Yesterday morning, I woke up way too early. But the upside was that I could spend some quiet time on the porch.

Unfortunately, I spied a busy wasp or two building a nest way up on the porch ceiling. This happens every year – wasps love our wooden porch. So far, they’ve been too busy building to be concerned with me. As much as I love nature, I think the nest will have to go.

Can you find my lens cap in the picture? I swear, that lens cap ends up in too many pictures. Or I misplace it. Later in the day, Don found it on the driveway as he was getting ready to go to work.

Let’s see. What else is new? I’ve planted two pots with Purple Hyacinth Bean vine. They are on either side of the little gate we use to get to the kitchen door. As you know, the dog corral, as we call it, is made out of chicken wire fencing. Practical, but not too pretty. So I’m hoping I can grow a vine that will eventually cover up some of the fence. I’ve also added a wee, narrow bed in front of another section of the corral fence in which I’ve planted seeds for zinnias and sunflowers. They’re just now emerging from the ground.

The main garden bed is lush and green. I shot this looking down on the bed from the patio area. There are the two pieces of the birdbath that was broken last year during Hurricane Irene.

What else? Oh yes, it’s Fathers Day. The father in this household is still sleeping and I have to sneak out and buy him some donuts. (He loves donuts.) Scout and Riley will give him a card. I took this picture of Scout about a week ago and entitled it “Is that Daddy?” This is the look she has on her face in the morning when she thinks Don is about to come downstairs.

Looking toward stairs.

Then, when she hears him, it becomes this:

Happy Fathers Day to my dad and to my doggies’ dad!

Happy Sunday.

Linking to my pal Elaine’s Sunny Simple Sunday.

First off, let me just say that if you’re expecting a designery porch with all white furniture and fluffy down cushions, you won’t find it here. Not that I don’t love that look. I do. But practicality and frugality win out here at the cottage. We get a lot of wind and rain that blows directly across the porch. Practicality. Nothing on the porch cost more than $25.00. Frugality.

Our porch wraps itself around two sides of the house. You can see the picket fence gate that I added to the entrance. It keeps the dogs from straying off the porch and it looks pretty. Note Scout barking behind the front door. I was taking photos. She wanted me to start making dinner so that she could scarf up whatever crumbs fell to the floor. The nerve of me.

More of the porch as it wraps around the front of the house. That’s the den behind that window.

You see this bench as you step onto the porch. I found that sign at an antique store about 5 years ago. I keep tools and other necessary things in wooden boxes under the bench. My mom gave me the smaller of the two pots.

This bench is to the left of the entrance. You’ll see lots of impatiens in pots around the porch. They work well there and require very little care. And they keep blooming into the fall.

This is where we hang out. That very chippy glider came to the cottage all the way from San Diego. Don found it for $25.00. The cushions were all bought over the years for a pittance. My favorite is the large one that is covered in very faded barkcloth. I found it when I was living in Boston many years ago.

All of the teak furniture you see on the porch? Two benches, a picnic table and 3 picnic table benches? We bought it all from our neighbors for $25.00.

The porch floor is bluestone. When Don and I first saw this house and walked onto the porch, I stood there and swooned. I do believe that clinched the sale for me.

My favorite step ladder. It came in these colors. Obviously, I had to have it.

I have two of these hanging plants –Scaevola Whirlwind Blue. I’d love more because this porch has 5 perfect openings in which to hang plants. But they aren’t cheap. So two it is. I love hanging plants, don’t you?

The picnic table with my wrought iron thingy (my official name for it) filled with a pot of impatiens and sweet potato vine.

I spend a lot of time on the porch. Mockingbird Hill Cottage is small and having another room at this time of year is such a gift. Yesterday my allergies were making me sluggish and tired. I took a little nap on the glider. Heaven.

I hope you enjoyed my tour. If you were here in person, we’d have some lemonade and a nice chat.

Happy 66th wedding anniversary to my parents, Gordon and Shirley. I love you.

Happy Friday.