Scribble Picnic. . . . . . One Of A Kind

Today I'm in a bit of a rush as there's much to do before going on a new adventure,

 details of which I'll post in the next day or so.

However, I promised Michael I'd be here for SCRIBBLE PICNIC today - but then
 MIA for a while!

Back in the day I used to paint/decoupage these tall terra-cotta rose pots.

Scenes from nature were always popular, I sold many in a quaint vintage/garden

 store on the way out of town where city meets country. I even had a sale in

 my potting shed one Spring day - same day I held a yard sale - people grabbed

up them and I took several orders for more.

This one - ONE OF A KIND - I kept for myself.

Some day, when I have more time, I hope to make more.

I took a photo, edited to a sketch, and as usual added color 

with watercolor pencils.

Here's the photo of my One Of A Kind pot.

Pop over to Michael's HERE to see what our little art group

has come up with for this week's fun theme. . . . . . and, dear Scribble Picnic

 friends, I'll see you at future Wednesday 'picnics' when I return.

Blog Anniversary No: 11. . . . .

I'm giving myself roses today!

Eleven long years have passed since starting my blog on this day in 2007.
Many thanks to all who have stayed with me. . . . . . and a warm welcome 
to anyone who views but doesn't comment.  I just like knowing my adventures
are found interesting by many, and my photos enjoyed.

Thank you for stopping by and making me a happy blogger!

Monday garden and thoughts. . . . . . . .

Wow, time flies!  Here it is Monday again and this will be a crazy, busy week for me.

I managed to prepare a few posts over the weekend.

 I was fed up with trying to decide what to pack for Patagonia. . . . . and how to fit 

it all into a large rolling duffel . . . . . so took short breaks from looking at piles

 of layering clothes and tons of toiletries all over the bed, shot a few photos 

around the garden, and wrote some posts to share this week. 

Last evening I collapsed in my chair with a glass of red and two chocolates!!

 To hell with the prednisone weight gain, I'm tired of fighting that issue for

 the past year. 

Absolutely loved watching that hour and a half series finale of VICTORIA

 which I thought amazing! Did you see it?

NO, your acorns are not buried here! Guess they'll continue digging in my pots of tulip

bulbs and pansies whilst I'm gone.

The saucer magnolia continues to brighten the February garden.

Plenty of garden chores will have to wait 'til April.

The daffodils and jonquils brought 'sunshine' to a somewhat cloudy weekend 

with a few showers.

So here's to the week ahead. Know you are freezing in the UK - even the

 English Channel is turning to ice along the Devon coast where my family lives, 

and severe storms caused by Siberian winds with snow and ice are heading

 across England from north to south for much of this week.

So take care wherever you are. . . . . . and do stop by tomorrow as it's a

 special anniversary for me!

The trinket dish. . . . . . .

Westminster Abbey, London Eye, Tower Bridge, Big Ben, St. Paul's Cathedral.

London's famous sightseeing venues. . . . . . . all joined together on a 

sweet little china trinket dish from Anthropologie. 
Dainty, delicate and so useful. 
See my precious Queen Victoria ring in its new home when not on my finger.
How adorable is this!

Do you have friends or family who know exactly what gift will make your heart sing?
Thank you dearest friend Mary Ann, you always pick the perfect gifts. 
They bring a smile and much happiness.

February garden delights. . . . . . .

Akebia budding on the potting shed. . .

Magnolia liliiflora 

Read more, and see photos, of my pretty tree shared on this day last year - it's
 taller and blooming right now in this warm late February weather.

The very first violets under the watchful eyes of the garden cherubs. . . . . . 

From my North Carolina garden. . . . . . . . . wishing you a good weekend.

Scribble Picnic - Fill In the Blank Rectangle -

I was on a mission to get this done yesterday, Tuesday, ready for today's picnic,

IF the fog clears (see HERE) we can throw down a blanket on the lawn under
 the fig tree and enjoy some sweet picnic snacks and a nice cuppa!

Yes, the tree is so tall now we can actually sit under it - a lot different from the little

 18" potted plant I dug the hole for (well Bob probably did that bit - I just point and

 ask nicely if he'll dig right there please!) some years ago. Just look at those hefty

 branches now - and later in the year the figs will hopefully arrive again and be ripe

 for picking and jam making.

I saw my rectangle when I noticed one of the little birdhouses hanging in the tree 

in the heavy fog blanketing the garden. Photographing the roof at this angle
 I thought would be different. I edited my photo back to a sketch, added a tiny bit
of colored pencil, and outlined the roof.

I will soon be off to Patagonia! Being on a ship much of the time, I may miss 

 several Scribble picnics due to lack of Internet availability, speed and cost! 

 I'll do my best, but don't be surprised if I can't join in or leave comments - sorry!

Pop over to Michael's today here at the SCRIBBLE PICNIC - starting off with

 a blank will definitely bring some fabulous creativity to all the fun posts.

Fog rolled in. . . . . . . .

We don't get fog here often. 

This morning it's quite thick, a white blanket veiling the

 garden and trees beyond. 

 Silence is heavy only interrupted by occasional birdsong.

It should lift by afternoon, get warm and possibly rain lightly.

Snow is not in the forecast here for the remainder of February,

I do believe springtime is on the way.

From the garden - a foggy morning via iPhone

It's all about HOME. . . . . . . .

I thought today I would chat a bit about home. 

This is a garden house for the birds, and probably my favorite with the tiny china bird 

on a nest perched on top. Birds have yet to nest in this home, maybe this will be the 

year, who knows.

It's a holiday for some, Presidents' Day, the day on the calendar now honoring

all American Presidents. It used to be a celebration of George Washington's birthday,

 things change! As this is not and never will be a political blog, I rest my case.

Staying home today is just like many other winter days. It's dreary, cool, raining off

 and on, but tomorrow and the rest of this week promises to be warm and sunny again. 

The weekend was fabulous and I did some required garden chores in hot sunshine

 under a cloudless deep blue sky.

Yesterday, early evening, we enjoyed a glass of wine of the front porch with a

 neighbor - sharing travel stories - until the coolness of dusk arrived and I had to

 reach for a sweater.

Yesterday I actually saw a pair of wrens flying around the gazebo with dried leaves

 in their bills - goodness it's much too early to be picking home sites and building nests! 

This winter I hung some of my bird houses in the fig tree out front - along with

 feeders and a few lanterns with battery operated candles which light up at

 dusk - and fortunately they've held up well through the drastic weather changes

 this season brought.

So, off to do some Monday kitchen chores - making leek and potato soup

 (a good day for soup of any kind), and trying a recipe I recently found for

 mushrooms and polenta. I'll share later if it turns out to be as tasty as promised.

Tonight is my Tai Chi class. It continues to be very interesting. . . . . and difficult!

 Practicing alone between classes is hard but I'm enjoying the class and will continue.

 I'll miss three March classes whilst in Patagonia so will have a lot to catch up with

 on my return!

Yes, going away again soon. Always fun, but thoughts of home will

accompany me on this exciting expedition adventure. . . . . . .as always.

Fair vernal flowers. . . . . . . .

Awake, thou wintry earth -

Fling off thy sadness!

Fair vernal flowers, laugh forth

Your ancient gladness!

~ Thomas Blackburn ~

~ Leucojum aestivum : called Summer snowflake but blooms in Spring ~

A morning of sunshine and an early walk through the garden 
brought new surprises.

The first flowers to open. . . . . . . . . always bring a smile.
I send these tiny beauties to those of you in colder climes who have
 yet to see your own push through the earth.
Along with the daffodils already in bloom, and with very warm days 
this coming week, we are well on our way to welcoming Spring.

My favorite deep cobalt blue hyacinth.
Have a pleasant Sunday.

To remind me. . . . . . .

. . . . . . of how precious life is and how quickly
 it can be taken away.

I worked in the garden yesterday morning for a few hours. 

It was incredibly hot for mid-February and broke the record for the date
 reaching 81F. I enjoyed a mini breakfast out on the front porch, the air felt so good. 
Came in damp and tired, feeling pleased with myself for accomplishing some small
 chores which needed attention.

Today will be much cooler with rain later, the garden will only be viewed
 from the windows.

I pruned the Japanese maple, also took a few more lower twigs off the Celeste fig tree.

I fertilized all the Spring bulbs scattered throughout both front and back garden beds,

 natural areas, and in large pots. I left the potting shed door open for a burst of

 fresh air and, when I returned to put away my gloves and tools, in with the air

 had flown one of the always inquisitive Carolina wrens.

 I chatted with her as she hopped around inside, not scared, just checking things 

out before flying off. How can one chat with a tiny bird? Quite easily!

I cut just 17 daffodils and jonquils for the dining room, some in full bloom, 

others still in bud.They are my way of remembering those 17 precious people
 taken from their families and friends in the Florida school shooting this week.

There is still beauty. . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . out there somewhere.

There is kindness and love, honesty and caring. 

There are good people doing brave things.

At times such as this we question much.

We pray and hope for a safer future,

for the children, for us all.

Gary Bunt - Daffodils: Art and Poetry

I wandered slowly with my dog

We likes to roam o'er vales and hills

When all at once we came across

Loads of bloomin daffodils

Scribble Picnic - Mushy!

I used a color photo of a tin of mushy peas, reverted it to a b/w sketch, 

then added color back with water color pencils.

The history of mushy peas can be found HERE

They are the traditional accompaniment to British fish 'n chips.

Growing up in England I recall eating them often, fish 'n chips being on the

 menu almost weekly. For the full meal cooked at home and served at the table,

 the mushy peas were always alongside the fish and chips -

French fries here in the US - on a proper china plate.

When very young I recall the 'Fish 'n Chip' van parking at the end of our

 road on Fridays - I guess it was an original food truck - serving battered
 deep fried fish, probably local fresh cod, and little tubs of mushy peas.
 The thick cut golden chips would be handed to us in a greaseproof baggie
 tucked inside a newspaper cone. Sprinkled with malt vinegar and a little salt,
 we started nibbling those delicacies before getting back to the house. . . . . . and
 without concerns for fat, sodium and calories. Those were the days!

Hope you enjoy stopping by Michael's Scribble Picnic today -
'mushy" is the theme so there may be some surprises!
Go HERE soon - mushy food, even mushy love - it is 
Valentine's Day after all!  
Who knows what you
might discover.

St. Valentine's Day. . . . .

A Common grackle visits alone. . . . . . . . . .

When Common grackles appear they are often in huge numbers - I've seen

several hundred appear at one time!  They can be a noisy nuisance in a small

 garden, also quite ominous, like a scene from the classic 1964 horror/suspense

 movie, "The Birds" directed by Sir Alfred Hitchcock.

A large black bird, 11-13", it sports an iridescent blue black head, 

purple brown body, long black tail, long thin bill, and very bright golden eyes.

Usually flying with other black birds in large flocks, it's known to feed in

 farmers' fields, dining on fruits, seeds and insects.

When a flock comes to the garden, thankfully not often, we shoo them

away and they fly up into the trees making their loud raspy calls.

This wet weekend, a single grackle arrived in the fig tree, looking lonely

 and apparently feeling hungry, it hopped onto the feeder and nibbled away

 for several minutes.

Probably a first for me, actually getting a photo of a grackle this close

 up, and through the window, so that the beautiful coloring is visible.

~ Common grackle : Quiscalis quiscula ~

A very colorful black bird, which isn't really black but a mix of beautiful colors.

Nature is very adept with her paintbrushes!

Wet Sunday in the garden. . . . . . . . . .

There are no trumpets welcoming the imminent arrival of a new

season, just a quiet pushing through the ground of bright green tips, the

 silent opening of buds, then pops of unexpected color as one looks out

 at the early morning.

Doesn't seem possible that well over a week of February has already

 disappeared into history! 

The days fleet fast for me at this time of life, how about you? 

Some people complain of days such as this one when the weather

is not to their liking. . . . . . whereas I gather each day around me thankful

it came and that I'm here to enjoy it.

February can be dreary, but this morning in my garden, I spy little things

 Nature is sharing to brighten my spirit, to be thankful for, to smile at, and

to know there is another Spring on the way.

 ~ Raindrops on daffodil leaves ~

~ Tufts of bluebell leaves pushing through garden mulch ~

~ First daffodil bloom of the year ~

~ Buds are opening ~

Today was already 60F at dawn, rain fell in the night, pansies are happy. . . . . . 

. . . . . . and the robins are back searching for worms - here's just a few of perhaps

 thirty who gathered on the front lawn!

Later today it will reach the mid-70's with perhaps some thunder.

The rain is light and intermittent - typical of February here in the 

southeast.

My thoughts this morning:

A Sunday in the cottage makes sense - there is much to do with our 
leaving home drawing closer.

I should bake something - or perhaps make a trifle! 

I need to clean the front porch as the beastly cute squirrels pulled the 
birdseed bell down, gobbled it up and left a mess!

Speaking of plants - we so enjoyed Raleigh Little Theatre's rendition of 
Little Shop of Horrors last evening!

Great cast as always, and special guests seated at the end of our row were 

North Carolina's Governor and First Lady, laughing along with the 

rest of us. I was happy to see them supporting this always fabulous local 

amateur theatre group.