Proper attire and Happy Canada Day.

Thank you for all your fun comments on the previous post. Audrey is a pistol, that's for sure, but, although she would not want you to know this, she caves when I pick her up for a cuddle; even purrs. It's absolutely adorable. haha! Yes, the Audacious Audrey has a soft side. :) It's just that evil camera that sends her into a tail-spin. 

Gets her every-time.

This is my mom helping out at the farm many years ago. I imagine she was a teenager in this photo and was a bit fashion-conscious by the look of her dainty shoes.

Now I know for a fact that this woman was terrified of snakes as that was unfortunately passed on down to me.

How on earth did she walk around the field in those shoes?

It is beyond me.

This is what I wear when I walk to the back of the property.

Stylin'...I know. 

But I just know I'm going to meet up with one of those slithery buggers.

We had a very unexpected visitor on Sunday morning.

The retired-guy was down in the garage when he heard a loud noise coming from the drive-way. I heard it also from upstairs but thought something had fallen in the garage. He looked up to see a large moose on our property only feet from the mouse-house.

They took one look at each other and Bullwinkle ran through to the back of the property and the retired-guy ran to the garage to grab his camera-phone but it was too late. He was gone.

So, that was a first.  

Today I added some herbs along the fence at the front of the mouse-house.

Basil

Oregano

& Sage

along with my Garlic Chives.

Hope they do well and can flavor up a few stir-fries this summer.

"Happy Canada Day" tomorrow to all my Canadian followers.

As the saying goes...If you are lucky to live in this wonderful country...you are lucky enough.

"Happy 148th Birthday, Canada"

hugs, Deb

Smile, Audrey.

I deserve a muffin.

The grass is cut. No small feat.
Watered the perennials.
Relocated small rocks.
Filled the bird bath.
Weeded out the garden.
Smelled some flowers. :)

And last but not least...
Fed the chippies.

Now it's lunch-time and I'm ready for a cup of tea.
What goes great with tea? A muffin, of course. So...I'll have one. :)

The Tiger Lilies have bloomed.  =^..^=
They are located right at the front of the property and in the ditch over the fence. If they are in the ditch in front of my gate that makes them mine, right? :-)
Could they possibly be the same Lilies that grew there when my grandmother lived on this land? I remember picking them as a child and bringing them into her summer kitchen to place on the old kitchen table.I suppose they are the same plants and I love them more because of it.

I am forced to wear a hat with the heat of the sun. You could very quickly get heat-stroke just cutting your lawn these days. Although I hate wearing one I hate heat-stroke even more. The part of the property that will not be affected by the next building phase is quite big so it takes awhile to cut it with a regular mower which I like to use.

 

 

 The really long grass in the photos will have to be cut with a bush-hog as my mower just won't cut it. Then I'll start keeping it cut short from then on.

The retired-guy always cuts this grass with the tractor but he's too busy prettying-up the outside of the mouse-house so I volunteered.

 

I help where I can.

 We are almost done and no one has died. :)))

Back to the mowing...There are a few bunches of daisies along the side of the grass but I just go around them.   

Who could mow down a daisy?

My Morning Glories, Daffodils, Basil, Yellow Beans and Tomatoes are doing great. I have 3 wee tomatoes on one plant.

All the perennials from my friend, Susan are lookin' good.

http://proseccoandpolkadots.blogspot.ca/

 Ain't she sweet!

And speaking of sweet...

This was my company today.

How do you not smile when you talk to a chipmunk. :)

hugs, Deb

Tea-time

How can the month of June be soon coming to an end?
It's almost ridiculous how fast the warmer months go.

The tea-cup and saucer above are packed away presently but I look forward to using them again. They were a birthday gift a few years' back.

after news that our daughter had arrived safely at her destination (Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam) it was time to enjoy a relaxing cup of tea.
The tea-cup today has no marking and was found in a thrift shop and the saucer is called Silverdale made in Hanley, England.

And one of my favorite herbal teas is

This is berry season so why not have a berry tea, too.
And what would go well with this tea?

A home-made berry blend muffin.  

Well, it looks like someone wants me off the computer.

 

It's time to get outside and enjoy this gorgeous, sunny morning.

                                                 Poppy

 

Seven of these beauties popped up in our field last week where the retired-guy sprinkled some wild-flower seeds.

We'll be saving the seeds and adding these to our garden next year. :)

Hope your day is a sunny one.

hugs, Deb 

What the morning brings...

 

7 A.M. at the mouse-house

 

 

  

The Lemon Symphony are just opening up for the day.

 Would you look at this guy. No one has taught him to share.

It's a morning of getting out to the flowers & giving the grass a trim.

I think I do need that second cup, though.

My youngest daughter is on her way to Vietnam to spend time with a friend who is there teaching.

I've had very little sleep and will be nervous until she has her feet planted safely on the ground.

You know the old saying; once a mother...

I HOPE YOUR DAY IS A SUNNY ONE.

Hugs, Deb

After the rain...

the chippies came out for a snack and a look-see.

I have a new favorite flower.

      The Lemon Symphony
                             with it's purple center.

It is so beautiful I walk by it just to have another look. It is the African Daisy plant and it is a perennial. I will be looking for more of these gorgeous, sun-lovin' beauties.








hugs, Deb

A murder at the mouse-house.

There was a murder at the mouse-house last night.

Bear Duck should look like this.

But now he is dead.

Audrey, the murderer, was pleased as punch for the moment but will be crushed if he is 'no more.' What fun will he be like this?

The worst of it is my needles and thread are packed away somewhere.

And without his head, he just doesn't do it for her.

Which means everything else in the mouse-house will be at her mercy.

I can't even think about it.

 "He axed for it."

=^..^=

(devil)

The others are devastated, too.

Bear Duck was everyone's favorite.

 It's a sad day, for sure.

But outside...

It is a gorgeous day today. Perfect, really.

Everything looks so lush and green.

The chipmunk family came by for breakfast.

I'm sure they find plenty to eat but they enjoyed a few seeds, grapes, apple & some stale multi-grain bread for a treat.

 

The birds are singing and returning from their nests. It's good to see them again.

hugs, Deb

Mom & babe

 

 Baby Audrey and her mom, Annie.

I came across this photo today and wanted to share it with you.

This was taken almost 4 years ago.

This photo shows you just why I decided, when it was time to adopt out the kittens that we fostered for our local animal shelter, to keep Audrey and Annie together. Once the kittens had reached the age that they could leave their mom we had made the decision to keep Annie as she had been through enough in her 1 1/2 years.

I struggled with adopting out Audrey as I had witnessed daily the attachment she had with her mother. I, too, had fallen in love. The other two kittens, Bree & Nigel, did not have this need by the time they reached 2 1/2 months.

 

Nigel, Bree & Audrey (bottom)

So, after Nigel (now Kitt) and Bree (now Ruby)) went to their new homes and even though we had four cats already in our home, we filled out adoption papers for these two monkeys.

One decision I will never regret.

They are both an absolute delight to share our lives with.

Hope you all had a Happy Father's Day.

Let the summer begin.

hugs, Deb

Morning discoveries.

It was a beautiful, sunny day and the light was captivating bright and early this morning. A morning like this draws you out to walk around and check on what's growing and what needs some extra care.
I spent most of the day weeding, cutting grass and taking care of our old dog. He needs exercise to keep his legs and hips working so I walk him around the property a few times a day. At almost 15 years of age he does sleep a lot of the day but he also needs to be taken out for many pee breaks. He loves to eat and is now fed three small meals a day. I think at his age it is easier on his digestive system.
When he is awake he wants to be with me or the retired-guy.  I think his deafness has caused him to be more anxious about being alone. So, with all his needs he does take time from my day but I don't mind at all.

The Sundrops were in full bloom today. So pretty. The tomato and bean plants are healthy and my basil looks good. I placed another little birdhouse and some seed on an old trunk that was found inside the chicken coop when we were excavating. I don't know for sure but I expect it may have been my grandmothers. How wonderful if it was. And for that reason I'll always treasure it.

Later in the day, I looked over to see a very interested little chipmunk checking on the house and dining on the mixed seeds. Then...there were three. So, my suspicion that there was a family of chippies in our pile of wood logs was right. :)

                        "Welcome little chipmunks."

 It's going to be fun having them around.

hugs, Deb

What made you smile today?

                                               Daisies

                                                     "Is that a bug?"

                            Annie lovin' her new mouse.

  

Fresh strawberries are everywhere. 

I love to see them out at the road-side stands.

And on this hot, humid day, lunch out with my grandittle. 

She was a hit with the tea-ladies and got her first ice cream cone to try.

Ate it all and never looked up once. haha!

And finally tonight, Audrey in the window listening to the bull-frogs and the crickets. It's something she does before bed-time. It relaxes her *grin* and I have my tea in peace.

hugs, Deb