Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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Books, Climate Change & Staying Sane

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I’m running out of photos. It’s so frigging hot and humid out there that the windows are permanently steamy and it’s too miserable to be outside. Plus, if I take my camera outside, the lens immediately steams up. We’re supposed to get storms today (we had one during the night) and the weather will break for about two days, then we’ll be back up in the nineties.

I read an article in the NY Times this morning about the abnormally high temperatures in the northern half of our country – and not only here, but in Europe, as well. This does not bode well. Global warming is a reality. Climate change is real. I’m glad Scott Pruitt resigned, but he resigned because of the backlash against his corruption, not because of his attempts to undo everything that was in place to try to save our planet. His successor has the same mindset. Big business, big oil, coal – all of that is more important to these despicable people than the future of our planet and the world that we are leaving to our children and grandchildren.

This is the first summer in which I’ve felt truly alarmed about the weather. We’ve had three long periods of abnormally high temperatures and it’s just the beginning of July. This is not normal.

The mystery plant is definitely Meadowsweet or Filipendula ulmaria. I assume it self-seeded several years ago. I’m so grateful it did. I really love this plant, and as it’s getting bigger every year, it’s become more beautiful.

I cannot tell you how many weeds there are here and it’s been too hot to pull them. I did mow the corral and the back forty yesterday. I also did some weed whacking. It needed to be done and I want the property to look nice for Don’s homecoming. But it really tired me out.

Last night, I found myself thinking that Don had a 7:00 curtain, before I remembered the show had closed. I suspect it was strange for him as well.

Today: recycling and getting things together here in the house for Don’s re-entry. Tomorrow, I head off to NYC, driving the old CR-V (wish me luck) into Manhattan.

Note the bee on the left.

I finished another book; John Connolly’s latest, The Woman in the Woods. As always with Connolly’s books, it was excellent. I’m officially reading again and that makes me so happy. Staying away from 24 hour news, taking a few minutes to catch up on the headlines, and reading fiction = my recipe for a modicum of peace of mind. I’m aware. I know what’s going on. I’m making phone calls, signing petitions, and am ready to march if needed. But the rest of the time, I need to chill.

Happy Friday.

Saturday

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A view from just inside the front door since I haven’t shown you many house pictures lately. That always happens when it’s garden time. I tend to neglect the inside of the cottage because my focus is on the outside.

Speaking of the outside, I weed whacked early yesterday morning, did some more chores and then, after looking at the weather forecast for the next week (temps in the high nineties through Friday) decided I should mow the front lawn.

Completely exhausting in the heat and humidity, but at least the front of the property will look good this week. I watered everything about 3 times and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t worried about tomorrow when I’m in the city and the temperature reaches 100 degrees. Instead of going in today, I’m going in early tomorrow morning, so I can water everything before I go. I’ll move plants on the porch to a shadier place (if there is one) and hope for the best. I’ll either come back tomorrow night or early Monday morning as Don and his cast mates take the train to Washington DC that morning.

Escape to Margaritaville story: about a week or so ago, a patron arranged a surprise. During the curtain call, he came up onstage and one of the cast members called his girlfriend up (she was completely surprised) and the entire theater got to witness his marriage proposal and her acceptance. Romantic.

I’m sort of numb now, just keeping it together until I watch tomorrow’s closing performance. I know I’ll be crying. It will be sad and beautiful and a bit of a relief. It’s been looming over the cast for a month now and that’s a hard thing to deal with, day after day. One of Don’s fellow cast members said it was like ‘being in hospice.’

It’s also surreal that the show closes and the cast immediately travels to Washington DC for A Capital Fourth. They are performing a medley of songs from the show with new choreography. I don’t think Don has a solo but he’ll be there, my dancing boy.

This is the milkweed growing in front of the porch. There are at least 12 different plants. I’m hoping I can see a monarch butterfly caterpillar. I spotted one last year. I must be diligent and check the stalks every day.

Okay. Have to go. I will probably take tomorrow and Monday off as they will be travel days. And full of emotion. I’ll see you on Tuesday.

Happy Saturday.

Humidity, Slow Motion & A Gift

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It’s so hot and humid here that I have to get going on this post, so I can do a few things outside before it becomes unbearable. Many of you are going through the same thing, I know. Miserable. When it becomes this humid, my brain feels fuzzy and it feels like I’m moving in slow motion.

Great weather, right? Wrong.

I love my hydrangeas, the Annabelle hydrangeas always being the first to bloom. They aren’t standing quite so erect after the heavy rain we had the night before last, though.

Too many mosquitoes to use the Secret Garden.

I walked up to the back forty and gathered about 10 ripe black raspberries and I came back with two mosquito bites.

Blooming on the far side of the house. Come to think of it, I’ve never given that little garden bed a name! I’ll have to think on that.

In that same garden bed, coneflowers.

Escape to Margaritaville  story: Don’s understudy is a great guy. He went on for Don during the run in Chicago when Don lost his voice, remember? Don found out that about 50 of his understudy’s friends and family were coming to the show for the matinee last Saturday. For ‘some reason’ Don didn’t feel well enough to perform in that matinee, so his understudy got to go on as J.D. and his family was surprised and delighted. Funny how it worked out that way…

Smile.

Lesley, a longtime reader of the blog who lives in England, sent me this British gardening magazine! I haven’t opened it yet because I’m saving it for an afternoon when the heat requires me to take cover in the den, which will most likely be today. Thank you, Lesley!

Two books read, by the way, and I’m well into number three, which is the newest by John Connolly – The Woman in the Woods. Huzzah!

Happy Thursday.

Lambs Like to Party

Lambs Like to Party

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