Good Tuesday Morning

Here is a photo that should definitely cheer you up this morning. Thanks, Michelle, one of my Instagram followers. islandgirl701

Here is the reality of the moment from karen_in_va. She found this photo of a theater in Illinois on Pinterest and posted to her Instagram. Love it.

My skunk cabbage is not deterred in the least by the frozen earth in my woods. It's actually a mini greenhouse and when this pod opens a little more, it will attract a small flying insect that will live inside the warm shelter to assist in the pollination of this bizarre wetland plant. Keep the faith for spring is indeed on its way. I took this photo yesterday. xo

Peeking Inside My Cottage

I took this at night when I was outside. This is the only way you can see the whole room, front to back. Good night, everyone. I had a busy day. xo

No Snow - So Happy

This Snowy Owl is happy and so am I. For some reason my area dodged the snow bullet and I am thrilled.

Both of these photos were captured at The Jersey Shore by @magyarolas on Instagram. Aren't they beautiful? I hope I will see a Snowy Owl in the wild some day!

Two Stunning DIY Ideas

Don't you love this herringbone floor? Guess what? It's ceramic tile. via

I have no idea how these appliances were decorated. Paint? Stickers? What? Love them. Both photos are DIY ideas from.....drumroll.......HOME DEPOT. via

A Close Call.

This old house nearby lost its front porch during Hurricane Sandy but I think it was lucky.

It could have been much worse. The poor houe is deteriorating fast and I fear it will probably be torn down. 

We are having a very gray morning here at my cottage as we await the coming snow. The snow map the weather people are showing puts us right on the line for light snow and heavy snow. I hope it's the former. I'll be watching the Oscars tonight, will you? I haven't seen one single movie on the list but I enjoy the awards, and the Red Carpet beforehand.

A Sheep and A Selfie

Not far from me is a house with a barn in the front yard and a few sheep. This one posed nicely for me.

I was happy when leaving a small strip mall because I finally found a black bumper for my iPhone for $6.99 at Radio Shack. Yay. So I took a selfie, posing in my outside mirror.

I can't believe it's March, can you? It came in like a lamb and it was an absolutely beautiful day. We'll see if it goes out like a lion at the end of the month. Have a great rest of the weekend. xo

Tabitha in Watercolor + Frozen Stream

Your wish is my command. Here is Tabitha's requested watercolor portrait painted with the Waterlogue App on my iPhone.

Webster and I went for a walk in the woods at sunset last night. It is so cold that all of our deep snow can finally be walked upon without caving in. It felt good to be able to stretch my legs outside and look for something to photograph. It looks lovely outside this morning as we wait for our next winter storm. All of my gutters have melted except for a small portion of the one over my front door. I predict that Mother Nature will wait until it has melted completely before she starts up again. Enjoy your Saturday! xo

Miss Tabitha says Hello

I take way too many pictures of Webster and too few of Tabitha. What's that on the rug? Be right back. Found a penny! 

Her's another pic of the sweet girl. She is very hard to photograph. I think she's camera shy because I never can capture her true beauty. I'll keep trying!

Good Laughs at Downton Abbey

Here's a little peek at what goes on before the camera is turned on at Downton. They seem to be enjoying a good behind the scenes laugh and that makes me giggle too. But I'm sad I'll have to wait so long before I see them again. via

How Cold is It?

Well, it's not as cold as it is in this Greenland photo. Right now it's 7° here at my cottage but it feels like -2° even though there's no wind and bright sun. It's cozy inside and both animals are sleeping in the sun after their early morning outing and breakfast. Webster loves it when I feed him before I have my first sip of coffee. See you later. xo

Dictionary Page and Old Books

Sorry I'm so late posting today. I had an early meeting that lasted way too long. This is an old photo saved to my computer with no source. I've always loved this dictionary page printed with an image of a stack of old books.

After and Before from Country Living

I thought I'd shake things up and show you the after project first. From Country Living Magazine.

This is what the house looked like three years before the above photo was taken. That's how long the restoration took. I can't find a link to show you what it looked like inside. These photos were on Instagram today. You can't beat good bones, can you. Like the before, love the after.

The snow I had this morning quit by noon and didn't amount to much, thank goodness!

Life's Little Instruction Book | Volume II | Page 69

A few more suggestions, observations, and reminders on how to live a happy and rewarding life.

745. This is a good one and not that easy to do for some people.

Oh No, SNOW

It just started and it's coming down hard. Big flakes too. They say it will quit in a few hours and I hope they are right. Will keep you posted. This is a view looking North into the woods outside the guest room Tabitha's window. xo

Red Barn Complex with Windmill

I took this photo yesterday with my iPhone without my feet touching the ground. Yes, I was in my car! This delightful farm is near my cottage and I never tire of driving past. I had been taking a few pictures at The Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge and had to drive by this pastoral setting coming and going. It was on the driver side on my way home. It has everything, doesn't it? A partially frozen pond with an aerating fountain in the center that is actively working in spite of the cold weather. Look closely and you will see the spray. I especially love the windmill and the long barn complex is fabulous. Swoon. I put this on Instagram too but the top and bottom were cropped because of the square format used there. 

We had a gray day up until just recently. I was sure it was going to snow but it never did. It's still being forecast for tomorrow morning but just a dusting. I've got my TV evening all set up. It's PBS all night -- Pie in The Sky, Father Brown, Scott and Bailey. I'm looking forward to all three English programs. Can't wait! xo

Great Swamp Stream Yesterday

I took this photo yesterday in the Great Swamp Wildlife Refuge not far from my house. It was one of the best winter days ever! Today is gray and overcast as we await more snow. Say it isn't so. I don't think it will be a significant snowfall, fingers crossed. I don't think I have much more shoveling in me. See you later. xo

Old Narragansett Church

This is one of the oldest churches in America, located in Wickford, Rhode Island. The church congregation was founded in 1706 as St. Paul's Church and was established by the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts. The church building was constructed in 1707. The church contains box pews, a balcony, and an organ built in 1680 by Bernard Smith, which is among the oldest organs still used in services in the United States. The portraitist, Gilbert Stuart, was baptized in Old Narragansett Church in 1756. Howie Guja photo

Winslow Homer - Happy Birthday

Flower Garden and Bungalow, Bermuda 1899

Winslow Homer (American 1836-1910). He was considered to be one of the greatest painters of the 19th century. Photo Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art

Great Sky at My Cottage Recently

The cloud machine was working last week. I got this shot just before the sun went down. How did you like Downton Abbey last night? What a great ending. I won't spoil it for those of you who didn't or haven't watched yet. They really featured every character, didn't they? xo

Snow People Are Gone

I still have a lot of snow on my roof and my front gutters are frozen but they are a lot better than a few days ago. My back gutters have melted because they get the morning sun. Each time I look at the weather, something has changed. Now I see we will have rain changing to snow tonight. I simply can't worry about it any more! Whatever will be, will be. The snow people were disgusted too so they left. 

Are you looking forward to Downton Abbey tonight? It really is the season finale and I can't imagine how they are going to wrap things up. It will be exciting, for sure.

Here's an enhanced version of my happy cottage using Snapseed. I posted this photo for you several days ago. The icicles have all melted and so has the snow around the outside light fixture that is forming the nose and mouth of the cottage happy face.