First Look: Cottage Wood Chips Finished

I am finally finished with my wood chip project. I'll take more photos later when this area is shaded. The cool weather we've been having is the only thing that made this possible. I still have some tweeking to do but thought you might want a quick peek at the fruits of my hard labor. I've never had furniture in the front but thought I might enjoy sitting out here when it's too hot in the back later this summer. It's close to the kitchen for cold glasses of iced tea with mint. Click photo to enlarge. I filled up lots of holes around the property with the weeds I dug up and carted away. Now I'm off to some realtor open houses. 

Boo.

So cute. Tabitha doesn't do cute. She's all business - eat, go out, sun herself, nap, eat, go to bed. via

Wonderful Walled Courtyard

How delightful! I love the turquoise gate and the long farm table with the decorative tile top surrounded by bentwood twig chairs. What a wonderful private enclosed outdoor space for enjoyment, gardening, dining, and entertaining. via

Pink Hollyhocks

My favorite old-fashioned flowers. Don't they look nice outside the window of this log home? via

DIY: Gingham-Checked Painted Walls

WOW, what a great look! Click on the following link for detailed instructions, in four simple steps, on How To Paint Gingham-Checked Walls from Southern Living. I love the plain upholstery, draperies, carpet and accessories with the only pattern coming from the walls. It's really stunning, agreed?

Photo: Laurey W. Glenn

Awesome Garden

Love the twig fence too. Talk about being on the edge of a forest! via

Such Doxie Pup Sweetness

Do want! This adorable dachshund is a real charmer. Webster would love to have a little buddy.
Bryan Koorstad Photography

Elephant Mother and Baby

image

Dog's Tongue in Slow Motion

This is fascinating. I had no idea a dog lapped water this way. The tongue curls under to cup the water. via

The Wisdom of Gandhi

Always inspiring. via

Tabitha in the Grass

"What took you so long? I've been staring at the door to be let in for a very long time."

"Here I come. Is my food dish full?"

A Pitbull and His Friends

I guess this was a dog's Easter basket and he's delighted, isn't he? Webster is part Pitbull and I think he gets his sweetness from that part of his DNA. I love this photo. via Have a great weekend.

Shy Owl Trying to Blend In

He's doing a pretty good job too, isn't he? Goodnight dear friends. See you tomorrow. The weekend has begun. photo by Jennie Marie Schell

Tin Tub Pool

How to have a pool when you can't have a pool. This is wonderful. I'd love to have one in my back yard on a hot summer spring day. Anytime the thermometer get past 80° it's already too hot for me. The mercury is getting very close at 77° right now. via 

Terrific Kitchen

I've never seen upper cabinets and drawers flanking a sink that open like this. They look great but you would constantly be moving things in order to use them. To use the drawer to the left, you would have to move the basket. I love the look anyway, so I'll take it! via I wonder how you open those windows?

After the Rain

I was surprised by the blue sky with white clouds after the rain ended around lunch time. I got a lot of weeding done. I'm going out again to load up some chips before dark. 

Leaves as Art

Beautiful. I love Nasturtiums. via

My own iPhone photo of Japanese Maple leaves. They are arranged in place by Mother Nature on a tree my mom planted on her birthday several years ago from a seedling she found growing wild. The tree has gotten quite large and I think of her every time I look in the back yard.

Faith in Humanity Restored

As most of us know since the large meteor crashed there, almost all Russians have video cameras mounted on their dashboards. This is a wonderful compilation of the many kind acts by everyday good Samaritans that were captured by these cameras. It's very heartwarming and the background music is beautiful. Please watch. If you can't see it on my blog, go to YouTube here. Good news is hard to find and this will bring tears to your eyes, guaranteed.

Rain All Day Today

It's raining hard and the fog has partially lifted. Good indoor day. Stay cozy. via

Photos Around The Cottage Today

Ladies Mantle with Raindrops

Webster enjoying the wood chips

Old sewer tile pipe used as a downspout extender

Wisteria

Lilies of the Valley

Finial

Wood Chips as Mulch

I am more than half way finished with spreading the wood chips in the beds at the front and side of the entrance to my cottage. I have weeded this area so much that the soil level has gone down at least 4 or 5 inches. I got a free load of wood chips after hurricane Irene and they are perfect for spreading because they have aged to a nice brown color. My goal is to have neat beds with boxwood and whatever hardy perennials come back on their own. So far, so good. I see some Ladies Mantle. I hope the rest of it comes up even though it's buried below the chips. It's survival of the fittest around here. My plants are in the Army now.

One Fox + One Fox = Three Foxes

I took this photo a few minutes ago from the balcony off my living room with the telephoto lens aimed at three foxes enjoying family life in the lower forty.

This is the first time I've seen three together so one must be a young kit though they all look about the same size. This is a cropped version of the first photo showing the parents having a tender moment. We got some rain last night and this morning but not nearly enough. I'm glad I walked by at just the right time to see a little of what goes on when I'm not looking.

Woodborough Nottinghamshire England

Unbelievably beautiful, isn't it? I love the bright yellow fields in England. We have similar fields of mustard here in the US. via

Dry as A Bone

This is a patch of bare earth in the way back showing the dry-as-a-bone eonditions. We are supposed to get rain tonight and tomorrow and we certainly need it. The grass isn't growing nearly as fast as it usually does in the spring and for that I'm grateful but my fingers are crossed for the predicted showers.

The Big Squeeze

Hilarious! That last tug did it. I do the same thing when I try to zip up my jeans when they come out of the dryer. via

Carl Rüdell Watercolor

Carl Rüdell
(Trier 1855 - 1939 Cologne)

Doesn't this delightful circa 1910 watercolor on paper make you wish you could paint? Pre-auction estimate € 100. Sold for € 625. There was another of his watercolors in the lot shown below. via

Cutest Video about a Helper-Foodie Dog

Omelette from Madeline Sharafian on Vimeo. Click HERE for the enlarged version. Maybe all dogs help us in ways we'll never know when we aren't looking. They certainly are nice to come home to, aren't they?

Strawberry Cake that looks like a Pie.

~Simple Strawberry Buttermilk Cake~

This recipe looks very easy. If it tastes half as good as it looks in the picture, it's a keeper. I have everything on hand except buttermilk and strawberries and they have been added to my grocery list. Yum. Can't wait!

Does your Cat have a Bunny Buddy?

Apparently, this is a trend. Tabitha hasn't heard about it yet and I'm not going to tell her. Click HERE to see more cat/bunny best friends. They show genuine love for one another, so get ready for your face to break out in a big smile.

Windows of Amsterdam

In case you need a reason to visit Amsterdam that doesn't involve tulip fields. I've never been, have you? via

Sunset with Shells

I had a productive day in the office and outside spreading wood chips. The bed is going to feel mighty good in a few minutes. I'm all set for a great evening watching Call The Midwife,  the last episode of Bletchley Circle, Mad Men, and I can't remember what else. My DVR is whirring away recording so many great programs to keep me entertained. I watched a wonderful movie last night on ShowTime -- Salmon Fishing in the Yemen. I saved it so I can watch it again...something I rarely do. It was THAT good. Now off to bed. image source

Video: The Beauty of Pollination

This is the most beautiful video you will ever see illustrating how insects, birds, and bats pollinate our flowers. Over 24 million viewers can't be wrong. Make sure you are one of them.

Here's the link to watch full screen.