I am off again...for four more weeks.
This trip is out West.
To begin,

we will all gather from the four corners of the earth,

in Tahoe,

to fete my mom
and her special birthday celebration!

What a joy to peek in and see a daughter
tucked in her bed reading!
She flew home for just a few short days.
It gave me an opportunity to have a few days down south
with one daughter; fly home, and, with Mr. R,
spend a few days with this daughter.
Special, special moments in time.

Indeed--
Celebrate!

Hello Mr. R!

As do our daughters,

I celebrate all good things in this unique city.
Thank you for sharing your lives with me this past month.
Each moment was magical!
Love, love, love

This morning I walked the loop around Audubon Park.

It started pouring rain...most fled the deluge
so I was able to experience the pathway and park mostly to myself--with the herons.
Serene.

My fourth and final farmers market in New Orleans.

It was a rainy, steamy morning.

So fresh!

Dazzling smiles selling

fresh black eyed peas.

Always fresh shell fish and gator!

She knows I am not a partaker but an eager learner

so she set one of her beautiful crabs on her cooler.

At one of J's graduation dinners, my sistah

ordered a soft shell crab where you eat the entire creature.

Now that I see it I can understand.

It sure is fresh and alive!

Miss Taylor's beautiful basil.

The shrimp lady with her mornings catch

weighing the gems.

Wonderful dairy farmer, Mr. Smith.

He and his wife, whom was shopping at other stalls,

have milked their cows for 45 years.

Their milk is the best I have ever consumed--

they even sell to Whole Foods on Magazine Street.

The Smith's skim milk tastes like whole milk.

If you want a real treat, partake of their chocolate milk; amazing!

I ended my shopping with fruit bar, tamale and hydrangea purchases

to deliver to my favorite Crescent folks!

One word.
Seven silver letters

sit on Emily's window sill.

I awoke last night and the silhouette of 

seven letters jumped out at me~
I reflected on Eleanor Roosevelt's words:
"The future belongs to those who
believe in the beauty of their dreams."
May we all hold fast to our dreams--
whether created or contemplated 

in the day or night!

Friday evening,

Emily, Jessica and I saw Beyonce
in concert at the Louisiana Superdome.
WOW!
This is a video clip of her "Halo" tribute
to Michael Jackson--
amazing and powerful.

Happy Independence Day!
We celebrated with various patriotic colored,
berry, food items.

Emily baked a cake from scratch
and then decorated it in an American flag pattern.

Delicious!
She also took the berry photos...
she can zoom and focus
sooo much better than me.

Jessica made a refreshing berry drink!

Fireworks over the Mississippi River!
{yes, the radio station did play
Lee Greenwood's song so I was happy}.
It was a way good Fourth of July day!

A few Saturday's ago, while Emily was on an all day
plantation house excursion,
Jessica and I woke up very early to drive to

Mississippi

to pick ...we loved this darling sign hanging from their tree.

Jessica had a little shadow,

following her intently,
questioning every move
and berry picked.Little girl, Jessica and shadow's puppy;
a very mini Tulip!

Moss hangs from everything down here!

J took the photo above--
blue lights strung in their trees.

Maybe our three buckets of berries.

Amazing tree swing
nestled under a magnificent tree
to relax upon after picking berries.
It was a way good, very h-o-t, day!

I hope they play this, one of my favorite songs ever,
at the Fourth of July fireworks here in the Crescent City.
I am grateful to be an American--so grateful!

God bless the U.S.A.

Happy July!
Fourth of July is one of our families 

absolute favorite holidays.
We have found the best parades, most patriotic,
are usually located in small townships and villages.
Search out one now so you can stand, cheer, honor
and personally shake the hands of
U.S. service men and women,
and their families,
acknowledging and thanking them for their service,
enabling us to be a free country.
Happy Birthday, America!