Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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Day Four Hundred Eight

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It rained overnight. It looks like a cloudy day lies ahead. Yesterday was sunny and gorgeous and we got quite a bit of work done outside. I cleared the garden beds, Don took down the old chicken wire, we raked a ton of leaves onto a tarp (several trips to the yard refuse pile) and I mowed the corral and the lilac side of the lawn. I’m slowly getting back  to outdoor-work-shape. We also taped an audition for Don. All of this before 12:30! We came back in to dine on a soup that Don had made the day before.

There’s still lots and lots to do outside, but we’re taking our time.

Looking at the low temps for tonight and tomorrow night which will be in the mid-thirties, it seems like the best day to start getting plants from the nursery will be Tuesday. After we get through Monday night, the nighttime temps should be in the forties and fifties.

There was more Christopher and Jenny watching yesterday, along with our groundhog eating the grass right outside the kitchen door when a bird called rather loudly and he panicked and ran across the yard to the shed. So cute!

I’m almost done with the puzzle. I expect to finish today. I really love this one – the colors are so beautiful together.

I hope you’re all well. I’m gathering that you’re all outside now, doing house and garden things. Enjoy!

Stay safe.

Happy Sunday.

Day Four Hundred Seven

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I grabbed the camera and snapped a quick photo of the cubby. I loved the way the light was creating shadows behind the egg cups. Maybe that’s happened before, but I’ve never noticed it.

Yesterday ended up being very windy – will it never stop? – so I worked outside for only a short while. Trying to get anything done was exhausting, and my allergies were on overdrive. Very frustrating. Even Don, who loves wind, said that after three days of it, he was done. Today is much calmer, thank goodness, so I’m going to try again. I need to rake the leaves out of the chicken wire fence garden and mow the grass in that same area. It’s going to rain tomorrow.

Christopher and Jenny are back at it this morning. Just like yesterday, I heard one of them sing, looked out the window and there he/she was, standing in front of the trailer. By the way, Christopher is named after the famous architect, Sir Christopher Wren, who designed St. Paul’s Cathedral, among other famous buildings in London. It’s one of my favorite churches, I might add. Jenny is a traditional nickname for wrens, especially in Great Britain and Europe, hence “Jenny Wren.”

Today is the seventh anniversary of my mom’s passing. It seems to be hitting me particularly hard this year. I can’t believe it’s been 7 years and I really miss my mom. Don does, too. My mom had a lovely little habit of calling our respective spouses when she knew one of us was away. She loved having a long conversation, just the two of them. I would be away somewhere coaching and Don would say, “I had a great conversation with your Mom today.”

Anyway. I didn’t respond to comments yesterday because I was feeling under the weather after my battle with the wind. Sorry about that. And now I have to help Don with an audition self-tape that has to be in today. We did another one just two days ago. Self-taping is definitely going to be the norm going forward. It was already happening before the pandemic, but it’s really taken off. For us, it’s invaluable. No bus trip to the city. No expensive bus ticket. Traveling to an audition ends of taking up a whole day. Now? We just set up, I read the other lines in the scene, and when Don is happy with it, he sends it in. Easy peasy. It works for television and film rather nicely.

After that, I’m headed outside.

Stay safe.

Happy Saturday.

Day Four Hundred Six

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They’ve definitely moved in. At around 6 am, they emerged from inside the trailer – both of them – and sang. It was like a Disney movie in which the cottage door is flung open and the heroine sings. Back and forth, back and forth – they’ve been singing and flying in and out of the trailer for a few hours now. At first, we wondered if perhaps they were feeding babies, but then as it got lighter out, I saw nest-making materials in their beaks.

Christopher and Jenny are our new tenants. Chris and Jen, for short.

I’m endlessly fascinated with them.

I couldn’t resist sharing this rather blurry shot with you. One of them perched on the hubcap (is that still the name for it?) for about 10 minutes.

We’re so glad they chose our little trailer.

It was cold and windy yesterday and there was a frost warning overnight, but when I arose early this morning, I didn’t see any signs of frost. I think we dodged a bullet and I’m very grateful. We have warmer temperatures ahead, so I’m going to do a little raking this morning – the chicken wire fence gardens are full of leaves. Don is going to replace the chicken wire in a couple of days as it’s very, very rusty and looks terrible. Also, a little weed pulling is on the docket.

In a couple of days, I’ll trot off to the nursery and buy my porch and patio plants. I can’t wait!

I bought a turntable for the English Cottage, which will make it much easier to work on, as well as adjust for better photo lighting. I have three of them now; one for Hummingbird Cottage, one for the vintage dollhouse on top of the china cabinet in the den, and now, one for Dove Cottage. Turntables wouldn’t work with the big vintage dollhouse in the kitchen, or with the modern dollhouse. Nor with the Beacon Hill, if I ever get around to constructing it. It’s too big. Anyway, once I placed the dollhouse on the turntable, I wondered why I had waited so long to get one! When I want to secure it, I stick a Scrabble letter rack under it. It’s the perfect size.

Okay. Have to get a move on. It’s sunny, finally, and a good day to work outside!

Stay safe.

Happy Friday.

Lambs Like to Party

Lambs Like to Party

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