Porch with Window Box and Bench

This addition is very sweet, isn't it? It seems very roomy because there is no enclosure across the front as it's only a couple of steps off the ground. I love the bench near the front door and if this little window box were mine I would fill it with herbs for the kitchen. photo source

Stay safe if winter storms dump lots of snow your way. My area is expecting less that an inch but lots of heavy rain and wind later in the day and all night. Wind scares me the most.

weather update

Downy Woodpecker before the snow.

Here is a link for a documentary on PBS about Woodpeckers. Get an intimate look at what makes woodpeckers so special. Explore their unique abilities and intimate stories from around the world. Narrated by Paul Giamatti. 

WOODPECKERS THE HOLE STORY

It snowed furiously for a while and I got about an inch and then it got warmer and turned to rain. The temperature will keep getting warmer and will rise to 52° by 2am. Such strange weather. It's beautiful and the perfect amount of snow. 

xo

Big Tree Down in Town

A huge evergreen cane down on Thursday in the high winds.

I took this photo yesterday in the village where my office is located.

The green part of the tree keeps on going. It was VERY tall. If it had fallen over the road it would have taken the power lines and it might have hit the firehouse if it had fallen diagonally. I feel sorry for the homeowners because this is going to be a big cleanup. They are putting an extension on the left side of their old house and this is a disruption they didn't need.

Yesterday was a gorgeous mild day and today it snowed off and on most of the day. Nothing major though. Hope you are having a nice weekend. xo

Dahlia in Black & White

I took some dahlia photos before the storm and played around with one of them with Snapseed this morning. I was able to delete all of the background and convert to a black and white phototgraph. I like it! 

I was so very fortunate with my house, my street, and general area with Wednesday evening's and Thursday morning's torrential rain. I have since learned of the devastation in the towns not far away that suffered from the flooding of the Passaic River. I live in the area of the headwaters of that river. I got up extra early on Thursday morning for some reason and was watching BBC World News on PBS and they had newsreel footage for NYC, NJ, and Philadelphia. Ita has turned out to be much worse that Sandy in 2012. Thanks for your concern and best wishes for my safety. I am meeting two friends for an early dinner today to catch up. Have a great weekend. xo

 

Huntboard Nook in My Kitchen

This is a corner of my kitchen, snapped this morning, that backs up to my attic staircase. My refrigerator is to the right and above that is a lookout window from my attic into the kitchen below. There are interior shutters if I want to close it off for any reason but I usually leave them open. It helps with the airflow when the central air is running and in the winter, the rising heat helps keep it warmer up there. Last night's rain from Henri wasn't too bad and for that I am so very grateful. Be safe if you are in the eye of the storm today. xo

Stormy Sky Over My Cottage

This photo is practically live since I just went outside to show you the storm clouds over my cottage. My weather app doesn't call for any more rain so I suppose they will burn off. It's not that hot outside but it's very stuffy so I am still running my central at a high setting. I didn't wake up during the very heavy rain last night, probably because my all the windows were closed and I didn't hear it. xo

First Cool Day Today (Friday)

After running my central AC for three straight days, I an happy to report it has now been turned OFF. I am thrilled to be enjoying an overcast day after an overnight rain. My windows are now wide open and the birds are singing. I always turn off the AC at night and run this vintage oscillating fan that sounds like a freight train but doesn't keep me awake. The lowest setting should be labeled hurricane, so it does a great job😂 Don't worry, it's safe because I had it professionally rewired.

I got an email from a friend this morning. She was unable to sign up for the new emails on her iPad so I did it for her. If you are having trouble too, let me know in the comments and I will sign you up from this end. You will get a confirmation email to finish the process. All I need is the first three or four letters/digits of your email address. If you were an old subscriber, I should be able to find you on the email list I downloaded from Feedburner. If you are a new subscriber/follower, I will need your complete email address. 

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Blackberry Winter at My Cottage

I broke down and turned on my heat this morning. I can't believe how cold my cottage is and my hands are like icebergs. I have put away almost everything related to winter, my draft dodgers under all my doors, my down comforter, and other things like that. My mother used to call this weather Blackberry Winter but summer doesn't officially start for another three weeks. I found this royalty-free image of blackberry leaves encased in a hoar frost and I thought it was perfect.

Enjoy the Memorial Day Weekend and stay warm if you have unseasonably cold weather too. xo

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My Cottage after Plowing

AFTER THE PLOWING

My entrance looks like a super market parking lot. I wonder how long it will take that snow mountain to melt? My driveway that goes down to my red barn/garage was plowed too for the first time ever and now my car is parked up front in anticipation of more snow on Friday, my phone says a 90% chance.😱

Happy Christmas Eve

My weather sounds pretty ominous for later in the day or early evening for rain and strong winds. I posted these hares on my blog back in 2013. See more of my Christmas Eve Posts Here. Be safe and blessed tonight. xo

Snow Covered Steps in Montréal

Montréal, Quebec, Canada by Akhil Verma

Now I don't feel so bad about the snow that's coming my way. Be safe and be careful. xo

via

Bunny in The Snow

I can't get away from people on TV or the radio talking about the Nor'easter that's coming my way tomorrow afternoon. The snowy scene above is just about all I can take mentally but I'll deal with it on Thursday morning for sure. Be safe if you are in the path too. xo 

Sunkissed: Small Brick House

This reminds me of my grandparents' house in South Carolina. via It's a gray rainy Saturday morning here at my cottage with the promise of sun this afternoon, My birds have been fed and the balcony floor swept and I have my coffee by my side, so all is well. Enjoy the weekend and I'll see you later. xo

Hoar Frost with Sheep

It's coming says Jack Frost. I do love a good hoar frost and a winding path full of sheep. The autumn leaves on these massive old trees have yet to lose their leaves so warm days are still possible. Found on Instagram @wolfypic  He photographs in Scotland and England's Lake District. This is probably the Lake District where Beatrix Potter raised sheep. xo

After the Storm is Over

A cold front is on the way to cool things down for one single day, tomorrow. I'll take it because I have a day of errands already planned. I let my grass (and weeds) get ahead of me as I do every year and it has taken me three days to catch up. Two consecutive days and a break for rainy days. Today I finished and it looks as if I will have to repeat the process in just a few more days. I took this photo at 7:00 after a short, heavy rain. Be safe if bad weather is in your area. xo

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

May Snow: Lily of the Valley Blooms

Late Saturday afternoon photo showing sleet and snow on a tabletop next to blooming Lily of the Valley. Crazy May weather!! Legend says that when the lily of the valley blooms, happiness returns.

Snow.Cat

What?

I'm fine.

Go back to what you were doing and leave me alone.

via

Icy Morning at My Cottage

It looks like another winter wonderland outside my windows this morning. Everything is encased in a layer of ice and a freezing rain is falling. Not at all good for my office Christmas Party tonight! Will update you later. This is a photo of my balcony railing at 8:45 am. xo

Hello Novmber

I posted this image one year ago a tan color HERE. So far, I have posted January through November in Red. The description for the tan one at Harvard can be read here. 

We had a horrible rain and wind storm overnight and I woke up to a tall tree from my next door neighbor's property over the part of my driveway leading down to my red barn and the canopy of the tree with no leaves in my front garden. No damage was done and a tree person said my part of the cleanup will be very inexpensive. It was horrible just after midnight when I woke up to see what was happening outside. And then I heard the crash but could not determine the source. I slept soundly somehow and found the tree when I opened my front door. Power never went off and many people all around me had much worse damage. All that on Halloween night too. Yikes. Hope you didn't have any damage. xo

OCD Wrens at My Cottage

This new Wren family in the penthouse apartment on my balcony have a bad case of OCD. Every morning the pile of nest debris under their house is in a different spot and it gets smaller every day too. This is not because of the wind, it's definitely the birds. See original pile of nest building supplies here. They are a very odd couple, not at all like the earlier inhabitants. She won't let him inside very often and he sits on the railing and sings his little heart out.

Singing and waiting.

I am thinking of changing my name to Wren Cottage. This one lives in a bird bottle under the eaves of my front bedroom/dressing room. I have 4 nesting wren families in total.

This is my Friday morning barn/garage, field, and sky view with thunderstorms in the weather forecast. Enjoy your long July 4th weekend. xo