She very cleverly took this more recent photo of the two of us and turned it into a birthday card for me.
And speaking of my sister…Tuesday bonus post
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Me & my sister
A couple weeks ago, my sister Weezee and I took a quick trip down to pick up her new agility puppy, Kindle. It was pure serendipity [and my forgetfulness last November when we went to their house for Thanksgiving], that I had this photo printed and framed as a gift for her.
I expect that we were arguing about who got to hold the puppy and I have always been way meaner than her, so I won. We are sitting on the front steps of the house where we grew up. It is not far from where I live now. The house still has those steps. I drove past there last week on my way to the grocery store and waved to the faint shadows of the little girls sitting on the porch.
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He got the girl!
When last we left our hero, he looked about like this:
This of course, was after the events detailed here, when he was bent on trying to make the decorative bird house on our front porch into his family home.
Showing the determination we have come to expect from him, he busily worked on his pile of sticks in the new birdhouse.
He periodically spent time anxiously scanning the horizon to see if his efforts were being noticed by any cute lady wrens.
And then – who can this be??? A single female stops by to give things a once over. He can hardly bear risking a look to see if she appreciates his tireless efforts. The next few moments could very well decide how Mr Wren spends his summer. He could be a dejected loser hanging around an empty birdhouse while all the other men have hot wren wives and chirpy little babies, or he could enjoy a summer of wedded bliss, safe in the knowledge he has contributed his DNA to the future of wrendom.
Even Riley looked on nervously from the front door.
She seems very impressed and hops inside to measure for new curtains.
As she flies off to get her luggage, Mr Wren bursts into what will be just the first of many happy and triumphant songs. His summer is definitely looking up.
Meanwhile, back on the ranch, Sunday edition
This is Lauren’s home photo for the week. The view from the porch last evening. 
And a link to last Sunday’s post in case you are interested in sending packages to soldiers in Iraq in the area surrounding where she is stationed.
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Garden Saturday
We are getting to the month when everything really starts exploding in the garden. But before June gets by entirely, here are a few shots from this past week.
Japanese bloodgrass – and a little bit of daylily foliage.
I just read on someone’s blog this past week that they hate coneflowers and a lot of commenters seemed to agree but I have always liked them. I am not sure what this one is – it came up on it’s own from seed. Some variation of a purple one I am sure.
I have pots of annuals scattered around the porch, dooryard and through the gardens. They keep color going all summer, no matter what is going on with permanent residents. This potulaca – or moss rose as my grandmother used to call them, is a favorite. Every spring, when I am buying plants, I look over all the mixed colors of portulaca, trying to find the pack with the most yellows and oranges.
These are all that is left of what was once a substantial patch of delphiniums. The rest have died out, and though every year I say I am going to put more back in, I never seem to get around to it.
Trollius “Golden Queen”. A star in shade garden right now since nothing else is quite ready to open yet.
“Jackamanii” clematis – the newest resident of my header. 
Have a great Saturday – time for me to go get some weeding done.
