March 31, 2011




Taken tonight after work... Doesn't this just SCREAM Happy Spring? :))))))

 

Back on the inside; we seem to have a rabbit infestation in our bath tub.....

You never know what you'll find when you live in a zoo.  :)))))

Home Sweet Home, and lovin' the snow!

Early spring days...

Spring comes in fits and starts to New England... more so the further north  you go I'm sure... The pussy willows are out, some crocuses are blooming and the noses of my day lillies are poking up. On Wednesday evening I was taking a picture of my snowdrops in the back yard, Thursday morning it was snowing softly, making it look like a winter post card... it all melted before the end of the day and was replaced with a chilly wind, and peeks of sun.  I suppose this is why they say if you don't like the weather in New England, just wait a minute.  This is also why I'd never want to live anyplace else.  I like the changes of season, and having something to look forward to... weather it's apple season, spring sprouts, or snow... there's never a dull moment.  I thrive on having something to look forward to.
We had quite a little scare yesterday afternoon... I'd opened the door to the duck's pen (he's got wobbly legs and doesn't walk good ~ a "real" farmer would have eaten him long ago I'm sure, we however just coddle him and keep him safe in a cage.... except when I leave the door open so he can have a walk about the yard...) My mistake.  Scott looked out and started stammering, "what's that?" and the biggest hawk I've even seen was standing a foot from the duck looking in his pen! I went out the door in a flurry, talk about your "sitting duck".... when i got down there he flew into a tree across the street... he'd gotten our duck in the nose! (He's a muscovy, so he has a big red fleshy face/nose about his beak) Other than a hole in  his nose he seems to be o.k.... We then went looking for Fran the little black chicken who'd been out loose with us while we were raking the yard.... we found her hiding under the rabbit cage... Scott saw the hawk sitting in the oak tree behind my car this morning.... *gulp.  He was big... real big.  I think Kippy would be a snack for him.  I will continue with more cheerful things ~ although the story had a happy ending anyway, that IS cheerful I guess.   I can't decide if i want to show you some art or some animals and flowers.... maybe a little of both then?

The Snowdrops.

The witch hazel is blooming too!

The present window sill scape in the early morning light, it's snowing out there.

The oysters being put to work... the lucky bunny found a pearl it seems!

What a nice little house you have!

The beginning of some new drawings...  he's got a firefly in the jar!
 Don't worry, he'll let him go again.

This little mouse found a raspberry.

This is what i saw in my mind after enjoying the comments on Drawing a Line in Time's blog about reading....and the effects it has on one's house keeping. 

I'm making lots of little magnets with bits and pieces of my extra cards!

A sample.

This will eventually become a book mark me thinks!!

The corner in my "studio"..... :)

One of the many book shelves upstairs...

Just in case you ever think YOU are having a bad hair day...



Little crocuses smiling in the sun... with a stray duck feather amongst them.

Well now... this ended up being a bit of a jumble of all sorts of things.... but I guess it's sort of like glimpse into my mind; that's usually a bit of a jumble too... and I forgot to take pictures of a few of the things i wanted to share with you... but i guess that will just guarantee you another post! :)))

Tempest Knob

We went on a beach walk with the dogs today.... I wanted to find some oyster shells for a little project i have in mind, and Scott wanted the dogs to swim to help with their hot spots that blossom as soon as the first bit of warm weather arrives ~ so it was a win for everyone! Well, with the exception of Kippy who couldn't run, or play or get wet as he just had "surgery" the other day... It was a bit blustery, but with sun shining, not to bad at all! I like the beach better this time of year; there's noone on it! :)))
I chose Tempest Knob for it's proximity to a lot of oyster beds that run along that side of the water near the center of town. It's not a long beach, and it's lined with houses; but it's pretty in it's own little way.


Looking across to the center of town.



We started our walk at the pier at the end.



From a piece of seeweeds perspective....



Kippy toes on the left, Ava toes on the right.





Mussels growing in the beach grass.



I paused for a moments reflection.



We walked down to where the beach goes out of sight.



I love the purple bits of quahog shells...
 The Native Americans called it wampum and used pieces of it for currency, "back in the day" ....

awwwww, baby quahog!

a piece of a conk shell, i like the spirally part!



a mussel, also enjoyed for the purpley parts! (oysters in the background)

There you have it, a nice little March walk on the beach!  I'm glad you could join me! 

England 1998

I was delighted to read the recent post by Robin and the Sage about her upcoming trip to England! It brought back such fond memories, and inspired me to get out my photo album and travel journal and take a little stroll down memory lane... which I will share with you!
Oh how I loved being in England. *sigh*  It was the much dreamed of trip; I suppose I didn't think I'd really ever get there.  Growing up in the "trailerhood", some dreams seem as unlikely as a trip to the moon.  As you will see in the "clip" from my journal, I can go on with my life in peace now ~ as I have walked on the same floor as Beatrix Potter.  She's my hero; or one of them anyway.  I have some really big plans if they ever manage to work out how to "time travel" ~ places to go and people to see; I'll be first into the DeLorean if they are offering rides! (you all saw the movie Back to the Future right?) Of course you did.....

So this is when the journey took place...

My very first English Room with a view; the Star Inn, in Woodstock.

The view.   I could have gazed out that window all day....

I had no idea how big hedgehogs were? This was at the World of Beatrix Potter place, custom made for tourist like me who long to get in touch with our childhood dreams... supersized! :)))

Ahhh, here it is.  Me leaning in the same doorway at Hill Top as Beatrix; does it get any better than this?

The view across the street from Hill Top.... Mmmmmm, England. :)

AHGHGHG!!! A giant in the village; run for your lives!!  O.K., so it was a "model village" in Bourton in theWater...  or Bourton on something....  such complicated names... either way I just LOVED this little mini village!
 I'll spare you the other 2 dozen photos i took of it!

This is from my travel journal... a sketch of the fire place in the converted stable we stayed in...

As you can probably tell, i really enjoyed getting to see Hill Top...

I don't know if you can read it properly, but we were fascinated by the sheep dunking process that was going on.
 I'm sure sheep farmers the world over will laugh at this, but we'd never seen anything quite like it.
 I DON'T think the sheep were laughing though....

This is me and the bunny holes. Again, probably only fascinating to me (surely that's how Scott felt at least) to the rest of England; most likely  a menace to livestocks' ankles and humans' alike...
 (those are stickers of rabbits, they did not actually want to pose for a picture with the silly American girl. :)

This is of course only a small glimpse into my photo album... but my, my how much i enjoyed the visit. 

I don't know if we'll ever go back.... or go any place outside the country again for that matter.  Travel is even scarier to me these days; not to mention how hard it would be to leave behind our furry family.
If we do travel again, it would awfully hard to choose where to go... i have made so many wonderful friends I'd love to meet in person (thru the magic of penpals).... it would surely need to be a world tour!
Only time will tell I guess...