and lovely day on the farm and the boys were having a fun time outside.  They sure do enjoy the play structure we bought and put together for them.

Kristi has been working away at cutting the blackberries that are getting out of hand behind the shed and woodshed.  Thanks, Kristi!

I looked out on the deck and saw that the boys had taken the blankets we bought them and had made a "fort" using the deck chairs.  :-)

Here they are in their hideout.  LOL!

Isn't this a cute flower?  I can't remember what it is though.

My "4th of July" rose is covered with blooms!

My Lantana continues to be one of my favorite flowers.. but I do have quite a list, don't I? :-)

Kristi found this "volunteer" plant near our barn a few years ago and I asked her to dig the plant and we planted it in an empty pot and it's given us a lot of joy - it's a Bellflower.

I was happy to find a new pot of "Cape Primrose" aka streptocarpus at a little plant nursery that Gracie showed me last year.  I've been trimming off the spent flower stems.  I went looking for a Maidenhair Fern which she did not have, but she had this - and it's where I got this plant last year.

Also a volunteer is a pot full of Forget-Me-Not is pleasing.

I planted a pot of these Sweet William years ago and every single year they come back and fill the pot with these gorgeous red/magenta flowers.

My mixed hanging pot grows more lush by the day.

The koi and pond fish continue to grow.  :-)

How are you spending your day?  I hope you are finding lovely things in your life to enjoy.  All you need to do is look!  ((hugs)), Teresa :-)