Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Life in our little cottage in the country

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Muggy and a Monarch

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Wouldn’t banning assault weapons be a good thing to do?

Just thinking.

Heavens! I’m either completely lethargic, like I was Saturday, or I’m on overdrive, as I was yesterday. Maybe yesterday’s energy was due to my not venturing outside until later in the day. The a/c was on and I dusted, vacuumed, did a load of wash, straightened the slip cover on the sofa in the den (always a pain,) took many photos of the things I wanted to add to my Etsy shop, listed all the items (which means measuring, weighing, etc.) and then watered everything outside.

I wish I had that kind of energy on a daily basis.

It’s completely crappy out there; hazy, hot, and humid. I am doing my best to stay positive. Gratitude: working a/c units, my husband, who keeps me laughing, and the knowledge that this will break on Wednesday. Hopefully.

The day lilies on the far side of the house are blooming. As we sat down for the evening last night, Don said “Oh look! There’s a deer right outside the window!” I knew that meant trouble, and sure enough, he was ready to chomp on the day lilies.  I knocked on the window and he took off. Sweetheart, you’re beautiful, but stay away from my day lilies! This property is full of green things you can eat. Head on up to the woods.

My first Monarch sighting was yesterday.

I followed him around as he dined on every one of the coneflowers. But he was skittish and it was hard to get a clear photo.

At this point, I was on the porch leaning over the railing trying to catch that second when he would open his wings. A bit blurry, but I got it. I take that back – ‘she.’ She doesn’t have the black dots that the male has.

Don’s gig on Saturday was cancelled at the last minute. The owner of the bar (which apparently has a terrific menu) called Don because she hadn’t had any customers the night before and she was panicked about money. (She pays the performers, unlike a lot of other venues where the only money comes from tips.) She was very apologetic. Bless her heart, she’s trying to make a go of it and that’s very hard these days. I hope things pick up for her.

And, yesterday, I reached the point where I could I could not stand my hair any longer, so the team of Don and Claudia whacked 3 inches off. So much better!

There are a few new items in the Etsy shop.

Stay safe.

Happy Monday.

Friday Thoughts

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A young deer has been trying to chomp on the plants in the big garden bed. I happened to look up this morning and saw him eating something. I shooed him away – boy, was he cute – and just now, he was right by the shed and the hostas planted there…I shooed him away again. Both times, he ran up the trail into the woods.

He’s young. He doesn’t understand my Rules For Eating yet.

I mowed the lilac side of the front lawn yesterday and I have to admit it, it was hard, probably because I’ve mowed a lot this week and my arms are tired from pushing that front wheel drive-less lawnmower. I finished, but I’m taking a break for a bit. The back forty needs to be mowed, but sometime next week will be fine. The lawnmower has now moved to the top of the repair list.

Don has been coordinating and hosting a series of concerts this summer. They are held outdoors in a park in a town north of us. Don recruited all of the performers and he emcees each concert – once a month for four months. Anyway, there is another one tonight. It has rained or threatened to rain every Friday there has been a concert and true to form, it’s doing the same for tonight’s concert. So he’s spent a lot of time this week ensuring the performers are coming, pressuring the powers-that-be to find an indoor location and making that decision, not at the last minute, but a few days beforehand so that the public knows the venue is changing. I think they’ve been doing this for 14 or 15 years. Don played in the very first concert long ago. He has noticed that the number of people attending has decreased considerably since Covid. It’s very depressing. The same thing has happened with theater – subscription bases have decreased. Theater – especially regional theater – is struggling. I’ll write more about that later, but several well-known theaters are in serious financial trouble. Back to the concert series: it almost seems as if lockdown kept us home and once lockdown ended, people didn’t return to their previous activities and support of the arts. I’d say it was about money – and it is, of course – but this series is free.

The Arts are in trouble – not-for-profit theater is really in trouble. It seems as if I hear/read something about that on a daily basis.

I’m proud of all the work Don has done to make these concerts happen. I don’t know if he’ll do it next year, but I’m betting that after some time away from it, he will.

Stay safe.

Happy Friday.

 

 

Flowers

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Our two peony bushes are very old. I believe they’ve been here for decades. In the past couple of years, they haven’t done much. Last year, I think there was one flower on the bush that gets the most sun. The other bush is now under a tree that has grown in the almost 18 years we’ve lived here and now its leaves block out the sun.

But this year, one blossom managed to emerge before the leaves took over. I’ve missed this peony.

I would try transplanting, but I don’t know if it would work – especially digging up the peony with the tree blocking some of the roots.

The other bush might be a better possibility. Anyway, isn’t this bloom beautiful? I told Don about it and later in the day he came in the house declaring that the scent is ‘intoxicating!” It is.

Maybe I should simply plant two new peonies next spring.

And when will I remember to spray my plants with deer repellent earlier in the spring? I forget all about it, thinking that it’s a problem I’ll have to address in a month or so. In the meantime, the deer chomp on everything and I’m always shocked that it’s happened so early.

I made up the recipe yesterday and sprayed it on everything. And I mean everything.

Of course, it rained for two minutes this morning. It might rain more this afternoon (we need it.) If so, I’ll spray again.

Before you ask, I can’t send you a link for the recipe because I no longer have access to it – it was on my old computer. It may be on this blog somewhere and you’re welcome to search for it.

More clematis.

Just read a big chunk of War and Peace  this morning. This particular section of the novel is so good I could not put it down, so I’m now ahead of the schedule.

Some good news: my former student from San Diego, Christine, has been battling cancer and her most recent test results are very positive. As Don says, Christine radiates joy and love, and we have been praying for her daily. And Adrian continues to get stronger. He walks a lot every day. His color is better. He is doing very well.

We have an air quality warning through tonight because of particulates in the air due to the wildfires in Canada.

Stay safe.

Happy Tuesday.

 

Lambs Like to Party

Lambs Like to Party

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