Mockingbird Hill Cottage — Page 280 — Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Blossoms, Batteries, And Blythes

April 15, 2022 at 9:09 am by Claudia

The crabapple tree by the catalpa has flower buds! Frankly, it might have taken me a while to notice this, but I happened to be standing in that area because Don’s car wouldn’t start, which necessitated a call to our road service/Geico, which resulted in the discovery that the connection to the battery was loose. The battery was jumped, then Don stopped off at a local place to have the charge/battery checked, and it was discovered that it needed to be replaced. An unexpected money outlay, but essential.

So that’s why I was hanging out near the tree. I love these blossoms, by the way, with their tinge of pink and green and cream – perfection.

It was unseasonably hot yesterday and we were sort of grumbly about it, but later in the afternoon, the wind kicked up and the clouds darkened and we had some thunderstorms. The temperature has now dropped to the more seasonable 60s. It’s sunny right now.

I ventured out for a little walk yesterday with Sophie. She wanted to see the daffodils.

I call this “Free Spirit.”

I succumbed to this Blythe obsession last October and almost immediately, I left for six weeks in Brooklyn, so I haven’t really had the chance to explore the outdoors with the girls. I’m looking forward to watching them explore the property and – who knows? – go on a few jaunts with us.

Those sneakers were on Olivia when she came to me in the mail.

I have a lot of clothes for the girls, but when you have 8 Blythes and another smaller girl, you quickly realize that you need more shoes. When I do order something in the future, it will definitely be shoes!

Okay.

Stay safe.

Happy Friday.

Splashes of Purple

April 14, 2022 at 9:18 am by Claudia

80 degrees today – a bit much for this time of year. We’ll have the usual thunderstorms that follow unseasonably hot weather. This is the periwinkle/vinca that is everywhere up in our woods. Those little splashes of purple are the first splashes of color we see in the spring, followed closely by the yellow of the daffodils and forsythia (also in bloom right now.)

We worked very hard in the shed yesterday and it’s much more well organized and a heck of a lot cleaner. I even have my own section for flower pots and garden tools and also a space for potting! More needs to be done in terms of esthetics, but it’s good for now.

The lawnmower and the snow blower always seemed to take up so much space, but after we had organized everything and moved them back into the shed, they looked much smaller. It’s roomy in there!

But, boy, were we pooped! We have to get in shape again.

Nevertheless, it’s very satisfying to have finished a project.

I’m definitely holding off on clearing the garden beds until next week – even though I’d love to do it this week. It’s going down into the thirties for several nights, so those leaves covering the beds need to stay until it gets back up into the forties.

Yesterday evening, a little bit before the sun went down, I heard the Carolina wren and there he/she was, standing in front of the trailer, singing away. He hopped inside, sang a bit, hopped outside, and eventually flew up on the roof. Are they back? Did they never leave? I don’t know, but I sure was encouraged. We heard him again early this morning, when it was still dark. I also heard them in the back forty while we were outside working yesterday – another nest, maybe?

No sign of any groundhogs yet, but I usually don’t see them this early, even though they are no longer hibernating. Chipmunks are everywhere as are the squirrels. There’s a woodpecker up in our trees – I suspect it’s the catalpa – and lots of other calls I can’t identify.

One of my favorite things about spring is the sound of the birds.

Even though I complain about winter, I wouldn’t trade the seasons for anything. I had 8 years of very little in terms of a perceptible seasonal change when I lived in San Diego. It was a welcome relief from New England winters when I first moved there, but after a few years, I tired of it. I was raised in Michigan and spent a total of ten years in Philadelphia and Boston. It’s what I know and what my body needs.

Okay. I’m going to finish this up so I can go back to Last Friends by Jane Gardam. I read a chunk of it this morning. She is such a wonderful writer – I highly recommend her.

Stay safe.

Happy Thursday.

Daffodils

April 13, 2022 at 9:29 am by Claudia

The daffodils on the edge of the woods just started to open this morning. Looks like there’s a little spider in there.

Lord knows how long these daffodils have been here. They were here when we moved in. We have at least 4 different clumps here and there on the property. This particular plant has always been on its own, a splash of yellow against the trees. But last year, a little patch appeared about a foot from the original. And this year, another little clump has appeared. I love that.

The same thing has happened with the daffs in the big garden bed. They bloom later than the flowers in the photos, as they’re a different kind of narcissus. Last year, a single daff popped up about 8 or 9 feet from the main plant – right in the middle of the gravel in front of the porch. I was completely surprised by its appearance and very happy I didn’t pull it thinking it was a weed. This year, there are two more about 3 or 4 inches away.

One of the magical things about gardening is the self-seeding and/or spreading of flowers. I didn’t plant these daffodils, so I can take no credit. But watching plants multiply and pop up in other areas of the garden is a joy.

We had our monthly “french fries for lunch at Five Guys” date yesterday. We figured we would combine it with a visit to B&N to see if the new Country Living was available. It wasn’t there yet, which was disappointing, but the french fries made me smile.

Today, we’re going to clean the inside of the shed as it’s sort of a mess after all the leaking that occurred. We’re going to scrub it down and rearrange what we have in there, as we had to place items in certain areas to avoid water damage. Now, that’s no longer an issue, thank goodness.

Eventually, we’ll go to our storage space and start to sort through everything there. Hopefully, we can dump most of it and the items we want to save can come back to the shed and we’ll save the $125/month fee. They increase the cost every 6 months and we really can no longer afford it. Worst case scenario, we clear out as much as we can and then rent a much smaller unit for less money.

I finished The Man With The Wooden Hat by Jane Gardam and now I’m into the last book in the trilogy, Last Friends.

It’s supposed to rather warm today – unseasonably warm – with a high of 76.

We’ll take it.

Stay safe.

Happy Wednesday.

Blossoms, Batteries, And Blythes

Splashes of Purple

Daffodils

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

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