Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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Little Scamps

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I worked outside for several hours yesterday. I used muscles I haven’t used in a while.

Oh my.

I managed to finish a first pass at clearing nearly all the garden beds. I’ll go back and do more in a week or so – which is fortunate, since we have a lot of rain in the forecast.

Sedum, hostas, daylilies, the very beginnings of all the coneflowers – they’re all there. The hydrangeas have green buds on them. Suddenly, all the surrounding vegetation – the brambles/wild roses, some of the smaller trees – are green. Oh, how lovely!

The first daffodils:

These are the daffodils that are right on the edge of the woods. In fact, I have a story to tell you. I stopped in the middle of loading tarps with leaves and debris when I saw the splash of yellow. Of course, I took the obligatory picture and while I as standing there, I noticed what looked like trash in the woods. Thinking it was a random plastic bag that had been blown there during one of our many “wind events” I headed up there to get it. Much to my surprise, there was not only the plastic bag, but all sorts of trash scattered about from one of our kitchen trash bags.

Then it came to me. About a week and half ago, some raccoons tipped over our trash can and there was debris strewed on the ground near the can. Don cleaned it up, took everything to be recycled, and that was that.

These little scamps grabbed a bag and took it up into the woods!

I went in the house, got a trash bag, and picked everything up.

Then I stood up, ready to head back to the trash can, and I saw another bag several feet away. More trash to pick up.

Then – far off in the woods – I saw ANOTHER bag. These guys had dragged three bags up to the woods. After cleaning it all up, I couldn’t help but laugh. Don and I were wishing we had some sort of infrared outdoor camera to record these hijinks!

I’m grateful the woods is still relatively bare because I could get to everything. It would be much harder to get in there come summertime.

Raccoons mess with our trash rarely and I’m hoping it stays that way.

Yesterday’s theme: Pairs.

On the left, morning glory egg cups found in a Paris flea market. Then the egg cups we found at Abbey Road Studios in London. Then, two beautiful bluebird egg cups from Germany. And finally, two wooden egg cups.

There’s a few more egg cup posts to share with you as we head toward Easter.

Besides the happiness at sharing these little beauties with you, I really enjoy seeing them all again.

Happy Thursday.

 

 

Monday: Taxes, Garden & Egg Cups

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Reading your comments about taxes was very interesting. I read them out loud to Don. The whole thing is shameful. Don earned about the same amount of money in 2017 as he did in 2018. In 2017, we got a refund from the IRS of a few thousand dollars. This year, with the same income, we’re paying at least $5000. Since we live most of the time on a fixed income, I can see a future with our savings being quickly depleted.

Anyway, today I’ll print out a voucher form, write out a check, and mail it to the IRS. And throughout it all, I’ll be sending a symbolic middle finger to the GOP.

I did some work in the garden yesterday clearing out the garden beds closest to the kitchen; the memorial garden and the bed where I plant my morning glories and zinnias. I did a bit of work elsewhere, but the constant raking, loading onto a tarp, bending down, carrying a heavy tarpful of leaves and debris to our pile, and then back again to do the same thing tired me out. I’m not in full spring/summer gardening and mowing shape yet. This part of the property cleanup is tedious and I can’t wait to finish it. But, even through the tedium, I so enjoyed being outside again and seeing little green plants emerge after the removal of the leaves. So far, I can see hostas, daylilies, coneflowers, catmint emerging from their winter slumber. Oh, joy!

Yesterday’s egg cups:

Egg cups with shoes and socks. The one on the left is from a company in England, part of their Walking Ware line. The one on the right has no mark. And, by the looks of them, the shoes need a little dusting!

Today:

An Assortment of Animals.

On the left a rooster pulling a cart – made by California Pottery. The sticker is still on the cup!

A bunny rabbit who reminds me so much of Scout that I’ve named her Scout. I mean, those pink ears! Just like Scoutie’s.

A souvenir egg cup from Chambéry, France. I had to get it because, if you look closely, you’ll see two groundhogs.

And an adorable pig holding up an egg cup.

Happy Monday.

Natural Beauty in Late Autumn

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The porch lights are up. It actually takes no time at all, about 15 minutes or so. (I’m not even going to bother with cleaning the railings until spring.) The lights were such a cheery and welcoming sight as we arrived back home last night from Rick and Doug’s. As we drove up to Don’s parking space near the shed, we saw the buck again. And he stayed there, very still, until the car lights were off and we walked toward the house. Two sightings now of that beautiful animal.

While I was outside yesterday, I grabbed my camera. I like to remind myself that there is beauty in the bleak landscape. It just takes seeing the landscape through the lens of my camera to realize that every season has its beauty.

The milkweed pods have burst open to release their silk parachutes.

Here’s one that still has seeds. Soon they will be transported by winds, or simply drop right where they are, guaranteeing that more milkweed plants will grow next spring.

I think they’re beautiful.

The burning bush has finally lost its red leaves leaving these beautiful berries behind. The berries are toxic in large quantities to humans and animals, but they are food for the birds. I’ve never read that they are toxic for birds. I’ll trust the birds, who know, to make that decision.

I’ll be finishing Susan Hill’s latest sometime today. Then the question is: do I read another James Lee Burke or start the Louise Penny? Penny is the only author I do this with: I often postpone starting the book because I know it will be such an exquisite pleasure to read and that, once it’s done, I’ll have to wait another year for a new book in the series. So I hold off.

Delayed gratification.

I have a feeling I’ll be holding off. We’ll see.

I’m going to work on the mini trees today, as it’s foggy out there with rain coming later in the day.

Happy Saturday.

Lambs Like to Party

Lambs Like to Party

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