Summer Day When A Bear Visited My Cottage

 On June 10, 2024 I was in my bathroom brushing my teeth and happened to look out my window. I saw a big black blob moving in the far rear of my back yard and thought it was a bear. I grabbed my iPhone a ran out on my balcony and filmed it. At one point I almost dropped my phone when I moved closer to the edge to watch him go out of sight. Look closely when he gets near my bird house and you will see a bird sticking his head out the hole. He flew out and it didn't faze the young bear at all. I was unable to post this video because it is too long but I made screenshots.

Bear getting closer to my house having come from the "way back".

There was a bird in the box that had already flown out. Photo is farther down -- sorry it's out of order. 

Wondering what this box on a stick is?

Strolling past the birdbath.

This is out of order but look closely, there is a bird inside getting ready to fly out. The bear seemed very uninterested in harming anything. He is just a youngster out on his own just taking a walk.

After he passed my house he turned right and went into the deep woods.

This one is out of order too. It was just before the one above showing the corner of my balcony railing. I had just moved to the edge and he heard me but didn't know I was way above him. He never saw me. The flag is a survey stake showing my property line.

Finishing this post on Friday night at 8:45 pm. Have a great weekend. I don't like the way my posts are being emailed the next day instead when I post them but that's out of my control. 

Goodbye August! Why did you fly by so fast? xo

Refreshing Swimming Pool

I would love to jump into this pool right now. We just had a downpour and you can cut the humidity with a knife. This one looks super refreshing, doesn't it? xo

photo found here

Great Screen Porch

Pretty nice, isn't it? So simple and classic.

Screened in porches always bring back fond summer memories. Photo found here. xo

Tomato Zucchini Pie (Recipe)

This recipe is really called Tomato-Milpa Pie but suggests Zucchini as a substitute if you don't grow the Mexican squash called Milpa. The first thing you do is bake the empty pie crust so this is a perfect opportunity to use a frozen one and save yourself some work. It gets baked again after you layer it with your homegrown or farmer's market tomatoes, half-moon zucchini slices, and fresh corn kernels.

I think this is the perfect "end of summer" recipe! Enjoy. xo

Clouds at My Cottage: July 4th Sundown

The clouds last night (July 4th) were amazing at sundown. Hope you had a great holiday. I had the overgrown part of my field mowed yesterday and now I can see all the way down to the way back. 

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Natural Lawn

This is beyond charming. The perfect summer yard! xo

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Outdoor Living: 'Tis the Season

Someone's been busy getting ready for outdoor living on this lovely patio. I love it! via

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Outdoor Shower Love

This tropical outdoor shower looks quite private and inviting. via I am all set to hunker down for the next three days when the tropical storm/hurricane comes my way. It's very overcast this Sunday morning and the wind is already kicking up. Be safe if it's coming your way too. xo

New Arrangement in My LIving Room

I have done some major rearranging in my living room all because of my television. I recently bought a used but not abused Apple TV from a neighbor. It is third generation but it works wonderfully well and I am able to stream shows from my iPad to my TV. I have also joined Acorn TV with a one year subscription and am enjoying it thoroughly. I moved my largest sofa beside this antique tiger maple sewing stand because the companion sofa you see in this sofa was not long enough for naps and not as comfortable as my longer one that was formerly between my French doors leading to my balcony. I had to rearrange my lamps too. All of them. I bought this vintage cocktail shaker lamp with the hand-painted shade months ago at an estate sale. It has been up in my attic waiting for a home and got one this week. I am not a drinker but loved this lamp. I have a large collection of decanters all across the top of my bookcase so the martini glasses drawn on each panel are still appropriate. They don't even show when the lamp is turned on. It has a small bulb and casts a beautiful glow that is not too bright for TV binging. I am very happy with everything and will post more photos from time to time. I had many early morning errands to run this morning regarding real estate and I'm not finished yet. It's still too hot to work outside and I am thankful for my central air. I keep it at a high setting and turn it off at night and open the windows when I can. Otherwise a fan in the bedroom is all I need. Stay cool. and wear a mask when you go out xo

Cottage with Pool

via This looks like a delightful place to cool off in this heatwave. xo

Pool House with Bermuda Shutters

via 

I adore this bungalow with a delightful pool house. The full-window Bermuda shutters are perfect here and they provide shade, airflow, and privacy. The clerestory windows are another architectural detail that make this compound so special. The understated mature landscaping is wonderful and so is the swimming pool. I love this little gem!

Lakeside Dining

 

This looks like a great place to enjoy the summer, doesn't it? via

Best Porch Swing

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This swinging sofa on a three season porch looks delightful. I think it would be perfect for long summer naps if the cute little dog would be willing to share.

Blackberries in a Basket

My mother and I used to love to go blackberry picking. We knew a huge patch where you could stand in one spot and pick enough for a pie. Sadly, it has been developed and the blackberries are gone. Sob. via

Perfect Greenhouse + An Appalachian Cottage

Dream on. 

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Cottage in Appalachia.

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I took a road trip in Baby Shark this morning to the Department of Motor Vehicles to return my old license plates and it was wonderful. I left around 10:00 and there wasn't much traffic. It is a trip I usually dread but it was painless in my new car. I am still learning things about it. I didn't even turn on the radio because I wanted total concentration. I was familiar with the route so it went very smoothly. I love the way my Honda handles and we are becoming fast friends.

xo

Tomato Pie Recipe : Looks Delicious

photo by Black Sheep Kitchen

Do you have Beefsteak and a variety of heirloom tomatoes in your garden? If not, when fresh homegrown tomatoes appear at the farmer's market, pick up a few and make this delicious looking tomato pie. You can make one large pie or divide up the dough and make individual ones. One large pie would be my choice. The right hand side of the pie above is multicolored heirloom tomatoes. I like the flavor of these ugly tomatoes best. YUM. I would be tempted to add some corn off the cob too. Tomatoes are the best part of summer food. xo You can Google the recipe: Tomato Pie Garden and Gun

Outdoor Shower - Summer Pleasure

I had an outdoor shower here at the cottage and I miss it. I didn't winterize it properly one year and the outside pipes blew up.😢😢I did it successfully for many years but one year the temps got way below zero and I don't think I had drained the pipes. Luckily, the hot and cold faucets are still fine.

July is here. Let the summer begin.

Happy first day of July.

The year's half over.

Friday Night Eventide

I snapped this photo out back just before the end of the day. My lacecap hydrangea is to the right and it's more beautiful than ever this year. My field is looking very nice with some golden tall grasses mixed in with the weeds. The sky had some nice color too. I wish I could capture the fireflies that will be blinking after dark. They are absolutely amazing now that we are having hot summer nights. I finally went to the attic and put a new filter in my air exchanger and fired up my central air for the first time this season. 

Stay cool and have a lively weekend. xo

Summer Sleeping Porch Love

Everybody needs a dedicated space for catching up on their reading and napping. I have always been obsessed with sleeping porches even though I've never slept on one. via