More Snow on Saturday + Petsitting + Movie Review

It snowed again last night but it was all light fluffy powder instead of the heavy wet type a few days ago. I am pet sitting again for neighbors and Henry was a trooper when we went out when he was ready around 7am. 

 This is the spot he chose for himself on Friday night. I put the little bed that fits in his carrier under him. I like dogs on furniture but not on my furniture 🐾🐾😉 if you know what I mean.

His furry legs were covered in small snowballs that were hard to get off. Next time we go out I will use the hairdryer to melt them. Luckily I had a big towel handy what was recently used to clean up some spilled coffee. I keep one handy on the back of my door to the basement and it's easy to grab in an emergency. The sun is out and the thermometer is above freezing and my car is almost totally melted so I can get out easily if I had to but I don't.

I just watched a great movie on Hulu -- THE LOST KING with Sally Hawkins about the lost grave of King Richard III. It was wonderful and I loved it. It's the perfect movie for the long Presidents' Day weekend. https://www.hulu.com/movie/the-lost-king-d375d155-00b4-45ea-8584-2fbb4826f57a Enjoy!

I liked the way the sun was shining through the geranium leaves in today's last photo. Have a great weekend. xo

Inside My Cottage -- 4 Weekend Photos

Another view of this wall with the blue and white platter hung very recently and I am enjoying it so much there. 

It's been a wild November for me so far. I had cataract surgery! My left eye was done on 11/2 and my right eye on 11/9 and both were very successful and I am thrilled with the outcome. Of course it's only been two days since my right eye was done and the new lens is still settling in but it's doing nicely. So many people I know have decided this was the year to finally have their eyes done and I'm glad I did too. 

I have had this clear glass rabbit candy container on this windowsill for ages. His head lifts off and I use it for my small binder clips. I change the way he's looking every time I get out a clip while doing paperwork at my desk in the pantry office. He always makes me smile. The full-bodied black cat featured recently also lives in this window.

The trees are nearly bare in this kitchen window to the right of my stove overlooking my leaf-covered driveway.

Another side window in my kitchen showing a fall late afternoon sky. I took a walk outside to get some exercise and looped around my property twice. No heavy lifting, no stooping, etc. and I'm trying to be careful so my eyes will continue healing nicely. Have a great rest of the weekend. xo

 

My Male Goldfinches Have Turned Yellow💛

This is an iPhone photo from my window.

The male Goldfinches are wearing their bright yellow feathers for the mating season.

Read more about my breeding male goldfinches, the state bird of New Jersey, Iowa, and Washington HERE.  The photo of this breeding male above is from this link. The females don't wear these lovely yellow spring feathers but they get to choose the handsomest mate wearing them.

Missy is coming this morning to spend the night and it's a lovely Good Friday. See you later. xo

Good Morning Sun

Sunday morning coffee time in front of the tv watching Antiques Roadshow from Palm Springs on PBS. I haven's raised my other shade yet.

My view from the front window looking at my across-the-street neighbor's red barn. The blue sky and the bright morning sun are so very welcoming.

I hope your Sunday is lovely too.

xo

Seeing Spots Before My Eyes

Dalmatian Family photo found here

These puppies are adorable and I'm sure they are a handful for the mom. I wonder if they are all spoken for? They look old enough to be living with their "furever" homes. Happy Saturday. Hope you have a wonderful weekend. xo

Farmer Mowed my Field Today

I'm so glad I was home when my first field mowing was done today. The ground was nice and hard and very dry so the conditions were perfect. We might get rain later today or tonight and that would be perfect too. The weather leading up to July 4th on Monday appears to be very nice. Hope you have a great long weekend. 🇺🇸

xo

♡Things I Like This Morning♡

This tilework is simple and simply elegant.

I really adore this wallpaper.

I love old country roads and this is a great one.

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving yesterday and are still enjoying the aftermath. I woke up to rain today but it's already clearing and promises to be a nice day with no Black Friday shopping for me. I heard on the news this week that this is going to be a mild winter and I hope it's true after what I went through last year. Enjoy the long weekend and safe trips back home for all who are traveling. All photos found on Tumblr. xo

🐾 Missy's Back 🐾

Missy was dropped off yesterday morning and she is always a welcome guest. I will have her until Monday or Tuesday. This time I didn't set up my crate or use her own. I have complete trust in her since she is so familiar with my house and we are on a regular schedule for walks. She still goes straight to her bed in the kitchen in front of the radiator after we come in from a walk. That's where her crate is usually set up. She also loves this blue bed I always set up in the living room in front of the TV and that's where she slept last night. 

I left her alone in the house yesterday afternoon for hours on end. It turned out to be nearly 70° and a perfect day for mowing over the leaves. I was so happy and got everything mowed except the farthest piece in the way back. I am fairly sure there will be another temperate day soon for mowing that patch, fingers crossed. Have a great weekend. xo

My Afternoon Photos

Is this spooky enough for you on Halloween Eve afternoon? This is a dead tree near my house. I stopped to take a photo on my way home from getting my Covid19 booster shot. 

This tree is on the same street as the dead tree and the sun came out while I was parked. We are getting some great fall color and today turned out to be nice and ended with rain in the late afternoon.

The field behind this stone wall is full of cosmos that will soon be zapped with a killing frost. For now, it is an amazing sight with halloween pumpkins lining the wall. This photo only shows two of them. "Click to enlarge." See you tomorrow. xo

 

Saturday Blooms

Random blossoms from my back yard shot yesterday (Friday) after mowing with the walk-behind mulching mower when the grass was finally dry enough. Today I'll do the front before the afternoon rain that may or may not transpire. All the hydrangeas are outperforming this year as you can see. The first photo is a gift from a neighbor as a thank you for a favor. At first I thought it was a potted plant but after research I learned it is a compact hydrangea. The label said summer splendor but all I could find online was red splendor. Anyway I am going to plant it and see what happens. My neighbor said it was deer resistant too. I am going to love something with such vibrant colors. The second photo is my Lacecap Hydrangea and the third and fourth are my Limelight that has become a tree this year this year rather than a woody shrub. Last year, I cut back the bottom branches to encourage this and it worked. Have a great weekend. xo

Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

This adorable photo makes me sleepy just to look at it. I love the dog and the chintz fabric on the sofa and pillow. Here's hoping you have a lazy first weekend of summer. I feel a nap coming on later. xo

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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

HOME

Missy is Back. Weekend visitor.

Missy is so calm and polite. I am in the process of mixing her breakfast kibble with hot water in this photo and she's not jumping around, drooling, or whining with excitement. She's just calmly waiting! She gobbled it right down though. She arrived on Friday morning and will probably stay until Monday morning. Have a great weekend and Happy May First. xo

HOME is where the ❤️is.

Sunday Snow with Birds

My snow just started (Sunday 8:30am) and it is scheduled to quit around 3:00 this afternoon. I filled the birds' feeding tube so I'm all set to stay inside and enjoy cottage life. Stay cozy and watch the Super Bowl if you are a football fan. xo

View from My Window

Overcast Saturday Morning

View from My Pantry Window

It rained like cats and dogs all night long and thankfully my gutters were cleaned recently and I could hear the water rushing through the downspouts very clearly. When I woke up the rain had stopped and my balcony was as clean as can be so I didn't have to sweep the area below the bird feeder. I have to go food shopping today and that's one of my least favorite things to do. I always try to talk myself out of it until there isn't anything in the house to eat and that's nearly where I am today. I'm going to clean my refrigerator first though, another task I dislike, but it makes me feel good when I finish. Enjoy your weekend. xo

Hawk on My Balcony Railing

This hawk actually posed for me, turning his head in all directions while I clicked away with my camera. He is either a Coopers Hawk or a Sharp-shinned Hawk. I sent this photo to Cornell Lab to help me identify him correctly. Have a great lazy weekend. 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

Dog Sitting Weekend with Missy

Missy came over early Friday morning and has been a perfect house guest ever since. She is well behaved and very mellow. She asks for nothing but is grateful for every kindness shown to her. Her crate is in the kitchen with the door open and she is enjoying the new bedding I put inside. She can't decide which dog bed she prefers, Webster's old blue one or the mattress pad and pillow with a flannel pillowcase in her crate. She's a good walker too and doesn't pull on the lead. 

Her eyelashes match the color of her fur. I think she's an English Setter. She had a haircut on Tuesday to prepare for her good girl visit. Have a great weekend. xo

End of A Perfect Weekend

This photo personifies the end of a perfect weekend, doesn't it? Hope you had one too. via

Old Teddy Bear Posing for Me

This is one of the first photos I took while trying to master portrait mode on my latest iPhone. I posted this on Instagram this week too and it was well received. I didn't notice that his left ear was turned back but maybe it adds to the charm. At least it's not chewed off like a companion bear's that sits beside this one in an antique child's chair. Webster was responsible for that mishap. Anyway, I hardly ever use my big 35mm camera because it doesn't fit in my pocket. Smile☺

I was asked on Instagram if this jointed teddy bear was mine as a child. Sadly, it wasn't. I picked it up at a garage sale or estate sale long ago in a pile of modern toys for a song. It is a lovely cool Saturday here at the cottage and I have already been weeding for an hour or so. Enjoy the weekend.