Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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A Sultry Saturday

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More of this day lily, which blooms spectacularly. It doesn’t bloom for long but I must get about 30 gorgeous flowers. What a gift!

I’m wiped out today so it’s going to be a day of rest. Don and I mowed the rest of the front lawn and also the lilac side of the lawn and it was both physically tough and very hard in the dense humidity. But we knew we were going to have several days of showers and thunderstorms so it had to be done. I think we were finished by 10:30 or 11 am – so we avoided the worst of the humidity. We felt invigorated when we finished, but later? We crashed.

Today will be stormy, or so they say, so we’re going to stay inside and just plain hang out.

I started a subscription to the NY Times Crossword puzzle yesterday. I used to have one but I let it go several years ago. I’ve been missing the mental stimulation of the crossword as well as the zen-like state I’m in when I’m trying to solve it. It’s only $5/month and I figured I could afford that. I print them out on our printer. Truth be told, Don gave me a book of crosswords a couple of months ago and I finally did one of them yesterday. I was finished in less than 5 minutes. Too easy. Solving crosswords is a skill that develops with practice and I’m a bit rusty. But it’s coming back.

I’m not hearing much bird song when I first get up, but I’m a bit relieved because I just opened the door (at 7:43 am) and there was lots of bird song. I don’t want this summer to go by too quickly. I want to hear the birds and the tree frogs and the bullfrog next door. I can hear a mourning dove right now. Remember Lonesome Dove, the dove without a partner who hung out on the property? I miss him. And I miss Henry, that grand old gentle groundhog we loved for so many years.

Ah well.

Stay safe.

Happy Saturday.

Flowers and a Great Series

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The very hot and humid weather continues. My brain was mush yesterday and I couldn’t get anything accomplished. Took a long nap in the afternoon. I just don’t do well in this kind of weather. Supposedly, there are possible storms this afternoon. Right now, it’s not too bad out there so I might grab some time to finish mowing the front lawn.

Just, but not fully, opened. I love, love, love my coneflowers.

The coneflowers on the far side of the house are huge this year. I’ll try to grab a photo of them today.

I sowed a lot of zinnia seeds in the galvanized tub that sits on the funky patio. (Where I caught a groundhog trying to eat the leaves and had to move it up on top of the wooden bench.) My first bud has appeared.

There are far more zinnias than there should be in this little tub, but I don’t care. I’m not going to thin them out. What happens, happens – which has become my mantra this summer after dealing with deer, bunnies, and groundhogs. Though to be far, the bunnies haven’t been in the garden beds. They stick to the grass. If only their fellow creatures could follow their example.

We discovered a series that we love. We’re very much late to the party because it is currently on Season 6! I don’t know why we missed out on it until now. It’s called Black Mirror. Have any of you watched it? It’s an anthology series out of Great Britain and each episode is a stand-alone drama. To quote from the blurb about it: It is a “contemporary reworking of The Twilight Zone with stories that tap into the collective unease about the modern world, particularly regarding both intended and unintended consequences of new technologies and the effect they have on society and individuals.” The actors are terrific, the stories completely compelling, beautifully produced, and let me tell you, after each episode Don and I are immediately immersed in a deep conversation about what we’ve just seen. EXCELLENT. I recommend it highly.

Okay. I’m going to try to get out there early today. Maybe I can push that mower despite the struggle with the front wheel drive.

Stay safe.

Happy Friday.

 

Heat, Humidity, and Stuff

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We have another air quality alert for today. It’s because of the level of ozone in the air. It’s not due to wildfires. It is VERY humid out there and it’s going to reach 91 today. So. We’ll have to stay indoors – or at least, I will. Yesterday’s work in high humidity did a number on my allergies/sinus. Note: our crack local forecasters say it IS due to wildfire smoke.

I worked outside yesterday – weed whacking, pulling weeds in the garden beds, and mowing. About halfway through the mowing the front lawn, the lawnmower became difficult to handle and the front wheel drive that makes it easy to propel wasn’t working. I was already dripping with sweat. Don came out and took over and he, too, found it very difficult. So we didn’t finish the lawn. The lawnmower works, it’s just very hard to propel it around our big patch of lawn. We have to mow some more and I thought I’d tackle it slowly this morning – a bit at a time – but then I learned about the Air Quality warning, so I’ll have to wait on that.

Lawnmower not working right. Washing machine is leaking a bit. Just had to replace the air conditioner. The usual ‘everything happening all at once.’

It’s worrisome. So I keep on giving myself chores and activities throughout the day. Thinking can be my worst enemy.

Oh, and the groundhogs. Remember when I said they ‘mostly behave’ yesterday? I was wrong. They were climbing up on top of the bin lids that make a little barrier between them and the big garden bed yesterday, and I discovered one of them on the porch and sure enough, the blooms on the calibrachoa in the planter were GONE. Clearly, they view the porch as an extension of the grass and garden. I was not happy. All planters that were on the porch floor are now on top of the picnic table.

I told Don I miss the time when they were more timid. Big sigh.

The balloon flowers are opening in the memorial garden. I chose it because the name of this particular balloon flower is Sentimental Balloon Flower. You can see the flower in its initial balloon shape at the bottom of the photo and one that has just opened at the top.

More coneflowers are opening up, rain and storms are coming tomorrow.

I’m already sweating, so I’m going to turn the a/c on.

Stay safe.

Happy Thursday.

Lambs Like to Party

Lambs Like to Party

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