Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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Surprise Flowers

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I was hanging the sheets on the line, a little beyond the corral in the back forty and I noticed a flash of color. I went over to investigate and I saw this, which I identified as lychnis or rose campion. It has lovely gray/green stems and pretty flowers.

I have no idea where it came from. I’ve never planted it in the 17 years we’ve lived here. It’s a perennial. So it must have self-seeded from somewhere else. Perhaps a bird dropped the seeds at one time? I don’t know, but I have to say it’s a delightful discovery!

It’s right on the edge of the wild area in the rear of the Secret Garden (but on the other side.)

These unexpected finds are always fun.

I mowed the entire front lawn, including the lilac side yesterday. Why I chose to do it in 80 degree temps when I knew it was going to drop down to the 60s today, I don’t know. But I did it and, though tiring, it was satisfying. Since Don is going to work for 5 hours at the Farmer’s Market today, I figured it’s the least I can do to hold up my end of things.

Today is very, very breezy and much cooler.

I’m going to pack up more books to donate to the library, along with the two books I have to return. Today’s donation will be pulled from my many decorating books. There are some I want to keep, of course, but there are many that I never crack open. So it’s time for them to go. Since Don is going to be gone today, I’m going to do some cleaning and some laundry and some putzing.

Happy 80th to Paul McCartney!

Stay safe.

Happy Saturday.

Thursday Thoughts

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• Yesterday, I was talking to my best friend on the phone, while sitting on the porch glider. About 5 minutes into our call, I saw a deer run across the street toward our house, run up the driveway and then to the corral and the woods. Luckily a car slowed down and the deer made it safely.

We continued talking. I’d say it was about 20 minutes later when a fawn – THE fawn – also ran across the street, jumped the culvert and ran in the same direction as the other deer. This fawn is very, very small, by the way. It became clear that the deer that I saw earlier was the fawn’s mom.

Both times, I held my breath, praying that they would cross the road safely. Remember, this is a very busy road.

Later in the conversation – maybe 10 minutes later? – I looked up to see the fawn on the front lawn, clearly still looking for mom. I stood up because I knew I had to stop her/him from running across the street again. As soon as we locked eyes, she reversed and ran back up into the woods.

After we finished talking, I put on my muck boots and walked through the woods, looking for mom and baby. I never saw them. So I kept watch for a couple of hours, just in case I needed intervene. Poor baby was frantically looking for mom! But she never came back so I have to think they found each other.

And that’s how I proceeded to worry about the fawn for about 3 hours.

• In other news, Jim Parsons messaged me on Instagram yesterday with the news that Spoiler Alert (the movie we worked on) is coming to theaters on December 2nd. Whoo hoo! This is very exciting. It will premier less than a year since we wrapped the film, which was on December 10th of last year. I can’t wait for you to see it.

• Day three of the January 6th Committee Hearings is today at 1:00 pm EST. Be there or be square.

• We got up around 5:30 this morning and soon after that, we had a morning thunderstorm. There’s something about early morning thunderstorms that I love. Sipping a hot cup of coffee, lamps on because it’s still somewhat dark, and thunder and lightning filling the skies. Very cozy.

• Question for introverts: Have you run into problems with some friends who don’t understand what an introvert is? Or take your need for home/quiet/solitude personally? That’s what Laural and I were talking about yesterday. (Note: Laural completely understands and accepts me and she’s an extrovert. I was talking to her about other friends.)

I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Okay.

Stay safe.

Happy Thursday.

In Bloom

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We sat on the glider last night and marveled at the beauty surrounding us. Especially lovely, and deliciously fragrant, are the blossoms on the catalpa. This is that brief period in which all the catalpas – and there are a lot of them in my area of the Hudson Valley – are covered in beautiful, white blossoms. Don says the fragrance reminds him of night blooming jasmine. He’s absolutely right. I miss that scent, part of our everyday lives when we were living in San Diego, but we get to have much the same scent wafting through the air for a week or so.

Yes, that’s one of two wood/debris piles we have on the property.

The spirea, which I had to cut back a bit earlier this spring, is in bloom. It grows right next to the annabelle hydrangea and both plants suffered damage during the last two winters.

Speaking of the hydrangea, an update –

Some of the shoots coming out of the ground are going to blossom! I’m so happy to see it coming back. I still have some cutting back of the dead wood to do, but I was careful to keep some support for the new growth. Once I see how it all turns out, I’ll cut back some more.

Yesterday, I spilled an entire cup of coffee all over the table next to this chair, and all over the floor and several nearby objects. Sigh. The cleanup took forever, but all is well. I also mowed the corral and the back forty. It looks very pretty out there at the moment.

So glad that bunnies are back! We see one or two nearly every day now. One area that Don cleared in our woods has now grown back, affording more cover for our little friends. Hurrah!

I woke up way, way too early this morning, so I’m going to stop now. I’ve expended all my energy.

Stay safe.

Happy Wednesday.

Lambs Like to Party

Lambs Like to Party

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