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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