Good morning.
It’s a beautiful morning here at the cottage. The yarrow has blossomed. The back forty was mowed a few days ago. We’re due to mow the front lawn, but we’ll wait a bit before we start in on that. It’s very green out there, helped by our recent days of rain. I’m well aware that we had a drought last summer in July and August, so I’m enjoying this while I can.
My little buddy, one of the baby groundhogs, visited in the afternoon yesterday. He/She is fascinating – usually comes to visit by himself, hangs out, eats, lazes on a rock or two, disappears whenever we suddenly appear, then comes back to the rock. I haven’t named any of the babies, but this one – he is Buddy. I have no idea where the others are, or where they dine. Every once in a while I walk up to the back forty near the area where their burrow is, but I don’t see anything. Buddy definitely goes back to that burrow at night. I haven’t seen mom in a while. I guess the kids are the equivalent of teenagers now and just like when we were kids, they go off by themselves for hours at a time. Mom knows they’ll come back “when the streetlights go on.”
The robins are still busy feeding their babies – this nest is in the big bush in the main garden bed. The burning bush, if you remember it. It’s the perfect place for a nest because the bush is dense and the nest is quite hidden. Heck, I can’t even see it when I’m nearby. I imagine those babies will be fledging soon; in fact, with my track record, they probably fledged this morning. I want to prune that bush, but I’ve been keeping away from it while the nest is active.
Today, I’m going to tackle the weeds in the rock garden part of the secret garden. They are out of control. Soon, they’ll cover The Dude and we can’t have that!
I’m working on a puzzle – another Renoir painting – which is very dark and very, very difficult. If I can fit 5 pieces in a session, I’m happy. It’s very slow going, especially since I’m busy outside much of the time. But it’s there and I often stop whatever I’m doing in the kitchen to see if inspiration hits me.
Stay safe.
Happy Monday.
I love yarrow, but I didn’t even realize there was a white variety until I saw your photo. I usually see it in yellow, or red/yellow. However, I just read that the true native species was a white yarrow. Live and learn! Your photograph is beautiful.
It’s so pretty in white, but it’s also pretty in the other colors, as well.
Stay safe, Jenny.
what i see in that photo is beautiful. the days you described are beautiful. your enjoyment of and gratitude for what you have are beautiful. :)
we had a bit of rain the night before last. not enough to end the “slight drought” we’re in, but i sure appreciated those three ten-minute bursts of rain and awesome lightning! wish it could have stuck around, but at least maybe it’s on the way to you. hope so.
happy, safe, beautiful monday to everyone!
kathy
I hope you get more rain, Kathy!
Stay safe.
What an idyllic setting portrayed in that pic…a perfect place for a picnic, or deep contemplation. Loving the white yarrow with all that green. Serene.
I sure wish we’d get some rain. Next weekend is the best we’ve been offered by the weather people. So…we sprinkle and we sprinkle. We are in the beginnings of a drought, I believe. And, I would hate to lose any of our evergreens, ferns, hostas, perennials, or trees. So we water.
Have fun weeding the rock garden. Enjoy your day! ;)
I am crossing my fingers that you get rain, very soon. I remember watering like crazy every day of last year’s drought. Too much investment in plants and trees – they need water! (Then I worried I might be depleting the well. Sigh.)
Stay safe, Donnamae.
You and Don have your own little garden of Eden on your very doorstep including all creatures great and small. And you have a new puzzle. When I do jigsaw puzzles often I find if I walk away and come back a little while later I find several pieces that fit. My theory, right or wrong, is that our mind is still working on the puzzle while we do other things. Enjoy. Hugs, Elaine
Usually, first thing the next morning when I’m making coffee, I suddenly find the pieces I couldn’t find the day before.
Stay safe, Elaine.
What fun to have Buddy on your property, sorta hanging out with you. We saw two lizards yesterday from one of our back windows. The bigger one was doing push-ups, which I assume was mating behavior, the smaller one was watching him, then darted off, and he followed. I’ve only seen one baby lizard in my yard, last season. Hoping there will be some this season, too.
We all worked in the garden yesterday afternoon, and filled our huge green bin. We had to stop because the baseball game was starting.
Of course you had to stop for baseball, Wendy!
Stay safe.
Boy, groundhogs certainly grow up quick. We’re having our own wildlife adventures today. Dean is sure the doe that was chowing down on our garden was also bedding down in the tree line between our place and the neighbor’s.
Today I discovered why. I opened the family room patio door and heard a knocking noise in the overgrown bed immediately behind the house. There I found a tiny fawn I’d startled standing and looking back at me, blinking its big brown eyes. I know deer moms go off for hours and leave their babies during the day. I guess she’s decided our back garden is a safe place. I avoided going out back so as not to scare her away when she decides to return. Little one is laying in the bed now (I can see her out the back window) and I’m hoping mama comes back soon.
Take care,
Kay
Yes, we once had a fawn on the property we were renting and I panicked that the mom had abandoned the fawn. Turns out, that’s not the case. You’re a good person, Kay. We worry about these babies don’t we?
Stay safe.