Outdoor Dining in Tuscany

Wouldn't this be a delightful place to enjoy a meal? It takes a while, but you really can create some shade where there was none. via

Nantucket Staircase and Entrance Hall

Shall we go upstairs or down? This is a Nantucket house on Howard Street. via

Delightful Bedroom Wing

This stone wing is fabulous. I'll bet these people can't wait to wake up every morning and bound outside to greet the day. The rest of the house appears to be on a small scale and I'm sure it's very nice too. via

Simple Plantings

Simply beautiful too. via

Queen Anne's Lace

Such a lovely photo. Via

Queen Anne's Lace, also called "Wild Carrot," is a common plant in dry fields, ditches, and open areas. It was introduced from Europe, and the carrots that we eat today were once cultivated from this plant. I did not know that, did you? Info found here.

Webster Relaxing in My Garden

This is an old photo from June  2013. I had just put down a nice new layer of wood chips after weeding my front garden while the peonies were in full bloom. I have been weeding this area lately and am just about ready to spread some new chips. It's cool and shady there in the morning and blazing hot in the afternoon. Webster will supervise as he always does when I take on an outside task. Have a good week. xo

Tiny Wild Grapes

The wild grapes are beginning to form on all the grape vines. I have to admit, I've never gotten to taste one after all these years. The birds get them first and that's fine with me. I love that my property produces food for the birds with the wild grapes following the wild raspberries. The birds leave plenty of ripe berries for me simply because they are so plentiful. Enjoy this beautiful Sunday. xo

Splendid Place for A Hammock

Wow. This is a perfect place to wile away the weekend with a good book, isn't it? via

Webster Waiting

Webster is waiting patiently for me to finish playing around with my camera on our after-breakfast walk this morning. The grass is getting greener and the leaves are already started to fall. We are having hot days and cool nights with a heavy dew each morning. Have a great weekend. xo

Round Hay Bales Everywhere

The people with farm assessments have round hay bales in their fields right now. I love driving around looking at them. Thank goodness I live in an area with lots of open land and an active land trust.

Child's Cottage Playhouse

$42,000???

That is a whole lot of money for a child's playhouse. I could do something very meaningful to my own cottage for that amount of money, couldn't you? It's called the Coral Gables Cottage Playhouse. The flip side is: who wouldn't want one if money were no object? Can you even imagine being a child and having one? A home of your own at a very young age, how nice! 

A Strange and Beautiful Leaf

Detail of the leaf photographed on a lunch-time walk with the Wonder Dog.

The uncropped version of a colorful leaf on a cattail reed in the wetlands.

Another Tiny Porch

This is fabulous, isn't it? via

World Elephant Day 2015

On August 12, 2012, the inaugural World Elephant Day was launched to bring attention to the urgent plight of Asian and African elephants. The elephant is loved, revered and respected by people and cultures around the world, yet we balance on the brink of seeing the last of this magnificent creature.

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Leaves Three, Let It Be

The leaves on the poison ivy are just starting to turn. Knock on wood, I haven't gotten a bad case this year even though it's everywhere surrounding my property. Maybe I have finally developed some sort of immunity because I know I've touched it when weeding. We did have more off and on rain and it was wonderful. xo

Rain, As Promised

It started raining about 6:30 this morning and has already stopped. We need a lot more than that amount and I'm hoping it will start up again. Three hours of rain is just a drop in the bucket compared to what we really need. My phone shows more this afternoon, fingers crossed. 

Rain is On the Way

Since I took this photo, the sky is completely overcast. The rain is supposed to start after midnight and continue most of the day tomorrow. We really need it as you can see from my straw colored grass.

Mother Raccoon's Exercise in Patience

One of the YouTube viewers leaving a comment said, "Never give up on your kids." Click here to see this amazing video if it isn't showing above.

Another Not Too Big House

Don't you love the architectural detailing? via

Two Cooks and A Cabbage 1941 video

Wartime Film teaching girls to cook. Click here if you can's see the video above. Delightful!