Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Groundhog Sighting, Don, and Nina

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Wouldn’t you know it? After writing about the lack of groundhogs around here, I saw one by the shed in the early evening and he spent a long time eating the grass. He also spent some time resting on the ramp to the shed. Perhaps he’s staying in the den under the shed? One thing we’ve learned about them, they go back and forth from one den to another. It’s almost like a small town for groundhogs.

We had a lot of wind late in the afternoon, so much that I had to take down the hanging plants and stash them on the porch floor. More storms were coming through the Hudson Valley, but we had just a sprinkling of rain. We have more coming tomorrow morning and then we should be dry for several days. Fingers crossed!

Don had an event last night – an outdoor concert – that he emcees. He did this last year, too. It’s a summer concert series in a town north of us. It occurs once a month during the summer season and Don books the talent. (He doesn’t perform.) They were supposed to get rain, but miraculously, it didn’t happen. Tomorrow, he has a gig and on Monday he has to go into the city for a fitting as he has one more day of filming for this limited series he’s been working on. I think he has to have an additional fitting because he is putting on a Mummer’s costume in the scene.

I have to pack up an Etsy order this morning and get it out in the mail either today or Monday. And I have to get some gas for the lawnmower. That’s it. (Don is much busier than I am at the moment.)

Nina and I had some quality time on the porch yesterday. I braided her hair. But, as I look at those braids as she sits in the cubby across the room, I’m thinking her hair will soon be unbraided. Her hair is too beautiful and shouldn’t be tamed.

Stay safe.

Happy Saturday.

Catalpa Blossoms and a Puzzle

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We had a huge storm yesterday afternoon, which sent some of these blooms down to the ground, but thankfully, there are still lots of flowers on the catalpa tree.

What a wild storm – rain and wind and a crazy intensity. It lasted about 30 minutes.

Here’s Maeve examining a catalpa blossom. She was quite taken by the size of the flowers.

I finished the puzzle:

It’s another Mucha and it’s called Reverie (Dream.)

I have run out of Mucha puzzles as I’ve done all of them, Sigh. So I ordered a Klimt and that should be arriving today.

We are now attempting to live without a microwave. I’ve never cared for the look of them and we were using the smallest and least instrusive one we could find, but it started to rust inside and then it misbehaved and smelled funny and we felt it was no longer safe. We really only use it rewarm coffee and make oatmeal, both of which we can do with Stella, so we added it to our pile of crap that needs to go to the bigger dump in the next town and we are now microwave-free. And we have more counter space, which we love.

I’m headed into the last section of The English Girl. by Daniel Silva. I’m not sure what I’ll read next. I have three books on hold in our library system that are being released this month but it usually takes a while to get them.

After so much groundhog activity last summer – remember all of the babies? – we have seen one groundhog a few times. Once, near the house, and once by the shed. And another time scampering across the back forty. That’s it. Maybe they had enough of life on this property and needed to move elsewhere. We do see bunnies and birds and chipmunks – and deer, of course. I loved those groundhog babies, but wrangling them all day long was a bit of a pain.

Okay.

Stay safe.

Happy Friday.

Sunsets and Day Lilies

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Yesterday evening’s sunset. I’m not usually outside at that time, but I’m glad I was. I did have to run back inside the house for my phone, though. There is something so magical about a sunset.

It’s been in the mid-eighties the last few days. I guess summer is here (though not officially.) It’s a beautiful morning. I’ve come to the conclusion that my gardens are becoming increasingly wild. Though I try to eliminate the stuff that hasn’t been planted there, i.e., tall weeds that look sort of like the things I’ve planted, but really aren’t, it’s a thankless task. And I have to limit my time out there because of allergies and my hand, which is so much better, but still not quite as strong as it will be eventually. I pruned a lot of overgrown brambles/wild roses yesterday and though I made an effort to use my left hand, sometimes that was next-to-impossible. So, I have to make decisions as to what to be anal about and what to let go.

There’s lots of milkweed again this year. It likes to live in the lower right hand corner of the big garden bed, near the driveway. Occasionally, it pops up elsewhere, but the big garden bed has been its choice for the past few years. I remember when it first appeared in the back forty. I never see it there now. Anyway, the flowers are forming on the milkweed now. And I caught a whiff of scent yesterday, looked up, and realized the catalpa is starting to bloom. First week of June, like clockwork.

These day lilies are always the first of my flowers to bloom. This was taken in the evening, so they look a bit more orange than usual. I happened to be outside yesterday when the guy who works for the county was about to come by and cut down everything near the road. I stopped him and asked him if he could please skip our property, explaining that my crabapple had been cut down a couple of years ago and he said ” I remember that. I did it.” He was very low key, extremely nice, and we had a pleasant encounter which ended with me thanking him for being so nice. I now know when to start looking out for him every spring because the machinery is usually parked down the road from us, so I go on alert.

But that’s another chore to be done, I’ll have to weed whack that area.

Don’s sunburn is still hot and painful but it’s slowly improving.

Okay. I have to vacuum and dust and do some work outside.

Stay safe.

Happy Wednesday.

 

Lambs Like to Party

Lambs Like to Party

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