Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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For The Rain It Raineth Every Day

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If this picture could only express how sodden the ground is! Listen, we’re very lucky. Yes, rain, torrential rain, over a long period of time, but no high winds. Actually, no wind at all. It’s still raining and that will go on throughout the day, but at the moment, we’re in a lull. In the midst of all of this I heard a bird singing this morning, as well as the sound of crickets.

So we’re very grateful this morning. Don’s appointment at the eye doctor isn’t until late this afternoon. They squeezed him in because the next available appointment was in mid-September and by that time, he wouldn’t be able to see out of that eye. More gratitude: we will be able to get there today.

One more thing: our well is nice and full.

I know many are without power in the aftermath of this storm. I hope that is resolved quickly. The tragedy in Tennessee is heartbreaking. Water and wind are so powerful, things can change in a second.

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The new Louise Penny should arrive in my mailbox tomorrow. And I’ve pre-ordered two other novels which are coming out soon. Simon Doerr, who wrote All The Light We Cannot See, which is one of the most powerful novels I’ve ever read, has a new book coming out in September: Cloud Cuckoo Land. And Amor Towles, who wrote A Gentleman in Moscow, which I’ve now read twice because I love it so much, has a new novel coming out in October: The Lincoln Highway. I’m very excited. Not every book that I want to read gets ordered in hardback, but these two authors, three, if you count Louise Penny, definitely make the cut. I don’t usually pre-order, but in the time of COVID, the less running around, the better.

We just finished watching the original Danish series, The Killing. It inspired the American version, which starred Mireille Enos, who I worked with a few years back in Shakespeare in the  Park. But, we always go with the original and, in this case, it paid off. Brilliant. Unsettling. And it had a protagonist that I didn’t always like, often got frustrated with – just like in real life. Last night, we started the second season.

Okay, my friends. Today is about rain and vacuuming and doing something other than sitting around, which I’ve done far too much of for the past few days.

Stay safe.

Happy Monday.

Black Swallowtail

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This gorgeous black swallowtail hung around these coneflowers for several hours yesterday. Before the torrential rain came. As many times as I’ve seen them, I hadn’t noticed that the body had dots. Mother Nature is the best artist. Ever.

I’d like to thank this beauty for being so fixated on the flowers that I was able to get several photos.

We had unbelievable amounts of rain yesterday, starting off with a huge – and I mean huge – thunderstorm in the afternoon. It seemed to last forever, you could barely see through the sheets of rain, lots and lots of thunder and lightning. And then we had another one a couple of hours later – tons of thunder again. And then more heavy rain overnight.

I have had my fill, thank you very much. However, we have more in store today, so pardon me while I emerge from the cottage during the thick of it and let out a primal scream.

Mostly, I worry about mama robin. I mean, she had to have been bombarded by heavy, heavy rain. There she is, this morning, sitting on the eggs. The eggs, which, if I have counted correctly, should be hatching any minute. I pray for the safety of mama and her babies.

As Don said, she doesn’t look for praise, she doesn’t have any ego in it, she just does what her instincts tell her to do, and she is totally committed. Hero.

I started another Elly Griffiths but, as I read the first chapter which had some updates referring to what was the previous case, I realized I’d missed one of the books, as I’m reading them in order. I relied on a website which had the wrong information. Nevertheless, I will continue and then catch up with the book I missed.

I started another painting. I usually spend a couple of days trying to get the correct outline of the shape of that particular piece of pottery. After gazing at it this morning while having coffee with Don, I see that some tweaking needs to be done, so I’ll do that today.

Other than that, life is peaceful here at the cottage. We are content and at this point in my life, content is everything.

Thanks so much for clicking on Don’s bio! You’re the best.

Stay safe.

Happy Sunday.

Number Seven – White Rose

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Number 7 in the Pottery Portraits series: Roseville White Rose.

I’m fairly pleased with it. When I finish a painting, Don always says “This is my new favorite!”

He’s adorable.

The rain continues, though most of the thunderstorms in the area spared us yesterday and for that I’m grateful. We might get one today, but so far, it’s drizzling off and on and it’s very gray out there. This will continue for this week and then it looks like next week might bring us several days with no rain…fingers crossed.

I admit it – I suffer from lack of sun and there has been very little sun for several days now. I’m more tired. My mood is not bad, but it’s definitely a bit dark. I obviously could never live where it’s cloudy and rainy most of the time. Anyway, this is no big deal in the larger picture of life, but I do have to force myself to stay upbeat. Plus, the constant rain plays havoc with my allergies, so I feel foggy.

Ironically, the garden is blooming like crazy so I’ve made a vow to get out there today and observe the flowers. I don’t want to miss them because of the weather. Bee balm, phlox, day lilies, balloon plants, hydrangeas, coneflowers everywhere, roses…it’s quite beautiful.

And mama robin patiently sits on her little eggs. I watch her a lot – every time I go into the kitchen (and sometimes from the bathroom as well) I check on her. So does Don. Yesterday, despite the fence that is now up, some of the chickens from next door got on our property – I think there were three of them on this side of the fence. I assume they entered from the place where the fence stops, but I’m really not sure as I didn’t see them come over. I just heard them and immediately knew they were too close. I let my neighbor know and in the meantime I went out there in my pajamas to try and herd them over to their property. Two of them flew over the fence, but one didn’t know what to do. In the meantime, the rooster was crowing, trying to get the chicken back on his side of the fence. He was clearly distressed. Eventually, my neighbors managed to herd her back. A few hours later, I noticed the fence had been extended. Hopefully, the chickens, who don’t like to get too close to the street, will no longer stray.

Anyway, I had to walk back and forth under the tree where mama is nesting and she didn’t like it. Just a chirp or two, but she let me know my presence was not wanted. We try to avoid that area as much as possible so she doesn’t have to worry, but sometimes it’s unavoidable, as it was later in the day when I had to go outside to clear lint off the dryer vent. You know, of course, that the minute there are live babies in that nest, those gentle warnings will be much sterner and some dive bombing will occur.

2021 – The Summer of the Bird Nests.

Stay safe.

Happy Tuesday.

 

 

Lambs Like to Party

Lambs Like to Party

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