*SUNFLOWERS*

There are many things that I enjoy in my daily life that are really of none of my doing. Sunflowers are one of those things. I love them. I am sure if, push came to shove, and there wouldn't be sunflowers if I was the only one to plant, weed & watch - I'd give it a try...eventually. Dragging my feet in new pursuits is one of my specialties. I will never golf - I don't like things I am not good at! Farming, landscaping, keeping plants alive...definitely falls into that category.

In many thanks to my cousin, John Weirman, and my Dadio, Snap Curtis, we have had ACRES of sunflowers to enjoy over the years. Legend has it that my Uncle Will Weirman (Oh the blogging I could do about my Uncle Will! He was really a great part of our lives.) always planted a row of sunflowers in the "patch". My memory serves up strawberries & flowers in the patch that I just loved. But kept a safe distance - I could see them withering as I neared. When my Uncle died tragically, his son, John, continued to plant sunflowers.

And then...the crazy days began. Avery got sunflowers ala G-Pop at our Collegeville abode. She passed, twins arrived, Nolan died, Grandmom was not able to live alone any longer, the Dream project began, Grandmom's house & the patch was semi & then eventually ours & a few annual rows of sunflowers is now about 3 acres of sunflowers. Dad likes to mix it up with a variety of species (?-I need to check out some books about sunflowers). John plants the same kind each year after plowing, discing & some other tractor-involved activities that I again need to read up on. Ugh.

3 acres of sunflowers are in memory of Uncle Will, Uncle Tom, Aunt Clara, Uncle Ralph, Avery, Nolan & Grandmom. Really...they're a symbol of life. They're beautiful & amazing. They attract butterflies & buzzy bees. The world may be less a few groundhogs as they have a destructive appreciation of sunflowers. (sorry to all you groundpig lovers out there). I love the swarms of goldfinches that swoop by to steal the seeds.

Over the years we've had many people compliment the sunflowers. People know our house by the sunflowers. They brighten commuters' mornings, motivate joggers & bikers on the trail & I wonder if anyone has seen them while up in a plane or helicopter & let their imagination run with why they're here. Artists have set up easels & painted them. Photographers ask permission to photograph them.

They're not quite peaking yet, but this is a picture of one of the 1st of this year's Sunflowers. Dad takes some great photos. Oh jeez. I have to sign out some books on photography too. I'm scared photoless of my ill-informed photo skills. Today's batch of photos were of some butterfly pairs in compromising positions. DaaaAAADDD!!! Hahaha! So the sunflowers bring some humor into our lives too.

Please enjoy our sunflowers. I will post more pictures on facebook. Ummm...I mean steal Dad's photos & repost them. If I get up the nerve, I'll get some shots of Cal with this year's crop. You'll surely be distracted by his ability to remain the King of Dirt-Covered, half-naked (if you're lucky) Children. Then I can post another blog about my lack of attention to the rules of conservative or overachieving parenting.