Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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You are here: Home / Archives for groundhogs

Bunnies and Coneflowers

July 5, 2023 at 8:15 am by Claudia

Thank you for your lovely messages yesterday. They sure warmed our hearts!

We had a lovely and relatively quiet day. We talked a lot; about the day we met, about our lives now, and later in the day – about social media and our desire to spend less time there. We’re going to change things up a bit, turning off our phones, etc. during most of the day. Once I do my morning check in, and write the blog, I’ll turn it off and use that time to read, to paint, to garden, or – like today – to mow before it gets too hot.

A baby bunny. As far as I can tell, there are two of them. Last night, as it grew dark outside, we could see the two of them playing and chasing each other.

Groundhog update: It looks like three of the babies are now in residence under the tree. They’ve moved back in. I wish they’d stay up in the back forty with mom but perhaps this is the time they make the move and establish their own home. Mostly, they behave. But occasionally, I have to make my presence known.

Don’s off to recycle. I’m going to write this post and have some breakfast – then I’ll weed whack/mow.

They’re here:

The coneflowers are starting to emerge in their pinky goodness. The white coneflowers in the big garden bed have already opened. I’ve decided that this is my favorite time here – when the scads of coneflowers all over the property bloom. The garden feels the most ‘cottagey’ then.

Soon, butterflies will appear because they love coneflowers. Yay! I’ve only seen a couple of eastern swallowtails and that was early in the season when there were no flowers so they didn’t linger.

It’s very hot and humid this week, which means work outside has to happen in the morning before it becomes unbearable out there. Thank goodness for the new a/c in the kitchen. Just in time.

Stay safe.

Happy Wednesday.

 

Filed Under: bunnies, flowers, garden, groundhogs 33 Comments

The Path to the Burrow

June 23, 2023 at 8:50 am by Claudia

If you head to the secret garden from the side door, you’ll see a rain barrel just around the corner to the left and several step stones that lead you from the back of the house into the garden. If you want to head to the back forty, you walk in front of the two chairs, then take a slight right, where there are more step stones leading up a slight hill.

That’s exactly what our not-so-little-anymore groundhog babies do. I’ve seen Buddy cross from the tree to the gate, go through the gate and then turn that corner by the rain barrel and head for the step stones. It’s so adorable. Once he’s gone up that little hill, he stays close to the bushes, etc., on the left and then disappears into the underbrush. I walked up there yesterday and I saw a baby near the entrance to their burrow. He quickly disappeared. (We cleared out that area a few years back and that’s when we discovered the burrow. I think there were 2 holes. So in the interest of the safety of the groundhogs, we’ve let that area get a bit overgrown to provide cover.) I think the burrow leads to our neighbor’s shed, which is about 15 feet away from this entrance.

Rain is due today. It never made an appearance yesterday.

Someone has a birthday tomorrow so I’m going to try making a card for him today. We’ll see what I come up with!

Stay safe.

Happy Friday.

Filed Under: groundhogs, secret garden 16 Comments

Shelf Tour, Part Whatever

June 21, 2023 at 8:54 am by Claudia

Oh, hello! It’s time for another shelf tour.

This is the middle shelf in the china cabinet in the den.

Back row, left to right:

A peach colored McCoy vase.

A pillow vase in the Roseville Zephyr Lilly pattern. It’s flawless. This was a gift from a reader named Sonja. Sadly, I haven’t heard from her in a long, long time. I hope she’s well.

The next vase, in that scrumptious green color, might be my favorite. It’s in the Ixia pattern and it’s 8 inches tall. I love the art deco lines to the base and the flowers, as well as the subtle shading from green to cream. I painted this one in oils.

Next is my ‘saucy’ vase. It always reminds me of a woman standing with her hands on her hips. It’s the Snowberry pattern and it’s 6 inches tall. (Another oil painting.)

And then, a favorite vase in milk glass. Perfect for flowers, though I often forget to use it for bouquets nowadays.

Center row:

A cornucopia vase in Magnolia in a beautiful shade of green. It’s 6 inches tall and it was a gift from Sonja.

A little green duck made by Shawnee pottery.

A candleholder in the Gardenia pattern. I found this at an auction.

Front row:

A 4 inch tall vase in the Peony pattern. This was the other piece I found at the same auction I mentioned above.

A gorgeous candleholder in the Bleeding Heart pattern. A gift from Cathy, a longtime reader of this blog.

And  my very first piece of Roseville, purchased back in San Diego at a time when prices were sky high. It was the only piece I could afford. It’s a small jardinière in the Bushberry pattern.

Next to the Roseville is a McCoy singing bird.

Way in the back are two silver and glass candleholders that were my grandmother’s.

________________________________________

A beautiful day today and I’m going to mow the front lawn. We’re supposed to get rain for the next few days starting tomorrow, so I have a deadline.

Three of the babies were around yesterday and I found myself longing for the days when Buddy is a solo visitor. Plus, the rabbit and the big groundhog that lives under the shed were hanging around. My afternoon was spent keeping an eye on the three babies and shooing them out of forbidden areas.

Stay safe.

Happy Wednesday and first day of summer.

 

 

Filed Under: china and pottery, groundhogs, Roseville pottery 14 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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