June was full of sunsets and rainbows and butterflies and hummingbirds and a dragonfly or two.

 oh, and snakes.  We discovered a pair of snakes in the front flowerbed...they just hang out there all the time.  They are long and fat.  Bigger than any garter snakes I have seen before.  One day when the kids were here, we spotted one with its mouth open.  It turned its head toward us and there in its mouth was a bug.  It opened and closed its mouth a few times until it was swallowed.  The kids were silent and and still as they watched it happen. 

I keep forgetting to post a photo of the pergola that John built for my birthday.  I was waiting for some flowers to bloom around it. 

A while back I realized that it won't be too much longer and these two will be off to college.  They are so busy that it is almost impossible to get up here for a visit and it is equally hard to pin them all in one place for a visit with the family, so I set it up to meet just Emily and Joshua after school for ice cream (and maybe a burger and fries).  We chat and catch up as much as a Grandma can and then I take them home in time for homework and whatever the evening activities include. 

John on a mole hunt.

 My trips to Blue Lake are fewer now, but the goose family is doing well.

 Joshua is now officially a freshman!  It seems impossible!  yep, its true.  We went to his 8th grade promotion and then took him out for breakfast and he skipped the rest of the school day.

I went with Bonnie and my Photo group to shoot the Rose Festival Fun Center at Blue Hour.  We saw the dragon boats practicing for the festival.

 I didn't expect to see a sunset, but we were treated to a gorgeous one.

 and then came the lights.  It was my first attempt at capturing carnival rides in slow speed.  I was pretty happy with the results.

We have had some fun times with the Veras grandkids.  Nice to have them close to see them growing up.

 Arianna had her first ballet recital.  She was a lion.

HAHAHA!  Here is the view I sometimes get to wake up to.  Yep a window of fog..that's all. 

and even the sun can't peek thru.

 But the fog highlights the cool spiderwebs on the hedge.  

 My 6th grade friends Maria and Alison made it out for a BBQ.  We watched the sunset after dinner and ended the eve with a fire in the firepit while we watched the stars.

For our 42 Anniversary we took a little trip to see the Painted Hills in Central Oregon.  I can not believe that we have not been there before.  Actually, I had not even heard of it until a few years ago when I saw some photo friends posting photos on their sites.  

 On the way over, we stopped and saw my friend Mavis and her husband at their new place.  Mom and Dad went with us.

 I heard that sunset was the best time to go, but we headed out in the afternoon to check it out and make a plan on where to set up for sunset shots.

 Sunset was nice, but I think the ones from the daytime were just as good.  I will go back again sometime because I have heard that the rainy days are awesome there and bring out the colors even more.  We will see.

Jessi and Ariel and the kids surprised us on our anniversary with a little party.  She made this little collage.

 and THIS is what 42 roses look like...with a pink one for the next year.

We ended the month with a trip to the berry field.  Nothing beats fresh picked raspberries.  And now I have a few gallon bags of them in my freezer for some baking later on.  

 some pretty wildflowers by the berry patch.

the kids helping get the cart from the raspberry field to the marion berries

In all my years of berry picking, I never did it with a kid strapped on my back.  At one point, she had Lina on her front, asleep and the berry bucket wrapped around them both.