Triple B's

My wee Brown Betty and a Book..in a sea of Typhoo tea sailed off the other day to the end of a beloved tale.
Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day by Winifred Watson is one of the dearest books I have ever read. I love Miss Guinevere Pettigrew. I admire her courage and her sudden strokes of genius. I want to hold her hand and stroke her dear face in affection and with acknowledgement of all the painful years she has endured. I want to laugh with her, but not at her. She and this book are a pair of keepers.
If you have not read Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day, I encourage you to do so. I do not for one second think that you will regret it.

Glory be to a well written and loved book and to the companionship of some good tea. 
Love, Ellen.

Early Morning Light

Oh, Hello wee one up there.

The sky truly was that red the other morning. I channeled my inner sailor and took warning. 

Here's a wish to all that your week is going along well.

(I sincerely hope that I have not caused anyone to fall out of their chair...imagine two posts in just a few days. I have absolutely no idea what has come over me.)

Love, Ellen.

The hurrier I go..

...the behinder I get.

There are days that I become so engrossed in what I am doing, what is happening around me, and what needs to be done, that I truly forget that there is this poor little space that could certainly use some love and attention. It has been an exceptionally busy summer, but others manage with the busyness and still manage to keep their blogs alive and well. I seem to lack that gene. I'll skip listing my excuses and share some photos taken since I last posted.

I harvested some lavender. It has dried beautifully, the scent is divine and I hope to make some sachets soon.

We picked just shy of thirty pounds of blueberries in less that thirty minutes. The field is just across our bridge and within walking distance. They are beautiful and all tucked up in the freezer to savor throughout the coming months. Yesterday I did make a cobbler with a yummy crumble on top. Delish!

These grow wild down by the same bridge and are egg yolk plums.
They are wonderfully juicy and when the sun hits them just right, they positively glow and do look so like an egg yolk. We gobbled them up in a few days.

Some goodness from the garden, which in all honesty has been just so poor this year. We have raised beds that are falling apart and grass has sprouted up in a twinkling of an eye and it is hard now to navigate between the beds. It does need a complete makeover before next spring and I am hoping that in time improvements will happen. Fingers crossed.

We have had no rain in so long. Spring here was unusually dry as well. It has been so hot for so many days...sometimes above 100 degrees. We do have the luxury of no humidity and a cooling off every night. It is not unheard of to have a 40 degree difference between late afternoon and the morning temps the following day.

I wear a flannel shirt or sweatshirt every a.m. until noonish. I can't complain about that.

Still struggling with the shoulder issues, though there has been such an improvement. Right now my other shoulder is crying uncle, probably because it's just worn out from carrying such a load. Physical therapy continues and it has been a godsend.

I hope all of you who come here are well and enjoying the best of summers. As always, I do love to hear from you and feel so privileged that you visit.

Love to all, Ellen. 

Country Visitors

Early morning, just outside our kitchen/dining room area, (I use the term dining room loosely as it is separated from the kitchen

by the cooking island.) I had the pleasure to be

a fellow participant in greeting a spanking new day.

The large black blob you can see by the fence and near the turkeys is one of our Newfoundland dogs.

She checked the turkeys out and decided that they were safe

and proceeded to take a nap. They also seemed unperturbed by her.

Oh happy conviviality.

The darling chipmunk on top of the roof comes and goes.

She, or he, lives in our woodshed and gives me a ridiculous 

amount of pleasure. The butterfly was such a gift as

we have very few of them here...at least I seldom see them.

Such a wonderful way to start the day.

Hoping everyone of you is well and enjoying a stellar week.

Summer has come in with a bang this week with temps up to

90+ degrees. It is cooler today..in the 80's and I am eternally

grateful that is always cools off at night and we 

virtually have no humidity.

Silage is being made, ox-eye daisies are blanketing everything.

The morning light is delicious.

Wishing all a lovely rest of the week.

With love, Ellen.

Just Two

 Wing from a dead insect in the front window...

If you prefer something of a lighter nature,

I will leave you with a cheerful buttercup.

Truth be told, I love both of them, especially the

close up of the wing, though it's not the best of shots.

Hoping you are having a good weekend.

Best to all, Ellen.

Down Across Our Bridge

These photos were taken several weeks ago

when the sun shone with that lovely light that May brings us.

Wild Iris..every spring, it makes my heart glad.

Broom...so sunny, so bright and fills the valleys with sunshine.

Loved creek that in winter roars and where I can see

the precious otters playing and sometimes the statue

of a heron waiting and waiting...a stone image

of patience and such beauty.

Ducks too and determined beavers..a soup of Mother Nature in all of her glory.

Wild lupines on the other side...

The humble wild rose...asks for nothing other than to be here.

And last, but not least the glory of this tree.

Oh, how I love this wise old tree...

A giant, an old soul who's branches have 

held true through time after time.

If trees could tell stories, surely this old man would..
from the times of traders and trappers, he truly would.
****************
Today the sun shone and in the late afternoon
and early evening I have watched flotillas 
of powder puff clouds slowly drifting in a sky
of blue..such a sweet blue..a lovely blue.

May love and goodness come to all
who visit here.
With love, Ellen.

Basket Beauty

The last of course is not a flower basket,

but a nest is as good as any basket.

My son found this is our nursery in one of the greenhouses.

Fingers crossed these wee souls with be safe from the crows.

*******************************

I've been going to physical therapy twice a week now

for a torn shoulder muscle and tendinitis..tendonitis (sp?)

It's better, but still so hard to deal with at times.

At least I can knit a bit, which was something

I could not manage for some months.

Our weather has been far from happy lately...

galvanized steel gray and a sky at times

so low, I swear I could brush my fingers across it.

The wood burner is still in use. I know this won't

last forever, but I am finding it hard to be patient.

Wishing all a wonderful weekend.

With love, Ellen.