First Peony 2013

I was rewarded for getting out of bed this morning with my first open peony. It must have been waiting for some hot weather. I am so happy. my Nikon photo

Peony Bud

One of these days the tight pods on my peonies will open. I'm in no hurry though. I like the upright buds. When they bloom, they will droop. Besides, I'm not going outside again anytime soon in this heat. It's 90° right now and I can hardly believe I had the heat on two days ago. my Nikon photo

My Birdbath in the Early Morning Light

Now I know why photographers prefer the early morning light. Everything just looks better before the sun has gotten very high in the sky. I took this photo a few minutes ago from the balcony with my Nikon. Of all my birdbaths, this one is the favorite for some reason. It serves as a perch too for the birds looking to pounce on an insect. See you later. Webster is whimpering to be fed.

Bluebird Spotting Today at My Cottage

Any day that starts with a bluebird spotting is a good one in my book. This one was pretty far away and I'm thankful my Nikon with the big telephoto lens was near the window. 

Yellow Jacket at Work

This is the third paper nest this year I've had to knock down. I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw this one going up at the top of the door jamb between my living room and the balcony. That's a little too close to home for me. Doesn't he look positively wicked? The yellow jackets make the gray paper themselves by chewing on slivers of wood. The young are hatched and food is stored in the nest’s center or "core" of hexagonal cells. That's today's science lesson from the cottage. my Nikon photo

Another View of My Front Garden

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I hope you aren't getting tired of seeing my new wood-chipped creation. This shows how close to the road I am. But when I'm sitting in that swivel chair between the two column it's as private as can be. By being close to the road, I have full use of my property. I have a huge grove of spruce trees to the right that protects my cottage otherwise. I have new neighbors diagonally across the street and they are very nice. The inside of my cottage is a disaster. I've never been able to take care of the inside and the outside at the same time. But eventually everything gets done. See you tomorrow.

My Budding Peony Plants

Peony bud at my cottage this morning after a day of rain yesterday.

My peonies are doing so well this year. This is their third year at my cottage since I dug them up with permission from a lady who was having a garage sale prior to selling a house. She was the daughter of the deceased owner and she said her mother would be pleased someone wanted them. I have three plants and each variety is different. They get so much more sun this year thanks to Hurricane Sandy.

The Three Faces of Tabitha the Cat

Looking straight ahead.

Profile.

Good Night.
She loves the wood chips.

First Look: Cottage Wood Chips Finished

I am finally finished with my wood chip project. I'll take more photos later when this area is shaded. The cool weather we've been having is the only thing that made this possible. I still have some tweeking to do but thought you might want a quick peek at the fruits of my hard labor. I've never had furniture in the front but thought I might enjoy sitting out here when it's too hot in the back later this summer. It's close to the kitchen for cold glasses of iced tea with mint. Click photo to enlarge. I filled up lots of holes around the property with the weeds I dug up and carted away. Now I'm off to some realtor open houses. 

One Fox + One Fox = Three Foxes

I took this photo a few minutes ago from the balcony off my living room with the telephoto lens aimed at three foxes enjoying family life in the lower forty.

This is the first time I've seen three together so one must be a young kit though they all look about the same size. This is a cropped version of the first photo showing the parents having a tender moment. We got some rain last night and this morning but not nearly enough. I'm glad I walked by at just the right time to see a little of what goes on when I'm not looking.

Tabitha's Afternoon Nap

She looks so comfortable, doesn't she?

Fox in the Snow at My Cottage

We finally got that snow the weather people have been predicting. I was surprised to see it this morning. A visiting fox is shown below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Click on any image to enlarge. The snow is still coming down. I quickly grabbed my camera as this fox approached the cottage around 11 o'clock on his way to hunt the woods. It's nice and cozy inside and I'm enjoying the snow day. See you later.

Horse Trots Past My Cottage

It feels pretty raw outside even though the temps are in the low 40s and the rider has his neck and chin covered. Usually he's talking on his iPhone (on speaker) when he clippity clops by. Photographed with my Nikon through the window on the front door. I heard him coming so I grabbed my camera and waited. 

Shadows on My Antiquarian Books

The mid-afternoon sun was shining so nicely through the living room window on my bookcase. I love all of my fine leather bindings. The bookcase is pictured on my sidebar. [my photo]

Playing House

I moved my bargain shelf to a new location in the living room and staged the shelves over the weekend. Much happier now. I polished all of my silver trophies too. Slowly but surely, I'm getting things spiffy again! The black tole lampshade for my candlestick lamp is a new acquisition. I think it's perfect, don't you. I was thrilled to find it for $3.00! [my photo]

Friday Morning Sunrise at My Cottage

Click photo to enlarge.

Wow. I looked up just a few minutes ago and this is what I saw. You have to be quick to capture the early morning colors. They are gone in an instant. I used my Nikon for this beautiful sky. 

Mini Ice Storm at My Cottage

 

Everything is covered with a thin glaze of ice and it's a very gray day. Nothing has melted even though it doesn't seem that cold when I'm out in it with Webster. I took these photos mid morning and now it's mid afternoon. The salt trucks were out this morning so the roads are black. I took the first two photos with my iPhone while I was outside and the second two with my Nikon from inside the house.

A Red Fox Visits My Cottage Today

I was passing by the french doors in the living room and spied this beautiful red fox in the snow. My camera with the long lens was nearby and I was able to get a good photo. He's beautiful, isn't he?

Old Garden Shovel Handle Detail

I found an old Nikon photo I took in my back garden several years ago. This old gardening shovel has a cracked handle so I use it as a perch for the birds.

2 Deer with Antlers Visit My Cottage

Luckily my big Nikon with the telephoto lens was on the coffee table when I spotted these two deer near my cottage at dusk. I sneaked outside and they froze and posed very nicely for me. They are beauties, aren't they? The buck to the rear has a bigger rack. Now, back to the Olympics. See you tomorrow.

my photo