Claudia — Page 1375

Somewhat Random

July 23, 2013 at 8:49 am by Claudia

T minus 6 and counting.

I’m off to Hartford in less than a week. I can’t linger on that thought for too long or I get sad. The garden is looking pretty gosh-darned abundant, my husband is about to return home and my little girl will once again be confused and sad. So what’s wrong with this picture?

Two months away from the cottage this time.

I’ve got a lot to do between now and Monday. Finish work on the scripts, get my hair cut, find a new pair of shorts that isn’t torn, mow, figure out what to pack (don’t have a project in mind yet,) write up an extensive list of the chores that Don has to take over, and there are many; most of them to do with watering potted plants, filling birdbaths and watering the seedlings. Oh, and a reminder (again) on how to empty the canister on the vacuum which he simply ignored last time I was away. Plus I have to drive up to the Berkshires on Saturday to watch a run-through of Much Ado About Nothing, followed by attending the closing performance of Pygmalion and packing Don up to bring him back home.

The latest visitors to check in at the birdbath:

catbirdfinch

A catbird and a male house finch. Finches sit on the edge of the birdbath and sip the water. Catbirds plunge in and dunk themselves with great exuberance.

finches

Sort of blurry, sorry, but I wanted to show you the elusive yellow-colored finch. I have tried to photograph this little guy so many times I’ve stopped counting. He always flies away before I can haul out my camera. According to my research, he’s another adult male house finch, yellow variant. Some males are yellow rather than red. Unless it’s a pine warbler. Or a goldfinch. Or a yellow-throated vireo.

I clearly have no idea.

This guy is often at the birdbath solo. Seeing him with another bird is a rarity.

liatris

The liatris is just starting to bloom.

dayliliesbeauty

More daylily beauty.

bench

A bench on the porch. The porch on which it’s been too hot to sit for more than a minute or two. Still humid here. Scout does not do well in humidity so I’ve had to turn on the A/C. But I leave it off for a while in the morning – just because I’m so sick of it. And because I’m dreading the next electric bill.

scoutgatebark

Miss Scout. She’s barking because she does not like it when I disappear, camera in hand, while she’s outside. She’d like me to let her back in the house, thank you very much, and where am I? Taking more pictures of my gardens.

The nerve.

One of you commented on that tarp that lies on the ground, just to the right in the photo, saying it looks like a dead body. It does. But in reality, it’s a pile of hay we use to cover the ground in the dog corral in the muddy, rainy days of spring. The tarp keeps the hay under control so that it doesn’t fly all over the property.

Today: Shorts shopping. T-shirt shopping. Perhaps a summer dress shopping.

I do not like shopping for clothes. No sir. The combination of a body that no longer looks as thin and svelte as it used to, fluorescent lights, and very little patience for the whole thing makes for a potentially frustrating experience. I used to love shopping for clothes. But my life out here in the country calls for T-shirts and jeans. And comfortable shoes. What have I become?

Ah well.

Happy Tuesday.

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Butterflies, Coneflowers and a Bit of Swooning

July 22, 2013 at 8:18 am by Claudia

Saturday was sort of magical. Almost at every turn, I saw a butterfly. It was a day of swallowtails. From the den window:

swallowtailwhitecone

Flitting, floating, flying through the air while I was working in the garden.

swallowtailpurplecone

At first I thought it was the same swallowtail I’d seen from the den window, but this one’s wing is torn. It seemed to have no effect on this beauty’s ability to fly.

swallowtailpurplecone2

Thank goodness. Because she was clearly hanging out with me. I thanked her for the visit.

My coneflowers have self-seeded. There’s a patch of them right by the maple, a hop, skip and a jump from a group that I did plant.

volunteers2

There are more and more in this little patch every year. And then there is this lone coneflower that sprung up in the dog corral a few years back.

coneflowervolunteer1

Every year, I almost yank it because I think it must be one of the many weeds that grow alongside the chicken wire fence. In the space of time between summer and spring, I forget that it grows there. And every year, when I see this tenacious flower, I’m so grateful I didn’t.

This group, planted on the other side of the house, is giant in size and amazing in color.

coneflowersinthesun

I did not do one bit of retouching or enhancing. This is their true color.

If I was starting a garden and I was unsure as to the quality of my soil and I was strapped for money (wait, I am strapped for money!) I would plant coneflowers. They are extremely tolerant of all kinds of soil. They self-seed. They last a long time. They look beautifully cottage garden-y. And if you leave them intact at the end of the season, the birds will thank you as they snack on them throughout the winter.

beeonconeflower

beeonpurpleconeflower

Bees like them, too. What’s not to love?

On to another topic.

Because both Don and I have worked in the theater for years, plus lots and lots of television and film for Don, we’ve worked with a lot of well-known and in some cases, quite famous, people. It just goes with the territory. If I made a list of them all, I think you’d be quite impressed. But I won’t, because it’s no big deal. We’re used to it.

Do you remember the television series, Medium? We were big fans and never missed an episode. Both Patricia Arquette and Jake Weber, who played the two leads, had a natural, easy quality on the screen that was a testament to their formidable acting chops.

I had a little crush on Jake Weber. Husky voice, easy smile, good actor. Don’t worry, Don knew all about it.

Guess who was performing in a play at Williamstown? Yep. Jake Weber. Don got to know him and they had some good conversations. Jake’s play closed yesterday afternoon (he was excellent in it, according to none other than my husband) and when my phone made that little ‘ding!’ that means I have a message, look what I saw:

don&jake

Oh boy. My crush and my husband. Together.

Don later informed me that he told Jake he had to take the picture because ‘my wife has a crush on you.’

So, even though I’m not easily impressed or awed by ‘famous’ actors, I must admit to a little swooning here. Never mind that Jake is about 15 years younger than me. Or that my adored husband is in the same frame.

They’re both smiling. At me!

I’m swooning.

Happy Monday.

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A Break in the Weather, Photo-Bombing & My Talented Husband

July 21, 2013 at 8:34 am by Claudia

Ssssh! What? Oh, pardon me. I’m just enjoying the quiet. For the first time in a month, the air conditioner isn’t on. For the first time in a month, I can open the windows. The humidity, that awful, awful humidity has broken.

Hallelujah!

I never thought that hearing the sound of the refrigerator could be so wonderful. Or the sound of a car going by. Heaven. The minute I got up this morning, I turned off the downstairs A/C, opened all the windows and smiled. Maybe, just maybe I can actually spend some time on the porch today.

I’m continually trying to grab a picture of all the birds that frequent the birdbath. It’s been especially active around there lately because of the heat and humidity. The robins, the catbirds, the finches, and an occasional mourning dove, have been drinking and bathing and frolicking. I have to shoot the photos through the glass on the kitchen door because any opening of the door will scare them off. Nine times out of ten, by the time I grab my older camera with its zoom lens, they’re gone.

I have to move quickly so I just point and shoot. And hope.

Finally, I was able to get some photos yesterday.

birdiesandchip

Four birds sharing the communal bath. Perhaps they were having a meeting?

Imagine my delight when I examined the photo a bit more closely. Move your eyes just a bit north of the birds.

It’s a chipmunk! He’s peeking out from behind a rock in the garden.

I have to say, this was a fun surprise.

birdesatibirdbath

One bird has left, three remain. And Chippie, still watching.

I adore chipmunks.

chippie

The blur in the upper left hand corner is a retreating bird. One bird remains, along with our ever vigilant Chippie.

Birds and chipmunks. Sigh of happiness.

The opening for Pygmalion was a few days ago. Don is working at the Williamstown Theatre Festival, one of the most respected summer theaters in the country. It’s a rather big operation and very busy. There are always a lot of well-known, even famous, actors working there. It’s in a beautiful college town and while at least two plays are always running, there are even more plays in rehearsal, ready for the next round of performances.

Anyway. Dare I brag a bit? Don tends to not read reviews. Nor do I. But, he casually mentioned he had heard through the grapevine that the reviews of his performance had been great. And then he changed the topic of conversation. Because he’s pretty modest. But I’m not at all modest about his talent.

The internet can be pretty handy at a time like this. If you don’t mind, I’ll just share some quotes with you. By the way, Don sometimes chooses to be billed as Don Lee Sparks. Sometimes, Don Sparks. This time it’s Don Lee Sparks. (I’ve given up trying to figure it out.)

From the ArtsFuse, Boston’s Online Arts Magazine, written by Helen Epstein:

“Don Lee Sparks, however, steals the show as Eliza’s absentee father Mr. Doolittle. When he’s dressed for his wedding in lavender gloves, vest and spats, he serves as the perfect mouthpiece for Shaw’s views on class, marriage, morality – almost everything.”

From Broadway World, written by Larry Murray:

“Equally delightful are the two extended appearances of Eliza Doolittle’s father played by a perfect Don Lee Sparks…When Sparks is on stage everyone else just about fades to near -invisibility. He not only fills his role, he overflows it, as Shaw has him dominate the proceedings and his delicious acting easily earns the biggest laughs of the evening.”

From the Times-Union, written by Steve Barnes:

“Don Lee Sparks almost steals the show as Eliza’s father, Alfred, a dustman who, thanks to Higgins, gets a lecture tour, money and misery that he didn’t have when he was poor.”

I read much the same when he was doing the role in San Diego. Don thinks this production is even better than the one in San Diego. I can’t wait to see it next Saturday on closing night.

My husband is an extremely talented actor. He’s a gifted comedic actor, as well, with pitch-perfect timing. I’m proud of him.

Sort of bustin’ my buttons here at the cottage.

Happy Sunday.

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Somewhat Random

Butterflies, Coneflowers and a Bit of Swooning

A Break in the Weather, Photo-Bombing & My Talented Husband

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

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