Smile!

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Celebrating Fatherhood

to all the Dads out there.

And thanks to our chief photographer for the incredible photo below of the wonder of wildlife parenthood.

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Lindo Lake's Jasper and father Fritz.

Proudly Saluting Old Glory

TGIF!

Pruning Time

Yes, I really do!  There are several different varieties—Goldflame, Little Princess and Magic Carpet, to name just a few—and I have most of them here at Bon Bon Acres.  They are hardy deciduous shrubs that require little love and attention yet delight with an array of vivid colors throughout the year.   

In 2003, I planted seven Magic Carpets around the gazebo and they have done wonderfully—until the last two severe drought years.  Alas, the extended summers of high temps and no rain took their toll but this recent brutal winter really wreaked havoc with my beloved bushes—especially the ones facing west.  Helping them to recover is a two-step process: today,  a severe prune back; tomorrow, Miracle-Gro. 

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Magic Carpet Spirea after receiving the shrub's equivalent of a Heinie.

Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Well, maybe not quite that far, but the tree was kinda high.  Our west coast correspondent and chief photographer was on wildlife picture prowl this week around San Diego's Alpine area when she stopped by the nest of her favorite Red-tailed Hawks and came face to face with their rather "out-of-this-worldly" looking offspring.  

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Meet Owen the extraterrestrial (just kidding)

Owen talking to Chandel:  "Take me to your leader!"

Owen and his baby brother ALF--er, Noah.

To see more of Chandel’s wildlife and nature photo artistry, 

please visit her website:

  http://shushusshoebox.blogspot.com/