I have no idea where the last two weeks have gone. It certainly doesn't seem like I've accomplished much during that time. I did finish a quilt top and have another cut out and partially sewed, and I've taken some Red Cross classes online and at the Southwest Washington offices, and I've done some housework (not enough!), and then there's the gardening.
Okay, so I guess I know where all the time has gone. But the results sure are pretty.
Okay, so I guess I know where all the time has gone. But the results sure are pretty.
Costco had flats of 6, 1 gallon pots of Gerbera daisies. Man, I love Gerbera daisies. I tried, without success, to grow them at the other house.
They died.
Pretty much as soon as they went into the ground. I think I babied them too much.
But they love it here at this house. It's hot. Really hot in the backyard. They get full sun from 10am until 5pm. Hot sun. These started with 3 blooms each when I put them in the beds two weeks ago. They now have 6-7 blooms each. And man, are they beautiful. It's like having a bit of the tropics in my backyard.
I posted pictures of the yellow iris a while back. Now that the yellow iris are about done blooming, the purple iris have kicked in. Finally. Randy was getting tired of all the yellow iris.
And I have to show you the pot of tulips my in-laws brought me from the Woodburn Tulip fields. 
Wow, are they gorgeous!
I had the pot sitting on the patio table for over three weeks and the blooms were beautiful that whole time.
This picture was taken toward the end of that three weeks. Most are still in great shape - which is amazing for a tulip that was sitting in the rain.
The yard - well, the backyard anyway - is looking good. 
With all the April rain and now the May sunshine and warmth, things are kicking into high growing gear. Even the fish are hungry - do you suppose those bubbles are his way of saying "Get me some food!"?
A goldfish with a mouth this big is a scary thing.
Well, it made sense when every other restaurant we stopped at had at least an hour wait to get in. That's when we saw the Margaritaville sign.
If you're a JB fan, you know he sings about boats, planes, drinks, sharks, friends...and well, more drinks. Here's Booze in the Blender...that's one BIG drink!
On one floor, the tables are made to look like boat hulls...complete with the Garmin on top! 
These guys are sitting on the rim of the volcano that blows every hour. Oh yeah, he's into volcanoes, too. 
Our bartender volunteered to take a picture of us. Looking at the way we're dressed, you'd think it was summer. It wasn't. It was about 40-degrees and the wind was howling. It wasn't a Jimmy Buffett kind of day. 
Even the bill is served up in a landshark glass! 
The masthead on this ship was neat although a bit risque. Still, I'd love to have something like this on the big floor-to-ceiling fireplace at our house. It would be a great conversation piece. And the fin color is perfect for that room.
And this is a replica of JB's plane. He loves to fly. It's just one of the regular themes in his songs.
It's a fun place although Randy and I usually get turned around and have a difficult time finding our way out of the casino. Of course, it is Vegas and they don't want you leaving. They don't make any money that way. It's better to be inside playing craps or slots or something.
The Venetian is designed after Venice and its canals. It comes complete with gondolas and gondoliers.
They're beautiful, aren't they?
There are also wonderful murals on the walls.
The ceilings are painted to look like daylight skies. And they really do; in fact, the ceilings are so life-like that the clouds appear to be moving. I don't understand it. And no, I hadn't been drinking when we were there. Well, not much anyway; certainly not enough to cause the ceiling to spin.
Throughout this level of the Venetian were shops of all kinds...from designer clothing stores to jewelry stores to small cafes to bakeries...
...to an oxygen bar? Really? There were only four seats but they were all occupied. I don't get the whole concept but then, I've never tried it either. Still, paying to breathe seems a bit over the top to me.
The flowers range in size from dinner-plate to just...well, just massive. The colors are everything in the rainbow. And then some. Even when it's dark outside, this ceiling is magnificent. The pictures don't do it justice.
There was also a separate ceiling exhibit of flower umbrellas. It wasn't nearly as dramatic as the Chihuly glasswork but I could do something like this in my house. Well, except that I don't have a room as large as this lobby so I might have to resize the exhibit down to fit. I'm just not sure only having three umbrellas would have the same effect. Plus, it really wouldn't go with my current decor. Whatever that is. Still, it was nice.
This fountain was wonderful. It stood tall...maybe 15 feet high and water cascaded down from leaf to leaf and finally into a rock pond at the bottom.
The snails were pretty neat, too. The shell is made out of rounds and rounds of roses. I wouldn't mind having some snails in my garden if they looked like this.
These fighting ants were life-sized, too. Makes me wonder if there are some science fiction lovers designing the floral displays. Hmmm.
This poppy was regular sized; I just shot it as a close up because I thought it was pretty. And the petals actually looked like wrinkled paper.
But that Chihuly exhibit...that was amazing. If you ever get to Vegas, it's worth the stop. 
