LIFE IS A BEACH...

Instead 

of telling you

 what I did last week, 

I'm going to tell you

 what we are going to do

 in the next 

couple of weeks.

Santa Cruz Beach and Boardwalk

Giant Dipper

We are going down 

to Santa Cruz 

to stay at the kids

 and baby sit their animals 

while Tami and Tim go

 on a cruise 

to Alaska.

I am so excited 

that they are getting to go

 and that I will be browsing

 in some antique and thrift shops 

that I don't normally get to visit

 very often.

There is a lot to see and do 

at the beach. 

 We will feel like 

we are on vacation 

and the change in the climate 

will be most 

appreciated!

I will be taking some time off 

from blogging 

while we are there...

...but will take my camera 

so, hopefully,

 will get some

 pretty and memorable

 photos.

I picked up these 

poppy stems

 at Michael's awhile back. 

 I think 

they are so

 pretty.

I know I have shared 

this Victorian beach print before,

 and probably mentioned 

that even though it is not in great shape,

I love the wrinkles in the paper.

 It reminds me 

of the sun shining down 

on the children. 

 But, 

I don't think I have

 mentioned

 the frame...

...we picked the print up

 in Grants Pass, OR,

 a few years ago 

and it is all handmade

 with strips of cardboard 

cut out and stacked 

one on top of another 

and painted. 

 Someone

 went to a lot of work 

and it is quite unusual. 

 I have heard it called 

a form of Tramp Art.

Will be back 

in a couple of weeks

 and until then,

 I will share some photos

 I took of the glaciers 

when the Captain and I 

were on our own cruise 

to Alaska 

in 2008...

...some 

of the most beautiful

 and amazing wonders 

of the 

world.

At approximately

 8:05 PM yesterday, 

four little fledglings

 flew and fluttered their way 

out of the only home they have ever known,

 as their parents sat 

on the fence and

 tweeted encouragement.

  Some landed on ivy, 

some on ferns,

 but they all managed to fight 

their way up 

into the air 

and move themselves towards

 the new life that awaits them.

  We thoroughly enjoyed 

their time

 in the Little Pink House. 

 Romeo and Juliet 

did good!

Bon Voyage!

...Judy...

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ALL THE UNUSUAL SUSPECTS...

Let me tell you about more 

of my unusually beautiful hydrangeas.

 This bush sits in 

an ivy clad corner of the Secret Garden 

and it has never gotten more

 than two or three blooms

 per season before.

  It starts its day 

in the cool shade,

 looking full, pretty and bright.

  By noontime, however,

 the hot sun hits it

 and it droops and looks like 

it is coming apart at the seams. 

 The first time we noticed it 

looking like that,

 we ran for the hose

 and thought we had lost it for sure.

  But,

 when evening comes around, 

it makes an unusually 

remarkable 

recovery.

I never started out 

collecting pitchers 

but, over time, I've noticed 

that I do have quite a few. 

 I really like using them 

for flower arrangements.

  On a recent trip to

 Home Goods, 

I saw this beauty...

...a little unusual 

in its decorations,

 with the look of spongeware and stenciling 

that I adore,

 with some real 

farmhouse charm thrown in.

 As I reached

 to place it in my cart,

 I noticed an old familiar pinch

 in my lower back.

  

It registered in my head,

 but I didn't feel the results 

until the next morning.

I have been hobbling around 

for the week

 not being able to straighten up. 

 When it gets like this,

 I just can't walk straight 

and the more I bend

 the worse it feels.

I just have to 

take it easy and 

let it run its course. 

It is almost a year to the day that it happened the last time.

 Just before we were getting ready 

for the Country Sampler

 magazine shoot.

The pitcher 

feels an unusual responsibility,

 even though I say 

it is my own fault.

 It was me, after all,

 that wanted to go to 

Home Goods 

in the first place.

I gave it 

a bouquet of these

 unusually beautiful hydrangeas 

to try to uplift 

its spirits,...

"We may think 

we are tending our garden, 

but of course,

 in many different ways,

 it is the garden

 and the plants 

that are nurturing us."

Jenny Uglow

...and 

I think it

 might be 

working.

...Judy...

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A HAPPY 4TH OF JULY...

I have seen this welcome mat 

in a few catalogs 

and since we finally decorated 

the front porch for the holiday,

 I thought it would be fun

 to re-create it...

...so, 

welcome to the porch,

 the official hostess for 

the Cottage 

on this 

Independence Day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We are offering

 baskets of fire works

 in an array

 of colors...

...some resembling 

the intense sun 

that is shining

 down on us

 now.

We took a ride 

in the country to

 Bald Mountain Nursery 

where we picked up our

 pretty baskets of 

fireworks.

The nursery is settled 

in the mountains 

a short way from us.

  It is pretty 

and green 

and cool,

 but...

...the hills 

surrounding it

 are brown

 and dry...

...and we are sure hoping 

that we won't be hearing of 

any wildfires 

popping up.

We see evidence of 

past fires 

as we listen to

 spotter planes flying overhead.

 The conditions are all favorable,

 in a bad way,

 as it is hot 

with strong breezes.

Back in the Cottage garden 

the hydrangeas 

are adding their own

 spots of color...

...as are the mystery flowers,

 only they are not

 as prolific as years passed. 

 They may be on the verge 

of blooming themselves out.

However,

 the Chinese Lanterns, 

that we planted a couple of years ago, 

are making a

 nice little corner for themselves,

 getting ready for fall color, 

and maybe 

planning on taking 

the mystery flowers place 

in the landscape. 

I wouldn't mind it too much

 as they are pretty and green

 for much of the summer 

and I love their

 fall colors.

A few years ago,

 the Captain came home 

with this beauty.

 No, not me, 

the morning glory! 

 It is not like a regular morning glory 

that comes back year after year.

 (That is only me, just to haunt him). 

 It only blooms for one summer

 and then it dies. 

(At least in our climate). 

 We haven't been able to

 find another

 until now.

It only comes up a little way

on the trellis so far 

but, it is a fast grower,

 and will pretty much cover it

 until it dies in the fall

 when the weather turns colder.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I hope everyone has figured out 

how to get the comments back 

into your e-mails now.

  I had so many

 thoughtful (and smart) friends 

(and thank you all so much) 

giving me directions 

on how to do it. 

 It took me awhile 

but I did figure it out 

and in case there is someone

 "slower" like myself, 

I want to pay it forward:

Open Blogger dashboard

On left side will be list of posts published, etc.

Scroll down and click on  "Settings" 

and then click on "e-mail"

Your address will be there 

in the box next to 

"Comment Notification Email"

Delete your address within the box

 and then click 

"Save Settings" in top right side

Go back to "Settings" and "e-mail" 

(I clicked them again 

even though they were already opened

 and

Add your address back into

the same box and then, again, click 

"Save Settings".

You will receive 

an e-mail 

giving you two options to click:

Choose and click on "Subscribe".

That should do it. It is so nice to be up and running again in the usual way.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Since we finished the screened porch

 and Romeo and Juliet

 are hatching their babies 

(we are pretty sure 

that has happened 

as they are in and out of the nest a lot 

carrying food back in), 

we have rather neglected

 the front porch,

 so now 

we present her 

in her holiday finery 

and welcome the 

2018 Grand Illumination.

It has been so hot here. 

 We have been watching 

the Hallmark Movie and Mystery channel.

 There is nothing like 

watching a damsel in distress 

during a Christmas snow storm 

to cool a person off in July!

HAPPY 4TH TO ALL...

...Judy...

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