Beautifully Located Swimming Pool

Leaving the lovely old tree instead of cutting it down just makes this pool all the more lovely. A bit of shade instead of hot broiling sun all around is always a good idea. via

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Catalpa Tree Blossoms at My Cottage

I took a walk all the way to the rear of my property after dinner and the light was perfect for flower photography.

Some of the limbs on this Catalpa tree are so low I have to duck when I am mowing on my riding mower. After the blossoms quit, I will cut the lowest branches back for safety. The tree is huge and so are the leaves.

The flowers look like little orchids. Catalpas are very old fashioned trees. In the fall they have giant long seed pods. Every year, I marvel at them when they bloom. Have a great Sunday evening. xo

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TV Recommendation: HAMISH MACBETH on Acorn TV

HAMISH MACBETH: I absolutely LOVE this series filmed in Scotland. It's about an unambitious policeman who is more interested in keeping the peace than following the law. He likes where he lives and doesn't want to be in the limelight too much and get transferred. Each episode has a new "crime" and Hamish solves it always accompanied by his little West Highland Terrier named Jock. The small town is filled with quirky characters such as one named TV Bob. His family was the first to get TV when he was a boy and the nickname stuck. I am watching on Acorn TV but it's also available to stream on Amazon Prime Video and Tubi TV. There are three seasons. It's old but timeless, circa 1995-97. Let me know if you've seen it or like it after you start watching and are hooked. xo

 

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Lacecap Hydrangea at My Cottage

The first blooms on my lacecap hydrangea are just appearing and the bush is lovelier than ever this year. It's in the perfect location and last year I was careful to cut back all the stems with blooms after they finished because this variety blooms on last year's growth. It looked a little haggard after I pruned it but the new growth filled in rather quickly. I love the almost perfectly round shape of this woody shrub as you will see in the next photo.

I took this photo this morning before I started mowing the way back. As you can see from the sky, it was overcast all day and cool, never above 70°. I finished mowing around 1:30 and 5 minutes later it started to sprinkle rain. I have mastered my John Deere Garden Tractor and I absolutely love it. I'm not afraid of it anymore and it does such a great job. It took an extra day this week to get it all done. The first day it was blazing hot and I ran out of gas before I finished all of the back yard. So yesterday I finished that and quit so the grass in the back meadow could dry out more. Today was such a perfect day and now I'm finished for a while. Have a great weekend. xo

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My Peonies

While scrolling Instagram this week I learned the true botanical name of my white peonies. Introducing Jan van Leeuwen. I picked what's left and have little bouquets all over the house. The hard rains earlier this week were not kind to peonies in full bloom😔

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1903 Illustration: The Wonderful Baby

THE WONDERFUL BABY

A 1903 illustration from the Crimson Fairy Book by Andrew Lang. Illustrated by H. J. Ford. You could lose yourself looking at all the wonder in this vintage children's fairy tale book illustration, couldn't you? Click to enlarge image.

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Beautiful Lavender Colored Bird

Wouldn't you think a bird named Plumbeous Water Redstart would be red? Instead he's a lovely shade of lavender.

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Dogs in Windows and One Cat

I adore all of these dogs in windows and one cat in the center frame. People watching must keep them entertained all day long. via

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