Taxes are Boring

We've been at this for 3 days straight.

When we could be outside doing fun stuff.

Wake me when the taxes are finished.

Guess what?!! I'm We are finished. Webster will be so happy tomorrow. He's sick of all the filing, calculating, shuffling through papers, pencil sharpening, highlighting, and especially the shredding. The only fun part for him will be the ride in the car to the post office on Monday. Whew. I'm glad that's over for another year.

Red Barn with Garden

I took this photo several years ago in Basking Ridge, NJ. It wasn't that far away from a great old farmhouse so the homeowner could run outside and tend the garden easily. Don't you just love barns that become garages, potting sheds, and great dry storage lofts?
I can see the light at the end of the tax tunnel.

Just before spring.

Some of the trees in my area have buds and some don't. My grass is greener than this barnyard and I already feel as if I'm behind in my yard work. My riding mower is being picked up on Tuesday for a spring tuneup. I'm in solitary confinement on the third floor this weekend until I finish my taxes. I was hoping for a rainy day but it's gorgeous. Webster has been offering moral support and keeping me company up there with his head on the windowsill looking longingly outside wanting me to finish too. I'm pretty organized [finally] and I'm on the homestretch.

North Fork winter scene, by Howie Guja

MAD MEN : How many ways can you say WHAT?

Click here if you can't see the video. The new season starts on Sunday at 9PM with a 2-hour premier after an absence of 17 months...way too long. Are you a fan of MAD MEN? More videos here on the AMC 'Mad Men' website.

Eleanor Roosevelt and her fabulous sense of humor:

“I had a rose named after me and I was very flattered. But I was not pleased to read the description in the catalog: ‘No good in a bed, but fine against a wall.’” -Eleanor Roosevelt

via

Life's Little Instruction Book, Volume II, Pages 50 and 51

 

 

It's been a long time since I posted any of these great pages from one of my favorite books. Aren't you glad I remembered?

More Daffodil Twins

The daffodils I photographed yesterday wanted you to see their profiles.

via

Papercutting to The Max -- Video -- Elaine Penwell

ElainePenwell
Don't fail to visit her website. She.is.amazing!

Great Sun Porch

I love the fireplace in this room. It's time to start thinking about moving outside again with the nice early spring weather we've been having. I think the lawn mowing season is just around the corner and way too early if you ask me! via

The Daffodil Twins

Every year the daffodils of spring delight me in the woods and naturalized areas around my cottage. I photographed these twins with my iPhone this afternoon under overcast skies with no shadows.

"When I bought my farm, I did not know what a bargain I had in the bluebirds, daffodils and thrushes; as little did I know what sublime mornings and sunsets I was buying." 

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Andy Warhol's Art

via

Albino Peacock Showing Off

The white peacock (or white peafowl) is a color variety of the Indian Blue Peacock. photo by Silvain de Munck

Beautiful Puffy Clouds Today

After a chilly beginning the day got prettier and prettier. The sun came out and big white puffy clouds rolled in after lunch. I snapped these with my iPad from the balcony. 

By the way, it's been a week since I got my weighted hula hoop and I can do over 100 twirls now before it goes out of control. I try to pick it up and keep going and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. I'm not sore anymore and my bruises are diminishing thanks to applications of Aspercreme. Did you know that stuff takes bruises away quickly? It really does. I'm having fun with the hoop and at night I put it on the 'good' sofa and it keeps Webster from sneaking on it for some quality sleeping during the night. So it's a dual purpose device [smile].
UPDATE: This morning I did 161 consecutive twirls on the balcony in my pajamas. It's just easier to go outside instead of moving furniture in my cottage.

Potting Shed Envy

 

 

 

I wanted to post them all but I resisted. There are more charming potting sheds for you to lust over at My Sweet Savannah

Faux Bois Bench

via Faux bois (from the French for false wood) refers to the artistic imitation of wood or wood grains in various media. I love the concrete bench a lot, don't you. It would be absolutely maintenence free and a joy forever.

The Skunk Cabbage is Coming Up

I ventured out beside a little stream (slippery iPad in hand) to show you the skunk cabbage that is growing by leaps and bounds in the wetlands surrounding my property in the way back. Pretty soon the peepers will sing me to sleep at night. Spring has sprung! If you've never heard of skunk cabbage and want to learn more about it click HERE.

Beautiful Spring Day at My Cottage

Webster was off looking for snakes when I snapped this photo with my new iPad. It's very awkward I must say and slippery too. I can't imagine taking this anywhere except around my own property as a camera. If you are lucky enough to have a beautiful cutting garden or lots of interesting things to photograph around your own home you are in fat city. Otherwise, it's much easier to use your iPhone. It slips into your pocket and doesn't have to be babysat. The new iPad is capable of capturing great pictures though.

Are You An Early Bird?

If this doesn't signify spring, I don't know what does. I wonder if this determined robin fell over backwards when the worm finally let go? via Pinterest

The Whole Town of Princeton, NJ Celebrates Pi Day

I hope I remember to attend this affair in 2013!

Click on the link below to play the video. I embedded it but had to turn it off because it played automatically when my blog was opened whether you wanted it to or not! http://princeton.patch.com/articles/video-pi-day-princeton#video-9316131 I wish I had known about this the last weekend. I would have gone to Princeton to see what it Pi Day was all about. It's all about the math equation 3.14 -- remember that from high school? Princeton is the only town that can boast about the math genius Albert Einstein and his 20 year history there. More YouTube videos on this event here.

Sunday Afternoon iPhone Fotos

 

 

Our gray morning blossomed into a full blown beautiful day. Webster and I hope yours did too.

Don't Eat The Glass Candy

Just another experimental photo taken with my new iPad. I put a green dish full of glass candy on top of a brown and white transferware plate. It looks good enough to eat, doesn't it? 

My Cottage Crocuses

 

When I got the new iPad Friday at the Apple Store I had no idea I would ever use it as a medium-format camera but I'm loving that feature. It's like using a Hasselblad and I love being able to get really close and view my subject on the large screen. I'm absolutely thrilled.
I did not plant these crocuses and they are in an odd spot where I never would. My neighbor across the street has a front lawn full of them. Maybe a squirrel or a chipmunk or a bird felt I needed a little landscaping over here and helped me out. Early spring bulbs are such a delight. 

My Lucky Clovers + A Few Irish Proverbs

I always look for four and five leaf clovers but hardly ever find them. The 5-leaf clover is a mutation like the 4-leaf clover that does appear occasionally, but is less common than the 4-leaf clover. It has been estimated that there are approximately 10,000 three-leaf clovers for every four-leaf clover but that shouldn't stop you from looking. I keep mine in an antique miniature chest of drawers.

 

This Made Me Laugh

Found over at Crush Party :)

Starting the Seeds

Have you started any seeds yet? I have not but this photo inspires me to start digging out my small clay pots stored in the garage. I recently ran across the bag of seeds I've been saving so maybe I'll start some indoors too. I have several wooden crates I picked up at the curb so I am really all set to get a head start before the soil outside warms up enough to transplant them. via

Have a great weekend. Everyone's Irish today.

Webster says Goodnight

Have a good sleep tonight so you'll be fit as a fiddle for St. Patrick's Day and don't forget to wear something green tomorrow. I took this photo with my new iPad.

A Beautiful Outbuilding

 

 

This delightful outbuilding belongs to a good friend. It will be covered in English ivy before you know it. I honestly thought that ivy covered buildings stayed green all year long but I was wrong. That is one thing I like about winter. When the leaves are off the trees and the ivy you can really appreciate the architecture. This charmer has been many things from a potting shed to an office and I can't remember what in between. iPhone photos all.

An Owl's Wingspan

I wish I could have seen this perfect two-point landing by this beautiful owl. via Animals and Birds