Thank you Mr. Doo,
I do believe that took care of it, appreciated the heads up on the matter.
Peace be with you!
O

So, it's been about two weeks since I updated this blog, so here is an enormous update. I'll really try not to let it go so long since doing huge updates is an enormous pain in the... well you know! Enjoy!

The girls just beeing nice... So I had to capture it on film.

The Sisters!!

The infamous shed that I've been telling everyone about. Great storage and I managed to paint the platform this past weekend so it even looks good!

Got Shed?

Here's our Rosie waiting for the bus! Boo on Mondays!
What I look like this week.

Always a smile!

Breakfast time at the Gante house

These are lightning stripe tomatos. The last actually to come out of my garden this year. I picked these green about a week ago and let them ripen on the window sill. They taste as good as they look, I mixed them with some diced celery, Feta cheese and a splash of extra virgin oliver oil ;) Delish!!

Okay so here are the Halloween updates as promised. We ended up walking for two hours that night and my girls managed to get themselves, 10 and 1/2 pounds of candy, which was promptly confiscated by the mommy and daddy police!! But it was a great time, and seeing EJ with the realization that a porch light and a doorbell = candy! candy! candy! was priceless. It was like trick or treating with the energizer bunny!

The Gantes about to embark on a candy quest

My modest decorations.

My modest decorations lit up!

Here are Robin and the Tigress getting ready for the party at Ella-Jean's school.

Rosie making a goodie bag!

Go Robin! Defeat those evil apples!!

GRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!

EJ with her teacher from last year Ms. Antoinette

About two weeks ago we made an excursion to the upper Hudson Valley to visit the home of one of the most beloved presidents of our time, Franklin Roosevelt. The grounds of his estate are kept wonderfully with may old buildings and gardens as well as quite a few miles of nature trails, which to our surprise eventually led along the scenic Huson River over to another estate of one of the Roosevelt's close friends the Vanderbilts. The houses on these properties required admissions for the family so we made the most of the good weather and explored the grounds and the surrounding lands. I also managed to get 3 new varieties of seeds for my ever expanding Iris collection at the breathtaking (yes even in the late fall) Vanderbilt gardens.

Our Rosie of the Blessed Sedum.

Rosie bean standing by a naked chick on a cell phone in the main garden at the Vanderbilt estate.

Always looking for a free ride, well as long as they stay little.

This was one of the biggest praying Mantis, I have ever seen. I still cant tell if it was gorged and getting ready for the long winter or if it was ready to give birth. I tend to lean towards the latter.

Little monkey just cant resist a tree

Either of them!!

This is the main house for the Vanderbilt estate. Little small, but I guess as starter house it could do.

Sisterly smooch!The back porch, again slightly on the small side. I always thought these people had money.
a cackle of Gantes!!

Just some of the detail work on the main house. Now I'm sure that not all of this was hand carved but asd you can see no expense was spared when it came to the details of this wonderful place.

Below are the pictures from The Roosevelt Estate part of our excursion which actually came first in the day but that is neither here nor there.

The headstone of Franklin Roosevelt, one of the greatest presidents that this country has ever seen, and the only one ever to be elected to 4 consecutive terms in office. His and Eleanor (who's first name was actually Anna) is located right next to a lovely Rose garden that the girls enjoyed very much.

The estate belonged to FDR's parents and was a working horse farm, then it became the main residence of the president. These tiles are located in the main stable and even after all these years are just another reminder of the beauty that went into every detail.

The front of the Roosevelt's modest House
I do believe a snap dragon.
I do believe a Rosie just below the main house.
A nice photo op with the Mommy.
This tree was spectacular. This photo does not do it justice, it must have been at least six stories tall. I mean just plain enormous. I wouldn't even venture a guess as to it's age but, this massive tree surely saw the birth of our nation.

There is a really nice woodland trail that runs parallel to the Hudson river that connects the FDR estate with that of their friends the Vanderbilts.
Franklin's beloved house overlooking the small apple orchard.
My little Ella Jean throwing rocks into the Hudson river.

Stephanie in the Parking lot at the welcome center at FDR estate in Hyde Park, New York.

This was an unexpected treat, this bearded Iris is named Francis Iva, and it turns out that it is the only rebloomer (bloomes in spring and again in the fall) we have in our 65 varieties. It's hard to see but the beard on the tounge is actually a very bright yellow. Amazing!

This iris has actually bloomed twice more in the last two weeks, even with temps dropping to the lower 30's! This flower I call the haydoo flower, actually it's called a Cosmo. If you ever made to my buddy Sandy's house you'd understand why, since it would take about a minute after meeting the man, to have a glass of this flower's alchoholic namesake in your hand and some friendly conversation.
Cheers Sandor!!! Think of this one as a pitcher!

A small Hibiscus tree that decided to bloom one last tome after we brought it in from the cold. Guess it was thankful.