Well, it's that exciting time of year - the gardening season! This year, we planted a few different items, so we'll see how they turn out. We planted squash, zucchini, cucumbers, lettuce, spinach, chives, onions, peppers (yellow and red) tomatoes, basil, oregano, wildflowers, irises and lilies! I'm hoping the irises and the lilies (the bulbs we planted last year) will actually hold off on blooming, and then we can use them at the wedding. Except, I have no idea what colors we planted, as they didn't come up last year.

We planted everything form seed, except for two tomato plants (the tomato seeds we planted haven't come up yet, and last year, this was our most successful crop). This is also our first year with lettuce and spinach, but they are ready for picking - we'll enjoy a nice salad this week. In the below pic, you can see how tall the flowers already are in the back.

Last year, my favorite part of the garden was the squash (although, we had a TON) and the cucumbers (just for the cucumber salad. So good). I'll keep you updated on how it goes this year and hopefully have some notes to take away from what worked. Um, and what didn't.

On another note, this double rainbow was just outside our front door, beautiful Colorado sky:

And, just for fun, here is a great pic of Zoe enjoying her bone in the snow under the hot spring sun (taken in April):

That's all for now - I need to get back to obsessively watching the Phish setlist from Camden unfold.

Tags: eco-friendly lifestyle, phish, gardening

I'm sure someone, at least one of my blog readers out there is wondering why the hell I haven't posted about Phish. Well, to be honest, the excitement of Hampton really didn't set in until today. UNTIL I realized, that the rest of us that can't go to Hampton will be able to hear the shows - this weekend. I was buzzing with excitement and have been since - I can't wait until this weekend!

My news is a bit late, but if you are interested and haven't heard, Phish will be offering FREE MP3s of the shows this weekend, available within 24 hours after the show. I have already 'pre ordered' mine, but my guess is I will be up until I just can't keep my eyes open anymore on Friday, just to see if they come in at a reasonable hour here in MST.

Trey said in a press release, "We really wanted to show our gratitude to all the Phish fans for their support and the overwhelming response they've had to these shows. It's going to be an amazing celebration and we only wish everybody could be there."

Nice! I have no idea what to expect, but am waiting, patiently. Have a good time to all who are going, I wish I could be there!

Now, stop with these annoying marketing tactics and announce the dates for Red Rocks already. Oh - and I wish you would have hired us to do your social media marketing. We would have had you up on YouTube and Facebook way before the end of January. I still friended you on everything, though.

Tags: phish, phish social media, phish hampton, phish red rocks

My view landing in Portland:

I couldn't have asked for a better culmination to my summer travels than the beautiful state of Oregon. For my readers: WARNING - I still think I work for the Oregon Tourism Board. Even though I actually haven't, I tout Oregon as the best place on earth. I heart Oregon the most of all. Browse my pics of Oregon, as well as a few from Jess and Dan's wedding. If there is one thing I've learned over the years - professional photographers take much better pictures than I do, so I don't even try.

My summer travels have seen me in Austin, Texas, back 'home' in Delaware (YEAH JOE BIDEN), New Jersey, Los Angeles, Portland, Oregon (twice), Taos/Angel Fire, New Mexico, Crested Butte and all over Wisconsin. Yep - it's been a busy one. I never did get around to that pop culture contest, did I? Okay - I promise it's coming in September. I'll have a lot more time this month. Who would have thunk that Dolph Lundgren would be such a popular topic...

Back to Oregon. Ah, Oregon. Do I miss thee. I would move back to Portland in a heartbeat and I don't think I speak only for myself. I'm pretty sure that most of the close friends that I met there would move back, too. You see, the thing about Portland is that no one knows just how great of a place it is. When I was moving to Colorado, I used to get so annoyed, and still get annoyed when people say 'Oh, Colorado, Beautiful!' You know, it is gorgeous and there are a lot of things that I enjoy about my life here. However, it's not even close to how much I enjoyed Portland. Not even a tiny bit. I could go on forever, but I'll spare you.

Another thing I know - I have an amazing set of friends. I'm sure all people say that, but I really do. I'm still close with the guys and gals from high school, most people I met while in college, and those I've met in Portland and Colorado. Driving through the Columbia River Gorge in the morning, only to catch sunset over the Rockies led me to realize how lucky I am. I'm lucky to have lived in and traveled to such gorgeous places, and am really lucky to have the friends I do. I wish that the contingents of people that I know on the east coast, west coast and the fly over states could all just move to one central place. That would be the life. Anywho...I should stop now before I start crying balling like I did during my speech at the wedding this weekend.

Summer of travels '08 is now over.

Oh, and to top it all off, Burnie (no, it's BURN-IE - that's some pop culture trivia for you, right there) not only pet sat for us once again, but I came home to an autographed copy of Mike Gordon's new CD that he got from the Fox show. Pretty sweet gift and he owes me nothing, nada, zero. I owe him a lot more, believe you me. See - good friends, I tell you.

Tags: travel, friends, phish