Perfect Dahlia Flower

Photographed at the home of a friend this morning.

I continue to be amazed each time I see one of these beautiful flowers. Now it's in a vase in my house so I can continue to enjoy it. xo

A Beautiful Book About Robins

Pictorial Board on a delightful early 20th century large format book about Robins.

The illustrations by Lady Lindsay are like fine art. This book is a real treasure.

The Loveliest Fern Garden

This is a small detail of the nicest fern garden I've ever seen. I took this photo yesterday at a realtor open house. I love ferns because they are trouble free and they take care of themselves. They are so nice in a shady spot on the edge of the woods. 

Stunning Classical Bathroom

I love the architectural engravings in this stunning bathroom. via

Images from my iPhone

I have had a very fun Monday playing around with the "Layout" app on my phone. I posted these on Instagram. See my feed here.

The sky when I woke up this morning.

Marbled paper in two old books.

Blossom on my limelight hydrangea.

Tabitha sunning herself.

Summer Pleasures

I hope your summer is going swimmingly. Don't you love this British expression? Image from Vanity Fair

Bermuda Shutters

I wish I had these on my two living room windows for about two hours in the afternoon when the sun is going down on a blazing hot day. Bermuda shutters are so much better than awnings.

Caught Up On My Mowing Today

Just in time for the rain tonight. I started at 8:30 and worked almost without stopping until late afternoon. My front grass was really long and it required two mowings but now it's done and maybe I can concentrate on weeding. How's your summer going? I am tired but it's a good tired from hard work with visible results. Happy Friday, the gateway to the weekend. xo

1873 Handwriting -- Cursive

This cursive letter written by a child in 1873 is probably a handwriting assignment for school. I think it is such a shame cursive isn't taught now. I went to a birthday party last week for a 9 year old neighbor who said she couldn't read cursive. Penmanship lessons were my favorite when I was in grammar school. I loved dipping the pen into the ink and doing those continuous ovals!

I have posted about handwriting in the past. This old post contains many helpful links to help kids learn this dying art. CLICK HERE.

Charming Bookplate

Detail of the Bookplate on the Thematic Endpapers in an old gardening book. I love the poem.

No wealthy monarch can possess

A greater store of golden hours

Than can be found in happiness

Of birds and books and flowers.

🔹🔹 C. A. Maude Eden 🔹🔹

Wild Turkey Family

I see this wild turkey family almost every day and they were the first thing I saw this morning. Yesterday when I took my late evening walk out back they were roosting high in the trees and all of large ones flew away and startled me with the loud flapping of their wings. I don't know if the youngsters can fly yet or if they were nesting in the woods. This sighting is such a great way to start my day. Now I can enjoy my coffee. xo

Feel free to check out my recent photos shared on Instagram here.

Thematic Endpapers

Don't you love these illustrated endpapers in an old 1936 Gardening Encyclopedia? It really is a wonderful introduction for a person who wants to garden and look up a plant's growing habits. via

Goodbye July 2016

G O O D B Y E   J U L Y

Where did it go? My Limelight Hydrangea is blooming. It is almost time for me to start putting the house to bed so I can watch some Sunday Nite TV in my bedroom. I am recording 'Dancing on the Edge' and 'The Tunnel' on PBS. On CBS, my DVR is recording 'Brain Dead'. Are you watching any of these programs? Have a good evening. xo

Barn for All Seasons

I showed an 1840 house in Mendham NJ on Friday. I stayed behind after my customers left to take some photos of the barn. The one with the Halloween Witch was already on my camera roll and has been on my blog.

I enlarged this photo to show the pig weathervane on the cupola in the shade of an old black walnut tree. We have rain on this Sunday morning. I'm so glad I showed this property on a nice day. xo

Covered Patio in a Barn

I showed a house today that had a barn with a patio inside. One whole side was open. This was in back of this house, not attached. It's always good to have a covered place for eating outside and grilling. So nice. A rolling picnic table and benches were stored in the other part of the barn. Have a great weekend. xo

A. Hays Town. Louisiana Architect

If this is his tool shed, what can his house be like? Find out here. Swoon!

I haven't been posting my recent Instagram photos on my blog of late. If you are curious to see what you have missed, see them here. xo

Pets Napping

This is too cute. I love photos of pet families spooning and napping. via

Office Under the Stairs

This is a better use of a space the usually becomes a closet, isn't it? via

A Raspberry Tart

I got a big surprise this morning and it's delicious. A friend picked wild raspberries with her two small sons and they baked some tarts. Mine was delicious. via

We had a thunder storm 🌩 🌨 🌩

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We had a thunder storm that brought the temperature down 20° from 93° and that's a good thing. 🌩 🌨 🌩
#thunder #lightening #rain #storm #cooler #hotday #relief #sohappy #ig

A Fiddlehead and A Fledgling

This is a great photo, isn't it? Wish I had been the one who took it. Tis the season for birds spreading their wings and leaving behind an empty nest. via Many fledglings spend 3 to 5 days on the ground when they first depart the next and are often mistaken for injured birds. Here's a great website for determining if you have discovered a bird trying to fledge. 

Clouds Change So Much in One Hour

I took this cloudscape from my balcony last night at 7:41. I mowed the back of my property a little over a week ago. My front lawn is an embarrassment it's so long. I am waiting for the perfect weather that hasn't happened yet. I plan to wait until this heat wave is over before using my walk-behind mower.

I took this big sky photo at 8:42. I guess all of the humidity we had during the day went into cloud making. 

I turned off my central air last night and it was so nice to hear the chirping insects that sang and chirped me to sleep. Open windows at night in the summer are the best. So far, there hasn't been one night that I slept with the A/C on. So happy. Enjoy your Sunday and stay cool. xo

An Amazing Vestibule

This has got to be one of the best entrance vestibule I have ever seen. I can't stop looking at the photo either. Is that a tile floor? I love the thin herringbone design! Love the door.

Hope you are staying cool. We have had three of the hottest days of the year with at least five more to follow before it gets down to 88° I am fine with my stack of DVDs to watch and my central air. I have it set pretty high so the house isn't like a walk-in cooler, but comfortable. Enjoy the rest of the weekend. xo photo source

My lacecap hydrangea

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My lacecap hydrangea did not bloom this year because of the late frost. They bloom on last year's growth. I cut it back to the ground and now have a big bush with lovely green leaves. All was not lost.🍃 🌿 🍃  Have a great weekend. xo

#hydrangea #lacecap #gardening #landscaping #goodtoknow #ig #flowerpower

Fifty shades of green. 🍃🌿🍃

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Fifty shades of green leaves around my cottage.🍃🌿🍃

#fiftyshadesofgreen #leaves #iphone6splus #instagoodnature #ig

Welcome to my world 🍃 🌿 🍃

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Welcome to my world 🍃 🌿 🍃 I live in the best area with lots of open space. So lucky!

#favorites #natureloversgallery #aroundme #newjerseyphotographer #iphone6splus #ig

A Tale of Two Whippets

I want to thank all of you for your constant thoughts about my dogless condition. I recently stumbled on a blog that will break your heart (in a good way). It's about a very talented florist in England who lost her shop dog.

You should probably get out your tissues before reading this saddest of sad blog posts.

Can you guess the happy news in this adorable photo?

Miss Pickering hasn't added any new posts to her blog in a long time but you can find her on Instagram. She is very busy and Instagram is fast and easy. Look for her there. Her pup has grown quite a bit and I wish she would post more photos of her shop helper. Hopefully she will read this and blog more about her new love. The new pup has his own Instagram account. @valentinewhippet

My limelight hydrangea has set its buds for midsummer blooms.

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My limelight hydrangea has set its buds for midsummer blooms. Love them. They bloom on this year's growth. I prune mine in February. They are very hardy and reliable bloomers. 🌿 

#limelighthydrangea #perennial #latebloomer #paniculata #deciduous #hardy #hydrangea #ig