What made you smile today?

Catching the morning light.

 

A bit of colour...here and there.

An old photograph I came across today.

It brought on a smile, but oh, how I miss these two darling cats.

Ed & Lily

( a much needed nap on a rainy day)

And a visit with our youngest grandittle.

Hope you had lots to smile about.

hugs, Deb

My long-time friend

A cold-front had moved in and the sticky hot weather took a back-seat to a glorious, sunny and cool morning.

The mouse-house got a going over and the cats were lined up, one, two and three. "No excess hair-shedding and no gifts of hair-balls from you three this morning, please. I have company coming and you are all to be on your best behaviour."


                                          "Is she nuts?"

It was so fun to have my friend of 42 years visit us, share a meal and enjoy a long chat over a cup of tea or two.

Mina and I went to school together, shared our first apt. and have remained friends throughout life's ups and downs.

We had a great time and we weren't the only ones who enjoyed their company.
Annie fell so hard for Joey that she was looking for him after he left. She is such a flirt, that Peach is.

                                                         Never.left.his.side.
                                                                   =^..^=

hugs, Deb

Around and about the mouse-house.

L'il Red came by this morning and I realized how big he looks compared to the chipmunks that live around the old pump.

I was walking past the tree where he loves to snack and he called out to me, gave me a look as if to say "where's my treat?" and sat in the box waiting anxiously.

He enjoyed a few seeds and a crust of 7 grain toast with peanut butter and then went on his way. 

Spoiled critter.

                                                      He'll be back at dinner. lol

We have been cleaning up the property more and more as we are here. When the old coop came down we saved the logs to build another building in the future. The demolition team placed the logs on the ground in full view of the mouse-house. We soon felt they had to be moved to the back of the lot so they were not such an eye-sore from the house. Today was the day to get the tractor fueled up, along with the car and the trailer, and do the job.

The retired-guy had a good work-out.

I did help where I could. Lifting logs is giving me muscles. haha!
Sometimes it seems like we are just moving things from here to there but there really is a plan. I do hope to someday have a potting shed built from these old logs that housed my gran's chickens for 50 odd years.

Here's two of the three resident chipmunks. They now live between two rocks at the well and this one loves to sun itself on my pots. haha! Too cute to shoo away. :)

And this one is perhaps guarding it's home from the intruder. That would be me.

,.

I've named them Nutmeg and Basil but I can't tell them apart.

We are expecting some relief from this high heat and humidity of the last few days. The mouse-house has air-conditioning so we work a little and then take a break inside. Of course, with this high humidity comes mosquitoes which only adds to the discomfort. But, each day, our little property looks better and better.

                                                   "Nutmeg & Basil?"

                             "Yes, very good choice for their flavor..errrr.....personality."

Stay cool.
hugs, Deb

Off to the market

I know when I get this look

it is time for me to stop talking.

Sierra loves to hang out on the top perch of the cat-tree in the garage. She becomes my sounding-board if I happen to be down there. I guess she takes to the garage to get a little peace and quiet. I can take a hint."Sorry, Cee Cee."

We were up early to get to the local market before the heat hit. Still, by 9am, it was already +26C.
The Manotick Market is small and situated right across from the Watson's Mill.

The town of Manotick is becoming quite the little tourist area in the summer. It is such a quaint and pretty town with many historic buildings and mature trees along the banks of the Rideau River.

The market is a busy place on Saturdays; the people are friendly and they are very proud of their wares.

What a delight to finally be able to purchase fresh-grown local veggies and fruit. There was home-baked bread, still warm from the oven, along with scones, muffins and fruit pies. Wonderful local honey from not only a family of bee-keepers but they are also known as the Ottawa Honey-bee Rescuers.
http://www.geesbees.ca/

We came home with this.

I can't even put into words how good this bread is. It is oat bread made with Watson's Mill's flour.
Yes, that is chocolate nut fudge. The first thing the retired-guy went for. :-[

When we returned home, there was Sierra still atop the beloved cat-tree along with some company

who didn't seem to have even noticed we left.

=^..^= =^..^= =^..^=

hugs, Deb

Nap-time

 Audrey napping

                  







  
Yes, even in sleep she is a drama-queen.

Enjoy your weekend, everyone.
hugs, Deb

                                                                      

What made you smile today?

We had a very special visitor at the mouse-house today.

She kept busy moving dirt from here to there.

This is our youngest grandittle, Gwynn. She played at nan and gramps house for hours and then had a long nap on her drive home. She forgot her hat but she'll be back soon to get it. :)

My tomatoes. Twenty-six so far. I can see lots of good tomato sandwiches in the near future. And sauces, too.

Potting daisies for a future garden.

You know the ones I can't mow down.

I think I have a new 'love'.
Yellow-ware on Pinterest.
I could spend much too long looking at this stuff.

And having sweet company while I visit YOU.

                                              Sierra

hugs, Deb

Wild Morning Glory Vine

I found something beautiful in the grass this morning.

This is the Wild Morning-Glory Vine.

They are so beautiful and they are popping up all over the field at the back of our property.

Before today I didn't even know there was such a flower.

The vines crawl along the grass and these gorgeous white blooms stop you in your 

tracks.

Now I've just read up on them and apparently the devil sent them here. haha!

Many gardeners HATE this vine as it can quickly take over the garden area but I'm not going to get all up in the air about it. 

I'm going to enjoy their beauty as they are far enough away from the house and gardens for now.

If they start surrounding the mouse-house you'll hear about it.

You can read about them here.

http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/vines/morning-glory/control-morning-glory-weeds.htm

I only needed a hand-ful to beautify the tiny mouse-house kitchen.

There was still some room on the windowsill for Audrey to enjoy her mid-day snack.

Don't you love surprises like that.

"Don't turn your back on them, lady."

FOXY

I wish you could hear Kane snoring. I just brought him back from a walk about town and he's pooped.

He still LOVES his walks at age 14.

Funny 'ol guy. :)

  

hugs, Deb