Yup, it's that time of year!!!  

Dad,

I just wanted the world to know that I'm the luckiest daughter out there to have a dad like you!  

Happy Fathers Day!!!  See you and Mom very very soon!!!

Love you both, Barb 

Iris Gardens, Boulder, Sunday, June 7....just part of the "what's not to love" previous post.....

Just some randomness delightfulness I wanted to share - 

Qtips says "It's soooo much work being this cute.... "

My first salad with my own home grown greens.  Just like candy!  Well, sort of.... but maybe not really.  Just the best greens I've ever tasted!

More tired cuteness:

In addition to the community garden plot I'm sharing with the Kid's mom, I'm enjoying my own little patch of personal paradise.  My yard is tiny, but that hasn't stopped me from being a frequent shopper at the garden centers. 

I've got tomatoes, hot peppers, herbs and loads of flowers.  My plum tree is rich in little green plums which will eventually ripen to delicious tart fruit.  Here's how things are looking just this morning:

Little green tomatoes and basil from my store bought plants and my grown from scratch tomatoes, cilantro and parsley:

 Peppers I grew from seed: 

 Flowers:

My Topsy-Turvey tomato planter....not sure if the Dish TV people would approve of me using the satellite as an anchor, but who's telling? 

 Finally, plums!

One of these day's I'll get some pics up of our Community Garden Veggie plot....  

Today I had one of those days where the stars, sun and the moon were all aligned.  It was just a beautiful day with more touching moments that seem fitting for one person in one day.  Love was everywhere.  Here is a list - not all inclusive by any stretch - of what made today just so special:

*Waking up to a beautiful cool day after a great night's sleep

*Hearing my friend's 20 month old say "more Barb !" 

*Riding Olde Stage with out stopping

*Warm brownies in Jamestown at the Mercantile with girlfriends

*Watching nature everywhere, the deer grazing, the Magpie chasing the Fox, the horses grazing, the river roaring 

*The hummingbirds trilling while I did yard work

*Playing with the dogs at the park

*Time with the niece and nephew at the Iris garden while inhaling the delicate scent of the stunning flowers

*Watching the sky continually change 

*Listening discretely why the kids practice saying "Barbara" in the back seat...personally I prefer Aunt Barb, but I guess they need to practice linguistic skills!

*Snuggling with my god child as she woke from her nap 

*A long, long soak in the tub

*Talking to my mom and my sister on the phone (well, that's almost every day, but still is special!)

*Coconut curry chicken for dinner

*Well used, tired yet happy muscles 

*Relaxing in my living room with some of my favorite men...the guys on Deadliest Catch! 

 Blessed, that's what I am.  

Last night I was rounding up my gear for the Boulder Sunrise "Tri for your Cause" event and I couldn't find my tri shorts.  I looked everywhere... 3 times.  I searched my cars.....  twice.  The dryer..... once.  Finally, I gave up, and after consulting with Gear Girl, determined that looking cute was more important than functionality and I should opt for one of my running skirts.  I carefully selected one that might provide the least amount of chaffing on the bike.  Tough call since I've never ridden my bike in any of this gear soaking wet after a swim! 

Well, I was resigned to the "risks" associated with this decision.  I was excited to wake and find the sun just peaking over the horizon...the thunderstorms of last night were long gone, leaving the sky fresh and clean.  I ushered the dogs outside while I loaded my bike and all the other stuff and then headed off the the Rez.

It was a very non-Boulder tri group.  Lots of first timers, even some mountain bikes.   I found a nice spot and began setting up my area.  Then, off in the distance I spotted the Outdoor Diva's booth in the race expo area!  Wonders for me, they actually had a few different brands of tri shorts in my size, and I found some to my liking.  Even more amazing, the wonderful woman just took down my name, phone number and my promise to return and pay so I didn't need to venture off to the remote parking lot to fetch my money. 

So, outfitted with my snazzy new shorts I was all set!  

The Rez water was perfect...probably around 65 degrees.  The swim was short - 500m instead of the more typical 750m for a sprint, kind of a bummer since the water was so nice and my swim mojo was working.  The bike was longer than typical, 17M in lieu of 12M, and the run on target at 5k.   I'm not sure of my final times yet, but the entire morning just felt great.  Unlike my first tri in May I had no wet suit induced claustrophobia!   The bike was fun.  I ride the course frequently so I knew when to shift, when to push it and when to back off with out a second thought.  Almost meditative.  The run even felt good!  The finish line even better!  

Shortly after my finish line Woo-Hoo I stopped at Outdoor Diva's to let my new BFF know how much I LOVED my new shorts and they for certain made me faster, and now that I was done I would take my fast bottom out to my car for money.  Which of course I did.  (Mom and Dad raised me well!!!). 

I hope I never need to know if my cute running skirt actually would have been better than functionality!  Tomorrow, Olde Stage to Jamestown with the ladies, wearing REAL bike shorts.  Phew.