Old Enough To Know Better Now

We had a little visitor one morning. We did not see mom. The first bear we have seen in a couple of years. He was headed next door to the berry patch, glad I got there first.

On my daily walk I saw a very tiny orange newt. 

Followed by this, yikes!!! I sense a theme

July was very cold and rainy and so far August seems to be just beautiful! Not the warm air of August but the cool dry air of fall.

For my birthday we went to King Arthur Flour in Vermont for lunch and a little shopping. 

and on the way home we found this garden.

It is a Japanese garden tucked in truly the middle of now where, off a dirt road in a very very small town.

While I know nothing of the symbolism of the gardens I know they are just beautiful and I appreciate the work.

And time that goes into it. 

Some of these trees have to be very old.

Lots of care and pruning.

The Granite in this garden was old and thick.

Just peaceful and lovely and wonderful find.

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Today is my birthday I am officially older than dirt! We had a quick dinner out and then went to the concert on the common. Well it was the Beatles!! So fun and reminded us of younger days.

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I hate to discuss Covid yet again but the numbers around here are going up. No where near what the rest of the country is but still up. 

I hear whispers of canceling rug hooking gatherings uggg. 

I have an immune compromised husband so we have to be careful but because other people can not be careful my life has to stop too. Very frustrating and now I am off my soapbox.

I will end with a free pattern by Linsay Bowles.

Please if you use this give her credit for her art work.

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Cathy

The Good Old Summer Time

In spite of the rain my gardens are doing pretty well.

We have had so many hazy days from the smoke out west.

It always amazes me just how much it dims our sun when we do have sun.

On the dryer days I have gardened a lot!!

The weeds got a very big head start on me so I worked hours the past couple of days and yes I found a buddy!! A great buddy for the gardens good bug eater and no snakes ick I hate them!!

The past couple of Weds we have gone to concerts on the common.

Always nice on a summer night to listen to a live band. This band played all 60s. 

My zucchini is starting to come in, good thing as I am not sure about my tomatoes this year, I don't think we have had enough sun for them to ripen. 

This is baked stuffed zucchini sooo good and husband likes it too.

I also made zucchini muffins, I threw a handful of blueberries in.

Very good and perfect with your morning coffee.

I got an early birthday gift from my sweet B (granddaughter). She felt I needed a place for my glasses at night. His name is ziggy and I promise to take very good care of him. 

Ok around these parts we call this a clicker aka a flame thrower. 

Well I have no idea if it is me or the child proof thing has gone completely over the top, but I now cannot light it with one hand!

and if I have anything even remotely slippery on my hand it is a impossible! I am going back to the old fashion wooden matches I have had enough.

I saw this and thought of the last post and just how loud then are. 

Have a wonderful week!

Something To Caw About

We have been so wet that the mushrooms/toadstools are everywhere.

These pictures are just from my walk.

I have no idea what is poison and what is not.

So I will leave that to the experts.

But some of them are sure pretty.

My neighbor called and wanted to know if I wanted to pick some raspberries. That would be yes I would! 

The big draw back was it was on a steep hill but we managed to get, I think about 5 1/2 to 6 quarts. The rain has molded so many right on the stems so sad but nothing you could do about it. 

She said she had all she wanted so we could pick until our hearts content. I swear I ate a pint while I was picking they were so sweet and soft. I put them on a cookie sheet to freeze individually so they are easier to measure when we want them.( I will transfer them to qt bags after they freeze)

while my tomatoes are still green the flowers look ok. 

Daylilies.

are tough they keep going in all weather.

And yes my sticks, formally a beautiful hosta. (Deer grrr) But as you can see it is getting ready to bloom anyway! Love that!

I taught 4 new hookers last weekend and everyone of then thinks they will continue. I do know that at least 2 of them will for sure. It was fun but the light was horrid. 

I have been going through cookbooks to decide if I really need 2 cupboards full of them. 

And I did get to bake my famous almond tea cake. I have never had anyone not like it. It is my BFF's favorite.

Last Friday I was walking to the end of our road (dead end) and all of a sudden I think about 5 crows swooped and and were yelling with all their voice.  

Then I see this hawk come out of the trees after one of the crows. Well the others were not having it and they harassed  him until he gave up. I then see him in the tree all the crows are in the trees all around him just making all the noise they could to warn the other birds he was there. He finally gave up and few away. They became so quiet. Those crows are something and so interesting to watch and hear.

I am reading another Louise Penny and really enjoying it.

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Today for once it didn't rain but it was so hazy from the forest fires out west. It makes my heart ache to think about it. I will try not to complain about the rain I know they need it so badly.

Have a wonderful week everyone.

Looking For A Slightly Used Ark..

Another week has come and gone and it rained most of it.

in the 13 days of July we have had rain at least 11 of them. And if it wasn't raining it was overcast. We had the fireplace going at one point again!

Well, between the rain drops we went on a garden walk, a fund raiser for the local garden club. 

What A back drop for gardens!

This lily was as tall as me! Just beautiful. 

The gardens were very extensive this was just one hedge area.

But also geared to her grandchildren. This bear waits in a little clearing where zip lining kids come down.

this very bad picture was of the entrance to the fairy gardens. Grownups have to bend down to enter and then among the trees are lots and lots of fairy house!!

I didn't get a lot of good pictures but they took old tree stumps and pulled them from the ground and tipped them every which way so that the roots made little spaces for the fairies to live. Just darling I could of look around in there for hours.

When you got to the day lilies there was a maze that you followed that took you to a very special play house.

And all around this play house were magical trees! Trees that were taken roots and all and turned upside down and painted purple! 

There was also a pirates garden but there were so many people there I didn't get any really good pictures. It is always nice to see how the other half lives.... Pretty great I think

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I walked down the road to the farm for some eggs and saw "NO Eggs" sign on his door. Well the farmer was just coming out of the house and said "Can you wait a minute?" Why yes I can! He came back from the barn with a dozen of eggs still warm from the chicken's butt! I call that fresh. I thanked him profusely and headed back home.

To bake some cookies that was requested from a long time friend who is going through a rough patch right now. I boxed them up and sent them. I hope they bring a little joy in all his sadness.

I had time to pull some loops 

We also hosted drinks and appetizers on the porch with some friends. We waited patiently for the fireflies but of course it rained so only a few showed up. It was still a wonderful evening with some good laughs and conversation.

My daughter and family had to say good bye to Broguen this week.

He was an old kitty and he died his way, on his time.

I feel so bad for my Son-in-Law he had that cat before he started dating my daughter. We always joked about a bachelor living with a cat but when you love a pet that long it is a hard loss. 

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 We have more rain predicted for the rest of the week, while I don't like the extreme heat there has to be a happy medium some where.

Have a wonderful week!

Deer Deer

I know I am late with happy 4th of July but better late than never is my motto. These flags I got from a little store years ago they are 48 stars she found old stock from a 5 and 10. I bought 3 why in the name of all that is holy I didn't buy them all (maybe a dozen or so) for 2.00 each is beyond me.

And my little house that husband made me I decorate for the holidays. Very sweet in the evening when sitting on the porch. My favorite place in the world....

I have worked very hard at my gardens this year, well the past 2 years really. My fairy roses are glorious!!! 

And so was my hosta until the deer got it. We had to run after her, she was not afraid of us not one tiny bit. We would chase her from the front she would run to the back of the house and eat the hosta there grrr.

I chased her 4 times yesterday. This morning she is back with her kids!!! Someone suggested deer off so I spent the morning putting it out and now we wait. 

She also ate the buds off from most of my cone flowers!

My lavender is in full bloom and I have been picking daily. I made a lavender wand to put in my wool and just tied a bow on the other ones to have on a shelf. The green ribbon isn't the prettiest but it is the oldest so I am using it.

I know I show this a lot but my mother's African violet blooms year around always so pretty.

 

I really scrubbed our bathrooms top to bottom. Hands and knees scrubbing every little corner. I had this stick on little glass vase. A few flowers makes me smile each time I go in.

In the past 7 days we have had record high temps and record low temps. the 4th was very cold and rainy, really fireplace weather!

But oh that heat! I hate the heat, today we have high humidity and very hazy, not our usual weather. We headed north as the amount of traffic and people in this area is CRAZY! (We are in a lake town)Well up north was not much better. But we had lunch walked around town and shared an ice cream. 

During the cool time I hooked a bit but I dumped out my extra strips and was working on getting them into like piles. I do not have as many strips as some people, I try to cut as I go. 

I have also signed up for another rug hooking retreat in October if I get the teacher I want. I am just being a pain in the behind I know but there is only one teacher I saw I wanted to work with. The best part it is close to home and I can commute. 

My rhubarb is still doing pretty well so I picked a couple of stalks and made muffins. They came out pretty good. The recipe is from King Arthur Flour. 

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Have a great week everyone. I hope your 4th was a good one and safe. We are into the dog days of summer right now. 

COME ON FALL!!!!