Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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Pansies & Dove Cottage

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Nothing prettier than the sunlight shining through a pretty pansy.

It’s Saturday and Don is going to take some photos at the Farmer’s Market today. The first time in over two years! He’s just about to leave and will be back later this afternoon.

I’m going to do a little work outside today; some pruning, some mulching, and some weed pulling.

I bought a new faucet for the sink in the cottage. I never liked the one that came with the sink. It was too tiny and was more like a bathroom faucet. This one is perfect! If you look in the background, you can see a new floor lamp for the living room. I got that a couple of weeks ago.

Finishing touches are happening at Dove Cottage. I mean, there’s a lot of tiny detail I can still add – for example, silverware in the drawers, little bits in the cupboards, etc. But that would be for me and not something you would necessarily see. I need a few more lamps and some details added to the studio and the front entrance, but that’s almost done.

Then…the Beacon Hill. Gulp.

Stay safe.

Happy Saturday.

Jurgen: A Little Update

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I’m sure you remember my post about Jurgen Gothe, the late, much-loved host of Disc Drive on CBC2 in Canada. I found the tape Don made for me of one of his programs and played it once and then it sort of disintegrated. I combed the archives of the CBC – nothing.

In my search, I learned that two CDs were recorded by Jurgen. The first, titled The DiscDrive Disc, and the second, DiscDrive2. They have been out of circulation for years, almost impossible to find. I did find one copy of DiscDrive2 listed on eBay for over $150.00. Yikes! Then I came across a site called Discogs, where collectors/sellers come together to sell hard-to-find recordings. Both of the CDs were listed but no stock was available. I revisited a couple of weeks later and realized that I needed to register for the site – which I did – and that allowed me to see stock information. Nothing for the first disc, but there was a copy of DiscDrive2 available from a seller in Canada for an incredibly good price – I think it was around $12 Canadian. It was sealed and had never been opened.

It arrived in yesterday’s mail.

Whoo hoo! It has commentary by Jurgen, so I get to hear his voice again. I played it yesterday and both Don and I couldn’t get over the excellent quality of the recording. It’s a great mix of the kind of eclectic offerings that were a part of every one of his shows. Now, I just have to find a copy of the first recording.

Side note: there is also a 20th anniversary Disc Drive recording which my friends in Toronto managed to get for me. It’s lovely and the pieces of music chosen are very much Jurgen Gothe. That also arrived yesterday. The only thing missing is Jurgen’s commentary. It’s just the music. I’ll have to imagine what he might have said.

It was so lovely to sit at the table working on my puzzle, listening to Jurgen Gothe. That might have to happen again today.

During my initial searches, Don got into the whole thing and contacted a man who had blogged about missing Jurgen’s show several years ago. He thought this guy might know of some available stock. His name is Viktor and we’ve struck up a nice correspondence with him. He moved to Canada from Hungary years ago and discovered DiscDrive. He would listen to it every afternoon. He has also searched for these recordings. I think he has both of the CDs. What a lovely guy he is.

The clematis in front of the house.

A light rain is falling here this morning but it should stop soon.

Stay safe.

Happy Friday.

 

Around the Property

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A big, fat bumblebee obligingly stopped long enough for me to get several pictures.

I love bumblebees.

We mowed a heck of a lot yesterday. Not that this is a contest, but I mowed more than Don. That’s only because I started out mowing the corral – without telling him I’d started – and then moved on to the front lawn. Then he joined me and we tag teamed the rest of the lawn and the Secret Garden. We still have to do the back forty but that was enough for the day. Good exercise, satisfying, and a lot of work!

We had lots of rain and thunderstorms later in the day, so we got it done just in time. More rain today and maybe a bit more rain tomorrow.

Came inside, showered, checked for ticks, had some lunch and worked a bit on the puzzle.

Then, a nap in my chair.

I finally did something I’d been thinking about for a long time. I moved the old piece of picket fence from its former position leaning against the shed to the area right outside the kitchen door. We used to have a short section of chicken wire fence there, but we took it down. So there was nothing coming out from the side of the house and connecting to our old gate. It bugged me.

I leaned it up against the fence posts that supported the gate and ran the idea by Don. He loved it.

When I realized it was going to rain and storm, I attached it to the posts with wire.

I’m pleased with the result. Now, the connection of fence to house to gate looks intentional. We have a proper enclosure outside the kitchen door. Such a simple thing and an idea I’ve had for a while. I’m glad it’s done.

I’d love nothing more than to have a picket fence along the edge of the corral so that the memorial garden and chicken wire fence garden backed up to the pickets. But fencing is expensive. This little section is chippy and weathered, as is the gate (which we found on the property,) as is the door frame, which needs to be repainted. I think it suits the look of our place. But I do have to repaint that door frame sometime soon.

I’m enjoying Elizabeth George’s The Punishment She Deserves. I read a big chunk of it this morning. I’m also reading Quiet  (the book about Introverts.)

And we’re watching the new season of Stranger Things, after having finished The Bridge  (our second time watching that series, which is one of the finest I’ve ever seen.)

Okay. Time to go.

Stay safe.

Happy Thursday.

Lambs Like to Party

Lambs Like to Party

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