Flowers - butterflies - Hurricane Isaias -

Flowers do it. . . . . . 

brighten the room, cheer one up!

Stopped at the grocery for lettuce and a cuke, and bought two bunches of

 alstroemeria (Peruvian Lily) just $8.00. Added sprigs of rosemary, dill

 and ivy - a pretty combo.

We really went out to deliver figs and tomatoes, and to drive around the neighborhood,

looking at houses. Interested in seeing how they fit the new 'mansions' on small

 lots as that's what we will see next door in the coming months most likely.

 I guess the old proverb 'where's there a will there's a way' will allow this to happen.

A Red Admiral, the first I've seen this year. 

Apparently they enjoy eating fermenting fruit - plenty of figs in the higher 

tree branches where we can't reach to pick.

I'm also seeing bees up there. . . . .along with the ever present catbirds, 

mockingbirds and robins, and this morning the rabbit is back under the

tree munching non-stop.

 Sighing a breath of relief this beautiful morning as our area fared well as

 Hurricane Isaias churned past overnight dropping heavy rain.

 We prepared as always for these possible catastrophic events, moving

 our cars from under the big trees, storing anything which could become

 a flying object in strong winds from the porch and deck.  

Fingers were crossed that there would be no power outages, tornadoes

 and no trees down - fortunately around here just a few twigs are littering

 the ground.

The air is so much cooler and the sun is shining brightly this morning.

 Everywhere looks freshly washed, plants and shrubs standing tall, 

grass refreshed and perhaps a little greener.

Other places along the coast have a lot of damage and as the 

storm heads north it will impact many more. My thoughts are 

now with everyone in the path of Isaias.

Thankful and grateful today here.

Moving on with life - Summer garden bounty.

Last evening - the kitchen island!

Bob picked the figs Saturday afternoon - and has the mosquito bites to prove it!

Our neighbor, also a Bob, picked the tomatoes from his garden before leaving on a 

trip. A load of tomatoes as you can see - many of which I'm sharing with others today.

These two bowls of figs have gone to others also as I will have plenty coming

in the next couple of weeks. I'll also be harvesting more tomatoes whilst neighbor

 Bob is away and I'm minding his cat.

Sharing the bounty with others feels good. 

Making tomato sauce for the freezer will take time. Pesto will also be underway

 again this week - after the hurricane passes with hopefully no severe damage - as

 the basil plants are huge and need snipping.

Kitchen jobs have been keeping me busy whilst the concerns of what will be

 happening to the house next door have kept me wondering/worrying ------ but

 now we know!

It will be razed!

Yes, my long time neighbors moved out this weekend and we are feeling lonely.

We've now heard the buyers will start demolition of the house soon.

Their plan is to build in the $500,000-$750,000 range which means our little

 'cottage', and the cul-de-sac, will most likely be 'overwhelmed' by a mini-mansion. 

This is what's happening all around our neighborhood, but this will be the first

 such new construction on our street. We see many more larger homes coming - 

several houses on our street are owned by elderly people who moved here in

the late '60's when the subdivision was built - and they are still here even though

now in their nineties, bless them!

But none of us are here - or anywhere - forever of course.

The construction companies are waiting in the wings, breathing down our

 necks, scouting the neighborhood for those FOR SALE signs, then pouncing.

The house next door sold the first day the owners put their sign out!

This has become a year of many changes for me - sadly, most not favorable.

I think I'll leave you now - perhaps bake fig tarts, or drown myself in 

homemade pasta sauce!

Stay well, be safe dear friends.

The fig-eating bunny - neighbors - hurricane watch!

Welcome to a new month. 

Almost can't believe we are this far into the year. . . . and haven't been away

 anywhere since early February!  

When we headed to the North Carolina coast for that chilly, but fun, weekend

 break, we never dreamed it would be the only trip away from home for

many months.

Our planned visit home to England in spring never happened. I'm so missing my

family and friends, and still don't know when we will be able to go.

Dreams of a cruise this year came to a halt. Plans to leave home are on

the back burner right now.

So here we are in August and the only excitement - of the scary kind - might

 be brought by a hurricane with the name Isaias, which nobody seems to know

 how to pronounce!  We are inland but still always have to be concerned as 

hurricanes have often wreaked havoc this far from the coast, and we've

 had severe property damage in the past.

This morning our dear neighbors are in the process of moving out after renting

 the house for over 12 years!  We are going to miss them so much as they cared 

about us, made sure we were safe. . . . . and that we woke up each morning if our

blinds weren't open!!!

The property has been sold and we are now on tenterhooks as to what will happen.

As the purchasers are a contractor/realtor couple who purchased as soon as the

 FOR SALE went up, we feel they will probably not live here but will either renovate

 and flip, renovate and rent out again, or (and this is happening all around 

our neighborhood when older houses go on the market due to its prime location),

 knock down and replace with a larger new build!

Time will tell - trying to stay positive as we don't want a bad situation which could

mean our own For Sale sign going up!

A bit of happiness among the somber goings on this morning, was our own

 'Peter Rabbit' quite unconcerned by moving trucks and many strangers on his turf!

He popped out at 7:30 am for a breakfast of dropped fruits under the fig tree.

Meanwhile, the birds, mostly catbirds, mockingbirds and robins, have taken a

break from serious pecking at the figs high up in the tree. . . . . I know they'll be 

back later though.

Sunny Saturday morning. . . . . . . perhaps a weather lull before the storm arrives.

  Very hot though - heat index predicted to reach 105-107F this afternoon!

Tomorrow I start my cat sitting job for three weeks as our other next door neighbor 

will be away.  It takes Ms. Nala cat at least a week to get over being left by her 'dad' 

and become happy to see me twice a day.  By week three she may even climb into my 

lap for a cuddle!  I will also be harvesting the tomatoes, peppers, basil etc.  

Hoping this late summer month will be a good one for us all.