Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Friday

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Fleabane – a wildflower that pops up at this time of year. For the past 2 or 3 years, I’ve seen more and more of it on the property. It’s under the birdbath, next to the garden beds, in the secret garden. I just let it go wild because it’s so lovely. Not much is blooming yet, but fleabane comes to the rescue every year. It’s a gift.

Resting today. I mowed the lilac side of the lawn and the secret garden yesterday. And I pruned a few things. But it’s very clear that I need to take a couple of days off (the ever present back crap.) That won’t be too hard for me since I’m tired today and tomorrow it’s going to rain and boy do we need it.

Reading and careful puzzle work is on the docket for today.

A close friend of Don’s lost her daughter to suicide a couple of days ago. I won’t go into details because her privacy needs to be protected, but it’s devastating. The daughter donated her organs. A very solemn ceremony with a hundred hospital employees lining the hospital corridor, quietly paying their respects as she was wheeled into the operating room. She will save eight lives.

We are seeing the other side of organ donation, not long after Adrian’s heart transplant. The grief and pain from the untimely loss of a loved one and the generous and selfless donation that will save lives.

I can’t say anymore as it’s just so overwhelming. Prayers to her parents and siblings and family and friends.

So I’m going to keep it short today.

Stay safe.

Happy Friday.

 

Thursday

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Well, we carted all the plant pots inside for the night – I think there were 19 of them. Don carried the heavy pots from the secret garden. Anyway, it did go down to 31 degrees last night – or rather, this morning at 6 am. I’m glad we did it. That should be it until October. After I finish this post, I’ll start moving them back outside.

Some mowing today, I think. Certainly for the secret garden and the lilac side of the lawn. We are getting rain all day Saturday, which is very welcome, as there is a fire watch because it’s so dry. It amazes me how quickly things can change. It was only a few weeks ago that I was worried about trying to get all the grass mowed between endless rainfall. Don couldn’t do it because of his hand. The rivers were raging, there was flooding. And now, we’re too dry.

I miss my robins.

We finally got the ladder out and grabbed the trailer birdhouse for some cleaning. I dumped all of the old nest material and cleaned the inside. Don placed it back in its little niche in the big maple tree. Something is keeping the carolina wrens from moving back in, so maybe a clean house will help.

I gave Maeve a neck joint last year, but her head has always been a little loose, so I took it apart and tried to figure out the problem. Lo and behold, I think I did. It’s much better now. That called for a fresh outfit and some boots and late afternoon photo session on the porch.

Gosh, she’s photogenic.

That’s it, my friends. It’s cold right now, but it’s sunny.

Stay safe.

Happy Thursday.

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.

Lambs Like to Party

Lambs Like to Party

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