The Lake District - Beautiful England

View from Tilberthwaite quarry, Lake District, England by alastairgraham19

I have never been to the Lake District favored by Beatrix Potter. It looks like Mother Nature's wonderland in this photo, doesn't it? 

Beautiful Vegetable Gardens

It's rare to see such bountiful garden beds without a fence. How very wonderful! via

Roosevelt Mansion: The Laundry Room

These vintage images make me love my modern laundry room. Tour the rest of the mansion via "Know Your Roosevelts" @ Big Old Houses.

New Zealand: Many Porches Circa 1884

The Annandale Homestead in New Zealand was constructed in 1884 as a hotel by the Hay brothers. Recently Pattersons Architecture spent two years refurbishing the home from its derelict state to the former glory it once was. via

This photo is of the beautifully restored Annandale. Courtesy of TripAdvisor

Kitchen Cabinet Detail w/ Spice Rack and Chalk Board

I like the corner of this kitchen and would like to see more! This cabinet door probably stays open all the time, right? I think the things on the bottom shelf would bump into the lower spice shelf. How handy this must be to have all those little things and your favorite cookbooks in one place. Love it. via

Another Great Porch

This looks like a great place to gather and enjoy the outdoors without being in direct sun. Porches are nice in the evenings too, aren't they? Thankfully, our bug season is over and you can enjoy being outside once again without getting eaten alive. Have a great weekend. via

Wonderful Round Wood Stacker

This would be great on a covered porch. Shop here.

Spectacular Fall Topiary - Wales

A beautiful scene in the UK. I don't think we have this tree/shrub in the US. Isn't it spectacular? via

Zucchini Crescent Pie - Yum!

Is your garden overflowing with zucchini? Try this recipe and be glad.

This was a Pillsbury Bake Off winner in 1980 and the recipe is still going strong. One baker makes these changes: 

Try 1/2 teaspoon of herbs de Provence instead of the oregano and basil. It simplifies the recipe ever so slightly and adds a little flavor boost.

Substitute Parmesan for the mozzarella for a more savory pie.
Use whatever mustard you keep on hand - Dijon and even whole-ground mustard.
Feel free to make your own pie crust if you have a fail-proof recipe.

Original recipe:
2 tablespoons LAND O LAKES® Butter
4 cups thinly sliced zucchini
1 cup chopped onions
2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
2 LAND O LAKES® Eggs, well beaten
2 cups shredded Muenster or mozzarella cheese (8 oz)
1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury™ refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
2 teaspoons yellow mustard

Heat oven to 375°F. In 12-inch skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add zucchini and onions; cook 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Stir in parsley flakes, salt, pepper, garlic powder, basil and oregano.
In large bowl, mix eggs and cheese. Add cooked vegetable mixture; stir gently to mix.
Separate dough into 8 triangles. Place in ungreased 10-inch glass pie plate, 12x8-inch (2-quart) glass baking dish or 11-inch quiche pan; press over bottom and up sides to form crust. Firmly press perforations to seal. Spread crust with mustard. Pour egg mixture evenly into crust-lined pie plate.
Bake 18 to 22 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. If necessary, cover edge of crust with strips of foil during last 10 minutes of baking to prevent excessive browning. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

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!

Early Blossoms, Limelight Hydrangea

Here's an early Sunday morning photo of the whole bush that was only sticks less than 12 inches tall when I planted it in early May this year. The pot I purchased at a local nursery turned out to be two bushes so I divided them, one for the front and one for the back. The one in the back shown here got less deer damage and that surprises me. The one in the front is close to the road and I have never seen deer in that area. Who knows what happens when you are sleeping, right? 

A friend sent me a photo of hers at her vacation home in Stockbridge, MA. It's at least 10 years old and it's huge.

Her photo makes me reconsider the placement of my shrub. If they like where they are planted they can reach for the sky. Of course, you can control the size by pruning in late fall or early spring.

First Blooms: My Limelight Hydrangea

I'm so excited about this bush I planted in early May. It blooms on new growth in late summer and it's right on schedule in spite of the fact the deer ate a few branches. This is a lesson learned. Next year I will spray with deer repellent. They really did a number on the bush I plant in the front but there are still some blossoms that haven't opened yet. We are having a really dry spell and that's not helping either. It's supposed to rain Monday into Tuesday, fingers crossed. I caught up on all my mowing and trimming the last three days while everything was bone dry. Instead of using the weed whacker today, I used my small gas-powered walk behind mulching mower. It gets really close to obstacles like brick walls and large rocks and I finished with my hand clipper/trimmer. That was easier than struggling with the electric trimmer and long power cords. It went quickly too.  It will all look fabulous after next week's rain. xo

Wild Grape Vine

The wild grape vines are proving to be more powerful than the wild roses or multiflora on my property. Perhaps that's Mother Nature's way of taming the beast. I have always thought the shape of the leaves and the vein patterns were quite lovely. My Photo.

Have a lovely weekend. It's beautiful here at the cottage. I'm going to make an effort to do something meaningful in addition to attacking weeds, but I haven't decided what that task will be yet. xo

Living Room Corner in My Cottage

I haven't posted any photos of inside the cottage lately. Here's a corner in my living room near one of the French doors leading out to the balcony. It has been cool and breezy for the past couple of days and I have done some quality mowing. Tomorrow I shall deal with the weeds in places too tight for the mower. Weed whacking is something I enjoy once I get set up with all of my long electric cords. I put it off as long as I possibly can because it's a pain. Have a great weekend. xo

Breakfast Quiche Muffins - Crustless and Gluten Free

I love having a complete breakfast that I can hold in my hand and I love muffins too. These look delicious and they are gluten free. Must bake a batch. Complete recipe here.

Start out with this base and then add what you want in the way of veggies, cheese, and meat. Mine will be just veggies. I am staying away from cheese and I eat very little meat.

Base:

12 large eggs

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup milk

2 Tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

2 Tablespoon fresh basil, chopped (or other herb)

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

A real Buttercup Meadow

This is pretty fabulous, isn't it? I mowed most of my back property today and will finish tomorrow. It was very dry, more like a hay field and I could have waited another week or so but I was in the mood to mow so I did. via

My Real Estate Listing Today and with Archival Photos MLS # 3181675

The Academy - 9 Village Road New Vernon NJ 07976

Current Real Estate Photo - 2015

MLS # 3181675

2001

Circa 1965

Circa 1940

Oldest Photo.

This house was moved to its current location in 1850.

It's back to its original footprint and this home is desperate for someone to love it again.

Beautiful Landscape Design

Mowed path between the gardens by Cross River Design

The Perfect Lake w/ The Perfect Dock

Yes, please. I'd love sitting here in all seasons. Especially late summer into fall. via