Here Comes Summer

 

Can't you hear a Beach Boys' song playing in the background? Here comes summer. They say it doesn't officially start until the middle of June but here in Bradford we celebrate it as soon as it warms up and the leaves come out. Being a teacher summer always meant a more relaxing time. It has always been a time for fun and joy.

Here in western Pennsylvania we are a long way from a beach. We did spend a week in Wildwood NJ one summer a long time ago but we wouldn't ever consider us beach people. We do have a large lake within twenty minutes of us and we have always had a boat.

Summer is also a time for getting away from here. Our vacations mostly involve visiting family down South but occasionally we take trips. I get itchy to go and have an adventure in the summertime.

And nothing is better than summer right here in my own backyard. A little fire in the fire pit and roasting marshmallows is always a good time.

Do you have plans for this summer?

 

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She just can't fight her Jack Russell instinct

 

Sadie spends a lot of her day just sitting and looking out the window and trying to find squirrels. If she sees one she will run up the backyard trying to get it before it gets up a tree. Then she will sit under the tree staring up for hours.

Lacking a squirrel catch her next victim is a chipmunk.

 

And lucky for her there is one living under our shed who shows his face and striped back once in a while when he thinks no one is watching. But ever faithful Sadie is on the alert and today chased him under a rock at the top of the pond where she spent most of the day looking down the space between the rocks hoping he'll be foolish enough to come out again.

Now I don't mind her being true to her breeding and knew that she wasn't fast enough to catch those wily critters. But today when I came home I saw that she had something on the ground. I walked up to investigate and saw she had feathers in her mouth....yes, feathers! She had caught one of the doves that frequent the seed dropped from our back feeder. Oh no, Sadie! The dove was still alive but wounded and Sadie was scolded all the way to the house and kept in the rest of the day.

How do you explain to her that doves ...and squirrels...and chipmunks are just there to tease her and not for consumption?

 

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The seestras are coming

One more week and my two younger sisters will be coming to visit for a week. (The reference above is from Orphan Black, hope you are watching). We have a full week planned...a home and kitchen tour, eating at our favorite restaurants, seeing friends, and going back to a medium. I can't wait.

Meanwhile I've been sprucing up the house and doing all those spring cleaning chores. Yesterday I took the green checked chair outside and shampooed the upholstery. Today it was rug shampooing time. Is shampooing a word??

It's always great when those chores get done and then I'll have time to play. Don painted the new threshold that we had put on this winter.

We have had great weather and slipped right into summer. Love it!

Now time to water the flowers. Look how the wood ferns are growing. Enjoy your day.

 

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Some good, some bad

 

Sara graduated from preschool. She's the second from the left. She misses the cutoff for kindergarten next year by two days so they will have her tested to see if she can get in.

The bad...I don't know if you can tell from this picture but our neighbor hasn't mowed his lawn yet. What an eyesore. True, he was away for a few weeks but this isn't the first time. Last year he neglected it many times. It spoils the look of the whole neighborhood.

 

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New project..a wicker chair

 

This old wicker chair needs a little TLC.

Last year we didn't even put it out.

But it's such a comfy chair and provides us with additional seating out her on the breezeway.

So this year it will finally get a new coat of paint..but what color? I know white is traditional and it does have a nice cushion with pink flowers. How about a soft green? Or even pink? Or a blue,just to be different. Time will tell.

 

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I love Moldiv

This little app...Moldiv...is so much fun to play with. It is very easy and makes you look professional. You can make collages or use mock magazine covers to make these.

 

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My million dollar view

 

As I sit here on the porch swing this is my view. I wait all winter to have this moment. It is so peaceful now. The fountains are so soothing it almost puts me to sleep. The rocking of the swing does too. There is not another sound. Sadie is nestled on one of the chairs. Did I mention that she doesn't lay on the ground like other dogs? She thinks she is just a small human. She is so much better now that she is taking the correct medicine. She and I are going for walks now and she is so perky. She even ran up back to chase a squirrel today. It's good to have our baby back to normal.

 

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A chair, a hat and flowers

This morning I got out my "big" camera and decided to take a few staged shots. I liked my results and put them on my iPad and then added effects with the apps. He are the results.

I

 

 

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Still life with hat and chair

Memorial Day

Memorial Day is a time of remembrance and honoring those who fought so bravely for our country. My husband served in the Navy and was quartermaster of his ship….which meant that he was in charge of plotting courses and steering the ship. His ship was involved in the blockade of Russian ships during the Cuban Missile Crisis. He served proudly.

Memorial Day is also a day of celebration with parades down  Main Street.  This year I met my friends at the John Williams Pastry Shop and after coffee we walked to Main Street to watch the parade.

My friends Jeanette and Lynda.
Of course there was the Bradford High Band.


And fire trucks.


But this little girl just stole the show for me….so cute!




Afterwards we picniked at Don’s stepmother’s house.  It was so nice being with family and we spent a nice afternoon playing marbles and cards.

In the early morning

Is there anything better than a spring morning after the rain whenabird is singing a chirping song like a canary. Have you evernoticed the sweet songs they sing when they think no one is listening? And when people get up it changes.

 

 

 

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A Storehouse story

A look around the Courtyard

I hope you are having a wonderful Memorial Day weekend. After our frost the night before last the weather is warming up and I am enjoying sitting out at the outdoor table and typing this post.

Almost all the planting for the season of annuals is finished and I'm ready to just sit back and enjoy the rest of the summer. All the hard work is done. Today I thought I would give you a little tour of the courtyard and you can see it at the beginning stages.

Over in the small planting bed by the addition I have planted alyssem. I love blue flowers for some reason and my color scheme for this area is blue and pink. The iron grate you see in the background was for many years in front of my back door to the kitchen. I loved its French look but sometimes I go barefoot and walking out and stepping on it wasn't always pleasant. Then I noticed that Sadie didn't like to step on it either and I decided to use it in a different way. I think it looks perfect here.

Speaking of Sadie here she is...no she isn't dead, she is just sleeping on the warm mulch. Now that she has medicine into her she is feeling much better. It will take a while but already she acts more normal and I feel we have our old Sadie back. She's not ready to be a rascal yet but has more energy than she's had for months.

This is new...I made a small stone planting area and in the middle will be my whirlygig when Don straightens out the pole. Planted there are zinnias, straw flowers, nasturtiums, dahlias, and statice.

Planted out front by the back door is my potager (little herb garden). My chives, parslety and thyme came back from last year. Now I added rosemary, oregano, and basil. Plus some portalucia and alyssum there too.

 

 

This year I moved the window box to the side kitchen window and planted it with gerbera daisies, tall vanilla marigolds and that orange stuff...what is that anyway?

I love the way it looks beneth the hummingbird feeder. Since this post is getting a little long I will save more for tomorrow. Have a happy holiday everyone.

 

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