Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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You are here: Home / Archives for flowers

Morning Symphony

June 7, 2021 at 9:37 am by Claudia

It took me a while before I realized that these bushes, which bloom at exactly the same time as the wild roses, are not wild roses. It’s easy to look at the mass of white blossoms all over the property and assume they’re all the same thing.

These lovelies are dogwood – silky dogwood – and they grow along the edge of the property right above the Secret Garden. And in the Secret Garden. And also at the back entrance of the property as you walk into the woods from my neighbor’s meadow. They’re what I call ‘frothy.’

I haven’t written about them before and it’s high time I did.

We sat in the Secret Garden this morning, marveling at the natural beauty there. It just is. The only plants that have been brought in are the pots that I plant every year. Everything else is nature’s design. We listened to what I call our morning symphony. Birds singing, the bullfrog croaking, the occasional hum of a bee. Goodness, it’s beautiful there.

But it’s still very hot here. This will be our third day with temperatures in the nineties. There’s a heat advisory today. So we appreciate that time in the garden because all too soon we’ll have to shut everything up and run the a/c. Tomorrow will be a bit better, though it will also bring rain and thunderstorms as this front breaks up

Because of the heat, there’s been constant activity in the birdbath. I’m going to top it off after I finish this post.

Oh, and we had warning chirps again yesterday from the robins. I tried to see if there were any fledglings on the ground, but nothing stood out. Later, Don went outside and heard the same chirping and saw a brown bird fly from the ground in front of the shed onto the low branch of a tree. So mom and dad are still watching out for the babies.

I’m going to paint this morning. I’m not sure what, but I’ll play it by ear. Don’s going to do some recording. He’s writing a new song.

Oh, the catalpas are in bloom. Heaven.

Stay safe.

Happy Monday.

Filed Under: birds, flowers, life 12 Comments

Clematis

May 28, 2021 at 9:27 am by Claudia

More clematis because it’s so lush this year! It climbs up and into the boxwood, which I love.

All this, and the wild roses have started to bloom! Soon, the peonies and the catalpas will join them.

I’ll say it again: my favorite time of year.

Though it’s chilly out there! Only a high of 60 today and even lower for the next two days, accompanied by rain. Some holiday weekend! Though I’m not a fan of the three-day weekend. I used to be, however, when I worked 40 hours  a week in an office.

I’m still pecking away on my iPad. A post goes like this: I upload photos to my editing software and then I export them to my blog, which I open on my laptop so that I can do a security check and upload those photos to a draft post. Then I save the draft, open my iPad and sign on to the blog again. I open the draft post and write the text, which takes twice as long as it does when I use the keyboard. I proofread, then publish, whereupon I refresh the blog on the laptop and proof it again, making any revisions necessary. All replies to comments happen on the iPad.

All because I don’t have a working “t” on the keyboard.

I have an appointment at the Apple Store for next Tuesday.

By the way, did I tell you that my husband took my car to a place where it was fully detailed? Since we’ve both been using the car for over a year, he wanted me to have a fresh car, inside and out. It now looks like I just drove it out of the dealer’s lot! Gorgeous!

Series recommendation: Bordertown on Netflix. It’s from Finland, it’s a police procedural but so much more than that, and it’s excellent. Incredible acting from one and all. Yes, there are subtitles. Truthfully, I prefer them nowadays. We never watch network television ( I exclude PBS from this category, of course.) We’ve seen such a high level of excellence from all over the world in the past year. Our horizons have been broadened. Bonus: other countries are not obsessed with casting beautiful young people in every role, along with one token character actor. They actually appreciate age, character lines, and realistic casting. I knew England did, but it’s good to know the same holds true in other countries.

Stay safe.

Happy Friday.

Filed Under: flowers, life 23 Comments

Blooming & Painting

May 27, 2021 at 9:30 am by Claudia

The clematis is blooming and I see buds on the peonies, although they’re aren’t many this year. The truth is, I tend to leave the peonies alone and probably shouldn’t. One of them needs to be moved as it is now in the shade because of the tree that grown in the middle of the bush. I just somehow never get around to it come autumn.

We had thunderstorms yesterday evening and we’ll have more rain tomorrow, but today is lovely. Don swears he saw tiny beaks in the robin’s nest yesterday so I’m going to quietly and carefully investigate. I suspect the wrens have babies, too, but I haven’t heard any cheeps. One of them is in and out of the entrance hole, carrying worms. I was telling Don that once these babies have fledged, I’ll really miss the wrens. Their song has been a constant and I’ve loved watching them. I won’t missed being harassed by the robins, however!

From yesterday:

Just playing with paint. Clearly, I like clouds.

I’m working on a study of the Secret Garden. I don’t have the skill set for minute detail, so it will definitely be my “interpretation” of that space. Wish me luck – I’ll need it.

Stay safe.

Happy Thursday.

Filed Under: flowers, oil painting 22 Comments

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Welcome!

Welcome!

I live in a little cottage in the country with my husband. It's a sweet place, sheltered by old trees and surrounded by gardens. The inside is full of the things we love. I love to write, I love my camera, I love creating, I love gardening. My decorating style is eclectic; full of vintage and a bit of whimsy.

I've worked in the theater for more years than I can count. I'm currently a voice, speech, dialect and text coach freelancing on Broadway, off Broadway, and in regional theater.

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