Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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Saturday

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Another night with not enough sleep, courtesy of my snoring husband. I woke up and never got back to sleep. No, he doesn’t have sleep apnea. He has sinus problems (maybe even allergies;) it happens when his nose is too dry or too stuffed up. I’m not a happy camper this morning. He’s just gone to the drug store (is that considered an old-fashioned name for it nowadays?) to get some of those strips.

We’ll see.

I do have things to do today and I’m going to do my best to tackle them. It helps if I stay busy, but right now I feel incapable of moving. Although I did move to run outside and take a picture, so that’s hopeful.

It’s a gorgeous day out there, abundant sunshine and green, green, green everywhere.

Don finally planted his little experimental vegetable garden yesterday. It’s been delayed due to hand surgery and recovery and weather. He is basically doing it for fun, so he has no real stake in the outcome. Maybe we’ll get some fresh vegetables out of it!

One of our bunnies, the one who hangs out near the shed and the funky patio, seems to be drawn to our porch. I’ve now seen him/her on the porch twice. That’s never happened before! He hops on on the porch and sort of hangs out near the bench just to the left of the entrance – he’s curious. I find this so adorable. Hopefully, the next time I see this, I will have a camera with me.

We told him he is welcome to hang out on the porch.

Weed whacking today, as well as some bathroom cleaning. I have a business related phone call in the morning, and maybe I’ll attempt to start a new puzzle.

Stay safe.

Happy Saturday.

Life

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I just mowed this about 4 days ago. Now it looks like it’s been neglected. The grass grows so quickly! Lots of wildflowers are emerging on the property and in the secret garden specifically. I love this particular time of year in this little hideaway because there will be all sorts of flowers and color for the next few weeks.

Speaking of flowers, we have a freeze warning for tonight. Are you kidding me? What the heck? So Don and I will have to bring in all the pots for the night, including these heavy vintage pots. Coleus does not like cold and they’ll die if frost hits. Big old sigh.

It’s actually been a trying 24 hours or so. Don found out his high school friend died a week ago. They hung out a lot together with another guy, Don’s friend Joe – who is in his early seventies and battling Alzheimers. So, one friend has passed away and the other is slowly fading away and it is very upsetting for my husband.

Then we found out our mortgage payment is going up because of some escrow screw up. We need to find out more and I’ve asked Don to call them tomorrow. But I’m already panicked.

Then, Don remarked casually, “Well, the babies have obviously fledged.”

“What??? I just saw them yesterday!”

“I took a picture and they aren’t there.”

So I went outside to see for myself and the nest is empty.

I had been staying away from the nest, which is quite deep, so when I actually peeked at it the day before yesterday and saw the very top of their heads, I assumed they were little babies.

Obviously, they weren’t.

So now I feel sad that I didn’t have any idea they were about to leave the nest. It’s quiet around here. No mom and dad scolding us, no babies. I just wasn’t prepared for it.

And a freeze tonight.

Insert lots of sighs here.

Stay safe.

Happy Wednesday.

A Visit

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A little bit of wonder for you this morning.

Look closely. A small fawn is investigating one of my potted plants. A beautiful little baby.

Mama saw me as I stood in the kitchen taking this picture, so they were soon gone. I posted it on IG and my neighbor commented, wondering if they were the same pair that had been hanging out near her house. As they took off toward her meadow, I think they are.

Oh, such sweetness.

This morning the Carolina wren pair that were scared off when the trailer dollhouse was knocked over and hanging by a thread, came back. (They had opted to nest across the street on my neighbor’s property. I could hear them singing every day.) They were clearly scouting for their next nest. They sang on the porch and flew around, concentrating on my purple hanging plant. Ummm….no.

Then a while later, they turned up on the maple tree and one of them went in and out of the trailer.

Dare I hope?

I keep having this urge to push the nesting material away from the opening to where it probably was before the house got tilted. But Don says to leave it alone, that the birds will fix it up if they want to nest there. He’s probably right.

All this and three bunny sightings – two yesterday and one this morning.

It’s going to rain today.

I donated three bags of books to the library yesterday and I’ll be donating more next week. I have SO many books around here, and I have no problems letting go of some of them. Many of them, of course, I would never consider donating. But I only have so much shelf space. Next up: some older decorating books that I have not cracked open in years. Reward: others get to enjoy them and I have more shelf space available.

I finished the Elizabeth George and have now started the next in the Slough House series by Mick Herron – Real Tigers. What a joy he is to read!

Don reinstalled a clothesline outside, and I hung the sheets out to dry last week. They smelled so fresh! Since rain is on the docket for today, I’ll wash them tomorrow so I can hang them on the line.

Stay safe.

Happy Sunday.

Lambs Like to Party

Lambs Like to Party

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