Morning sun streaming onto my back porch. Highlighting this fun plant in a hanging container. Not sure what it is?… but I’m enjoying the bright pop of color & the new little flowers that just started blooming. I’m happy… and the plant looks happy too!

Another beautiful floral arrangement picked from her garden… in one of my textured & soda-fired square vases. So pretty… thanks for sharing with us Rhonda!

This morning’s dahlias in my garden. So beautiful this late in the summer. And I love how they seem to evolve & change colors day-by-day as they age & open larger! A nice “crop” this summer… hoping I have a couple more months before the big freeze comes to kill ‘em off!!!

After another fun trip to the Farmer’s Market, I’m so glad I picked up a large bouquet of dahlias from Vangie’s Farm. Their flowers are just AMAZING…with such great colors, textures & dimensions. A fantastic collection of farm-fresh flowers… a custom-made collection of flowers just for me. Good thing I “just happen” to have a few extra vases around the place to put them in!!!

Another fun art fair surprise!!! I’ve mentioned my on-going inability to grow pretty “weeds” in my garden. I LOVE black-eyed susans… and everyone says they’re so invasive & will take over in no time. And yet somehow, I can’t seem to get them to thrive. I have a couple teeny plants that have survived, but not thriving?! So it was so nice today when one of my longtime fans brought me a couple transplants from her yard for me to try. Thank you Carmie… you’re the sweetest!!! I just hope I don’t kill these too?!!!

Looks like Kristy has spending a little time in her garden…
picking some little flowers to fit in her little vase!!!
So sweet… so little! Thanks for sharing Kristy!

Saturday morning we decided to go over to the Fairbanks Farmers Market before starting the pottery workshop. I was impressed by the colors, textures & flowers all over the market. As well as some “crib balls” the were hand-sewn… and brought some childhood memories as my Grandma Kitty made the same stuffed fabric balls when we were kids! The Fairbanks Potters Guild has a booth there every time… so it was great to meet some potters & see some pottery ahead of the workshop.

So we woke up Friday morning in Fairbanks with a plan… to go find MOOSE!!!

There was a workshop “Meet & Greet” Potluck Dinner planned for later that night. So we had a good day to go see some nature, do some hiking, get some photos & hopefully find some MOOSE!!!

Theresa’s plan was to drive us down Chena Hot Springs Road to see what we could along the way. There are so many ponds, creeks, rivers, swamps, forests, moss, mushrooms… all of them ideal for a moose to be hanging out in. It was slightly overcast, misty & rainy at times, but so beautiful! This was more of the Alaska I expected. But I will say… I was surprised by all of the flowers everywhere??? Again, as an unknowing Midwesterner, I must admit I kinda thought Alaska was always cold & frequently covered with snow!!! Who knew is was no nice in the summer with flowers everywhere??? Not me.

And the wildlife scorecard?…
two scrawny squirrels, some ducks… and still NO MOOSE!!

A simple statement. A single dahlia. The simplest arrangement with just one bloom in a handmade ikebana vase. Stamped & soda-fired… and coming to ART IN THE GARDEN next weekend!

And yes, I grew it in my yard!!!

Continuing on a theme… a sweet moment after this morning’s rain.
A small butterfly getting a little snack from a shaggy pink flower blossom.