Bliss Ranch Dahlia Garden

There are flower farmers, and then there are FLOWER FARMERS. 

There are people who plant flowers, and there are people who plant, grow, and tend flowers.

There are people who take their passion for growing flowers very seriously, or make an income from it, and some who grow tons of blooms for the pure enjoyment of the whole process from start to finish.

And there are also people like me.

Clyde The Duck Sign

If you have been reading here for a while you probably remember Clyde the duck.

Clyde belonged to daughter #2 and he was quite the character who wandered around the ranch for many years until a vicious racoon tore his head off.  Yeah that's a harsh visual, but it's the sad truth.

When more Peking ducks arrived at our house there was a name that duck contest for Clyde's girlfriends. My daughter picked the name Hazel, and Tina (follow her on Instagram at TLC4wwk) suggested the winning name that my daughter chose, and Clyde's main sidekick was named Clementine.

I affectionately referred to Clyde & his harem as the crapping quackers.

But Clyde was her main bird.

Clyde the duck celebrated his birthday, and was a pretty good sport when my daughter made him numbered hats each year to commemorate the day.  Daughter #2 will always have a soft spot in her heart for him.  A duck, go figure.

But I don't miss Clyde, Clementine and Hazel crapping on my porch and eating my flowers even though they looked cute as they waddled around the yard.  Nothing says welcome to my home like duck doo.

Recently at the local auction house I put a low bid in on a pile of junk - that low bid being $2.50.  Turns out no one wanted that pile of stuff so it came home with me.

August Thrifty Style Team Storage Crates

Hello hello hello, it's time for the August Thrifty Style Team projects, and you're invited to click the links at the bottom to find out how the other ladies are being thrifty for August.

Yikes, that means Fall is right around the corner and I would prefer summer to last a couple months longer.  Not that I don't like Autumn, it's my fav, but we didn't really get much of a Spring,  June was a wash, literally, with lots of rain, July flew by and now here we are at the middle of August.

Besides, I'm just getting into the groove of summer projects, and I realize there is so much on the list that won't be getting done.  Boo, and I don't mean that in a Fall ghost sort of way.

However I did have to add a few things to the indoor list because there is this puppy that came to live with us.

And he likes to chew.

And we like to wear shoes.