We’re currently pondering how to add a small fenced-in area by the funky patio for Scout’s use this winter. That area of the yard is fairly flat and, therefore, more safe for her. During the past two days, we’ve already witnessed her slipping and sliding around the corral, which she has to get to by going uphill. She invariably strays off the paths that we shovel for her and it’s all very hard on her already stressed and arthritic limbs.
I don’t want to go through another winter like the one last year, where I was constantly worried about her and, more importantly, where she was exhausted and sore from all the ice and snow. A big fat no to more of that. This little area would be easy for us to maintain. Will it be attractive? No. But it’s only temporary and once spring arrives, the fence would be taken down.
That, and we’re ready to install the standards and brackets for the bookshelves in the den. I just have to ‘remind’ Don that today is the day.
Ahem.
Barbara, who is a reader of this blog, sent me a package for my birthday. Among the presents were some wonderful new items for the dollhouse. Barbara also has a dollhouse (I’m hoping she will send me some photos someday) so she loves and appreciates miniatures.
This Staffordshire dog. Beautiful. I like it here on the dresser in the entry.
Honest to goodness, I was just thinking that I needed a copper teakettle for the stove and Barbara’s package arrived with this beautiful kettle. Now I need a mini version of the Melitta one-cup filter and a mug I use every day here at the cottage and we’re good to go!
And the three books on the bottom shelf were also part of the gift package. I want you to see these up close. They are handmade and printed by a talented miniaturist – Ellie de Lacy miniatures. I am amazed at the detail and perfection of these books.
The one on the left is a slipcased version of Shakespeare’s Sonnets.
Each page is printed with text. And yes, those are the Sonnets. Unbelievable!
Natural History of the Birds from 1797.
Can you believe this beauty?
Basilius Besler, Hortus Eystettensis, 1613. The Garden of Eichstaedt.
The botanical drawings are perfectly replicated in miniature.
The talent level of miniaturists continues to amaze me. The books are now on the shelf in the cabinet in the den. But the contents of the books are a delightful secret, known only to Caroline, the owner. Sort of like books in a personal library in real life, don’t you think?
Thank you so much, Barbara! I love everything. And Hummingbird Cottage thanks you as well.
Happy Saturday.
Good Morning Claudia, The details on the books is amazing. Thanks for showing us. Doris
Amazing, aren’t they? Thanks, Doris!
Hi Claudia – a little off topic here (although you do discuss miniature books in this post!)….do you still like your kindle paperwhite? I know at one time you were “against” moving to an e-reader, but made the plunge I think last year. I have been “against” them for years, but am seriously thinking about going for it. Amazon has the paperwhite on sale through today. I’m thinking I could like the convenience, but most of all have the ability to see pages a lot better (change brightness for better contrast, change font size, etc.) My vision really struggles at time and I’m thinking this might be helpful. Your thoughts?
Yes, I love it, Deb. Obviously, a real three-dimensional book is the best, but I have to tell you I read a lot of books on my Kindle (especially for review purposes) and the screen and fonts are very easy on the eyes. Sometimes, when my eyes are tired, I will enlarge the fonts. Very easy to do. I’m a big fan of the Paperwhite and I think it would be perfect for you. It’s lightweight, easily thrown in a handbag and perfect for home and travel. Go for it!
Claudia, I love all the new additions to the doll house, but the books are amazing! Poor Scout, I think a closer dog pen for her this winter is just the thing to make it easier on all of you! Enjoy your day!
hugs,
Linda
Thank you, Linda. I will feel better when we can get that going for her. It’s supposed to be warmer on Sunday and Monday, so Monday might be the perfect day to drive some posts into the ground!
I remember the trouble poor Scout had last Winter with climbing the hill..an easier route is just what she needs..Barbara sure knows how to pick them doesn’t she..after seeing what she sent you I would love to see her dollhouse also!
We’ll have to try to persuade her to share it with us. I know she’s working on it, so I’m sure, like mine, it is a work in progress.
It sounds like a busy weekend of DIY projects!
An “extreme cold warning” has been issued here this morning – I’ll take that as an excuse to stay in by the fire and read. Does Scout ever wear dog “boots”? My neighbour’s Husky wears them in the winter for walks and they seem to help with traction.
Aren’t “mini” books fun? I like trying to find miniature readable versions of favourite real life books for my dollhouse study. I was feeling quite pleased with the results until a friend gave me a copy of “The Pistner House” to serve as inspiration. Talk about setting the bar at a whole new level!
They are amazing, Barbara. I went to Ellie’s website. She also paints miniature portraits! Thank you so, so much.
We’re investigating dog boots for Scout.
Claudia, I am totally amazed at the little books. Just could not believe how wonderful they are. I love the copper cookware. Teakettle. That dog is unbelievable. You have a great friend in Barbara. Poor scout, I truly understand what you mean about her no going up or down hill to be outside. Blessings, xoxo,Susie
It’s such a worry! Poor baby. This is when I wish we still lived in California!
The details on those books is amazing work! Caroline is a lucky lady…her cottage could be “Cottage of the Year”, as voted on by your readers! And a fenced in area for Scout that’s closer and more level, sounds ideal…couldn’t you just use chicken wire…or is that too flimsy? Have a lovely day hanging book shelves! ;)
That’s exactly what we’re going to use, Donnamae, chicken wire and posts that we can easily take down in the spring.
Sounds like the perfect answer for Miss Scout. We had to put a couple of posts in the ground last week. There was some resistance, but we poured some water over the direct area and they then went in easily. Not much of a frost depth yet. Supposed to get up to 47* today which sounds like a summer day after the past few weeks!
Those books are just amazing! The effort and skill that goes into that kind of work leaves me in awe.
Have a great day! Hope your “reminder” works today!!
Good hint about the water, Chris. Thanks!
Those miniature books ARE amazing. I’d always thought dollhouse books were “covers only” but blank inside. It never occurred to me that they were actually readable books! The world of miniatures is exactly that, isn’t it? Miniatures of true-size objects in every way. I’m increasingly impressed by the artists who work in this medium. Love the copper teakettle and pots too. They look perfect on your Aga cooker. Enjoy your day…
Oh PS – I saw some comments on dog boots and thought I’d add my two cents. My sister found them to be life-changing for her 10-year old Golden. He’s not eager to get them on but he doesn’t fight them either, and she finds he bops around outside in the yard for much longer periods than in the past when he was “bootless” and wanted to come in as soon as he finished his “fertilizing chores.”
A lot of the books I have are indeed covers only, Janet. That’s what makes these so extraordinary!
I’m definitely going to look into the boots for Scout.
What lovely gifts..each one better than the last..Love the books and the tea kettle is wonderful..If I didn’t know your pictures were of a doll house, I would think they were of someones home..
Thank you, Missy – that’s a lovely compliment!
I think a fenced area around the funky patio will be perfect for Scout… not to mention the funky patio garden may be a bit greener in the Spring…ehem!
Love that you are getting your books shelves that you wanted for the den. I can’t wait to see it all together! Perhaps… you’ll be able to save a few books from the shed. :/ ….No tears though if you can’t.
I do like your little gifts from Barbara…what a sweet friend, to think of you and send you of all things- BOOKS!
I think I can speak for all your readers when I say… We LOVE you Claudia…and your love of life…!
have a wonderful Saturday…and a restful Sunday! ;)
Oh thank you, Pat, for your kind words.
I hope Scout does well on the new area you are making for her. I think it sounds like a great solution.
The books are beautiful. The detail is simply amazing!
I am a bit behind, but I am glad you guys got a snowblower. Shoveling snow is only for the very young.
You’re not kidding!
Precious Scout, precious miniatures and dollhouse, and especially precious teeny books. You are blessed! Enjoy it all! Bess
I will, Bess! Thank you!
The miniatures are so much fun!
I totally get what you’re doing for Scout. We’ve had to continually adapt our surroundings to change the needs of our pets. I have an elderly cat who is pushing age 19 and must be outdoors due to my asthma. He prefers the outside. However, he’s old and arthritic, so we’ve put the car outside and him inside the garage, with a labyrinth of high and low places to climb if he’s into it, plug-in heated beds, etc. He can’t be outside freely right now due to feral cats in the environment who are aggressive and he’s too old to defend, so we have a huge outdoor pen he can be in which is big enough to fit six German shepherds. It seems sometimes that we spend much of the day carrying him between places. At our former home last year, which was a rambling hillside near-acre, we couldn’t keep other cats out and away from him…one was a mean ‘old dude going after him from a neighboring property…so we strung chicken wire in a wide area up and down a patio and rimming a covered porch, to the garage, etc. It was unsightly and blocked our own access to things, but allowed him to traverse house, garage, patio, porch and be blocked in for his protection. Even now where we live, again with many ferals in a colony on another hill, we have insulated outdoor shelters for them with fresh straw, wood fencing to section them off from the dog, holes (kitty doors) cut in that fence (on the side where the dog doesn’t go) so they can come and go more easily, We have a guy helping us right now in a quest to convert much of the yard to xeriscaping due to California’s drought…we’re under mandatory water restrictions in SoCal and everybody is pulling up their dead lawns (our latest warning on Friday was that restaurant servers cannot even serve water in glasses at the table unless on request)…and he thinks we’re crazy people when it comes to our animals, but he has never had pets and just doesn’t understand. You love your pets, you hopefully have them for a fair amount of time, then you accomadate them over time, as they get old just like you do. It’s just the way it is. It’s like when we had to keep changing Mom’s house to help her as she aged…putting in ramps, grab bars, hand-rails, etc.
For you guys and Scout, I applaud you for trying to make a easier, more accessible potty place for her. I’m telling you, Claudia, all it takes sometimes on an older dog is one bad slip or fall. My beagle had a couple of misses trying to jump on the bed and we think it actually contributed to or might have even caused a back problem…something with the spine…which turned out to be something not even the vet could fix. We had to have her put down this past summer and we’re still, all of us, not over it. We had just moved in, couldn’t find her little stairsteps for the high bed…somehow got buried in all the moving boxes…and it happened so quickly before we could keep her from trying to jump up. The vet said it could have been congenital…she had other problems, like a bad trachea, from what could have been injury at birth or less-than-ethical breeding, although that’s a guess (we didn’t buy her as a pure breed…we adopted her as 4th owner…I prefer a mixed-breed animal as they’re generally hardier…anyway, not to beat ourselves up, but sometimes it rings a bell too late on what you could do differently if you just had the second chance. It’s good you’re being proactive for Scout’s and your needs before the worst of winter hits. Seriously, who cares what a new patio-area corral up closer to the house looks like? Your friends and neighbors or visitors will just have to try to understand your temporary alterations to the property. You all need to be safe and to get in quickly out of the cold. . Let us know how it works out.