Around the Garden ...

As I dust off my blog and flip the calendar's page, I'm surprised at how quickly May has come and gone.

The gardens had a late start with the cool spring.

In May, we set up the fountain which I get to enjoy each day.

The pretty purple catmint is in full bloom ...

We even had a visitor stop by to say "Hello".

The Syringa vulgaris 'Sensation' lilac with its beautiful bicolor flowers!

Soft lavender-pink petals on the Korean lilac bush.

Drumstick Allium reaching for the sky.

Siberian & Japanese Irises have always been a favorite.  'Momogasumi' with warm lavender-pink petals.  They remind me of a butterfly.

One of the oldest bushes is the Rhododendron.

Peonies are starting to emerge ... this one is 'Terrific Gal'.   

Of course, there is 'Sarah Bernhardt' with her large double flowers in pastel pink.

Do you remember my garden pond?  The water irises are blooming ...

and our koi is getting big!  He was only 4" long when he came to join us. 

I've enjoyed playing in the dirt this spring.  We have made quite a few changes this year, which I hope to share with you soon.

Thanks for strolling with me today ...

Wolf Creek Falls Preserve

Hi friends,

Today was such a beautiful day I went on a hike to the Wolf Creek Falls Preserve in the Town of Knox.  

This preserve has multiple cascading waterfalls as you wind through the woodland path.

There are several different trails to choose from which intersect and intertwine with each other both north and south of Bozenkill Road.

Stretches of old stone walls can be seen along the trail.  The property was once part of the Rensselaerywyck Estate.  In 1864 the Van Aukens started clearing the land and put up stone walls to raise sheep, providing wool for the Huyck Felt Mill. 

The hike was very peaceful, meandering through the woods. 

Half way into our hike we came upon a little picnic area and ate our lunch.  There was also a bird house nearby, but was vacant during our visit.

I couldn't resist taking a tree canopy photo.  

We came upon this bridge built by Dan Driscoll.  It was crafted to produce a tune if you stand on the platform and use a mallet to hit the planks.

I was surprised we didn't see any squirrels or chipmunks along the way; however, this little birdie stopped to say "Hello".

The hike was just shy of 3 miles and we stayed on the trail to avoid any poison ivy.

There is quite a bit of history behind the land, which was donated to the Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy.  

I hope you have a beautiful week!

Micro Paris Planner

Hello blogging friends,

It has been a while since I posted.  I've been wanting to share with you my custom micro planner.  It turned out better than I could have imagined!

I finally have a pretty portable planner, which allows me to have a grocery list, meal planning, wish lists and so much more on hand.

The planner is the same size as a Micro Happy Notes, which is 3" x 4".  Great for on the go!

Since I love all things Paris I knew the first cover I created would be a Paris themed one.  The images were composed and then the cover was printed on heavy white cardstock and laminated.  Yes, I finally bought myself a laminator.  Actually, it was a birthday present to myself back in November.

Journaling cards by Cloth & Paper fit perfectly in the planner since the cards are already 3" x 4".  No cutting was needed for those.  Divider tabs keep everything organized and easy to find.

The discbound system works great for me so I can just pull out my grocery list or meal planning sheets and take them with me to the store.  I used aluminum 3/4" inch discs from Eleven Discs to keep everything together.  I've already started creating different covers for the seasons.

Do you still use a planner or rely solely on your Smartphone?

Wishing you a blessed Sunday!