Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Yesterday was a beautiful day; sunny and in the mid-sixties.

We were busy.

First time using the potting area in the shed! Note: I potted some urns by the porch as I didn’t want to carry them all the way to the shed. But everything else? In the shed. I’m starting to look at everything on the porch that I’ve stashed there out of necessity in the past; broken bits of pots for potting, tools, a big rubbermaid tote that I kept under the picnic table and I’m realizing that all of it can go in the shed!

We also mowed the corral and the back forty in the middle of my ongoing potting of plants.

We also saw a huge hawk in one of our maple trees – right by the corral. I ran inside the house to get my telephoto lens. This guy wasn’t budging, even though we tried to shoo him away. They’re around here more often lately because of the chickens next door. – I’ve often chased them off. In the middle of all of this, I realized I hadn’t heard the rooster next door for a long time. I wonder if he was taken by a hawk? I’m afraid to ask. This is one of the reasons I won’t keep chickens. Too many predators. Too much heartbreak.

Hawk flying away. Finally. Since he was in silhouette, I can’t be sure, but I think he’s a Northern Goshawk. They have that white eyebrow marking. His wing span was massive.

Side note, we’ve also seen a Bald Eagle recently, hanging out near the river.

After we finished our chores, I took a shower and then we traveled several hundred feet down our road, made a left turn, and visited the Taco Truck. We recently learned that about its existence and that it would be parked by the Old Grist Mill across the road on a daily basis. We were thinking that we’d buy something to help them out because surely not that many people would know of their location. We were wrong. There was a long line of people ordering and while we were in line, a group of bikers roared up the road and also got in line.

Delicious food which we ate while sitting on one of the decks right outside the Mill – one that not many people know about. We know because we live across the road and sometimes walk around the grounds.

This was our view:

Water flowing under the now unused mill and the river. If you walked out of the upper right corner of the photo and crossed the road diagonally, you would arrive at our cottage.

Also yesterday:

Our first groundhog sighting. This guy seems to be living in the tunnels under the big maple. Or maybe he was just hanging out there, which often happens. He’s on the smallish side, but I’m betting he’s the one who ate the tulip and is nibbling on some hosta leaves.

It was so beautiful that I wandered around the property and took some photos with both of my big girl cameras.

A baby crabapple right by the maple on the far side of the porch, near our property line.

Working outside, potting, feeling the warmth of the sun, doing a bit of mowing – that’s my happy place. I felt my shoulders drop for the first time in a long time. We’ve been waiting for this for a long time.

We will be taking it easy today as it’s raining.

Stay safe.

Happy Monday.