Zinnia, Queen Red Lime from Burpee

Zinnia, Queen Red Lime  Aren't these exotic maroon and plum bicolor zinnias beautiful? I love this color combination. 

I See The Sun

This morning we have blue skies and sun after yesterday's rain. The thunder and lightning in the dark of night with the howling wind and rain pelting on the roof was quite something as I watched a movie in bed. What a difference a day makes - have a great Sunday. The photo is of the Dutch countryside: The long way home ©daniel bosma

Living Room Towards Rear of House

The rain has been pouring most of the day and the wind has been howling. I never lit a fire because of the wind and didn't get a nap either. But I had a nice day puttering around the cottage and playing on the computer. Hope you can say the same. The brown blob on the rug in front of the sofa is Webster. Maybe you can see the raindrops on the French doors leading out to the balcony.

Sir John Soane's Forgotten House | For Sale

©Roy Parkhouse

House for sale Chepstow, Monmouthshire, South Wales UK  | Country Houses £2,000,000 A romantic ruin now in need of complete restoration. The house stands in about 129 acres of historic landscaped parkland.

Sir John Soane's forgotten country house | Piercefield House, Piercefield Park - Chepstow, South Wales, UK, This neo-classical house, which probably dates from Tudor times, or even earlier, has late 17th/early 18th century additions attributed to William Talman. Much of what is seen today is the work of Sir John Soane. Doesn't this look like a fun project [or life's work]? Let me know if you buy it so I can come to visit. I've never been to Wales.

Don't fail to check out Sir John Soane's Museum. Soane designed this house to live in, but also as a setting for his antiquities and his works of art.

Rainy and Cold Today at My Cottage

Today is a good day for one of the last fires of the season. I just returned from walking the Wonder Dog and he went back to bed. It's hard to decide what to do---light a fire or take a nap. 

Book Dominos - Ireland's Library Association

This is really wonderful. Sit back and watch the books fall domino style. Here is the link in case you can't see my embedded video. Watch here. I went to the library at the end of the day yesterday and loaded up on books on tape for my mom who has macular degeneration and is legally blind. My favorite and most valued card in my wallet is my library card. I could live without a credit card but not my library card. Really!!! 

Cutest Otter Baby Ever

Such a happy image. Made me smile. Have a charming weekend.

Woodchester Mansion - Unfinished/Abandoned/Haunted Since 1870s

Woodchester Mansion is an unfinished, Gothic revival mansion house located in Woodchester Park near Nympsfield in Woodchester, Gloucestershire, England. It was formerly known as Spring Park. The Mansion was abandoned by its builders in the middle of construction, leaving behind a building that appears complete from the outside, but with floors, plaster and whole rooms missing inside. It has remained in this state since the mid-1870s. Is it haunted? No one knows for sure but one theory is that it stands on the site of three previous buildings and it is haunted by the ghosts of each of those structures. Read more...