Butterfly: Photo + Video

I could never determine whether this was a butterfly or a moth. It stayed in place for a very long time flapping its wings and staying still. My still photo is shown above (click to enlarge). I posted my video on Instagram yesterday. See it here. Click on the white arrow to start the movement of the wings. I love the antennae that look like threaded beads.

Winnie The Pooh Map Illustration

Winnie the Pooh Map Illustration Sets a Major New Auction Record

This original illustration sold for $570,000 and is the most expensive book illustration ever sold. Drawn in 1926 by illustrator E.H. Shepard, the map depicts the homes of beloved characters from the story, such as Christopher Robin, Pooh Bear, Piglet, Owl, Eeyore, and Kanga and Roo, in addition to other local spots.

An illustration of Christopher Robin and Winnie the Pooh walking through the Hundred Acre Wood, which sold at Sotheby's London. The illustration was offered alongside four other original Winnie the Pooh drawings, also created by Shepard, all of which have been out of the public eye for nearly 50 years. Combined, the five illustrations were sold for a total of $1.2 million, though they were estimated to only fetch between $412,000 and $584,000. 

Read the entire article here. Photos from Sotheby's

Cloudscape from My Balcony

I have the most amazing sky views, in all kinds of weather, from my balcony. via Thankfully, my heatwave is over and I'm back to having all the windows open with birdsong streaming inside. xo

Video: Stars and Stripes Forever

Be prepared for foot tapping. I adore this family affair. These siblings are having such fun! If you cannot see the video below, here's the link.

Dill Explosion at My Cottage

Dill is probably my favorite summer herb. I love it in tuna salad, potato salad, on cucumbers, in my yogurt, on salmon, etc. It's beautiful too. via

Tiny Greenhouse

Sweet. Tiny, but this little greenhouse must fit the needs of the owner. I'm pretty sure it was built from found materials. via

Terracing at its BEST

Lovely treatment of a hillside.

A View of My Living Room using Tripod

When I leave my kitchen sink, this is what I see as I walk into my living room. My two French doors, frequently photographed but not shown here, are on either side of the big comfy sofa and both lead to my balcony. The door going down to the basement (not shown) is on the immediate left. The area with my fireplace, not shown, is in front of the sofa and table lamp on the left. I closed the doors leading down the hall to my bedroom, guest/dressing room, and full bath. It took me a long time to discover these doors. In everyday life, the left portion is a door to my linen closet and the right-hand door is for all of my mops, brooms and other items stored a utility closet. When you open them simultaneously, they come together to make a double door for closing off the private areas. The man who built my cottage had a lot of ingenuity and I love this clever feature. 

We had rain overnight and this morning and the heatwave is over. Tomorrow is going to be fabulous with 79° as the high temp and a low of 55° for Saturday night. Doesn't that sound wonderful? Hope you can look forward to a great weekend too. xo

Breakfast Room / Sitting Room + View

Charlotte, VT, breakfast room with a view. TruexCullins Architecture + Interior Design. via

Yes, please. I can see myself in that chair with ottoman. Isn't that the best view ever? Swoon!

HAPPY JULY 4th 2018

Things are so much cooler since we had a torrential rain yesterday. You can see the mist coming back in the distance because the earth was hotter than the air.

Enjoy the fireworks tonight.

Remember this? It is an old composition I made on my kitchen counter with cherries and a flag made from safety pins and colored beads.

Here is another fireworks display. 

HAPPY JULY 4th

Antiques in My Kitchen

I got a a new toy yesterday and had to test it out after Amazon delivered it at 9:00 last night. It was a device to clip on my iPhone so I could use my tripod. It was a little awkward but I think I am going to like it. It's good for composing what you want in a photo and getting it right the first time. 

You've seen my tall case clock and my pantry many times (first photo).

My huntboard is in a recessed nook in my kitchen (second photo) and I've photographed it many times for my blog.

I don't think I've ever shown you a much wider kitchen view with a corner of my farm table and my refrigerator (third photo).

Stay cool in this heatwave if you are having one too. For some reason, the heat doesn't seem to bother me as much as it used to. I guess having grown up in the deep south with no air conditioning has made me realize you can survive it if you know the ropes and try not to think about it.

Enjoy getting ready for July 4th. xo

Amazing Artwork by Ellen Hooverkamp

I could spend the day looking at all of Ellen Hooverkamp's artwork. She arranges flowers and vegetables on a SCANNER and digitizes them for printing. Click here for more in this series called Edibles 1. "The subjects for these photos were sustainably grown and raised by local growers. Special thanks to the good folks at the Dudley Farm Market and to Trout Lily Farm, both in Guilford, CT."

Meet the artist and see other categories of her art and her book, pictured below, HERE. You're welcome. xo

This is the photo I found online somewhere that led me to Ellen.

Chicken Hatches Kittens Video

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE VIDEO 

When the link opens, click on the white arrow on the hen's head. I don't know how to transfer the video to my blog any other way.

Isn't that the cutest thing? xo

For Sale: This Gorgeous Landscape

I photographed this gorgeous landscape on Thursday at a Realtor Open House near me. This 18-acre offering has wonderful mature plantings and distant views. I arrived to tour the house and grounds after a morning of rain and a sky appeared with enough blue to patch a sailor's pants, one of my mother's favorite sayings. 

Oak Leaves and Acorns

I have always loved bird nests, oak leaves, acorns, and books about natural history. This photo captures everything. via

Bluff View Cottage with Floor Plans

Bluff View Cottage: This lap sided, tin roofed Low Country Cottage is designed to maximize views from the Screened Porch running the length of the rear of the house. A deep Front Porch leads into the Foyer, which holds the Stairway on the right, the Dining Room on the left and the Living Room straight ahead. The Kitchen opens into the Family Room, which has a large fireplace and access to the rear Screened Porch. The Master Bedroom, with its own fireplace and full Master Bath accommodations, also opens onto the rear Screened Porch. Three Bedrooms, each with its own bath, and a Playroom are located on the second floor. The Lower Level provides space for a two-car garage, a Billiards/Game Room and Recreation Room with a wet-bar and bath. Its Covered Terrace is accessible from each of the rear facing rooms.

Click on any image to enlarge.

SpitzMiller & Norris House Plans

Some of My iPhone Photos This Week

A beautiful sunset from my balcony two days ago. The full moon was shining brightly in my bedroom last night.

Storm clouds gathering five days ago.

I adore this phrenology head. I printed it last week and put it on a portfolio to cover the company name of the firm that gave it to me. I put a piece of heavy clear plastic on top and now I love it because it always makes me laugh. Click on the photo to enlarge for easier reading.

Those feet! They were the first thing I saw six days ago when I visited a Realtor Open House. The house was very contemporary and had a lot of modern art.

Here is back view of the feet sculptures from another wing of the house. I put these pics on Instagram and one lady was worried they would be left behind after the house was sold and how were the new owners going to get rid of them?😂

Jane Seymour's English Manor: Avon UK

This is the Orangery 

An orangery or orangerie was a room or a dedicated building on the grounds of fashionable residences from the 17th to the 19th centuries where orange and other fruit trees were protected during the winter, similar to a greenhouse or conservatory.
Set amid 14 acres of gardens and paddocks is St. Catherine's Court, Avon, a part-time residence for the British-born actress.

"Apart from Hampton Court, ours is the only house in England that has them," the actress says of the Elizabethan grass steps. A Cotswold stone wall is softened by climbing vines and plants growing through nooks. ***I had to look hard for the steps. Aren't they wonderful?
These two photos are from Architectural Digest. See many more photos and read the delightful article here.

Sorry I was AWOL yesterday. I attacked my four lower level windows and screens, a double sliding glass door with a screen, and a back storm door and spent the day with a bucket full of hot soapy water and a hose. I slept like a log last night and it was a day well spent. I did not do the inside windows yet but they will be a snap. Maybe later today when the sun is on the front side of my cottage. See you later. Enjoy this lovely summer day. xo

Spilt Milk

No crying here. 😂

Greenhouse in a Walled Garden UK

An estate management firm publishes so many swoon-worthy photos of their work on Instagram. I love them all. Wouldn't you love to have a place like this to work and garden? It's like a giant adult sandbox. The greenhouse is the perfect size too. This is the kitchen garden on a large estate in Glouster.

Fenced Garden

I photographed this enclosed garden yesterday at high noon after touring a broker open house. I was waiting for the person who blocked me in to finish her tour. The driveway was long and the parking was quite a challenge. This garden probably doesn't get enough direct sun but I like the design. I would put down salt hay around the raised beds instead of having grass that would be hard to mow.

Interior Design in A Walk-in Closet

This curated closet is gorgeous and must be a happy place to get dressed for the owner. He has such good taste! via

Morris Essex Dog Show 1927-1957

This panoramic vintage photo is on display at Harding Township Town Hall and the event took place just up the street from my cottage. The man who built my house was born in the home of Marcellus Hartley Dodge (his family was in service there). In adulthood, he purchased the land to build his own home from Mr. Dodge as shown on my deed and I am the second owner. The lot was much larger back then and provided income in later years as he sold off land for new houses but was still able to maintain a smaller private lot for his cottage, now mine.

The inscription below the photograph: 

Morris and Essex Dog Show 1927-1957

An international event spanning thirty years, the Morris & Essex Dog Show was hosted and sponsored by Geraldine Rockefeller Dodge, daughter of William and niece of John D. Rockefeller, and her husband, Marcellus Hartley Dodge, owner and Chairman of the Remington Arms Company. In 1939, the show exceeded records previously held by Crufts, UK and Westminster shows, becoming the largest one-day dog show in the world, With over 65,000 attendees and 4,456 canines arriving in 10,000 automobiles, it required four times as many tents as the Barnum & Bailey's Circus. No other dog show has ever matched this one for its elegance and standing.

Click on each photo to enlarge and see how formally the people were dressed for this event.

Flower Pot Dog with Water Dish

Here is the Pluto the Dog at the end of a very hot day and a thunder storm is coming any minute now. I wasn't outside very much today so I don't know if any birds or bees used the water dish. I think I should look for a better rock tomorrow. Enjoy your Monday evening. xo

Around My Cottage Outside

Looking down from my balcony. Keep your eye focused on something sticking out beside my limelight hydrangea in the bright sun in the area above the red geranium.

I discovered this long-forgotten dog made from terra cotta flower pots in my barn/garage and now he's my watchdog.

The lamb's ears I planted in this part of my back garden are blooming and standing tall and the humming birds love them.

Here's a closeup of the dog. A young rabbit had a standoff with him at dusk on the day I put him out over the weekend. It was so cute to watch from my bedroom window that is above the raised garden. There are remnants of hot glue in certain places where moss was once attached. I think this was project for a garden club contest at one time and I hope it was a prize winner. I got it at our annual firehouse flea market and auction years ago. It was very heavy to lug to my car but it made me smile and still does. It reminds me of Pluto and he seems right at home on this small patch of blacktop that is in my backyard for some reason. I think I will put a water dish out for him that the birds and chipmunks might enjoy. Happy Monday! xo

House Touring Last Week

Touring this 1928 house and garden last week was one of the highlights of my real estate career. No words. My photo.